Sinfonia Gulf Coast 2023-2024 Season Program

WELCOME TO SEASON 18!

Thank YOU, our many patrons, sponsors and community collaborators. Sinfonia would not be what or where it is today without your support!

Sinfonia has remained steadfast in its mission to entertain, educate and inspire. The 20232024 season is no different. From Tony Awardwinning Broadway star Laura Benanti gracing our Cabaret stage at Seagar’s and brass legend Trombone Shorty featured at our Gala Event to legendary leading man Brian Stokes Mitchell making our season bright, three knights performing the music of our favorite pop and Broadway legends, our Classical Connections series highlighting saxophonist Steven Banks performing a new Sinfonia co-commission, and Jurassic Park in Concert a film in concert 65 million years in the making, Sinfonia truly has something for everyone!

Don’t miss our annual Crescendo! extravaganza celebrating musical and culinary arts that returns in March 2024 to benefit Sinfonia’s music education and community engagement initiatives throughout Northwest Florida, which includes our annual Link Up performance for 3rd-5th graders in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Institute.

How YOU can help:

Did you know that ticket sales only cover a small percentage of Sinfonia’s annual operating costs? Your tax-deductible contribution will enable Sinfonia to continue to provide great music and educational outreach to our community.

We look forward to seeing you this season! In the meantime, send me a note if you have any questions or comments or just want to say hello!

Musically yours,

Demetrius Fuller Music & Artistic Director dfuller@sinfoniagulfcoast.org

A Letter from the Maestro

Founding Partners

Season Sponsors

A Note from Our President

Meet the Musicians

Our Donors

Play Your Part

Meet Maestro Demetrius Fuller

Making It Happen

Sinfonia Gulf Coast Personnel

A Conversation with the Conductor On A Mission

Sinfonia Cabaret at Seagar’s

An Evening with Laura Benanti

Your Support is Instrumental

Sinfonia Gulf Coast Link Up

Sinfonia Education Initiatives

Gala Night feat. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Sinfonia String Quartet in Residence

Toast n Jam Session feat. Time for 3 (Tf3)

10 Reasons to Crescendo!

Treble Makers

Holiday Pops feat. Brian Stokes Mitchell

Music of the Knights

Toast n Jam Session feat. Brubeck Brothers Quartet

Classical Connections feat. Steven Banks, Saxophone

Sinfonia Youth Orchestras

Crescendo! 2024

Crescendo! Artist Lindsey Kate

Jurassic Park in Concert

A STANDING OVATION FOR OUR FOUNDING PARTNERS

A STANDING OVATION FOR OUR

2023 - 2024 SEASON SPONSORS

Greetings Sinfonia friends!

As Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s board president for a second year, I’m thrilled to welcome you to another spectacular season of Sinfonia Gulf Coast as we embark on our 18th season of bringing world-class musical performances to the Emerald Coast.

Under the masterful baton of Maestro Demetrius Fuller, our incredible orchestra is ready to fill your ears with the soaring sounds of the classics, the toe-tapping beats of pops favorites, and the diverse rhythms of global music, this season promises something for every musical taste.

In addition to our concert series, Sinfonia continues to nurture the next generation of musicians through extensive educational programs in local schools. We also look forward to connecting with you, our cherished supporters, through various community events and initiatives.

Most importantly, I want to thank you for making this journey possible with your unwavering support for nearly two decades. Our dedicated board, staff, and musicians are deeply grateful to be a part of this vibrant cultural community.

Let the music play on! Here’s to 18 years and counting.

I look forward to seeing you this season.

Steve Barber President of the Board Sinfonia

Gulf Coast

SINFONIA GULF COAST MUSICIANS

Violins

Mari Lunde *

Kate Kelley ^

Kristin Pfeifer Yu ^

Petra Bubanja

Edward Charity

Ken Davis

Sara Fay

Taylor Giorgio

Nicholas Hatt

Grace Kim

Hannah MacLean

Natasha Marsalli

Maria Mendez

Thomas Roggio

Miranda Rojos

Megan Sahely

Erika Sciascia

Jacqueline Fennell °

Stacey Sharpe °

Viola

Laurel Yu ^

Daren Fuster ^ Luiz Barrionvevo

Margaret Gordon

Miriam Tellechea

Hunter Sanchez°

Cello

Paul Miahky ^ Chun-Hsin Chang + Jordan Galvarino

Mitchell George

Aleksandra Pereverzeva

David Lescalleet °

Double Bass

Maurice Belle ^

Gabriel Monticello Vadim Volynets °

Flute

Jessica Sherer ^

Angela McCuiston

Sarah Jane Young °

Oboe

Asher Kelly ^

Sherwood Will Wise

Clarinet

Samuel Peliska ^

Nancy Saleeby

Peter Geldrich °

Bassoon

Richard Hopkins ^#

Shannon Lowe ^+

Matthew Fay °

Trumpet

Brian Buerkle ^

Gerry Mata

Paul Morelli °

Horn

Bill Schaffer ^

Matthew Tavera +

Debra Finlayson

Brenda Luchsinger

Kelly Langenberg °

Trombone

Kenneth Johnson ^

William Roberts

Douglas Farwell °

Bass Trombone

Jonathan Lacey ^

Douglas Farwell °

Tuba

Charles Goodman ^

Percussion

John Thomas III ^

Austin Pellella +

Ryan Boehme

Timpani

Brian Nozny ^

Harp

Rebekah Atkinson ^

Piano

Dan Smith ^

Librarian

Sara Fay

Personnel Manager

Laurel Yu

* Concertmaster

^ Principal

+ Assistant Principal

# Leave of Absence

° One Year Substitute

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

Maestro’s Circle

$50,000+

Dugas Family Foundation

Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Florida Division of Cultural Affairs

