Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra S tring of earls eason 2016-17
The 30 th anniversary season of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra features 10 Concerts, Recitals and Special Events that all showcase the Emerald Coast s premier professional orchestra and celebrate the NFSO s String of Pearls season! Highlights include two star-studded Special Event concerts, a gala 30 th Anniversary reception, the premiere of an original ballet specially commissioned for the orchestra s anniversary, Guest Artists from around the globe, and the introduction of Symphony Sunday with a new NFSO afternoon matinee concert. 2016-2017 Concert Season The NFSO performs in residence at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville and the center s magnificent 1,650 seat Mainstage Theater features a custom orchestra shell that provides the very best in acoustics for concert patrons. There s simply nothing in the region like our state-of-the-art concert hall to experience the marvelous music of the NFSO and our slate of outstanding Guest Artists! The NFSO is a non-profit, fully professional orchestra operated under the auspices of Northwest Florida State College. Conductor and Music Director Jeffrey Rink holds the college s Mattie M. Kelly Distinguished Endowed Chair in Music and Conducting and is entering his 10 th season leading the NFSO. All NFSO Season Subscription options include: Regular Season Subscription: $115 5 Concerts & 1 Reception Reserved Seats and Discount (off single ticket price) for all 5 Regular Season NFSO Concerts Pre-Concert Talks with Conductor: Prior to all 5 Regular Season concerts at 6:30 pm (Tyler Recital Hall) and 1:00 pm November 13 Holiday Pops Reception Additional Subscriber Benefits: Gold PLUS Season Subscription: $309 2 Special Events, 5 Concerts & 2 Receptions PLUS: 3 Guest Artist Piano Recitals Reserved Seats for 2 Special Events: (Sinatra Tribute and An Evening with Jason Alexander) and 5 NFSO concerts Invitations/tickets to 2 receptions: 30 th Anniversary Gala Reception and Holiday Pops Reception Tickets to all 3 Guest Artist Piano Recitals Gold Season Subscription: $249 2 Special Events, 5 Concerts & 2 Receptions Reserved Seats for 2 Special Events: (Sinatra Tribute and An Evening with Jason Alexander) and 5 NFSO Concerts Invitations/tickets to 2 receptions: 30 th Anniversary Gala Reception and Holiday Pops Reception Conductor s Circle Season Subscription Plus Gift of $250 or More Join the NFSO Conductor s Circle with your tax deductible gift of $250 or more to the NFSO, in addition to your purchase of a Season Subscription, and receive the following benefits, in addition to your Subscriber level benefits! Reserved Parking for all 5 Regular Season NFSO Concerts Complimentary intermission beverage at all 5 NFSO Concerts and 2 Special Events! Invite Your Friends for Free Request 2 free tickets to one of the 5 NFSO Season Concerts to share with a friend! Call or Click for NFSO Tickets! Box Office: (850) 729-6000 or www.mattiekellyartscenter.org NFSO Concerts: $25 adult/$18 Active Duty Military/Youth Special Events: $37 & $67 Guest Artist Recitals $20
Special Events Tickets to both Special Events are included in the NFSO Gold Plus & Gold Season Packages or may be purchased individually. Saturday, October 22, 2016-7:30 pm Sinatra: The Ultimate Tribute Concert & 30 th Anniversary Gala Reception On Saturday, October 22, 2016, the NFSO hosts the first of two stupendous Special Events Sinatra: The Ultimate Tribute Concert - featuring Las Vegas star Brian Duprey (The Rat Pack is Back). Duprey returns to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center to perform a knockout recreation of Frank Sinatra in a tribute to Ol Blue Eyes that s backed by the NFSO! Hailed as the best Sinatra singing voice in the world today, Brian Duprey has been showered with awards and recognition for his live and recorded vocal performances. Duprey s voice is simply the closest you ll ever hear to Frank Sinatra in his prime! In 2014, The Rat Pack is Back with Brian Duprey appeared with the NFSO at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center to a sold-out house and rave reviews - so we re proud to bring this Las Vegas favorite back during our 30 th Season for his new solo show featuring the very best of legend Frank Sinatra! Additionally, this Special Event also includes an NFSO 30 th Anniversary Gala Reception prior to the concert in the Arts Center Galleries (purchase separately). $37 Sinatra Tribute Concert (7:30 pm) $30 30 th Gala Reception (6:00 pm) Both the Concert & Gala Reception are included in the NFSO GOLD PLUS Season Package ($309) & NFSO GOLD Season Package ($249) See options on page 2 for NFSO Season Packages!
