Details of The Florida Orchestra and the Ticket Luck value
The Florida Orchestra
An orchestra named as The Florida Orchestra is based in Florida, USA. It is recognized as Tampa Bays leading performing arts institution, and one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida.
It was founded as the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony, when the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and the Tampa Philharmonic agreed to merge in 1968. The first music director of the orchestra was Irwin Hoffman.
The mission of The Florida Orchestra is to enrich the life of the Tampa Bay area as it inspires, entertains and educates a wide and diverse audience with the unique experience of live symphonic music, ensuring that future generations will continue to enjoy this legacy that so magnificently celebrates the human spirit.
Founded as the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony in 1968, the orchestra was established by representatives of the Tampa Philharmonic and the St. Petersburg Symphony.
Philharmonic and Petersburg signed documents aboard a barge in Tampa Bay to merge the two cultural institutions. The founders selected as their first music director Irwin Hoffman, who left the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to come to the Tampa Bay area.
In 1988, Jahja Ling succeeded Hoffman as Music Director. He has also held prestigious positions as resident conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra as well as music director of The Cleveland Orchestras Blossom Music Festival. Ling is currently the music director of the San Diego Symphony.
In 2002, Stefan Sanderling was appointed the next Music Director of the Orchestra, and officially assumed the post with the 2003-2004 seasons. In recent years, the Florida Orchestra has greatly expanded its repertoire.
Under Sanderlings baton, TFO plays many contemporary works by little-known composers as well as many of the classics of the literature. As a testament to the players abilities, Sanderling and the orchestra have programmed a Mahler Symphony each year, keeping up a tradition started under Lings tenure.
Many of the Florida Orchestras members are valuable members of the areas educational community; giving young musicians an opportunity to grow in their own studies.
Their work with area schools, the Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra and the Pinellas Youth Symphony has brough forth tremendous prosperity among the Areas young musicians.
Each year, the Florida Orchestra hosts a Young Artists competition, allowing members of the community an opportunity to solo on a professional stage.
The 2001-2002 seasons marked Jahja Lings final season as music director of The Florida Orchestra, and in May of 2002, Stefan Sanderling was appointed the current music director.
The Florida Orchestra like many other American mid-sized orchestras, however, has had its share of financial difficulties. In 2003, the Florida Orchestra musicians ratified a contract that cut their pay by 16%, after the prior season had reported a fiscal deficit.
There was also a plan to increase the endowment of the orchestra from $8 million to $25 million. However, the planned announcement of the campaign did not occur, by early 2004. Seven musicians from the orchestra left as a result.
In November 2006, the orchestra reported a deficit of $676,615 for the 2006 fiscal year. In the same year, Sanderling extended his contract with the Florida Orchestra through the 2010-2011 seasons.
The orchestra performs more than 150 concerts annually in the tri-city area of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg. Concert series include the Progress Energy Masterworks, Raymond James Super Pops, Holland America Line Coffee Concerts and youth concerts.
Under the leadership of Music Director Stefan Sanderling, The Florida Orchestra is recognized as Tampa Bays leading performing arts institution, one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida, and one of the best regional orchestras in America.
