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Dear Philharmonic friends and patrons:
There have been so many riches and rewards in my first full season with the Orlando Philharmonic. I want to thank all of you who have given generously of your time and talent, and those who have made financial contributions to help make this season a success. In particular I want to thank our board, under the inspired leadership of John Casebier, and the Friends, guided by the indefatigable Hugh James.
Throughout this thrilling year, my admiration has grown steadily for the Philharmonic team: for our musicians, board, staff, volunteers, supporters, and audience members.
Orchestral music makes for rich collaborations, and we have had many this year. The sounds of The Music Manare still ringing in my ears, whether of the singing of the fabulous actors and actresses invited by Alan Bruun, Tara Anderson, and Mad Cow Theatre, or of The Orlando Chorale, the close harmony of our incomparable barbershop quartet, The Humdingers, or the playing of the 120 member marching band from Dr. Phillips High School.
By the end of this season, we will also have brought our musicians together with artists from the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Opera, Mariachi Cobre, Casa de Mexico, the Young Composers Challenge, the Florida Young Artists Orchestra, The Liberty Singers, Bethune-Cookman University, Jones High School, and the “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation.
Community connections continue next season on many levels, including a partnership with the Orlando Museum of Art and composer Stella Sung, and a musical collaboration with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. Such alliances weave together talent and purpose in ways that greatly enrich our community fabric. They are what theater director Peter Sellars has described in urging arts organizations to create “shared spaces.”
Orlando will get a stunning new “shared space” within a few years in the Dr. P. Phillips Performing Arts Center. The opening of this new hall will be a landmark event in our city’s history, playing an enormous role in helping to create a “sense of place” in Orlando. We need our beautiful places; and we need exciting events to go in them. This is how we attract and keep the brightest and best in central Florida.
I am excited about our summer plans. We have a great line-up for the Sounds of Summer series, including new collaborations and favorite ensembles. This year the concerts will be held in the Margeson Theater, in Orlando-Loch Haven Park.
I look forward to next season, and a bright future for this orchestra, as we continue to contribute to the cultural life of this beautiful city.
Yours sincerely, with a grateful heart,
Christopher Wilkins
Music Director
Music Director
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