Maureen & Keith Gamble

Shawn & Richard Tomasello

Dana & Glenn Armentor

Lynn McKenzie Seaside

Podium Partner

$20,000+

Alys Beach Foundation

Bart Begley

Stephanie & George Brannon

Heavenly & Bill Dawson

Hilton Sandestin Beach

Golf Resort & Spa

Janis & Don Bishop

Jimmy Choo Corporate

Lynn & Steve Dugas

St. Joe Community Foundation

SETCO Services

VIP Destin

Conductor’s Circle

$10,000+

Mary Higdon

Candis & Jack Wilson

Charles Alexander & Travis Watkins

Courtyard Marriott/ Residence Inn/ Hyatt Place/Grand Boulevard

Cumulus media

Dermatology

Specialists | Aqua Med

– Spa – Dr. Michael Stickler

Demetrius Fuller

Frances Roy Agency

Hancock Whitney Bank

Jerry Swanson

Leonard Olson

Lynn & Bill Shearer

Marisol & Tony Gullo

Nancy & Don Roberts

Renee & Jim Beaman

Peter Bos

Vivace $2,500-

$9,999

Brent Woodard

Bijoux Restaurant +

Spirits – Leslie Levy & Jack McGuckin

Bill & Heavenly Dawson

Café Thirty-A

Centennial Bank

Debra Finlayson & Dr. Robert Jack

Doodlebugger’s

Don & Nancy Roberts

Debra Finlayson

ECAR

Emerald Coast Title Services

Florida Power & Light

Forever Destin Beach Rentals

Jack & Bobbie White

Jack & Candis Wilson

Marisol & Tony Gullo

Muriel Dollar

Insurance Zone – Lea & Joe Capers

Jane Solomon –Barlovento, LLC

Joan & Stephen Carter

Krueger, Fosdyck & Associates – Merrill Lynch

Lovelace Interiors

Pish Posh Patchouli’s

Scarlett Magazine –

Steve Barber

The Jewel

Thirty-A Review

WUWF 88.1

Saundra Daggs

Tamara Tricoli

Presto $1,000-$2,499

A Boheme

Angela Rissi Siquara

Beach Liquors

Bill & Sue Bubel

Bijoux de Mer

– Renee Krul

Bud & Alleys

Brenda Flautt

Charles Alexander

CLAY Garden & Gift

Crawford Sandefur

Debra Reyle

Dennis Peters

Emerald Coast Motors

– Bunn & Stan Hall

Ella Marie Koscik

Elizabeth Boswell

Gail Ferguson

Greg & Jane Bahr

Jane Solomon

Jeff Dannelly

Jenifer Tomasello

Jennifer Ward

Joan Foley

Kelli Ferner

Leta Dehon

Muriel Dollar

Monica Myers

Patti Burcham

Pete Knowles

Playground Music Center

Robert & Shelly Hinojosa

Robert Reese

Shantelle Dedicke

Stuart Lerner

Storey Reeves

Sue Perez

Tara Wesley

Village of Baytowne Wharf

Allegro $500- $999

Angie Nemecek

Aleta Jefferson

Alexa Castle

Alden Lagasse

Barry Johnson

Betty White

Callie Anderson

Cara Jones

Carmen Ionascu

Connie Yarbro

Crystal Spencer

Clayton Bonjean

Dana Armentor

Darrell Russell

Debra Henry

Dee Sakach

Demetrius Fuller

Denise Kendust

Diane Neuman

Dion Moniz

Diane Neuman

Chuck & Glenda Palmore

Gale Culling

Gail Murray

George & Stephanie Brannon

Heather Parrish

Janice Hendricks

Janis Bishop

Jennifer Howard

Joan Carter

Joe Capers

Jovette Mosing

Judd Jackson

Julie Anne Hall

Karri Robles

Leah Casey

Rose Ann Fiorita

Teresa Bolton

Tina Corr

Travis Watkins

Lynn Dugas

Lynn McKenzie

Lynn Shearer

Matt Hagen

Marisol Gullo

Mary Delaunois

Malpa Fuller

Maureen Gamble

Micah McGuire

Muriel Dollar

Nancy Francis

Nicole Rogers

Pam Burden

Pam Burge

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

Pamela Wellborn

Pat Williams

Patti Burcham

Peggy Stephen

Renee Krul

Renee Launiere

Sara Hitchcock

Sarah Svoboda

Scott Russell

Shannon Amos

Shawn Springfield

Shawn Tomasello

Shervin Rassa

Stephanie Brannon

Susan Burch

Tanika O’Brien

Traci McQuillen

Valerie Russenberger

Velia Lala

Andante $250-$499

Charlotte Wright

Richard Michaud

Linda McCormick

Wendy Morgan

Adagio $100-$249

Amy Miligan

Bart Begley

Barbra Cunningham

Betty Hefner

Bonnie Pastusek

Bernard Johnson

Bruce Bickley

Bill McKissick

Chris Poate

Christina Abbott

Connor Tomasello

Dana Hahn

David McClung

Deb Nissley

Greg Waild

Gretchen Ryan

Heidi Locicero

Jane Solomon

Janie Elkins

Jackie Adams

Jesse London

Jerry Brown

Jessica Love Duncan

Jessica Munn

Jennifer Crawford

Jenifer Tomasello

Jennifer Dannelly

Julie Cumby

Julie Ray

Jo Menary

John Baumeister

Jim Schumacher

Karri Robles

Krystal Beachum

Lisa Jones

Lisa Johnson

Lori Burkart

Lori Clause

Lisa Peters

Lisa Reinking

Madrina Ciano

Maria Mallamaci

Marie Solomon

Martina Mason

Mary Frances Mullins

Malgorzata Hoffman

Matt Brandman

Monica Myers

Peyton Trist

Pete & Amanda Morzos

Rita Forbes

Rich St. Pe

Randy Rintala

Sarah & Blake Svoboda

Scott Ray

Scott Rude

Sally Thiede

Sherie Montalto

Shelly Reeves

Star Darling

Storey Reeves

Stephen D. Akers

Shirley Perman

Steve Barber

Susan Kiley

Susan Fountain

Susan Stencil

Teena Ullrich

Teresa Felton

Tiffany Edwards

Tori Stapleton

Thomas & Tonia

LaMontagne

Travis Watkins

Wayne King

Wayne Paul

William Delaney

Vivace $2,500+

Presto $1,000 - $2,499

A gift at this level will assist with education concerts

Allegro $500 - $999

A gift at this level will pay for musicians for one concert

Andante $250 - $499

A gift at this level will pay for musicians to visit one school A

ADDITIONAL S TO KNOW ON GIVING TO SINFONIA GULF COAST

Looking for a way to help further the mission of the Sinfonia Gulf Coast? There are numerous ways to give that advance the goals of the orchestra while providing meaningful benefits for you and your family.

Qualified Charitable Distributions or QCDs from IRA

IRA charitable giving is a way you can transfer funds from your IRA directly to the orchestra while realizing some important tax benefits. If you were 70 ½ or older before December 31, 2019, or turned 72 or older after December 31, 2019, and own an IRA, you can reduce your taxable income and may lower your taxable Social Security (from your IRA withdrawals).

Additional Benefits of an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution

• Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 annually

• Reduce your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year

• Help avoid thresholds for net investment income tax or phaseout range for certain itemized deductions

*401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA accounts, and other retirement accounts do not qualify.

*Organizations not currently eligible are certain private foundations and donor advised funds.

Leave a Lasting Legacy

Make a contribution that will benefit future generations of lovers of live symphonic music and music education throughout our community through bequests, trusts, and other planned gifts.

By naming Sinfonia Gulf Coast as a beneficiary in your will or by making other planned gifts, you invest in the future of the organization with the return of possibly realizing significant tax advantages for yourself and your loved ones.

Please consult your tax professional and financial advisor for the most up-to-date information about charitable giving.

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Meet Maestro Demetrius Fuller

Music & Artistic Director

Innovative and energetic conductor

Demetrius Fuller has garnered critical acclaim at home and abroad. The 2023-2024 season marks his eighteenth as Music & Artistic Director of Florida’s Sinfonia Gulf Coast. Fuller has redefined the cultural landscape of Northwest Florida by offering inspiring and artistically inventive performances, exciting critics and patrons alike.

CONDUCTOR

Fuller is an award recipient from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, the Werner Foundation, and the International Music Foundation. Fuller trained at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music, receiving both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees.

MUSICIAN

As an accomplished clarinetist, Fuller has performed in the Dame Myra Hess Chamber Music Series, sponsored by the International Music Foundation and broadcast live on Chicago’s WFMT 98.7 FM. Festival appearances include the Opera Theater of Lucca (Italy), David Oistrakh (Estonia), Aspen, Cabrillo and Eastern Music Festival (USA). He has appeared in master classes with Gustav Meier, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Daniel Lewis, Marin Alsop, Neeme Järvi, Jorma Panula, Larry Rachleff, David Loebbel, and the late Robert Shaw. Fuller has been fortunate to work with various icons in the music industry including: Roberta Flack, Bernadette Peters, Mary Wilson, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Vanessa Williams, Sharon Isbin, Chris Brubeck and Pink Martini, among others.

ARTS ADVOCATE

An advocate of contemporary music, Fuller has premiered, commissioned and/ or collaborated with composers such as Augusta Read-Thomas, Dorothy Hindman, Thomas Schneller, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Joel Hoffman, Moiya Callahan, Samuel Robles, Steven Winteregg, Tan Dun, giving the Southeastern U.S. premier of his Crouching Tiger Concerto and Chris Brubeck, giving the Southeastern U.S. premier of both his violin concerto Spontaneous Combustion and symphonic tribute Ansel Adams: America, which was co-composed with his father, the late Dave Brubeck. Fuller lead the Southeast U.S. premier of Identity – Zhongshan Zhuang, co-composed by Victor Cheng and Michael Gordon Shapiro, cocommissioned and performed the U.S. premiere of Chris Brubeck and Guillaume Saint-James Brothers in Arts, conducted the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s full orchestration of his electric violin concerto Seeing is Believing, and most recently co-commissioned Billy Childs’ concerto for saxophone for Steven Banks.

INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

Abroad, Fuller was invited several times by Maestro Kurt Masur to conduct the l’Orchestre Nationale de France (Paris) in a set of conductor readings. For two seasons, Fuller served as resident conductor of Brazil’s Festival of the Mountains in Poços de Caldas and was one of two conductors selected world-wide to conduct the Iraqi National Symphony and three other Iraqi orchestras in a groundbreaking Unity Academy in Erbil, Northern Iraq sponsored by American Voices and the U.S. Department of State.

A versatile conductor, Fuller has been chosen to work with some of the world’s most prestigious conductors and orchestras.

LEADERSHIP

Fuller sits on the board of directors of the prestigious New York City-based Young Concert Artists (YCA) and will continue to oversee the annual Sinfonia Gulf Coast Prize offered to a winner of the YCA finals each Fall. In 2009, New York City-based Musicians For Harmony appointed Maestro Fuller as one of three Artistic Advisors, an honor shared with musical luminaries Arnold Steinhardt of the renowned Guarneri String Quartet and violinist Cho-Liang Lin.

Locally, Fuller serves as a Trustee of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, is a past chair of the American Cancer Society’s Cattle Barons’ Ball, has served on the boards of Alaqua Animal Refuge, Cultural Arts Alliance, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Okaloosa Arts Alliance, and continues to serve as a grant panelist for the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. In 2023, Fuller was named as a mentor for GRAMMY U participants in the GRAMMY Awards/Recording Academy.

Culture Builds Florida is a campaign to develop unified awareness for Florida’s cultural community. Led by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the campaign will grow public understanding about the comprehensive benefits of arts and culture to Florida.

Arts and culture make substantial contributions to livability in Florida. The cultural industry puts Floridians to work, stimulates tourism and provides accessibility to quality community services that attract skilled workers. It’s an industry that provides jobs, highlights the diversity of our communities and residents, creates connections to our history and heritage and reminds us that Florida is a special place to live and work.

The arts and cultural industry means business. The arts and cultural industry have an annual impact of $3 billion in the state of Florida, and arts and cultural experiences contribute to a better life for Floridians and visitors to the Sunshine State. With a $5 to $1 return on investment for state dollars, arts and culture are an excellent investment. Visitors to our state and residents alike make important contributions to our economy by supporting and consuming art and culture. And beyond the dollars and cents, the cultural industry makes for happier, healthier Floridians and visitors.

Join us as we campaign to make more Floridians aware: Culture Builds Florida.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Sinfonia Gulf Coast Personnel

Demetrius Fuller Music & Artistic Director

Annalise Dedicke Administrative & Programs Manager Executive Assistant to CEO

Daniel Milana Director of Development

Beth Clavier Director of Events & Patron Services

Deborah Elmore Auction & Special Events Coordinator

Zandra Wolfgram Director of Marketing & Communications

Margaret Gordon Sinfonia Youth Orchestra Music Director Coordinator of Education & Community Engagement

Miranda Rojas Education & Outreach Assistant

Laurel Yu Artistic Administration and Personnel Manager

Sara Fay Orchestra Librarian

TSC Productions Production Manager

info@sinfoniagulfcoast.org

Beth Clavier Director of Events & Patron Services

A native of the Emerald Coast, Beth Clavier feels a great connection to our area and is happy to be back home, doing what she loves. Having had a career in entertainment spanning over two decades, the industry has taken her far and full circle.

