For a grand season finale, the Jacksonville Symphony presents “Symphonie Fantastique” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 7, and Saturday, June 8, at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, Jacoby Symphony Hall.
Music Director Courtney Lewis and the symphony take the stage to perform Hector Berlioz’s wildly imaginative “Symphonie Fantastique.” A bedrock of the Romantic Era, this saga uses music to paint a love-stricken artist’s journey from a serene countryside to a whirling dervish conclusion. Famous for its melodies that forever revolutionized classical music, this work would come to influence Sergei Rachmaninoff and other composers.
“As we approach our 75th season next year, there is so much to look forward to, but first, we end this season with one of my favorite symphonies,” said Courtney Lewis, music director of the Jacksonville Symphony. “The artistic leap that Berlioz took in imagining the ‘Symphonie Fantastique’ is enormous. The sheer originality of the concept is staggering, as is the power, terror and beauty of the music. Throughout the symphony, Berlioz’s passion and vigor make the music fizz with life and excitement, resulting in a thrilling, orchestral journey.”
The program opens with another storytelling work — gripping orchestral music from Thomas Adès’ masterpiece opera, “The Exterminating Angel,” based on the 1962 film of the same name by Luis Buñuel. The surrealist masterpiece depicts guests at an upper-class dinner party who find themselves inexplicably unable to leave and in the throes of survival. Lewis refers to it as “one of the most exciting pieces to be written within the last decade.”
In early May, the Jacksonville Symphony announced its 75th Anniversary Season, filled with exceptional programming and special events. In conjunction with its upcoming season, the symphony unveiled new, vibrant branding that depicts Jacksonville’s sunrises and rivers, reflecting the symphony’s deep connection to the city and its surroundings. Season subscriptions are on sale now to current subscribers looking to renew. Single tickets and new subscriptions are available beginning July 8.
To view the 75th season and learn more about the new brand, go to JaxSymphony.org or call the Box Office at 904-354-5547. For more information on “Symphonie Fantastique” and to reserve seats, tickets are on sale only at JaxSymphony.org.
