News From Britt Hill – March 2019

Think classical music is old, stale or boring? Been there done that? Or never wanted to? Well come and see how exhilarating, relevant and FUN orchestral music can be for adults and children alike. The entire season beginning July 23 will highlight music inspired by our natural environment and this year we are introducing Teddy’s Discovery Tuesdays (TDT). Alongside a varied and galvanizing series of weekend shows, Teddy’s Discovery Tuesdays promise a lighter touch—a romp of musical imagery. This new Tuesday programming is very family friendly and meant to “Stretch the imagination of concert-goers in short, affordable, and accessible performances.” For example, if you and your children or grandchildren have ever experienced “Peter and the Wolf,” you will know how delightful (and magically educational) the music is for young audiences, with each character played by a whimsical musical theme and particular instrument. And even the title, “The Mountain That Loved a Bird,” sounds intriguing—and promises to be. That is just the first Tuesday.

The BFO offerings now will number 9 concerts (up from the traditional 6 concerts and 1 pop concert schedule).

TDT Tickets: Open Seating: $20 Adult and $10 Children.

Here is our Tuesday concert schedule:

July 23 – Family Night
Caroline Shaw – The Mountain That Loved a Bird
Sergei Prokofiev – Peter & the Wolf
Featuring Bruce Campbell – Narrator

July 30 – Community Night
Terry Riley – In C
The BFO will be joined by local musicians in an informal performance of Terry Riley’s seminal minimalist work

August 6 – Pops Night featuring singer Morgan James
A program of George Gershwin’s most popular tunes, including a performance of Rhapsody in Blue by our very own Teddy Abrams

We are so fortunate to have the innovative and talented Teddy Abrams here to create and generate these exciting and diverse concerts, along with the 90-100 musicians from all over the country who inhabit Jacksonville during orchestra season and devote their talents to giving us this spectacular treat. Did you know that Teddy was recently introduced (again) to the wider classical world by press coverage in New York dubbing him “the new Leonard Bernstein?” The lead classical station WXQR referred to him as a gifted musician and “triple threat”—the first of 19 artists to watch in 2019. Impressive! And while he winters in Kentucky, transforming the Louisville music scene as their orchestra conductor, we know him here at the Britt as our talented and beloved BFO conductor. Be assured he is about to widen our interests and electrify audiences with these tasty Tuesday musical offerings and other blockbuster concerts. The BFO concerts are THE place to be this summer!