SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra
For more than 55 years, The Florida Orchestra has been a driving force for cultural arts in the Tampa Bay region. Every work of music, every musician, every composer has a story to tell. SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra gives those stories a voice, so you can experience a deep, personal connection to the music during a concert or anytime. The non-profit Florida Orchestra is the largest orchestra in the state and the only arts organization that bridges Tampa Bay. TFO exists to INSPIRE – UNITE – EDUCATE as we build community through the power of music onstage and in our schools and community. With 71 full-time professional musicians and conductors, TFO performs more than 100 concerts a season, including a wide range of classical, popular, film, rock and family-friendly music. Performances are at three major performing arts venues: Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Straz Center in Tampa and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. For tickets and information: FloridaOrchestra.org
SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra
Program Notes: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21
Enjoy Siegfried’s Rhine Journey, a digestible nugget from Wagner’s massive Ring of the Nibelung. This arrangement by Engelbert Humperdinck preserves the work’s atmosphere, the awakening at dawn and the love themes of Brünnhilde and Siegfried. In Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, this stellar work stands out for its iridescent andante in F major, arguably one of the composer’s most captivating creations. The program ends with Shostakovich’s final symphony, No. 15. In contrast to his often dour personality, Shostakovich’s sense of humor shines through in the first movement with quotes from Rossini’s William Tell Overture.
This episode includes music excerpts to illustrate each work.
Masterworks 5 of the 25/26 Season
Performances January 9-11, 2026