Join Orlando’s premier chamber orchestra, OCCO, and the sensational VoxO for an unforgettable night of music focused on transformation and renewal inspired by the Phoenix. Experience world and regional premieres by composers from around the globe, including local talents from CF2. Don’t miss this powerful performance celebrating victory, beauty, and grace.
Featuring music by Barbara Kaszuba, Erik Branch, Bill Freas, Loren Loiacono, Eric Heumann, Jeremy Umlauf, Ayan Desai, Richard Rather, Anthony Mosakowski, and Derek Weagle.
Orlando, FL. This summer, the stage is set for an epic collision of music, visual art, and storytelling. On Saturday, June 1st at 7 pm, the Harriet’s Orlando Ballet Center will host “Heroes and Villains: A Comic Con(cert),” an extraordinary collaborative concert bridging the creative worlds of contemporary classical music and comic book artistry.
Presented by the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra (OCCO) in collaboration with Central Florida Composers Forum and Silverline Comics, this first-of-its-kind event will immerse audiences in compelling musical narratives of heroism and villainy written by a fascinating array of exciting compositional voices from Florida, the U.S., and abroad.
The evening’s program features an eclectic array of contemporary compositions by ascending artists such as Matt Browne, Jason Capehart Jr., Alexandros Darna, Inna Onofrei, and Erik Valdemar Sköld, among others, including a premiere by Orlando’s own Jeremy Umlauf. Visual projections featuring the work of local comic book publishing house Silverline Comics will enhance the musical experience.
Prior to the concert and during intermission, concertgoers will have the opportunity to meet comic book creators, who will display, sell, and sign their original works. Get your tickets now! BAM!
Experience the adventurous spirit and wide-eyed wonder of childhood through music as Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra partners with 16-voice sensation VoxO for “Through a Child’s Eyes.” This exciting concert features five world premieres that contemplate life’s joys and sorrows from a youthful perspective.
Let William Blake’s poetic ode “A Cradle Song” transport you to a place of innocence shielded from life’s harshness. Feel the liminal space between dreaming and waking in Ella Higginson’s mystical “Dawn.” Learn music’s magic alongside Robert Louis Stevenson’s whimsical verses. Marvel at the child-like visual poetry of e.e. cummings’ imaginary world where effortless love reigns in Charlie Griffin’s setting of who knows if the moon’s a balloon, rearranged specifically for VoxO at the request of their director, Claire Hodge. Grieve a child taken too soon yet find resilience in his spirit with Abby Henkel’s setting of Mary Craig’s elegiac “Perigee.” Dance with shorebirds on sandy shores through the playful lens of “Gymnopedie.” And wander in awe through a meadow’s symphony of shimmering lights.
Under the direction of Todd Craven (OCCO) and Claire Hodge (VoxO), this imaginative program will be performed on September 9 at 8 p.m. at the Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Experience choral music anew as “Through a Child’s Eyes” offers a kaleidoscope of perspectives, allowing you to reconnect to life’s beauty.
Experience contemporary chamber music at its finest when Performing Arts Matter presents the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra and Central Florida Composer Forum in “OCCO Deconstructed: Landscapes of Shadow and Light.” Hear music by award-winning composers performed by small ensembles of OCCO’s outstanding musicians.
The program includes Alex Burtzos‘ “King | Cawdor,” depicting the emotional turmoil of political power; Sharon Omens‘ “Thoroughfare,” contrasting urban loneliness and natural connectedness; Troy Gifford‘s energetic string quartet works “Lumina” and “Lacerta”; Dan Crozier’s haunting “Nocturne” for cello and piano; and Christian Yom’s “Sansori,” merging traditional Korean music and lush strings. The evening concludes with Charlie Griffin‘s “Cambiando Paisajes,” a piano trio work inspired by Latin rhythms.
With passionate performances and thought-provoking new music, this evening of shadow and light is not to be missed. Experience contemporary music as it was meant to be heard – live on stage.
The performers for this event are: Jamie Clark – Cello Nora Lee Garcia – Flute Julia Gessinger – Violin Elliot May – Bass Haley Rhodeside – Harp Jazmin Skipper – Bassoon Jessica Speak – Clarinet Hannah Sun – Piano Anabel Tejada – Viola Andreas Volmer – Violin
Don’t miss “Homages,” the inaugural concert of our 2023 summer series
Experience an electrifying night of contemporary classical music performed by the acclaimed Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra at Harriet’s Orlando Ballet Center on July 29th at 7 pm. The program features exhilarating performances by some of today’s most exciting local and national composers that confront generational tensions, pay homage to tango masters, and wrestle with life’s uncertainties.
Alex Burtzos‘ fierce “RAGE” channels the pent-up frustration of youth through driving metal rhythms. Troy Gifford‘s sensuous “Milonga Abandonada” lovingly embraces the spirit of Argentine tango. Ryan Homsey’s meditative “Music and Life Mingle” pays tribute to legendary film composer Richard Robbins. Cole Reyes’ kinetic “Sprint” is a frenetic tour de force. Jeremy Umlauf‘s poignant “Sisyphus” immortalizes the mythic Greek hero in music. And Jamie Wehr’s unforgettable “Where is John Galt?” featuring rising-star guest pianist Caroline Owen pays homage to Leonard Bernstein via the iconoclastic work of author Ayn Rand.
Don’t miss this one chance to hear some of the best musicians in Orlando tackle these bold new works for the chamber orchestra. Claim your seat today for a concert that will linger in your mind long afterward.
The ever-passionate and always-prepared Maestro Todd Craven will conduct the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra.
This series represents a cooperative effort between Performing Arts Matter, Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, and Central Florida Composers Forum.
OCCO’s amazing performers are:
Concertmaster: Julia Gessinger Violin 2: Galen Kaup Viola: Marla Morgan Cello: Paul Fleury Bass: Elliot MayFlute and Piccolo: Tammara Phillips Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo: Tina Edelstein Oboe: Charles McGee Clarinet: Jessica Speak Bass Clarinet: Keith Koons Bassoon: Jazmin Skipper Trumpet: Griffin Weber Trombones: Joseph Vascik, Laurie Penpraze, Alex Regazzi Percussion: Bryant Bernal, Madison Schafer, Paul Yorke
