Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

Well, I’m not going to be the one to break the Orlando Philharmonics five star streak! They’re just as good as these reviews say they are.
I had seen them in a few times in the past, but most recently at the one shot performance of Zelda — Symphony of the Goddesses. I was blown away by what a command the OPO had of the music, even though it was only played for one night, and the material covered such a wide range.
If you’re in Orlando, go! See the Philharmonic, support the arts, and all that jazz.

If you haven’t been to any of the wonderful concerts (both classical and pop) put on by this fantastic orchestra, you don’t know what you are missing. Right here in Orlando, we have a FIRST CLASS Philharmonic Orchestra second to none.
We have been going since we moved to Florida seven years ago, having come from NJ where we also had a first class orchestra. We were delighted to learn that there is culture abounding in Orlando.
Each performance is amazing and very different. We just recently enjoyed their annual «Home for the Holidays» conducted by Albert-​George Schram. Maestro Schram captured the joy of the holidays in this rousing production. Throughout the concert, he seemed to enjoy it as much as his audience.
Most concerts are led by our resident conductor, Maestro Christopher Wilkins who is a joy to watch leading this wonderful talented group of musicians. If you are a music lover, and even if you aren’t, come out for a performance and see for yourself.

Until today, I hadn’t seen an orchestral performance in Orlando since the Philharmonic’s predecessor, the Florida Symphony Orchestra, went belly-​up. The Orlando Philharmonic is a refined, handsome and disciplined orchestra. The performance I saw today at the Bob Carr PAC was a matinée of «A Night at the Oscars,» under the direction of German-​born Dirk Meyer.
The artistic device of synching the orchestral music to the film clips shown on a large movie screen was captivating at times, but occasionally distracting, as the dialogue was included. Musical selections were mostly classical in tone, from movies such as Gone With the Wind, Ben-​Hur, Robin Hood (Errol Flynn version), yet ending on a lighter note with music from The Wizard of Oz. But my favorite was Bernard Herrmann’s somber and haunting music from the classic Citizen Kane.
I look forward to more visits to see this fine orchestra.

Ok, Ok, Ok!!! Whatever you are doing stop! You need… nay, must stop and read this post. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra are as good as it gets. My only regret is that I know this review will fail in comparison to how overwhelmingly fantastic experiencing the OPO is.
Let me first talk to you about the experience. Dressed in our «Sunday Best» my wife and I walked through the open doors and are greeted by a very sweet young lady. She scans our tickets and points us in the direction of our seats. We are a bit early, so we walk around for a few minutes. There are parents with their children, elderly couples arm in arm, the Maestro’s Lounge filled with people wetting their whistle before the show begins. As we head to our seats a beauty young women (about 65 years old) hands us our booklet and sends us down the hall. We are one the first in the auditorium, which is nice because you get to watch the musicians warm up.
Once the place is full, David (Executive Director) steps on stage to say his «Thanks» to all who have come to enjoy the experience and to give us a preview of «Color Cathedral» and what is come. The Maestro steps out on stage, applause begin to swim across the auditorium. He takes a bow and turns to his orchestra. For the next 45 minutes to an hour I watch in amazement as the band of musicians play with my heart strings. I can’t help, but lean forward to get just that much closer to the action.
Once the Maestro finishes, we applaud, he bows and the lights come on. I am impressed to say the least, but now I find that we are not finished. This was merely part 1 and in a few minutes I will get to experience part 2. As part 2 begins, the Maestro, as before, bows and turns to his team. This second part is much different, however. There is a light display that begins. Lights of different colors are shot all over the audience and stage. Soon the lights turn to these four «bowls»; two sitting on stage and two in the balcony. Four musicians begin to swirl some kind of «metal stick» around the bowls creating this amazing sound that I cannot put into words. The lights continue to move across the auditorium and with a flick of his wrist the Maestro brings the concert to a close. A standing ovation ensues and everyone from the composer to the pianist gets a chance to take a bow. I am, in a word, overwhelmed!
Now I know that I have given you a lot of information and I promise to only give you a little more. This was probably equalling if not more impressive to me than the concert and that is the way the orchestra is governed. If you know anything about nonprofits they are governed by a board of directors. Unfortunately, most boards are put together too quickly or have people who really know nothing about the organization. The OPO is not that way. They are governed by leaders in the community as well as musicians within the OPO. This ensures that the music and the musicians come first.
This may not seem as important as the actual concert, but think about it. You can actually go watch something wonderful and leave knowing that they had you and the community’s best interest at heart. That is rare and special and should not be overlooked. I applaud the musicians, the leadership and the supporters of OPO for their commitment to excellence in everything they do. Encore! Encore! Encore!