Jacksonville Symphony facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacksonville Symphony |
|
|---|---|
| Orchestra | |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Concert hall | Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts |
| Principal conductor | Courtney Lewis |
The Jacksonville Symphony is a famous orchestra that plays music in Jacksonville, Florida. They have been performing for many years.
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Their Special Concert Hall
The Jacksonville Symphony is one of the few American orchestras with its own special concert hall. They play most of their shows at the Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall. This hall is part of the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.
The Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall is mainly used for orchestra concerts. It looks like the famous Wiener Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. The hall has a "shoebox" shape, which is common for many European music venues. This design helps the sound travel well.
It's known as a pure concert hall because it feels very close and personal. There are no stage curtains or orchestra pits. The hall has a huge pipe organ called The Bryan Concert Organ. This organ has 6,214 pipes! It is home to both the Jacksonville Symphony and the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra. The hall can seat 1,797 people, making it a great place for concerts.
A Rich History of Music
The Jacksonville Symphony started in 1949. It is one of the oldest orchestras in Florida. Many famous artists have performed with them over the years. These include musicians like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Luciano Pavarotti, and Itzhak Perlman.
The Symphony has even performed twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Their most recent show there was in 1998.
Besides playing in their own hall, the Jacksonville Symphony also performs in many other places. They visit schools and centers for seniors. They also travel to stages across Florida and the Southeastern United States. You can even hear their weekly shows on WJCT-FM radio. The Symphony has also been heard by people all over the country on National Public Radio's Performance Today.
Concerts and Education
The Jacksonville Symphony offers many live music shows. They reach over 200,000 people each year in Florida. About one-third of these are children. Kids benefit from the Symphony's special programs. These include concerts just for them and after-school classes called Jump Start Strings. They also support the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra.
The Symphony plays about 130 concerts each season. Their musicians also visit schools, like Spring Park Elementary, and senior centers. They give educational performances to nearly 15,000 students and 1,500 seniors. These visits happen in the four counties around Jacksonville.
Leaders of the Orchestra
Here are the main conductors, called Music Directors, who have led the Jacksonville Symphony:
- 1950–1952 Van Lier Lanning
- 1952–1962 James Christian Pfohl
- 1962–1969 John Canarina
- 1969–1970 Daniell Revenaugh
- 1971–1983 Willis Page
- 1984-1998 Roger Nierenberg
- 1999–2014 Fabio Mechetti
- 2015–Present Courtney Lewis
Symphony on the Radio
You can listen to some Jacksonville Symphony concerts on the radio. They are broadcast on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. on 89.9 FM WJCT Public Radio. The show is called "89.9 Presents the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra." It features parts of their performances recorded live in Jacoby Symphony Hall. You can also hear talks with the Symphony musicians and guest artists.
Recordings
The Jacksonville Symphony has also made recordings of their music.
- 2006: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana (Orff)
