The Florida Orchestra launches its Hough Family Foundation Masterworks season this weekend at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg with a program built for drama and spectacle. Music Director Michael Francis will lead performances on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m., featuring Tchaikovsky’s cannon-blasting 1812 Overture as the grand finale. The opening concert also includes Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Beethoven’s rarely heard Wellington’s Victory, and Christopher Theofanidis’ The Gift, a heartfelt work about generosity that features tenor Sean Panikkar and the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay.
The season opener comes as The Florida Orchestra enters its 59th season and welcomes three new full-time musicians: principal bassoon Thomas English, flute/piccolo player Erika Rohrberg and cellist Hyeok Kwon. Cellist David Bender also won the audition for assistant principal cello. Together, the additions strengthen the largest professional orchestra in Florida as it prepares for a busy season across Tampa Bay.
The October schedule will continue with a Beatles tribute, a debut by pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, a free Pops in the Park concert and a salute to John Williams. Tickets and information are available through The Florida Orchestra.