The Jacksonville Symphony is gearing up for a busy holiday season, and kicking things off this weekend is Appalachian Spring, part of the Florida Blue Concert Series. Returning guest conductor Case Scaglione leads a program featuring Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite (original 13-piece instrumentation) and Lincoln Portrait, along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.
Scaglione is in his sixth season as music director of the Orchestre National d’Île de France. He previously served as associate conductor of the New York Philharmonic and as music director of the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra of Los Angeles. Playwright, songwriter, and voice actor Christian Albright will join the Symphony to narrate Lincoln Portrait live.
The program all in all celebrates the power of perseverance and the American spirit. Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite evokes the simplicity and grandeur of pioneer life, while Lincoln Portrait sets Abraham Lincoln’s words to music in tribute to liberty and unity. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, composed under political oppression, stands as a testament to endurance and triumph.
Jacksonville Symphony Music Director Courtney Lewis says, “The Florida Blue Concert Series is our Flagship Series; however, there are lots of other things you can come and hear, such as Holiday Pops, movies with live music being performed in the hall, and a variety of other holiday performances.”
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