The Jacksonville Symphony will host its first three-weekend festival in January, celebrating one of the most prolific classical composers of all time — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Midwinter Mozart Festival will include dynamic scenes from “The Magic Flute” and “The Marriage of Figaro,” along with a performance of the movie “Amadeus” live with orchestra. There will also be a more intimate performance of chamber music and a grand finale with “Don Giovanni.”
Throughout the festival, the symphony will be partnering with both the University of North Florida (UNF) and media partner, WJCT. UNF students will take the stage for “Mozart Opera Scenes” at Lazzara Performance Hall at UNF.
The festival finale, “Don Giovanni” is considered by some to be the greatest opera ever written, and the symphony will bring a fully staged version of Mozart’s dark tale to the concert hall. A cast including singers directly from the Metropolitan Opera stage, custom projection art and a contemporary take on costumes will bring this timeless tale to life for Jacksonville audiences. For the first time ever, the full-length opera will be fully staged in Jacoby Symphony Hall. The orchestra will be surrounded by custom platforms and three 30-foot projection screens, providing 2,700 square feet of space for high definition graphics.
The schedule of events for the Midwinter Mozart Festival is as follows:
Coffee with Wolfy
Friday, Jan. 11, 11 a.m., Raymond James Coffee Concert
The Symphony’s Midwinter Mozart Festival opens with a mix of the master’s most beloved works. Associate Conductor Nathan Aspinall leads a program featuring Mozart’s First Symphony — composed when he was only 6 years old – his Third Violin Concerto and his “Prague” Symphony.
Mozart Opera Scenes
Saturday, Jan. 12, 8 p.m., Lazzara Performance Hall – University of North Florida
The cunning Letter Duet, the bumbling Papageno, the vengeful Queen of the Night and the jealous Figaro — these are just a few of the jewels Mozart wove in his masterful operas. UNF students, alumni and faculty will team with the symphony to create a night of Mozart’s greatest opera hits including “The Marriage of Figaro,” “The Magic Flute” and “Cosí fan tutte.”
Amadeus Live
Friday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m., Symphonic Night at the Movies Series
Winner of eight Academy Awards in 1984, including Best Picture, Actor, Director and Adapted Screenplay, “Amadeus” tells the story of Vienna court composer Antonio Salieri and the envy that consumes him upon discovering that the divine musical gifts he has so longed for all his life have been bestowed on a bawdy, vulgar and impish young composer, Mozart. Salieri’s envy fuels his plot to destroy the man, yet is all the while unable to tear himself away from the genius of his music.
Mozart Chamber Music
Sunday, Jan. 20, 3 p.m., WJCT Studios
The midpoint of the festival explores the more intimate side of the master’s extraordinary catalog. String quartets, wind ensembles and the “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” bring both grace and energy to this concert held at WJCT Studios.
“Don Giovanni”
Friday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 27, 3 p.m.
Florida Blue Masterworks Series
For more information on these events or the Jacksonville Symphony, go to JaxSymphony.org.
