Jacksonville, Fla. (March 12, 2025) – The Jacksonville Symphony continues its 75th Anniversary Season with the eighth Florida Blue Classical concert “Conrad Tao & Rite of Spring” on April 4 and 5. Led by Music Director Courtney Lewis, the Symphony will feature its Artist-in-Residence, the internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Conrad Tao. The program includes the world premiere of Tao's new piano concerto, commissioned by the Jacksonville Symphony, alongside Claude Debussy's "Nocturnes" and Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring."
The concert opens with Debussy's "Nocturnes," a work that showcases innovative harmonic language and dreamlike soundscapes. This Impressionistic work captures the essence of shifting light and color, pushing the boundaries of classical music and leaving an indelible mark on the orchestral repertoire.
Following Debussy, Tao takes the stage to premiere his new piano concerto, "Clang and Shudder," commissioned by the Jacksonville Symphony. Tao, hailed as "the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music" by New York Magazine, brings his intellect and open-hearted vision to this composition.
“I wanted to celebrate the sound of the instrument, treating the piano as the enormous resonating chamber it is, drawing attention to its ringing tones beyond just what keys are struck,” said Tao. “In this concerto, the orchestra emerges out of the piano sound, responds, suggests, questions. The music clangs, shudders, howls, breathes, sings.”
The program ends with Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring," a staple of the orchestral repertoire, which many know from Walt Disney's Fantasia.
Tickets are available at JaxSymphony.org or by calling the Box Office at 904.354.5547. This is Greta Challen Berg Artist Series concert is also part of the Florida Blue Classical Series and the David M. Hicks Piano Series.
About the Jacksonville Symphony The Jacksonville Symphony is North Florida’s leading nonprofit performing arts organization offering live performances at Jacoby Symphony Hall in the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts and other venues throughout the area. Led by President and CEO Steven Libman and Music Director Courtney Lewis, the Jacksonville Symphony reaches over 165,500 individuals through over 95 performances each season. In addition, the Symphony provides music instruction for youth and operates the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras. For more information about the Symphony, visit JaxSymphony.org.
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Media Contact: Savannah Silliman Marketing and Public Relations Manager Jacksonville Symphony ssilliman@jaxsymphony.org