Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Announces Season

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announces its 2018-2019 Season today, including five concerts on the FAIRWINDS Classics Series, and five programs of two concerts each on the Pops Series, with all performances taking place at Bob Carr Theater. The Focus Series includes five concerts that take place at The Plaza Live Theater. Summer programming will be announced at a later date.

Music Director Eric Jacobsen returns for his fourth season with the OPO, conducting concerts on each of the Orchestra's three main series. Soloists highlighting the FAIRWINDS Classics Series include season-opening performances by violinist and OPO Concertmaster Rimma Bergeron-Langlois and soprano Maria Laetitia, both familiar to Orlando audiences, pianist Harmony Zhu, the 2018 Genius of Youth artist, and award-winning cellist Jan Vogler.

Programming in the 2018-19 season evokes the themes and ideas of The Silk Road Ensemble, founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who concludes the OPO's 25th Anniversary Season with a special concert on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 8 p.m. at Bob Carr Theater. Concerts that blend cultures and styles and the return of Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh player of The Silk Road Ensemble, emphasize this theme.

FAIRWINDS Credit Union has committed to continuing its sponsorship of the Classics Series through the 2020-2021 season.

"We are so grateful for the past and future support from FAIRWINDS Credit Union," said Chris Barton, executive director. "This ongoing support helps us to enrich the community, inspire our audiences, and build our organization to serve Central Florida for the next 25 years."

Puerto Rican-born composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón will be featured as composer-in-residence for the 2018-2019 season. The OPO will perform her compositions and arrangements, including a world premiere on the Focus Series, on four programs throughout the season.

"Having Angélica working with the orchestra this season is a gift to our community," said Eric Jacobsen, music director. "We look forward to her unique collaboration and contribution during the season with our artistic programming and education programs.

The Pops Series brings together the best of American popular music and live entertainment for Orlando Philharmonic patrons. Highlights include a season-opening performance by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Rhiannon Giddens, also known for her starring role on the CMT drama Nashville, audience-favorite trumpeter and conductor Byron Stripling leading a program of New Orleans jazz greats in celebration of Mardi Gras, and The Second City Guide to the Symphony, featuring celebrity host, comedian, and star of television's Whose Line is it Anyway?, Colin Mochrie.

OPO musicians will be featured soloists on the Focus Series, with special performances by Rimma Bergeron-Langlois (violin), Jamie Strefeler (oboe), and Robert Carpenter (tuba) performing a concerto by Orlando musician and composer Benoit Glazer.

Subscription renewals for current subscribers begin this month and new subscriptions for the 2018-2019 season will go on-sale in April. For more information, please contact the Box Office at 407-770-0071 or Boxoffice@orlandophil.org.

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