From her humble beginnings as a 20-yearold theater volunteer, to managing the annual marquis events at NBC Universal in Orlando, to opening a dynamic entertainment resort in Singapore, Clavier is thrilled to be a full-time Emerald Coast resident again.

Her early career included working for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), staging a range of large-scale productions including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the Ice! sculpture event for Gaylord Palms and well over 100 live music concerts.

In her previous role with Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, Clavier was on the opening team as an Entertainment

Production Manager for the resort as a whole, as well as the Universal Studios Singapore theme park, S.E.A. Aquarium as well as the Maritime Museum within it.

Clavier says that she lives to see people enjoying themselves and strives to create and execute events that help people escape, while at the same time benefiting our community by raising funds to expose our local children to quality cultural arts experiences.

You can find Clavier behind the scenes as the Production Manager for Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation as well.

Adventure, art and travel is how this event planner recharges, as she is always on a mission to experience something new. She really enjoys finding the solace in nature with her daughter, Haegen, and loves spending time with her family when she’s not behind the scenes at your favorite event.

Annalise S.R. Dedicke began her love of the arts in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as a young violin student rapidly progressing to First Chair in her school orchestra. As a registration and trade show volunteer, she honed her organizational skills while working with Visit Cheyenne, the convention and visitor’s bureau.

Dedicke moved to Boston in 2017 for college, working toward a double major in Marketing and English. She continued her education at Northwest Florida State College while working at the Frances Roy Agency as the Event and Office Coordinator. A fanatic for logistical coordination, Dedicke executed events such as J. Leon Gallery Sip N’ Strolls and the Boys & Girls Clubs of

Annalise S.R. Dedicke Administrative & Programs Manager Executive Assistant to CEO

the Emerald Coast Foodie Festivals. She believes in the small details that make the world turn and the power of a strong work ethic.

In 2021, this mentality led her to the innovative team at Sinfonia Gulf Coast as Administrative and Programs Coordinator. In 2022, she is pioneering a dual role as Administrative and Programs Coordinator for both Sinfonia Gulf Coast and the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation.

Dedicke resides in Niceville, Florida, with her partner, Ryan, and their energetic pups, Joseph Talon and Gracie. In her free time, she can be found on BookTok as a reviewer of literary fiction.

Margaret Gordon

ABOUT THE TEAM

Music Director, Sinfonia Youth Orchestras Coordinator of Education & Community Engagement

A native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Margaret Gordon is pleased to be returning to the Gulf Coast to give back to the community that fostered her musical ability as a child. As a former student in the Sinfonia Gulf Coast Youth Orchestra, she feels honored to lead others in realizing their musical gifts and nurturing the foundational skills needed to create the next generation of musicians.

Gordon has maintained a string and piano studio and teaches all ages. She specializes in the beginning string student and focuses on a positive approach to teaching that instills a sense of pride and self-efficacy in her students. Her personal approach to teaching allows her students to be curious about their progress and develop the skills necessary to become self-sufficient. Her emphasis on teamwork and collaboration makes her an empathetic listener when directing ensembles.

In addition to directing the youth orchestras, Gordon is eager to promote music education in the surrounding counties and believes that music is an experience that all have the right to partake in regardless of their circumstances.

Gordon received a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of West Florida and a Master of Music in Performance at Appalachian State University. Her primary instrument is viola.

Miranda Rojas

Education & Outreach Assistant

Miranda Rojas has joined the Sinfonia Gulf Coast team as an Education & Outreach Assistant. Her prior involvement with Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s music education outreach initiatives, as a member of the Carriola Quartet, Sinfonia’s Quartet in Residence, adds to her familiarity with the organization’s programs. In her new role, she will provide support to Music Director Margaret Gordon for the Sinfonia Youth Orchestra and After-School Orchestra programs. Miranda will also be offering music lessons through her private studio.

Rojas holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Belmont University and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from Florida State University. Her training in the Suzuki method is complemented by her interest in cross-cultural teaching approaches and a diverse range of musical styles.

Outside of her educational responsibilities, Rojas frequently performs on both the violin and viola in the local region. Her musical engagements include collaborations with Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and Albany Symphony Orchestra. She also serves as the Music Director for HERo, an organization based in Tallahassee, dedicated to promoting women in music and showcasing compositions by women composers.

Daniel Milana Director of Development

Daniel Milana is a seasoned professional in the field of media, fundraising, project management, and content production. With a wealth of experience, he has honed his skills in creating, producing, and executing engaging editorial and branded content programming for both local and national media.

Milana attended Florida International University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film Production from the Art Institutes in Atlanta. He is certified in Fundraising from the Georgia Center of Nonprofits. He has applied his talents to event fundraising and grant management raising funds and organizing some of the largest film and entertainment festivals in the country, including Sundance and the Atlanta Film Festival.

Milana’s portfolio boasts collaborations with renowned brands such as Capital One, Home Depot, Starbucks, Mattel, and media outlets like NPR, NBC, Telemundo and Lifetime Television.

Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Milana remains a devoted fan of the Yankees and Falcons, reflecting his passion for sports and loyalty to his favorite teams. Additionally, his Brazilian heritage has granted him the valuable skill of fluency in Portuguese and proficiency in Spanish, fostering connections across cultures.

Milana recently relocated from Atlanta to Santa Rosa Beach, where he resides with his wife and two children.

As a marketing communication professional for more than 30 years, Zandra Wolfgram has promoted the performing arts in Cleveland, cultural tourism in New Orleans; and hotels, resorts, and restaurants throughout Northwest Florida.

A passionate arts advocate, Wolfgram launched her career promoting the performing arts for the Cleveland Playhouse, Theatre League of Cleveland and Great Lakes Theatre. In New Orleans, she was on a two-member team for Arts Tourism Partnership, a national cultural arts pilot program.

After relocating to Northwest Florida in 1999, Wolfgram led the marketing/PR efforts to open resorts, hotels, restaurants, retail stores, golf courses and mixed-use centers. She launched award-winning brand campaigns, established a PR division for a major resort and concepted a magazine, newspaper and television channel — all of which were award winning.

A writer who holds a journalism degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, Wolfgram held the editorship for Emerald Coast magazine for seven years and was a senior writer for both

Zandra Wolfgram

Director of Marketing & Communications

Tallahassee and 850 Business magazines. Her byline has appeared on destination travel stories for dozens of resort publications, Forbes Travel, Visit Florida and VisitSouth. com, for which she was the Destin/Fort Walton Beach Insider.

A founding member and past president of the Northwest Florida Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations, her work has earned more than 50 industry awards.

An avid arts advocate, Wolfgram supports national art causes such as Musical Theatre Project, Costume Industry Coalition, and Americans for the Arts.

Locally, she served on the Emerald Coast Theatre Company board (2014-2022), and is a proud member of Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and the Arts & Design Society of Fort Walton Beach.

She lives with her husband on a 3-mile barrier island, where she enjoys “shabby chic-ing” vintage furniture, frequenting festivals and kicking back with her sullen bulldog, Hapi.

A CONVERSATION WITH THE CONDUCTOR

Filling A Void in Our Community for 18 Years

By Zandra Wolfgram

Q: 2023-2024 is Sinfonia’s 18th year. She is an “adult” now! How does it feel to reach this milestone?

It is truly hard to fathom that Sinfonia is approaching two decades. I say it every year, but Sinfonia exists because of our amazing community. Our music education outreach and community engagement initiatives are a void that we continue to fill in our school districts, however the support of the community for our public concerts and events is what enables us to exist in the capacity that we do.

Q: You are kicking off the season

September 27 with Cabaret at Seagar’s headlined by Laura Benanti, one of Broadway’s brightest soprano stars … she’s been on Broadway 10 times earning a Tony Award for Gypsy (Louise) and appeared in our living rooms in The Sound of Music Live! (Baroness Elsa). You could say this evening is “back by popular demand.” Why is this particular event so popular and why did you invite this Laura Benanti to headline?

The Seagar’s Cabaret is a magical evening. So many of our patrons say that it is their favorite concert of the season. The venue (Seagar’s), the ambiance, the incredible cuisine and wine pairings and above all else, the artists! Watching intimate performances by Grammy- and/or Tony Award-winning artists up close and personal is like being transported to the iconic Cafe Carlyle in New York City. It is definitely my favorite way to kick off the season. It is a “wow” moment each year. I love that we can finally present Laura Benanti, whose pedigree and resume

more than speaks for itself. She and I have never worked together, but we have many friends and colleagues in common. She is the real deal. A big deal. I am looking forward to welcoming her to the Sinfonia stage.

Q: November 4 promises another powerhouse performer: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. You are essentially presenting the world’s most famous horn player! What can we expect from this year’s Gala Event and why should people come out to support it?

Energy. Excitement. Booty-shaking musical revelry. All that is Trombone Shorty. Listen, how do you top Patti LaBelle? You cannot. I knew we had to take a much different path with this year’s gala. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are a mind-blowing musical experience. They are the best of the best musicians. I love that Shorty has his own foundation that benefits music education. That resonates loudly with me. The gala supports Sinfonia’s most important work in the community: bringing quality music to school children at no cost to them or their schools. Hotel Effie at Sandestin will serve as an incredible backdrop for this evening extravaganza. As always, expect a few surprises throughout the evening.

Demetrius Fuller and vocalist Morgan James between photo shoot takes in NYC

Q: You are serving up a tasty new treat with the Toast ‘n Jam series at the beautiful Henderson Beach Resort in Destin. December 3 you present Time for Three (TF3) and February 11 you showcase Chris Brubeck and the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Anytime we can enjoy live music and brunch, we’re in. Tell us more delicious details.

