WELCOME FROM RK KELLEY, PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Welcome, friends, to our 25th Anniversary Season! As we celebrate this exciting milestone, there is so much to be proud of on every front. Artistically, there is sustained artistic vibrancy and quality across multiple genres — the musical versatility of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, from legendary masterworks to the most contemporary scores, is impressive and distinct. Our strong tradition of commissioning new music continues, with three world premieres this season! One of the Philharmonic’s proudest service achievements, in partnership with Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and now Volusia county school districts, is the enormous growth of our Young People’s Concerts into one of the nation’s largest. 66,000-plus grade-schoolers attend annually, and we will reach and teach our one millionth student this fall! Growing with our community makes us both proud and thankful; in a decade of subscription retraction across the industry, the OPO continued to add subscribers and set sales records. Thanks to generous sponsor invitations, performances at a wide variety of venues has enabled the orchestra to engage audiences of greater numbers and diversity. Looking forward, we are surrounded by opportunity. Steinmetz Hall, under construction at the Dr. Phillips Center, is destined for international prominence, and as our mainstage concert venue will enhance music-making and audience experiences. At our smaller home-base venue, The Plaza Live, we completed important, capability-increasing renovations this past year with more than $4 million in donations. Design of the second phase, all focused on guest service and experience, is beginning. Today, we are blessed with a great team under the leadership of Executive Director Christopher Barton and Music Director Eric Jacobsen. We keep great company too, with a stellar lineup of internationally recruited musicians in our orchestra, our many collaborative partners, and outstanding guest artists – including cellist and perhaps most influential classical musician in the world today, Yo-Yo Ma, who will join us in the 25th season! Finally, we are collectively very thankful for you, our “family” of supporters, who share our belief and passion for enabling the uplifting and inspiring power of music to reach across Central Florida. We are committed to be the entire community’s orchestra and to playing every concert at the highest level of artistic quality. THANK YOU for 25 years of attendance and support that has made it ALL possible! See YOU at the Phil! RK Kelley President, Board of Directors, The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 7
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