The Jacksonville Symphony will begin its 2018-19 season with “Fanfare! Opening Night” featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts’ Jacoby Symphony Hall.
Guests can walk the red carpet at 7 p.m. to a festive celebration of the upcoming season. The concert begins at 8 p.m. with Hector Berlioz’s “Béatrice and Bénédict” before the Symphony is joined by Branford Marsalis for two works by John Williams and Heitor Villa-Lobos. The concert will end with Piotr Tchaikovsky’s fateful and slightly bombastic Fourth Symphony.
“This program has something for every audience member,” Music Director Courtney Lewis said. “‘Opening Night’ is about celebrating the season to come with world-class soloists and inspirational music.”
Marsalis grew up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis. Marsalis was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Marsalis began working in local bands. The saxophonist experienced a growing fascination with jazz as he entered college, which gave him the basic tools to obtain his first major job with trumpet legend Clark Terry and Wynton in Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers.
Marsalis formed his own quartet in 1986 and, with a few minor interruptions in the early years, has sustained the unit as his primary means of expression. According to the Jacksonville Symphony, the Branford Marsalis Quartet has long been recognized as the standard to which other ensembles of its kind must be measured.
Marsalis has not confined his music to the quartet context; classical music inhabits a growing portion of his musical universe. A frequent soloist with classical ensembles, Marsalis has become increasingly sought after as a featured soloist with acclaimed orchestras such as the Chicago, Detroit, Düsseldorf and North Carolina Symphonies.
Making his first appearance with the New York Philharmonic in the summer of 2010, Marsalis was again invited to join them as soloist in their 2010‐11 concert series where he demonstrated his versatility and prowess, bringing “a gracious poise and supple tone … and an insouciant swagger” (New York Times) to the repertoire.
Tickets for this event can be purchased at www.jaxsymphony.org/ or by contacting the Ticket Office at (904) 354-5547.
