By Henry Adams
Concertgoers can enjoy complimentary coffee and doughnuts at The Florida Orchestra’s next morning Coffee Concerts “Salute to Broadway.” Featuring music from South Pacific, The Music Man, A Chorus Line, Threepenny Opera and more, Stuart Malina conducts the orchestra and also shares insightful anecdotes about the music during these concerts, which are Wednesday, March 5 at 10 a.m. at Ruth Eckerd Hall and Thursday, March 6 at 11 a.m. at the Mahaffey Theater.
At the next Raymond James Pops concerts, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” the orchestra performs a salute to St. Patrick’s Day with traditional tunes of the Emerald Isle and other Irish-themed music, including Irish March Medley, Riverdance Suite and a suite from the film Far and Away. Hailed as “one of the leading voices in Celtic music” by the Los Angeles Times and singled out as “soulful” by The Washington Post, vocalist Cathie Ryan will sooth the soul and lift one’s spirit with lovely Irish lyrics and beloved ballads, all with her Irish band and dancers from Tampa’s Scariff-Hardiman School of Irish Dance. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik leads these concerts on Friday-Sunday, March 7, 8 and 9 in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
Lauded by The Dallas Morning News as “a dazzling soloist,” Caroline Goulding plays Korngold’s film-theme-inspired and crowd-pleasing Violin Concerto at the next Tampa Bay Times Masterworks concerts. The program also includes Thomas Ades’ deliciously playful dances from Powder Her Face and Prokofiev’s “hymn to the human spirit,” Symphony No. 5. Stuart Malina conducts these concerts at the Mahaffey Theater in a morning performance on Friday, March 14, at 11 a.m. and an evening performance on Saturday, March 15 at 8 p.m. The program repeats on Sunday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Cited for his “virtuosity, flair and showmanship” by The Houston Chronicle, German pianist Markus Groh offers concertgoers a virtual musical roller coaster ride of excitement with Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 1. TFO Conductor Emeritus Stefan Sanderling conducts this program, which also includes Sibelius’ Symphony No. 4 and a world premiere by composer David Rogers titled Euphemism No. 3. These concerts are Friday-Sunday, March 21, 22 and 23 in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
The orchestra regularly performs at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. For tickets, visit www.floridaorchestra.org or call 727-892-3337 or 800-662-7286, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