Don’t forget the Bloody Marys and Mimosas! When COVID thwarted our plans to present Time for Three performing Chris Brubeck’s concerto he wrote for them and orchestra, their schedules haven’t enabled us to recreate that performance, but we will one day soon. In the meantime, it was too important to just let them sit without sizzling for our audiences, so we created this series for them at different times. Time for Three is a phenomenal crossover trio … make that a newly Grammy Award-winning trio. Chris Brubeck. Well, the name speaks for itself. Continuing the legacy of his father, bassist/trombonist/composer Chris and his brother Dan, a drummer, have been playing together for a half century. Guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb, complete this dynamic jazz quartet. We are looking forward to partnering with the Henderson on this fun and family friendly event.

Q: Holiday Pops features “the last leading man” … tell us how two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will make our season bright on December 8 with his famous baritone voice.

How fun is it that we get to present Trevor from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air? Brian Stokes Mitchell is a behemoth of Broadway and concert stage and has quite the festive holiday program with orchestra. Holiday Pops is always a patron favorite, and this year will be no different. It is always such a fun way to celebrate the season with the sounds of the orchestra enveloping you. This year we will have table seating to create an even more festive occasion.

Q: Music of the Knights will save us from the winter blues on January 20. Even the title of this concert is full of mystery and

intrigue. Sounds like audiences are in for some “royal treatment.” Tell us more.

A musical tribute to Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber … featuring vocalists and Sinfonia’s amazing full orchestra. More than 40 years of the most incredible music that has shaped generations. What is not to like?

Q: Classical Connections will feature saxophonist Steven Banks. Among many prestigious honors, he is the 2019 Sinfonia Gulf Coast Young Concert Artist prize winner. Tell us why we need to fill the hall on March 23 to hear this captivating young composer/musician.

The Sinfonia Young Concert Artists (YCA) Prize is very special to me and Sinfonia. Young Concert Artists is a nearly 70-yearold institution that has introduced incredible classical musicians to the world. Sinfonia is honored to be able to offer an award to one of the winners each season to perform with the orchestra, but also go out into our community to work with schools, local bands, the Sinfonia Youth Orchestra as well as other community engagement opportunities. Steven Banks is an extraordinary saxophonist whose career has catapulted since winning YCA. Steven is an artist that everyone should know. He represents the future of classical music and the opportunities and importance that it carries for our culture. Sinfonia Gulf

Saxophonist Steven Banks with Fuller at Young Concerts Artists (YCA) in NYC

Coast is one of 10 orchestras nationwide that has shared in a co-commission from creative genius and composer Billy Childs. He created the concerto for saxophone specifically for Steven and we are thrilled to be able to share in this project, which also includes incredible orchestras like the Kansas City Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Aspen Music School, and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, just to name a few.

Q: On May 18 Destin-FWB Convention Center will be the scene of an epic, actionpacked adventure with Jurassic Park in Concert. Why should families brave a Film in Concert 65 million years in the making?

That’s 65 million plus three years to be exact. We are finally traveling to Jurassic Park after two rescheduled dates due to COVID. These film in concert productions represent exactly what Sinfonia is about… redefining the traditional symphony experience, melding genres, bringing new audiences into the concert hall. With the amazing custom screen that hovers above the orchestra, this will definitely be an experience for the entire family to see the more than 100 musicians on stage performing John Williams’s iconic film score. Larger than life in all regards!

Q: As we interview, you are hopping from Festival Napa Valley — where you have forged long-lasting relationships — to a Visit South Walton media event in NYC, to a Young Concert Artists Board event at the Aspen Music School. You travel frequently from coast to coast. How does the local community benefit from your national connections?

Literally anything and everything that you see with Sinfonia is a result of who I know in the industry, who we already have a great working relationship with, recommendations from colleagues and artist managers that I have worked with over the last 20 years. The networking and travel are essential. To remain relevant, you must continually explore new artists, new venues, new opportunities and I believe that we have done a great job of doing that over the last 17 seasons.

As we have been fortunate to continue to add new and talented staff members, then we can multiply or reach and potential to introduce the stellar artists through Sinfonia to our community.

Being appointed to the Young Concert Artists Board in 2022 has been a wonderful experience for me both personally and professionally and the opportunity to create a partnership for the future is promising. Collaboration is key!

Patron and friend Dana Armentor with Fuller at the Jarvis Ball “Cabernet Cabaret” in Napa, California

ON A MISSION TO... ENTERTAIN | EDUCATE | INSPIRE

If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them.

— Luciano Pavarotti

When you hear the hum of 3,700 grade school children clutching recorders and barely able to contain their excitement as a live Link Up concert is about to commence, it’s clear, after 15 years, educational outreach remains at the forefront of Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s mission.

Entertain. Educate. Inspire. These three simple words are a mandate for Northwest Florida’s only fully professional orchestra and its music and artistic director, maestro Demetrius Fuller. And that includes young music makers.

Thanks to the generous support of its community partners, by the end of the 2022-2023 season, Sinfonia will have served more than 200,000 children in Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

Some of the many ongoing initiatives Sinfonia uses music to reach and connect with young people each year:

Sinfonietta Strings & Intermediate Strings

Sinfonia Youth Orchestra

Link Up program in conjunction with Carnegie Hall

Musicians in Schools

Guest Artists in Schools

Live orchestra performances for students

Paint the Music in partnership with 3rd-8th graders in Okaloosa & Walton Counties

Ensembles in Residence in the schools in partnership with Florida State University

Go to SinfoniaGulfCoast.org/education to learn more about how you can support Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s music education outreach programs.

Membership Keeps Arts FUNded

By Zandra Wolfgram

Looking for fun? You have arrived. As a member of the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF), you are already aboard the “bus to fun town.”

Take it from the MKAF’s CEO of Fun, Demetrius Fuller.

“We really want to up our fun factor in all we do … including raising awareness and funding. Our new tagline is Membership Keeps Arts FUNded” Demetrius

Fuller, Chief Executive Officer & Artistic Officer

To realize our vision to “enhance and inspire every life through arts and culture,” it takes community support. As Fuller explains, individual giving has always been the rock bed of MKAF.

“The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation was initially started from the Arts Guild Lunch attended by local art lovers and evolved into the huge support system of volunteers, patrons and sponsors we have today. Membership is the backbone of MKAF and a direct tie to the community. Taking part as an individual member helps to support the arts education and outreach that Mattie Kelly is known for,” Fuller says.

Melanie Moore is the director of education and couldn’t agree more. This year, she has 108 custom ArtsReach programs already underway. From teaching artists, residencies, workshops touring performances and summer camps, each offering is designed to uniquely benefit a range of diverse populations from the needs of K-12 students, children and adults with special needs to veteran and active-duty military service members.

“We’re connecting with and providing creative opportunities for populations that lack access to art,” Moore explains.

“We tailor our programs to those who uniquely benefit from different ways of learning innovative and unique programming. We want to share the arts and a love of the arts with everyone we can and with the best programming we possibly can.”

And this is where you come in. MKAF cannot deliver quality arts programming without your help. So please join us.

“Membership is affordable and the benefits are fun,” assures Fuller. “Where else can you spend $150 and get access to

10 concerts, a discount on Festival of the Arts merchandise, plus discounts on MKAF wine dinner events? You just can’t.”

Join/Renew Now for the 2023-2024 Season

Art Nouveau (40 years old and under) Single $75 – A new category for those 40 years of age and under. Member benefits include a season pass to all of the Concerts in the Village with early admission access and a discount on Festival of the Arts merchandise, plus preferred pricing to all MKAF events.

Pop Art – Single $150 or Couple $250 –Member benefits include a season pass to all of the Concerts in the Village with early admission access and a discount on Festival of the Arts merchandise, plus preferred pricing to all MKAF events. This category is available as a single or reduced fee for couple who reside in the same residence.

Renaissance Single $275 – Includes all member benefits of the Pop Art category + one preferred seat at a VIP table at all of the Concerts in the Village, table is assigned upon arrival. (This is a limited membership category and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.)

Impresario Single $500 – Includes all member benefits of the Pop Art category + one preferred seat at a VIP table at all of the Concerts in the Village + a total of 10 general admission tickets to use at any Concerts in the Village. (This is a limited membership category and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.)

Plus, pledging your support is easy to do. Simply go to the MKAF website and sign up on the membership page.

Supporting MKAF means you are a champion of the arts. Since forming in 1995, MKAF has impacted 337,800 through our ArtsReach programs.

Receive one season pass to our Concerts in the Village.

APRIL 4 - JUNE 6, 2024 Annual Thursday evening concert series featuring a diverse genre of music suitable for all ages and families.

Enjoy early admission access to Concerts in the Village.

APRIL 4 - JUNE 6, 2024 Beat the crowd by arriving early to set up your VIP table or snag a primo spot on the lawn.

OCTOBER 26 & 27, 2024 Annual arts festival featuring fine artists exhibiting their original art, live music, food trucks, crafted cocktails.

Receive membership rates on MKAF events throughout the year.

Know that your membership fees impact students, veterans and adults of all abilities throughout Northwest Florida.

Receive a discount on Festival of the Arts merchandise. Become a Member -

Such as Artful Dining events and annual events including Wine Walkabout (NOV. 9) at Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Don’t miss this extraordinary enchantment of Tony Award-winning Broadway star Laura Benanti in a one-night-only solo concert.

