Programs tell the story of The Florida Philharmonic’s artistic journey. Click on the + sign below to browse the Season 2 Programs. They are presented exactly as originally published.
Heroic Finale
Season 2 – Concert VI
Sun, Mar 29, 2026
The performance began with one of the most powerful openings in all of music — Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni. The second piece featured concertmaster Ming Gao, soloist, performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major. The “hero” of this concert was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.”
Playful Spirits
Season 2 – Concert IV
Sun, Feb 1, 2026
The performance opened with the lush string textures and spirited folk rhythms of Gustav Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite, setting a vibrant tone for the afternoon. Next came Joseph Haydn’s beloved Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”), delighting the audience with its cheerful elegance, classical charm, and signature dramatic sudden burst. The concert reached a soaring crescendo with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major—a masterpiece celebrated for its brilliant energy, lyrical beauty, and triumphant, joyful finale.
Home for the Holidays
Season 2 – Concert III
Sun, Dec 12, 2025
The performance celebrated the magic of the season with a joyful mix of holiday favorites and choral masterworks, joined by the Florida Philharmonic Chorus, Gulfshore Opera’s Harmony Choir, and the Charlotte County Children’s Theatre. Highlights included selections from Handel’s beloved Messiah — a work whose “Hallelujah Chorus” has stirred audiences since its 1742 premiere — alongside Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, holiday songs from Home Alone, and Leroy Anderson’s festive A Christmas Festival, closing with his ever-popular Sleigh Ride as an encore.
Neoclassical Nights
Season 2 – Concert II
Sun, Nov 16, 2025
The performance embraced the “neoclassical” spirit — composers looking back to earlier forms and reimagining them through their own voice. It opened with Ravel’s wartime tribute to French Baroque dance suites, followed by Mozart’s beloved serenade. The concert closed with Stravinsky’s witty, sharp-edged reimagining of 18th-century melodies.
Symphonic Journeys
Season 2 – Concert I
Sun, Oct 12, 2025
The performance opened with Rossini’s sparkling overture to L’Italiana in Algeri, full of witty contrasts and rhythmic drive. Next came Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, one of his most dramatic works and often called a masterpiece of Classical emotional depth. The concert closed with Schubert’s youthful Symphony No. 2, an early work that already shows glimpses of the composer’s lyrical gift.
Click on the + sign below to browse the Season 1 Program. It is presented exactly as originally published.
Endings and New Beginnings
Season 1 – Concert VI
Sun, Mar 16, 2025
The season closed with a program built around beginnings and farewells, opening with Haydn’s famous “Farewell” Symphony — its finale ending with musicians departing the stage one by one — paired with Mozart’s very first symphony, written at just eight years old. The second half turned to more recent voices, featuring Jessie Montgomery’s vibrant string work Strum and Britten’s playful, youthful Simple Symphony, bringing the orchestra’s debut season to a fitting close.
An Italian Valentine
Season 1 – Concert V
Sun, Feb 9, 2025
Celebrating Valentine’s season early, the program opened with the effervescent overture to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, followed by Ming Gao’s soloist turn in Piazzolla’s tango-infused Oblivion. Prokofiev’s crisp, Haydn-inspired “Classical” Symphony led into Mendelssohn’s sun-drenched “Italian” Symphony, inspired by his travels through Italy and closing with a dance-like Neapolitan saltarello finale.
Colors of Spring
Season 1 – Concert IV
Sun, Jan 12, 2025
Four eclectic ballets spanning nearly a century made up this program, opening with Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Stravinsky’s Ragtime. The centerpiece was James Stephenson’s Persephone, a nine-movement retelling of the Greek myth tracing the goddess’s abduction, the onset of winter, and her eventual return. The concert closed with the wit and charm of Martinů’s La revue de cuisine, a jazz-inflected ballet about kitchen utensils come to life.
Home for the Holidays
Season 1 – Concert III
Sun, Dec 15, 2024
The orchestra’s first holiday concert brought together seasonal favorites old and new, opening with James Stephenson’s Holiday Overture and a Hanukkah medley before the Philharmonic Chorus joined for selections from Handel’s Messiah. The second half turned festive and family-friendly, ranging from How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Polar Express to a singalong of holiday favorites with the Harmony Choir, closing out an afternoon of warmth and celebration.
All Brassed Up!
Season 1 – Concert II
Sun, Nov 17, 2024
Guest artist Vincent DiMartino joined the orchestra for an afternoon spotlighting the brass section, opening with fanfares and festive works by Prokofiev, Kevin McKee, and Shostakovich. DiMartino took the solo spotlight on cornet for Sachse’s Concertino, then returned on trumpet for Brian Balmages’ A Hero’s Destiny, John Williams’ Born on the 4th of July, and Harry James’ Concerto for Trumpet. The concert closed on a jazz note with Strayhorn’s Lush Life and Ellington’s It Don’t Mean a Thing.
Changing Seasons
Season 1 – Concert I
Sun, Oct 20, 2024
The Florida Philharmonic’s inaugural concert opened with one of the most beloved works in the classical repertoire: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, featuring concertmaster Ming Gao as soloist through its four vivid, tone-painted concertos. The program continued with two masterworks by Bach — the lively Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and the Orchestral Suite No. 2, which closes with the famously spirited “Badinerie” for solo flute, featuring David A. Suárez-Rios.