Saturday, January 21, 2017-7:30 pm An Evening with Jason Alexander Joint Anniversary Celebration NFSO 30 th & Mattie Kelly Arts Center 20 th In January of 1997 the NFSO was the first to perform in the Mattie Kelly Arts Center s new Mainstage Theater and had the honor to open the $30 million arts complex with an overflow capacity concert. As the NFSO s 30 th Anniversary Season coincides with the 20 th Anniversary of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, a gala joint-anniversary Special Event Concert on Saturday, January, 21, 2017 will celebrate both milestones with An Evening with Jason Alexander - featuring the TV, film and Broadway star performing with the NFSO! Long before becoming world renowned as the iconic George Costanza on SEINFELD, Jason Alexander was a Tony Award winning Broadway song and dance man. His evening with the NFSO at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center brings a hilarious re-telling of his journey to and on the Broadway stage which features a program of great music from the theater along with comedy and audience interaction. It s a much heralded night of music, laughter and fun - all backed by the NFSO! The joint 30 th /20 th Anniversary Evening with Jason Alexander will include an anniversary tribute for all attendees during intermission. $67 An Evening with Jason Alexander (7:30 pm) The NFSO/Jason Alexander concert is included in the NFSO GOLD PLUS ($309) and NFSO GOLD ($249) Season Packages! Presenting sponsors also enjoy a separate Meet & Greet with Jason Alexander. For information on sponsorship, contact Mattie Kelly Arts Center director Jeanette Shires at (850) 729-6004. All NFSO Concerts, Recitals & Special Events are performed at: Mattie Kelly Arts Center, 100 College Boulevard E., Niceville, FL 32578 BOX OFFICE: (850) 729-6000 or toll free 1 (888) 838-ARTS BOX OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday, 10:00 am 4:00 pm (CT) ONLINE BOX OFFICE: www.mattiekellyartscenter.org Symphony website:
Season Concerts Saturday, September 17, 2016 Good as Gold! 7:30 pm The NFSO s 30 th Season opens Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 7:30 pm with GOOD AS GOLD! a vibrant classical concert with the music of Mendelssohn and Brahms, along with rising-star pianist Aristo Sham of Hong Kong. Sham, a 20-year-old Gold Medal winning pianist of the prestigious 65 th Annual Wideman International Piano Competition, is a child prodigy who began piano studies at age 3 and was featured in the documentary The World s Greatest Musical Prodigies. He has performed to wide acclaim across the globe including playing for Prince Andrew at Windsor Castle and for the Queen of Belgium and President Hu of China on their respective visits to Hong Kong. Sham will also perform a Guest Artist solo Recital on February 18, 2017 see page 6. $25 adult/$18 active duty military/youth Concert included in all 3 NFSO Season Package options Sunday, November 13, 2016 New! Symphony Sunday Concert 2:00 pm Music, Movement & the Royal Instrument The NFSO s first ever Symphony Sunday afternoon concert will be held Sunday, November 13, 2016 at 2:00 pm with Music, Movement & the Royal Instrument. This unique concert features a new original composition by music professor and composer Jeremy Ribando. His work, commissioned to celebrate the NFSO s 30 th anniversary, is a new ballet which will feature dancers from the renowned NWF State College dance program accompanied by the orchestra! The concert also includes Saint Saëns magnificent Organ Symphony featuring music professor Lois Henry. $25 adult/$18 active duty military/youth Concert included in all 3 NFSO Season Package options NFSO 1987 Okaloosa Walton Junior College Gymnasium NFSO 2016 Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College Visit us Like us
Friday, December 9, 2016 Holiday Pops 7:30 pm Box Office: (850) 729-6000 or www.mattiekellyartscenter.org Ring in the holidays in festive style with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, joined by the magnificent voices of the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale and scholarship vocalists from NWF State College s prestigious Belle Voci and Madrigal Singers. Enjoy seasonal favorites, carol sing-alongs and more! NFSO Subscribers are invited to a Holiday Pops reception as part of Season Package purchase. $25 adult/$18 active duty military/youth Concert included in all 3 NFSO Season Package options Saturday, April 22, 2017 German Masters 7:30 pm The Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra s 30 th Season continues Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 7:30 pm with a GERMAN MASTERS concert in the Mainstage Theater of the Mattie Kelly Fine & Performing Arts Center in Niceville. German violin virtuoso Tobias Steymans returns to perform Mendelssohn s Violin Concerto and the NFSO raises the roof with Beethoven s iconic Symphony No. 5! Steymans is the concertmaster of the world renowned Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich, Germany and last appeared with the NFSO in 2012 to great acclaim. Don t miss this delightful spring concert and a stupendous Saturday night with the region s premier professional orchestra! $25 adult/$18 active duty military/youth Concert included in all 3 NFSO Season Package options Friday, May 5, 2017 7:30 pm Stars of Tomorrow 30 th Season as the Emerald Coast s Premier Professional Orchestra! The family friendly Stars of Tomorrow concert on Friday, May 5, 2017 at 7:30 pm features the remarkable talents of the youth winners of the NFSO s 30 th Annual Concerto Competition appearing as Guest Artists with the NFSO. The concert also concludes a full week of youth oriented offerings as the NFSO presents its 30 th Annual 5 th Grade Concert, as well as its fifth year of partnership with Carnegie Hall s innovative Link Up! program culminating with two interactive concerts for area 4 th graders! $25 adult/$18 active duty military/youth Concert included in all 3 NFSO Season Package options
