The Jacksonville Symphony

The Jacksonville Symphony performed today in the Jacoby Symphony Hall where the majority of the over concerts are held by the group. Upcoming performances are listed on their website and include those such as Mozart, Vivaldi & Handel, Florida Blue Classical Series, The King, Queen & Prince of Rock and Roll, Brass, Organ & Percussion and more.

The Jacoby Symphony Hall opened in 1997 at the Performing Arts building. It was fashioned after the Wiener Musikverein in Vienna.   It was designed by KBJ Architects, Rothman, Rothman and Heineman architects.  According to the group’s website the hall is in the shape of a shoebox seating 1,800 people.  Dressed in all black, the beautiful music performed was stunning for all to hear.

The organ used in the symphony is a Bryan Concert Organ.  The JS had this organ rebuilt and installed in the new concert hall.  It was originally constructed in 1914 and was known as the Casavant Opus 553. After being rebuilt is has 6,215 pipes weighing 20 tons.  It was named in honor of the Bryan family, long standing Jacksonville Symphony lovers.

The Symphony roots date back to 1949.  According to Wikipedia, it is “one of the longest-standing orchestras”.  While the Jacoby Symphony Hall is greatly used, the group also performs in schools, senior citizen centers while also appearing on NPR and Performance Today.

The Jacksonville Symphony is known to have a great many listeners exceeding some 200,000 in which many are young people.  The concert today lasted one hour from start to finish and the music was from Bach to Mozart and beyond.   Today, I wore all black but according to their own acknowledgement, wearing “diamonds or denim” suits you just fine.  The major request is that “shoes and shirt” is work at all times.  

The hall was named in honor of Robert E. Jacoby, a philanthropist of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida.  To order tickets to the Jacksonville Symphony, visit http:/ /jaxsymphony .org. You won’t be sorry and, take a friend or the whole family!  Hey, get a whole group going!

See you tomorrow,

Nan