Known for her brilliant performances in iconic musicals like The Sound of Music (Maria), Into the Woods (Cinderella) and Gypsy (Louise), as well as TV and film’s (The Sound of Music

Live!, Tick Tick … Boom, Life & Beth, Worth, The Gilded Age and more) her brilliant vocals and diverse repertoire will captivate you.

Experience a mesmerizing musical journey as she performs your favorites from the American Songbook to Broadway’s best.

LAURA BENANTI

Hailed by The New York Times for her “effortless” vocals, and by the New York Post for her ability to “whip up laughs out of thin air,” Laura Benanti first took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music, and has subsequently starred in 10 more Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies and dramas) including Into the Woods, Nine (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower opposite Amy Schumer and Keegan Michael Key.

Her flourishing television and film career have included widely acclaimed appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Melania Trump, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick… Boom! and roles on Hulu’s Life & Beth, Inside Amy Schumer, as well as Gossip Girl, Younger, Nashville, Supergirl, and the highly anticipated second season of The Gilded Age. In film, Benanti starred in Netflix’s Worth opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan, Here Today opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, and the upcoming Sony Pictures comedy No Hard Feelings opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Matthew Broderick.

Don’t wait for people to tell you who you are.

Show them.

Also a book author and creator of the HBO Max special Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020 based on her viral social media movement: #sunshinesongs, Benanti released a self-titled audio album for Sony Music Masterworks and tours the world performing solo concerts alongside highly celebrated musicians and orchestras.

Photo Credit: Jenny Anderson

Students in grade 3-5 are given the opportunity to join the orchestra in this highly participatory program, in which they learn to sing and play an instrument in the classroom and perform with a professional orchestra from their seats at a culminating concert with Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

SINFONIA EDUCATION INITIATIVES

Each year Sinfonia Gulf Coast impacts more than 15,000 students throughout Okaloosa and Walton Counties, Florida. Continued support from our education partners throughout the community has enabled the organization to continue to bring the highest quality music education initiatives via live orchestra concerts, musicians and guest artists in the schools, a Youth Orchestra program, and expanded collaboration with Carnegie Hall’s Link Up project.

Continuing Initiatives:

Link Up Program in conjunction with Carnegie Hall

Paint the Music for 3rd-8th graders in Okaloosa and Walton Counties

Live orchestra performances for students

Concert attendance and bus transportation is always provided free of charge to schools and students

Sinfonietta Strings, Intermediate Strings and Sinfonia Youth Orchestra

Chamber music performance opportunities for students

Before & After School Programs

Private studio lessons for string students

Musicians in Schools

Guest Artists in Schools

Ensembles in Residence in the schools in partnership with Florida State University

Impacted more than 200,000 school children since 2006

Go to SinfoniaGulfCoast.org/education

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Experience the electrifying energy of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue live in concert. From the moment they take the stage, you’ll be captivated by their infectious charisma and magnetic performance. With a fusion of funk, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock, Grammy-nominated Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, deliver tight, explosive performances that will make you move. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable musical celebration that showcases the primal power of music to bring us all together.

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE

Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, 37, was born in New Orleans, grew up in the Tremé neighborhood steeped in jazz traditions. He hails from a musical family, including a grandfather and great-uncle with ties to Fats Domino. He began playing trombone at four, impressing Bo Diddley and performing at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. By six, he led brass bands, later joining Stooges Brass Band. He is best known as a trombone and trumpet player but also plays drums, organ, and tuba. He attended NOCCA with Jon Batiste, mentored by Cyril Neville. Andrews played with Lenny Kravitz, U2, and Green Day.

Andrews released his first album in 2002. A dozen more followed. Since 2009 has toured with his own band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. In 2010 he released Backatown which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. He followed it with For True. Both showcase his jazz and funk fusion. He’s a respected figure in New Orleans’ music scene, performing globally.

Catch a gig, open the pages of the New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural born showman who can command an audience with the best of them.

He’s toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless more; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival. He’s performed four times at the Grammy Awards, five times at the White House, appeared on dozens of TV shows, and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet.

Andrews launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book.

New Orleans is like a big musical gumbo. The sound I have is from being in the city my whole life.

Photo Credit: Justen Williams

SINFONIA STRING QUARTET IN RESIDENCE

Founded in Tallahassee, Florida, Carriola Quartet is a dynamic and evolving ensemble. This quartet features violinists Rosalee Walsh and Nicole Vega, violist Jeremy Hill, and cellist Mitchell George. With a passion for community engagement, Carriola Quartet has performed original, interactive concerts in public and private schools, college classes, and community spaces around the North Florida region.

The ensemble also performs often at Florida State University, where all four members are students pursuing master’s degrees in music performance. Carriola Quartet is currently the String Quartet-inResidence for Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and all members also perform regularly with the Tallahassee

Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and other surrounding orchestras.

They also own private studios in Tallahassee. Their musical pursuits are vast and varied, covering a variety of genres including Latin classical and bluegrass.

SUNDAY, DEC. 3 | 10:30 AM Henderson Beach Resort | Crystal Ballroom

Prepare to be blown away by the electrifying sounds of Grammy Awardwinning Time for Three (Tf3), the genre-defying classically trained string trio. With their impeccable skills and boundary-pushing musical tastes, Nick Kendall, Charles Yang, and Ranaan Meyer seamlessly blend classical, bluegrass, rock, jazz, and hip-hop into an unforgettable musical experience. Their dynamic performances, even at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, have earned them the title of a “classically trained garage band.” feat Time for Three (Tf3)

PRESENTED BY:

TIME FOR THREE (TF3)

Defying convention and boundaries, Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of classical music, Americana, and singer-songwriter. To experience Time For Three (TF3) live is to hear the various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew. Bonded by an uncommon blend of their instruments fused together with their voices, Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), have found a unique voice of expression to share with the world.

Earning praise from NPR, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Sun-Times to name a few, the band has become renowned for their charismatic and energetic performances. Having graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and The Royal Albert Hall, their inimitable and mutable style fits equally well in an intimate club setting, like Joe’s Pub in New York, or Yoshi’s in San Francisco. In 2016, Time For Three was featured on the famed Night of the Proms tour, sharing the stage with such artists as Chaka Khan and Ronan Keating, playing arenas throughout several European countries. The trio has collaborated with artists as diverse as Ben Folds, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Bell, Aoife O’Donovan, Natasha Bedingfield, and Arlo Guthrie.

They’ve appeared on ABC’s Dancing with The Stars and won an Emmy for Time For Three In Concert, produced by PBS. Yet for all their accolades and diverse experiences, the irrepressible band constantly hungers for new ones. In 2020, the band partnered with cellist and composer Ben Sollee to put together the soundtrack to the new Focus Features’ film Land, starring and directed by Robin Wright. The film first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021. With a collection of new songs, the band has teamed up with Grammy-winning

songwriter Liz Rose and Grammywinning producer Femke Weidema for new recordings released through Warner Music. In addition, they have recently produced and performed on Summer Walker’s R&B hit last fall, Constant Bullshit. Time for Three has a longstanding history of working with contemporary classical composers, such as Chris Brubeck and Pulitzer Prize winners William Bolcom and Jennifer Higdon. Time for Three’s most recent commission, Contact by Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts, premiered with the San Francisco Symphony and The Philadelphia Orchestra in the summer of 2022. This piece, along with Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3 was released on June 10, 2022, on Deutsche Grammophon. The album, entitled Letters for the Future, was recorded with The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Xian Zhang and has been on Billboard top 10 Classical Recordings charts, was nominated for an Opus Klassik award and won a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category.

TOP 10 REASONS TO CRESCENDO!

Save the dates for the event extravaganza of the season supporting Sinfonia Gulf Coast

By Zandra Wolfgram

Cre·scen·do (/krəˈSHenˌdō/)

Even the name is full of fun! It’s such an exciting word — it’s a noun, adverb, adjective and verb.

Cheers! With the celebratory signature cocktail, lauded winemakers pouring select vintages and spirit purveyors sharing samples of their tasty craft, it is easy to raise a glass to toast the delicious libations at Crescendo!

The chic artwork by international fashion illustrator Lindsey Kate tells us Crescendo! 2024 is going to be a bold, hold-on-to-your hats-ladies-andgents, affair to remember.

Sinfonia Gulf Coast is presenting this event … that means … live entertainment! Last year we were wowed by L.A. big band sensation Sergio Vellatti. We cannot wait to see what surprises Sinfonia has in store for us this year!

The venue. The event will be held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, so it is sure to be a swank soiree. You had us at “ballroom.”

We’re starved! With the excitement of this extravaganza, we’ve already worked up quite an appetite. We love a proper Sunday luncheon served at linen clothed tables set with candles and creative decor.

Party prizes! The raffle, the silent auction of art, wine, jewels, excursions and more, plus the live auction of curated A-list travel getaways, you couldn’t possibly plan yourself. Win-win!

Treble Makers! As a member of the Treble Makers, you’re considered a VIP at Crescendo. Your $575 contribution will enable Sinfonia to continue to perform music with 3,500 elementary students throughout Okaloosa and Walton Counties, thanks to Link Up — Sinfonia’s collaborative partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Institute of Music.

Gathering with gal pals and gents.

The perfect way to shake off the winter blues and usher in spring with the sizzle of Crescendo!

Local kids! Proceeds from Crescendo benefit Sinfonia and its music education programs, which include musicians/guest artists in schools, free orchestra concerts, bus transportation for students, Sinfonia Youth Orchestra program, Arts in Medicine initiative with Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast and Link Up.

SAVE THE DATES

Crescendo Kick-off Lunch is Thursday, Jan. 25 at Bijoux Restaurant + Spirits in Miramar Beach.

Vintner Dinners are Friday, March 1 at stunning homes and venues.