Guest Artist Piano Recitals The NFSO s 30 th Season also includes a series of three Guest Artist Piano Recitals in the Tyler Recital Hall of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center. The intimate concerts feature national and international artists in solo recital. The series is graciously underwritten through a gift from Guy and Judy-ann Zoghby Family Trust. $20 each. All recitals are included in the NFSO GOLD PLUS Season Package. Saturday, October 15, 2016 Yejin Lee, Piano 7:30 pm Yejin Lee, a native of Korea, has competed and claimed top awards at numerous prestigious national and international competitions, such as the Dallas International Piano Competition, Kingsville International Piano Competition, Wideman International Piano Competition, Oberlin International Piano Competition, and Korean Chopin Piano Competition. She performed her New York Solo Debut Recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in May 2015. She received her Master of Music at the Peabody Institute where she is continuing her studies in the Doctor of Musical Arts program. Recital: $20. Saturday, February 18, 2017 Aristo Sham, Piano 7:30 pm Aristo Sham is a 20-year-old classical pianist who was the Gold Medalist (Grand prize) at the prestigious 65 th Wideman International Piano Competition and is a fast-rising star worldwide. A child music prodigy born in Hong Kong, he joined the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts at the age of six. He has given acclaimed recitals on four continents and has played for Prince Andrew at Windsor Castle, and the Queen of Belgium and President Hu of China on their respective visits to Hong Kong. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music (FRSM) and is currently pursuing BA and Master of Music degrees in a joint program at Harvard University and the New England Conservatory. Aristo also appears as a Guest Artist for the NFSO s September 17 concert. Recital: $20. Saturday, May 20, 2017 Larry Weng, Piano Larry Weng has been featured in concert in France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Japan, Brazil, and Venezuela, and has performed in many of the world s renowned concert halls. His recent engagements include a performance with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in White Plains, and solo recitals in Washington DC and New York City. He is currently on the faculty at the Turtle Bay School of Music and maintains a private studio in Manhattan. Mr. Weng is also a laureate of the Boston Symphony Orchestra s Concerto Competition, the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition for Young Musicians, the New York International Piano Competition, the Kosciuzsko Foundation Chopin Competition, the Wideman International Piano Competition, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Recital: $20. 7:30 pm
NFSO Guild The Northwest Florida Symphony Guild is a group of volunteers who support the orchestra and host fundraisers for the NFSO and its youth music education programs. Networking and social opportunities include monthly Guild luncheons and more. Guild membership is $20 annually. The Guild s popular 26 th annual SYMPHONY OF TASTE FOOD & WINE TASTING FESTIVAL is Sunday, February 26 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door. Youth Music Education Since 1987 the NFSO has provided innovative music education outreach to area youth reaching more than 80,000 children with the Emerald Coast s most comprehensive K-12 music education endeavors! 5 th Grade Concert May 5, 2017 For more than 29 years, the NFSO has provided annual concerts for 5 th graders with specialized youth oriented programming and teacher s curriculum. Call (850) 729-6065 for school group reservations. 4 th Grade Concerts Link Up! with Carnegie Hall In 2012, the NFSO was the first to bring Carnegie Hall s Link Up! program to the region with a year-long music curriculum and fun classroom activities that culminate in an interactive concert with the NFSO. Contact Lynne Sawyer, NFSO Education Director at sawyerl@nwfsc.edu or Jeffrey Rink, NFSO Conductor at rinkj@nwfsc.edu or (850) 729-6023. KATS Kids At The Symphony Since 2008, youth selected by area schools and their families attend NFSO Concerts free of charge and enjoy an on-stage visit with the conductor! Concerto Competition & Stars of Tomorrow For 29 years the NFSO has hosted the prestigious regional Concerto Competition for youth from 17 North Florida counties. Winners perform with the NFSO at the annual Stars of Tomorrow concert May 5, 2017. NFSYO & Junior Orchestra In 1998, a grant from the Northwest Florida Symphony Guild established the region s first youth orchestra program. Support NFSO Youth Music Education with a tax-deductible gift: NFSO, 100 College Boulevard E., Niceville, Florida 32578 Designate Your Gift to NFSO or NFSO Youth Music Education. See NFSO website for giving opportunities, corporate underwriting, soloist sponsorship and donor benefits.
See inside for 5 Season Concerts 3 Guest Artist Recitals 2 National Events 100 College Boulevard E. Niceville, Florida 32578 Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra at Northwest Florida State College January 21, 2017 Jason Alexander The Region s Premier Professional Symphony since 1987