Jacksonville Review – February 2025

ON FEBRUARY 23, Jacksonville OR Friends of Classical Music will present the much-anticipated world-renowned concert pianist, Thomas Pandoli, playing an all-Gershwin concert. This is somewhat of a change for JORFCM as Gershwin’s music is more popular than classical music. While the tickets for all our concerts have sold out in advance, “Pandolfi Plays Gershwin” sold out significantly faster than the others. Gershwin’s music is well loved. We wish there were seats for everyone.

For our final concert of the season, on March 30, JORFCM will present the Aeolus Quartet, a remarkably talented group from the East Coast. By most any measure, our efforts have been successful. Our vision for a world-class chamber music series in Jacksonville was on the mark and supports our belief that classical music is alive and well. We offer our greatest appreciation to our donors and our patrons for making these concerts possible.

In other news, Jacksonville OR Friends of Classical Music is pleased to announce that, starting with concerts in the 2026 season, Britt Music and Arts Festival will be taking on and sustaining the Winter Classical Concert Series that we established two years ago. Given Britt’s substantial resources and long-standing presence in the community, we believe this is a recipe for accomplishing our primary mission: To establish a sustainable world-class chamber music series in Jacksonville.

Britt has committed to maintaining the high standard of artistry our patrons have come to expect. And, like JORFCM, Britt is dedicated to providing the best possible concert experience for the citizens of Jacksonville and our visitors. By 2027, and for the foreseeable future, the venue will be at Britt’s newly purchased and soon-to-be-renovated U.S. Hotel Building in downtown Jacksonville. We cannot be more excited and prouder to have initiated this transition to Britt, thereby ensuring the continued presence of exceptional classical music in our community for years to come.

For more information about Jacksonville OR Friends of Classical Music, dba JORFCM, 501(c)3, visit www.jorfcm.org.

Featured image: Abby McKee, President & CEO, Britt Music & Arts Festival, with Marshall Thompson