This Month

We would like to share with you about a joint event between the Florida Orchestra and Alachua County Youth Orchestra (ACYO). The event will taken place at Curtis M. Phillips Center of Performing Art at 7 p.m. on March 6, 2107. This event is free and open to the public. 

During the side-by-side event, ACYO members will sit on stage side-by-side with a professional Florida Orchestra musician, who will help with music and technique, as well as answer any questions. The first part of the evening is a rehearsal of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, No. 4 Jupiter. For about an hour and a half, the Florida Orchestra Director, Michael Francis, will lead the rehearsal, giving feedback and working on specific sections. This is an unparalleled opportunity to get tips from a conductor who has led orchestras around the world Then a 20-minute break. Afterward, the students perform the piece side-by-side with The Florida Orchestra.

The Florida Orchestra is the largest professional orchestra in Florida with about 66 professional musicians. ACYO, the only full orchestral experience for high school and middle school youth in Alachua County, is composed of students from 6th-12th grades who audition yearly to be a part of the orchestra.

We believe events like this help to strengthen our community as a whole while inspiring future musicians, and we sincerely appreciate having the opportunity to share this experience with your Gainesville Sun readers. We hope a Gainesville Sun photographer and reporter can join us on Monday, March 6 at the Phillip Center for Performing Arts.

For more information, please visit https://www.floridaorchestra.org/ and www.acyo.org or contact ACYO Board of Directors publicity coordinator, Carol Chou at acyopublicity@gmail.com.