Jacksonville Symphony opens new season in September

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After a season filled with challenges and triumphs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Music Director Courtney Lewis and the Jacksonville Symphony recently announced the upcoming 2021-22 season. For the first time since March 2020, Jacoby Symphony Hall will open without physical distancing when the season begins in September 2021.

“We have all spent the last year adjusting our day-to-day life for the sake of getting to a safer tomorrow where we can once again enjoy each other’s company,” said President and CEO Steven Libman. “Although the Jacksonville Symphony was able to successfully open last season in a physically distanced space, there is nothing like the energy created in a packed symphony hall. There is an intangible bond between artist and audience that feeds off this energy.”

Some 2021-22 season highlights:

The David M. Hicks Mozart Piano Series: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the greatest composers ever to put pen to manuscript paper. From his first composition at age 5 to his final at 35, he wrote a total of 626 known works. Between 1785 and 1786 he composed six piano concertos that arguably represent the most remarkable of the 27 he penned, and this season the Jacksonville Symphony partners with a bevy of world-renowned pianists to bring five of them to Jacoby Symphony Hall on Sept. 24-25. Each of these concertos has an extraordinarily unique flavor, and each of these remarkable pianists is certain to bring their own distinct voice to the stage.

Breathing Life into Music: The 2021-22 season marks the announcement of the Jacksonville Symphony’s multi-year project that will see the premiere of five original works commissioned from five of today’s most exciting composers, reflecting their commitment to the living art form. The new season will feature the first of these, with a piece for full orchestra by Tarik O’Regan, a British and American composer whose music The Washington Post describes as “exquisite and delicate.”

Classical, Pops and More: The Florida Blue Classical Series returns with 11 weekends of powerful, uplifting music, wonderful conductors and thrilling guest artists. The season will begin with Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 with Daniel Hsu. The series also welcomes back the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus for the rescheduled, and much awaited, performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The Series will also include works by Johannes Brahms, Thomas Adès, Aaron Copland and Piotr Tchaikovsky.

The symphony continues the Fidelity National Financial Pops Series showcasing a wide array of genres. Two Broadway concerts take audiences to “The Great White Way” through the music of  “Wicked” and more. Singer/pianist Michael Cavanaugh makes his second appearance with the symphony in a concert honoring the music of Elton John. Judy Garland’s 100th birthday is celebrated in a program of her greatest hits and Jacksonville’s own The Chris Thomas Band takes the Jacoby Symphony Hall stage with the symphony for a concert full of Rat Pack favorites.

After a season-long hiatus, Symphonic Night at the Movies returns with “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

The symphony’s Friday morning Raymond James Coffee Series will be back with eight concerts encompassing music from Beethoven to Broadway. The Happy Hour Symphony in 60 series will also be returning, with programming announced at a later date.

Holidays at the Symphony: First Coast Nutcracker comes back in full force with Tchaikovsky’s timeless score sure to bring alive a world of childlike imagination. After a season off, the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus will once again sing “Hallelujah!” for the annual production of Handel’s “Messiah.” New Year’s Eve brings back crooner-favorite Tony DeSare for “Rhapsody in Blue Eyes,” a concert featuring the songs of Frank Sinatra and George Gershwin. Not to be forgotten is the annual tradition of Holiday Pops. Complete with guest singers, and dancers from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, it’s the perfect way to ring in the holiday season.

For the full schedule and dates, go to jaxsymphony.org. Subscriptions for the 2021-22 season are currently on sale and single-ticket sales begin in August 2021. For additional information, call the symphony box office at (904) 354-5547.