Crescendo! Main Event is Sunday, March 3 at Hilton Sandestin Beach. This event will sell out, so reserve your seat today at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org.

YOUR SUPPORT IS INSTRUMENTAL TO OUR SUCCESS!

As a Treble Maker, your contribution will enable Sinfonia Gulf Coast to continue to perform some of its more important music — music for our children. Since 2006, Sinfonia has impacted more than 200,000 school children in Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

YOUR $575 CONTRIBUTION INCLUDES:

1 ticket to Crescendo! Kick Off Lunch on January 25, 2024 at Bijoux ($150 Value)

1 ticket to Crescendo! Main Event on March 3, 2024 ($195 Value)

Early VIP entrance to Crescendo! Main Event for Treble Makers only

Special invitation to JIMMY CHOO 2024 event

Special recognition at all Crescendo! events

Special VIP invitation to experience LINK UP 2024 with all of the students on March 6, 2024. An event not available to the public

Knowing that you helped provide music education programs to over 3,500+ children in Okaloosa and Walton Counties this year!

To make a donation to become a Treble Maker, simply contact info@sinfoniagulfcoast.org

PRESENTED BY:

feat Brian Stokes Mitchell

Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Brian Stokes Mitchell is a twotime Tony Award winner with a versatile career spanning Broadway, television, film, and concerts. Receiving critical acclaim and awards for his performances in Kiss Me, Kate, Man of La Mancha, and Ragtime, Stokes has collaborated with renowned conductors like John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel performing at Carnegie Hall and the White House. Some of you may remember him as Trevor in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Get into the spirit as this A-list star performs holiday classics, Broadway tunes and classic favorites with the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra.

FRIDAY, DEC. 8 | 7:30 PM

Destin-FWB Convention Center

BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL

Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances with the country’s finest conductors and orchestras. Stokes received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. He also gave Tonynominated performances in Man of La Mancha, August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and Ragtime Other notable Broadway shows include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly’s Last Jam, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Shuffle Along. In 2016 he was awarded his second Tony Award, the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony for his Charitable work with The Actors Fund. That same year Stokes was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

An extremely versatile and in-demand singer, Stokes has performed at venues spanning jazz, opera, pops, country, and musical theater worlds. He has worked with John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Gustavo Dudamel, Keith Lockhart, Michael Tilson Thomas, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Big Band, The Mormon Tabernacle choir and the Muppets. Stokes has made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall beginning with his debut with the San Francisco Symphony through his televised performance in South Pacific opposite Reba McEntire to his sold-out solo concert, which he continues to perform throughout the U.S. He has been invited twice to perform at the White House (both times aired on PBS’s Great Performances) and has performed multiple times for Presidents Clinton and Obama.

Stokes has delved deeply into various music disciplines. In addition to singing, he began piano studies at the age of six. A self-professed autodidact, his musical curiosity led him to teach himself composing, arranging and orchestration, starting in his teens. He later studied, Film scoring, orchestration, and conducting both privately and through UCLA and subsequently scored and conducted several Trapper John, MD episodes, a series on which he was also a regular cast member. His musical talent has extended to the present day as producer, arranger and orchestrator on his three solo albums including Simply Broadway and his latest recording Plays

With Music. Stokes has appeared on more than 20 albums.

His extensive screen credits began with a guest starring role on Roots: The Next Generations, followed by a 7-year stint on Trapper John, MD and have continued with memorable appearances on everything from PBS’ Great Performances to The Fresh Prince, Frasier, Glee, Jumping the Broom and his most recent recurring roles on Madam Secretary, Mr. Robot, The Path, Billions and The Good Fight. Other recent TV appearances include The Blacklist, Elementary, and Bull.

Save These Festive Dates

Seaside Holiday Pops featuring Sinfonia Gulf Coast Saturday, Dec. 9 | 5:00 PM

Seaside Amphitheater

Sinfonia Youth Orchestras in Concert

Sunday, Dec. 17 | 5:00 PM

Destin High School

PRESENTED BY:

Music of the Knights

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John, and Sir Paul McCartney, each knighted by the Queen of England, are three of the world’s most successful songwriters. From Broadway to the top of the pop charts, these musical geniuses each created an incredible individual musical legacy. Music of the Knights honors their lasting musical influence with hits like Memory, Yesterday, Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Circle of Life, Hey Jude, The Phantom of the Opera and more.

SATURDAY, JAN. 20 | 7:30 PM Destin-FWB

MUSIC OF THE KNIGHTS CAST

Scott Coulter (Vocalist)

One of New York’s most honored vocalists, Scott Coulter has received five MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs), five Bistro Awards and two Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Vocalist. He has performed at most of NYC’s top rooms including Birdland, 54 Below, The Oak Room at the Algonquin, and Feinstein’s at The Regency where he spent a recordsetting eight months performing the revue 11 O’Clock Numbers at 11 O’clock which he also co-created, directed and musically arranged. His self-titled debut CD won the MAC Award for Outstanding Recording and was chosen as the Best Recording of the Year by TheatreMania and Cabaret Scenes magazines. Coulter was director and star of A Christmas Carol: The Symphonic Concert in its world premiere with the Baltimore Symphony and reprised his performance in the Emmy-nominated PBS production. His performance in American Song at NJPAC was nominated for an Emmy.

Jessica Hendy (Vocalist)

A lauded vocalist, actress, and writer, Jessica Hendy is renowned for her versatile talents. Her acclaimed show, Walking With Bubbles, draws inspiration from her memoir’s pages. Hendy holds the distinction of gracing both the Broadway revival and the original production of Cats at the Winter Garden Theatre, where she made her Broadway debut as Grizabella. Her Broadway credits includes standout performances in Aida as Amneris and Amour. Hendy made her Radio City Music Hall debut, sharing the stage with the world-famous Rockettes in The New York

Spring Spectacular. Her national and Canadian tours have showcased her as Grizabella in Cats and as the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Her portrayal of Diana Goodman in the regional premiere of the Pulitzer Prizewinning musical Next to Normal at The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati earned her an Acclaim Award.

John Boswell (Pianist)

John Boswell has served as musical director for Judy Collins, Andy Williams, Bob Newhart, Scott Coulter, Maude Maggart, Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack, Jason Graae and a host of other fine talents. Boswell played the role of Moose in the national tour of Crazy For You and has appeared on The Tonight Show, Today Show, CBS This Morning, Regis And Kathie Lee, General Hospital and was the piano playing hands of Nancy McKeon on the sit-com The Facts of Life. Recent concerts with symphonies have included Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert, Blockbuster Broadway, Sheena Easton and Scott Coulter: The Spy Who Loved Me and Music Of The Knights. Boswell has been heard singing in the shows Three Men and a Baby, Grand, Cinema Toast, Broadway Today, Wiseguys and the New York cult hit Cashino with Susie Mosher. Broadway/Off Broadway credits include Crazy For You, The Secret Garden, Liza: Steppin’ Out At Radio City, Back To Bacharach and David and The Kathy And Mo Show: Parallel Lives. Boswell has nine CDs of original piano music and a 10th on the way. While a student at UCLA, Boswell received the Frank Sinatra Award for pop instrumentalists.

A BOHEME DESIGN

“I call architecture frozen music...”

Johann Wolfgang von Geothe

www.aboheme.com

SUNDAY, FEB. 11 | 10:30 AM

Henderson Beach Resort | Crystal Ballroom

PRESENTED BY:

Experience the timeless music of Chris and Dan Brubeck, masters of jazz. With a 50-year+ career, this dynamic quartet, accompanied by guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb, captivates audiences worldwide with their unique blues and jazz sound. Their melodic majesty, vibrant solos and inventive arrangements make every performance unforgettable. The Brubeck Brothers Quartet pushes boundaries and seamlessly blends funk, blues, and world music into its straightahead jazz style. Immerse yourself in the spontaneous spirit of jazz with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.

feat Brubeck Brothers Quartet

BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET

Chris Brubeck

Award-winning composer, orchestral arranger, lyricist and performer, Christopher Brubeck is equally at home playing jazz, rock, classical, funk and folk music, displaying his multiple talents on three instruments. An award-winning composer, Chris has been called “a 21st Century Leonard Bernstein” by John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune. Chris’ composition, Vignettes for Nonet, for woodwind quintet and the BBQ was commissioned by, and premiered at Bay Chamber Concerts, Rockport, Maine to great acclaim. A recent composition, Affinity, was commissioned and premiered by internationally respected guitarist, Sharon Isbin, in May 2015, and has just been recorded by Isbin and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Brubeck’s composition Interplay for 3 Violins and Orchestra featuring The Boston Pops and violin virtuoso Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Jazz violinist Regina Carter and Celtic fiddler Eileen Ivers of Riverdance fame was broadcast on PBS’ Evening at Pops and won the ASCAP Deems Taylor award for Chris for best composition for television broadcast. Chris, and his father, Dave Brubeck, were Grammy Award finalists for Best Orchestral Composition for their composition, Ansel Adams: America. In addition to his instrumental work with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Chris tours, records and sings with his acoustic funk-blues group, Triple Play.

