Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is Central Florida's resident professional orchestra, appearing in more than 125 performances each season. Founded in 1993, the orchestra's vision is to enrich, inspire, and serve Central Florida through the transformative power of live music. The Orlando Philharmonic has a budget of over $4 million annually and has the largest endowment of any arts institution in Central Florida. The Orlando Philharmonic entered its 28th anniversary in the 2020-2021 season, led by Eric Jacobsen as Music Director.
History
The Orlando Philharmonic is Central Florida's resident professional orchestra, composed of accomplished musicians recruited from around the world.
Programs
Celebrating its 28th Season, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is led by Music Director Eric Jacobsen and is composed of creative musicians and artists from around the world. The Philharmonic annually presents the 10-concert FAIRWINDS Classics Series and Pops Series, as well as its Focus Series and Symphony Storytime Series at The Plaza Live, a historic Central Florida venue. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s mission is to enrich and inspire the diverse communities of Central Florida through the transformative power of live music, and it presents more than 170 live concerts and impacts more than 70,000 children, youth, and families annually through its Young People’s Concerts, Symphony Storytime Series, Notes in Your Neighborhood program, and free outdoor community concerts. A resident company of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Philharmonic will perform in Steinmetz Hall when it opens.
Additionally, the Orlando Philharmonic performs numerous full-orchestra outdoor fall and spring community pops concerts, performed in partnerships with municipalities throughout the region, and offered free to the public.
Learn more at OrlandoPhil.org.
Opera
When the Orlando Opera closed its doors in 2009, the Philharmonic took on the responsibility of keeping opera alive in the Central Florida community. In 2010, the Philharmonic performed two Concert Operas, Carmen and Porgy and Bess. In 2011, the orchestra performed La Bohème. In 2012, the Philharmonic performed Rigoletto. The Orlando Philharmonic annually performs 30 Young People's Concerts for over 60,000 Orange, Seminole, and Volusia County Public School, private, and home school students at the Bob Carr Theater.
Community Collaboration
The Philharmonic initiates many community collaborations. Since its inception, the orchestra has partnered with the Orlando Opera, Orlando Ballet, the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, Florida Young Artists Orchestra, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Orlando Science Center, Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Central Florida, Stetson University, the "Negro Spiritual" Scholarship Foundation, Mad Cow Theatre, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, the Orange County Regional History Center and many other area organizations.
