A History of Excellence
THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA | 2017-2018
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The Florida Orchestra’s history
is steeped in orchestral tradition
from both sides of Tampa Bay. In
1967, the Tampa Philharmonic and
St. Petersburg Symphony officially
merged as the Florida Gulf Coast
Symphony, which opened its first
season on November 14, 1968,
under the baton of Music Director
Irwin Hoffman. Performing as the
Florida Gulf Coast Symphony until
changing its name to The Florida
Orchestra in 1984, the orchestra has since been led by music directors Jahja Ling and Stefan
Sanderling. The 2017/18 season marks Michael Francis’ third season as music director.
Over the years, The Florida Orchestra has had a series of successes. In 2011, it launched a
multi-year cultural exchange with the Cuban Institute of Music as well as its Accessibility
Initiative, which effectively reduced ticket prices to all of its Masterworks and Pops concerts.
The orchestra also has taken steps to be more involved with the Tampa Bay community,
including a collaboration with the Tampa Bay Lightning to produce the team’s one-time
theme song, and free pop-up concerts in hospitals, malls and beyond. To showcase its
artistic excellence, the orchestra released a CD featuring music by Florida-influenced
classical composer Frederick Delius on the Naxos label in 2012. On the CD, the orchestra is
joined by The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and baritone Leon Williams in a performance
of Delius’ Sea Drift and Appalachia. In 2014, the orchestra released another CD, Holiday
Pops Live! on its label TFO Live! In spring of 2017, the orchestra visited Avon Park, Sebring,
Daytona and Gainesville as part of its state residency program.
The Florida Orchestra is recognized as Tampa Bay’s leading performing arts institution,
one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida, and one of the most
vibrant orchestras in America. Through extraordinary musical performances, the orchestra
inspires the people of Tampa Bay and serves as a leader and beacon for the musical arts
throughout the state.