Daniel Brubeck

Drummer Daniel Brubeck is the rhythmic force of the BBQ and has toured the international music circuit for more than two decades. He has led his own group, The Dolphins, in addition to performing with the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet. Dan also plays with the Vancouverbased Dan Brubeck Quartet (DBQ), featuring vocalist/bassist Adam Thomas. The DBQ released Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave and Iola Brubeck, which showcases his father’s music and little-known lyrics of his mother. The CD was named one of the Top 2015 CDs by Downbeat Magazine and was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Jazz Vocal album. As a featured soloist with many of the world’s top jazz artists, Dan’s

original drumming style and use of odd-time signatures have earned him international acclaim. A stylistically versatile musician, he’s toured with acts ranging from The Band and David Benoit to Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond. He’s recorded with jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell, singer~songwriter Livingston Taylor, jazz-pop singer Michael Franks, and pioneering blues guitarist Roy Buchanan. Dan and Chris were featured on the Dave Brubeck CD Live with the London Symphony Orchestra Dan produced and played on Trio Brubeck a Music Masters CD with Dave & Chris Brubeck which received a Grammy nomination. Dan has appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, The Grammy Awards Show with an all-star jazz group including Dave Brubeck and Christian McBride, BBC specials and the nationally syndicated PBS series Jazz in America, as well as with Chris, Mike and Chuck on the Sierra Center Stage Concert Series broadcast on PBS.

Mike DeMicco

Guitarist and composer Mike DeMicco has toured extensively worldwide since 1980. He grew up in the arts colony of Woodstock, New York, immersed in blues, jazz and rock music. His musical diversity has since led him to work with celebrated artists in many genres. For 10 years, he performed and recorded with the acclaimed electric jazz quartet, The Dolphins, featuring Dan Brubeck; he has also recorded with Warren Bernhardt, Peter Erskine, Michael Franks, and James & Livingston Taylor, among many others. DeMicco has performed on the internationally syndicated PBS series, Jazz In America; at the major European jazz festivals; and with Dave Brubeck, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Coryell and Nick Brignola, to name a few. He was also featured guitarist on W.C. Handy Blues Award-winner Rory Block’s “Tornado” tour of the U.S. and Europe and is currently touring and recording with rising vocal star Lindsey Webster. His CD, “As The Sun Sets” (Blue Forest Records), showcases eight original compositions and features Warren Bernhardt (piano), Jay Anderson (acoustic bass), Rob Leon (electric bass) and Peter O’Brien (drums).

Pianist, composer and percussionist, Chuck Lamb, co-founded the group Dry Jack which was cited in the Rolling Stone History of Music as a “premiere, cutting-edge jazz fusion group.” He has garnered global acclaim including accolades for his creativity and expertise from a variety of publications including Billboard and Keyboard magazine, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. He has played with many musical greats including the Woody Herman Orchestra, Bela Fleck, Dave Holland, Eddie Jefferson, Ginger Baker, Tom Harrell, and Ernestine Anderson. Northeast Wisconsin Music Review wrote: “Pianist Chuck Lamb sweeps together a stunningly comprehensive approach to the keyboard; he can play with elegance ... or positively roar with the most leonine gestures. His imagination seems to know no bounds.” As a member of the Brubeck Brothers Quartet for the last 15 years, Lamb has toured the world and most of the inner solar system.

Chuck Lamb

PRESENTED BY:

Prepare to be spellbound by the mesmerizing talent of charismatic saxophonist Steven Banks. Recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s Young Concert Artist prize, he pushes boundaries, expanding the instrument’s repertoire while showcasing its vast capabilities. An emerging composer, his music is said to showcase “a unique and ambitious blend of feelings and sounds” and portrays “a deep intimacy” and “a sense of vulnerability” (Cleveland Classical). Experience the unique and intimate compositions of this emerging musical genius. The concert program also includes works by Rossini and Mozart.

SATURDAY, MAR. 23 | 7:30 PM

Destin High School

STEVEN BANKS, SAXOPHONE

As a performer and composer, saxophonist Steven Banks is striving to bring his instrument to the heart of the classical music world. He is driven to program and write music that directly addresses aspects of the human experience and is an active and intentional supporter of diverse voices in the future of concert music. Rick Perdian of Seen and Heard International has said “one senses that Banks has the potential to be one of the transformational musicians of the twenty-first century.”

Banks is establishing himself as a compelling and charismatic soloist and in 2022, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and was a chosen artist for WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab. He was the first saxophonist to be awarded First Prize at the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Critics have consistently recognized Banks for his warm yet glowing tone, well-crafted and communicative musical expression, and deft technical abilities.

Banks has appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Utah Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and Aspen Festival Orchestra and has enjoyed working with such conductors as Franz Welser-Most, Xian Zhang, Nicholas McGegan, Rafael Payare, John Adams, Peter Oundjian, Jahja Ling, Matthias Pintscher, Alain Altinoglu and Roderick Cox. In recital, he has appeared across the USA at the San Francisco Symphony’s Spotlight Series at Davies Hall, Merkin Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Kravis Center and Festival Napa Valley with his collaborative partner, pianist Xak Bjerken. A keen chamber musician, Banks has appeared at Spoleto Festival USA, Chamber Music Chicago, and the Aspen Music Festival, and will be the first artistin-residence of the Skaneateles Festival in the 2023-2024 season. He has collaborated with the Borromeo and St. Lawrence string quartets and will work with the Dover and Verona quartets in the coming seasons. He is a founding member of the Kenari Quartet, an all-saxophone ensemble that performs regularly together offering inspiring and uplifting compositions and arrangements.

As baritone saxophonist of Kenari, Steven won First Prize at the inaugural M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition and has garnered two silver medals

from the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Their album, French Saxophone Quartets, was released in 2016 on the Naxos label.

In 2023 and 2024 Banks will premiere and tour with a commissioned concerto from Grammy-winning composer Billy Childs. The three movement, 20-minute concerto will explore aspects of the African American experience in America and takes inspiration from such poets as Nayyirah Waheed, Claude McKay and Maya Angelou.

As a composer, Banks has been commissioned by such organizations as Young Concert Artists, WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab, Latitude 49, Yale University’s Project 14 Initiative and Northwestern University’s Saxophone Ensemble. Jarrett Hoffman of Cleveland Classical has said that his music showcases “a unique and ambitious blend of feelings and sounds” and portrays “a deep intimacy” and “a sense of vulnerability.” His work for alto saxophone and string quartet, Cries, Sighs and Dreams, was premiered in May 2022 at Carnegie Hall with the Borromeo Quartet. His work for solo piano, Fantasy on Recurring Daydreams, will be premiered by Zhu Wang in April 2023.

An advocate for diversity and inclusion in music education and performance, Banks was part of the TEDx NorthwesternU 2017 conference presenting his dynamic approach to overcoming institutionalised prejudices against women and people of colour. In addition, he has written about and given lectures on the history of black classical composers.

CLASSICAL CONNECTIONS PROGRAM NOTES

Diaspora

(Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra)

Diaspora Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra is a symphonic poem which strives to chronicle the paradigm of the forced black American diaspora, as sifted through the prism of my own experience as a black man in America. When Steven Banks approached me about the piece, the first thing we discussed was the narrative: What story would the piece tell? How would it unfold? We decided that much in the same way that Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit illustrates three poems by Aloysius Bertrand in three separate movements, so would this concerto do with poems by black poets. But then I started thinking of the elegantly succinct and fluent structure of Barber’s Symphony No.1, where in one multi-sectioned suite, he brilliantly ties together a handful of thematic materials into a seamless and organic whole. So, I started to compose from the vantage point that the poems Steven and I settled on (Africa’s Lament by Nayyirah Waheed, If We Must Die by Claude McCay, and And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou) would be guideposts which inspired the direction of a three-part storyline: Motherland, If We Must Die, and And Still I Rise. Also, I wanted to tie the piece together thematically with various melodies and motifs treated in different ways (inverted, augmented, contrapuntally treated, reharmonized, etc.), like a loosely structured theme and variations - except there are several themes used.

MOTHERLAND

The program of the composition starts out on a positive note; the first theme played solo by the soprano saxophone, and later joined by an uplifting scherzo accompaniment from the orchestra, is meant to evoke a sense of well-being and security as Africans are living in the motherland (Motherland being the name of the first section). Of course, it is understood that within the confines of Africa itself, there were tribal wars, treachery, and misery - even slavery; it’s not a utopia I’m trying to illustrate here. Rather, I want to depict a sense of purity - a purity arising from having been thus far unobstructed by the outside destructive forces that would later determine our fate. So, the movement starts with a soprano sax melody that begins as a diatonic motif (accompanied by marimba and pizzicato cello), but then quickly becomes chromatic, modulating to several remote

tonalities. After this, a 16th note pattern in the strings transitions the listener into a sense of foreboding, signaling trouble on the horizon. As the harmonies of the string patterns continue to shift toward a more ominous shade, the soprano saxophone takes on a more urgent tone, playing short bursts of melodic fragments. Then a battle ensues, a battle between the slave traders and the future slaves, as signaled by the triplet figures in the soprano sax accompanied by triplet patterns in the orchestra and climaxing in an orchestral tutti section bolstered by a brass fanfare. After a dissonant orchestral hit, the soprano sax utters a melancholy theme as the slaves are being led to the slave ship. This takes us to the first saxophone cadenza, which to my mind, represents a moment of painful reflection about being captured like a wild animal and led to a ship, the destination of which is to a future hell.

