The Florida Orchestra will launch its Hough Family Foundation Masterworks series with Richard Strauss’ “An Alpine Symphony” on Oct. 3 and 5, marking the ensemble’s first performance of the work in 25 years. The concerts are led by music director Michael Francis and will feature more than 100 musicians.
The orchestra will also introduce two new full-time players: Mitchell Kuhn as principal oboe and Alejandro Lombo as piccolo.
Concertmaster Jeffrey Multer is the soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.” The program concludes with Ottorino Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” which includes offstage brass.
Opening Night! Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony
Michael Francis, conductor
Jeffrey Multer, violin
Fri, Oct. 3, 8 pm, Straz Center
Sun, Oct. 5, 2 pm, Mahaffey Theater – Matinee
Tickets:FloridaOrchestra.org or 727.892.3337. Ages 5-18 can get free tickets with a paying adult. Available only in advance.
__________________________________________________
From the Orchestra: Meet two new TFO musicians
Mitchell Kuhn, Principal Oboe
As principal oboe, Mitchell Kuhn fills one of the top-tier positions in the orchestra. Seated in the middle of the stage, the principal oboe is often featured in major works and traditionally tunes the orchestra before the performance begins. This marks Kuhn’s second tenure with The Florida Orchestra. He previously served as acting principal oboe before joining the Metropolitan Opera as acting principal oboe for two-and-a-half seasons. Kuhn is also the principal oboist of the Grant Park Music Festival and has appeared at prestigious festivals such as the Marlboro Music Festival, Verbier Festival, Mainly Mozart, Music Academy of the West and the National Orchestral Institute. Kuhn has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Jacksonville Symphony and Sarasota Orchestra. A graduate of The Juilliard School (B.M. and M.M.), where he studied with Nathan Hughes, Kuhn is an advocate for new music, commissioning more than a dozen new works for the oboe. He completed his Artist Diploma under Robert Walters at Oberlin Conservatory. Click here for more on Mitchell Kuhn Alejandro Lombo, Piccolo
Before being appointed piccoloist of The Florida Orchestra, Alejandro “Alex” Lombo served as acting piccolo with the Kansas City Symphony. He has performed with major orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, London Symphony, the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center and Milwaukee Symphony among others. He has won several prestigious competitions, including the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions and the Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition, and has soloed at the Aspen Music Festival. Lombo received his bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and his master’s degree from The Juilliard School, where he studied with renowned flutist Jeffrey Khaner. Click here for more on Alejandro Lombo
Now in its 58th season, The Florida Orchestra is the largest professional orchestra in the state, with 70 full-time musicians and conductors underthe artistic leadership of Music Director Michael Francis. All TFO musicians have won highly competitive blind auditions that attract candidates from around the nation and world.