At The Florida Orchestra (TFO), November goes from literary to legendary, with works inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and a tribute to one of the coolest crooners ever, Frank Sinatra. Here are three can’t-miss concerts:
The Bells & Pictures at an Exhibition (Friday to Sunday November 6-8): New Music Director Michael Francis conducts this Tampa Bay Times Masterworks program with two TFO premieres inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, featuring the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, is based on the poem of the same name, and Chris Rouse’s Prospero’s Rooms imagines the colors of the rooms in The Masque of the Red Death. Also on the program is Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
Brahms’ Violin Concerto (Friday to Sunday, November 13-15): Michael Francis conducts rising star violinist Tianwa Yang in this lively, popular concerto. Also on the Masterworks program is Edward Elgar’s witty and moving Enigma Variations and Barber’s Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance.
Curtis Stigers Celebrates Sinatra (Friday to Sunday, November 20-22): Come and fly with the orchestra to celebrate a century of Sinatra. Curtis Stigers, on vocals and saxophone, will bring you hits like I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Fly Me to the Moon and The Best is Yet to Come. This program will be conducted by Jeff Tyzik as part of the Raymond James Pops series.
Masterworks and Pops tickets are $15, $30 and $45 at floridaorchestra.org or 727-892-3337 and 800-662-7286. Ask about free Classical Kids tickets for ages 5-18 for all Masterworks concerts. The orchestra regularly performs at the Straz Center in Tampa, Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.