IF WE MUST DIE

Part two of the journey (inspired by the powerful Claude McKay poem of the same name) begins with the first vision of the slave ship. This is illustrated by a loud tutti blast in the orchestra, following a slow 6 measure buildup. The alto saxophone is now the voice of the piece, introducing a rapid twelve-tone theme which turns out to be a constant phrase weaving in and out of the entire piece at various moments (it actually made its first appearance back in the first part, during the battle between the African natives and the slave traders). The slaves are boarded onto the ships and the middle passage journey to

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CLASSICAL CONNECTIONS PROGRAM NOTES

America begins; sweeping rapid scales in the lower strings, woodwinds, and harp describe the backand-forth movement of the waves. This section develops and reaches a high point with a jarring saxophone multiphonic pair of notes followed by a forearm piano cluster; we now see America for the first time, from the point of view of the slaves. A percussion section and saxophone exchange - followed by an antiphonal, almost pointillistic push and pull between the alto saxophone and the orchestra - aims to represent the confusion, rage, and terror of the slave trade, where families are ripped apart as humans are bought and sold like cattle. The subsequent section is a mournful lament of despair, meant to outline the psychological depression caused by the sheer brutality of this new slavery paradigm. The melodic theme here, played by the alto sax, is in its original version, whereas the melancholy soprano sax theme near the end of the first movement is the inversion of this melody. While this is happening, there is a background pattern played by vibraphone and celesta which depicts a slow and steady growing anger; this figure gets faster and faster until it overtakes the foreground and brings us into the next scherzo like section. This section is marked by an interplay between the alto sax and the orchestra and is describing a resistance, anger, and rebellion against being subjected to subhuman treatment over the course of centuries. After the apex of this segment occurs - characterized by five orchestral stabs - the alto saxophone plays a short and tender cadenza which signifies the resilience of black Americans and the introduction of the idea of self-love, self-worth, and selfdetermination.

AND STILL I RISE

This final section of the concerto/tone poem is about black empowerment. The church has always been a cultural focal point in the black community, a sanctuary providing psychological and emotional relief from the hardships of black life in America. It is also a place to worship, pray, and wrestle with the larger spiritual and existential questions which concern all of humankind. And beyond that (or perhaps because of that), the church is historically the central hub of black political and cultural activism in America. This is the ethos that the last section of the concerto is reflecting. So, this final

chapter of the piece starts out with a hymn-like passage, which is a variation of the opening folklike melody at the very beginning of the concerto. It is a plaintive reading orchestrated for just alto saxophone and piano, as though the solo saxophonist were a singer accompanied by a piano during a Sunday church service. Soon the melodic theme in the alto sax is treated with a lush accompaniment reminiscent of the Romantic era, as a healing self-awareness and love becomes more palpable. This is followed by march-like ostinato which symbolizes steely determination amid great and formidable obstacles as the alto sax plays rapidly above the orchestral momentum, until we finally reach the victorious fanfare at the conclusion of the piece. Maya Angelou’s shining poem reminds us (and America) that black people cannot and will not be held to a position.

Do you have your ticket for Jurassic Park in Concert? featuring Sinfonia Gulf Coast Saturday, May 18 | 7:30 pm Destin-FWB Convention Center

MISSION

Sinfonia Gulf Coast Youth Orchestras’ mission is to provide the highest quality youth orchestra experience to students living in Northwest Florida. The orchestra program strives to create a culture of community, collaboration, and cultivation by ensuring that each member has an empowering musical experience through participation in the orchestras.

The Sinfonia Youth Orchestra program is the premier training orchestra in Northwest Florida and consists of students who participate in a variety of ensembles that perform throughout the school year, led by Music Director Margaret Gordon.

The Nutcracker

Nov. 17-19

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

As the only full-length version of this classic holiday fairytale in the area, NFB’s production features a cast of more than 140 performers, including international guest artists and over 100 local children. All public performances will feature live music by the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra.

Carmina Burana

March 9-10

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

In collaboration with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, NFB presents Carl Or ’s powerhouse masterpiece Carmina Burana. A celebration of new beginnings, this inspiring program is a mesmerizing mix of live music, opera and dance. The production opens with the neo-classical ballet Afterglow.

On the Edge

June 15

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

This unique production features the artists of NFB with international guest artists from Ballet Memphis, Ballet San Antonio, Ballet Idaho and Colorado Ballet. Together they will perform a mix of cutting-edge contemporary, neoclassical and classical pieces from guest choreographers and the NFB repertoire.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Bijoux Restaurant + Spirits Seated lunch, exclusive shopping showcase and festive raffle.

$150/person

Friday, March 1

Celebrity vintners and chefs in stunning homes and venues.

$500/person

Sunday, March 3 Hilton

$195/person

CRESCENDO!

LINDSEY KATE

Lindsey Kate is an international Fashion Illustrator who creates custom commissioned projects for individuals and brands, in addition to illustrating live for events. Some of her renowned clients include Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Escada, Ted Baker London, LoveShackFancy, Alice + Olivia, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Four Seasons Hotel & Spa, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, Shutz, Hugo Boss, Nic + Zoe, Vionic, Le Chateau, Hamilton Jewelers, LaCroix, and L’Oreal.

Constantly exploring new techniques and media, she tailors the style of every project to fit the unique need of each client. Lindsey Kate aims to capture the elegance, beauty, and confidence of the human form in her creations. Finding inspiration within historic illustration, nature, and modern art as well as having a proficient understanding of color theory, textiles, construction, fit, and concept design allows her to successfully illustrate

technically accurate designs as well as representational creative fashion figures.

A few of Kate’s favorite things include bridal illustration and creative work for publications and advertisements; however, she has created projects for personal shoppers, stylists, online retailers, patternmakers, as well as fashion and accessory designers. She’s had her work published in a variety of magazines, and even illustrated the cover of a published book about fashion. She also creates accessories, paintings, and logos upon special request. She would love to hear your next idea for utilizing fashion illustration!

Photo Credit: HoughtonPhotography.com

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7:30 PM

Destin-FWB Convention Center

BY:

Featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, this epic action-packed adventure pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. Sheer movie magic 65 million years in the making, bring the entire family to experience Jurassic Park in Concert as never before: projected in HD with Sinfonia Gulf Coast performing John Williams’ iconic score live to picture. Welcome… to Jurassic Park in Concert!

feat Jurassic Park PRESENTED

A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER

In his highly successful book, Jurassic Park, author Michael Crichton enabled us to imagine what the return of the great vertebrates of 150 million years ago might be like. In his thrilling 1993 film adaptation, Steven Spielberg brought these fascinating and terrifying creatures to life, and in so doing captivated movie audiences around the world.

I must say that I greatly enjoyed the challenge of trying to tell the film’s story musically. And while we can luxuriate this evening in the magnificent sound produced by Sinfonia Gulf Coast as they perform the entire score live to the picture, it’s nevertheless tempting to imagine what the trumpeting of these great beasts of the distant past might have been like…

John Williams

I know I speak for everyone connected with the making of Jurassic Park in saying that we’re greatly honored by this event… and I hope that tonight’s audience will have some measure of the joy we experienced while making the film more than twenty years ago.

In a career spanning more than six decades, John Williams has become one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and the concert stage. He remains one of our nation’s most distinguished and contributive musical voices. He has composed the music for more than one hundred films, including all nine Star Wars films, the first three Harry Potter films, Schindler’s List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman and the Indiana Jones films. He served as music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra for fourteen seasons and remains their Laureate Conductor. He has composed numerous works for the concert stage including two symphonies and more than a dozen concertos commissioned by some of America’s most prominent orchestras. He has received five Academy Awards and fifty-three Oscar nominations, seven British Academy Awards, twentyfive Grammys, four Golden Globes, and five Emmys. His other honors include the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, an honorary KBE from Queen Elizabeth II, the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, and the Gold Medal from the UK’s prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society.

CREDITS

A STEVEN SPIELBERG Film

SAM NEILL

LAURA DERN

JEFF GOLDBLUM and RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH

BOB PECK

MARTIN FERRERO

B.D. WONG

SAMUEL L. JACKSON

WAYNE KNIGHT

JOSEPH MAZZELLO

ARIANA RICHARDS

Live Action Dinosaurs, STAN WINSTON

Full Motion Dinosaurs by DENNIS MUREN, A.S.C.

Dinosaur Supervisor, PHIL TIPPETT

Special Dinosaur Effects, MICHAEL LANTIERI

Music by JOHN WILLIAMS

Film Edited by MICHAEL KAHN, A.C.E.

Production Designer, RICK CARTER Director of Photography, DEAN CUNDEY, A.S.C.

Based on the Novel by MICHAEL CRICHTON

Screenplay by

MICHAEL CRICHTON and DAVID KOEPP

Produced by

KATHLEEN KENNEDY and GERALD R. MOLEN

Directed by

STEVEN SPIELBERG

A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

Tonight’s program is a presentation of the complete film Jurassic Park with a live performance of the film’s entire score, including music played by the orchestra during the end credits. Out of respect for the musicians and your fellow audience members, please remain seated until the conclusion of the credits.

© Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Jurassic Park in Concert produced by Film Concerts Live!, a joint venture of IMG Artists, LLC and The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc.

Producers: Steven A. Linder and Jamie Richardson

Director of Operations: Rob Stogsdill

Production Manager: Sophie Greaves

Production Assistant: Elise Peate

Worldwide Representation: IMG Artists, LLC

Technical Director: Mike Runice

Music Composed by John Williams

Music Preparation: Jo Ann Kane

Music Service

Film Preparation for Concert

Performance: Ramiro Belgardt

Technical Consultant: Laura Gibson

Sound Remixing for Concert Performance:

Chace Audio by Deluxe

The score for Jurassic Park has been adapted for live concert performance.

With special thanks to: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, John Williams, Kristin Stark, Michael Silver, Patrick Koors, Tammy Olsen, Lawrence Liu, Thomas Schroder, Tanya Perra, Chris Herzberger, Noah Bergman, Jason Jackowski, Shayne Mifsud, Darice Murphy, Mike Matessino, Mark Graham and the musicians and staff of Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

Weekdays 6-10am