Join us for an upcoming concert…
Join us on the ARIAS bus to hear iconic works that revolutionized classical music at the Jacksonville Symphony’s fifth Florida Blue Classical Series concert of 2025, featuring music by Dvorak on Friday, April 25, 2025.
This concert of American Music will feature the music of Copeland, Coleman
and Dvořák and will be conducted by Guest Conductor Shiyeon Sung, the first
female conductor from South Korea to lead globally renowned orchestras.
The program opens with Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land Suite, which
explores the American heartland through its pastoral themes. This suite, drawn from his opera of the same name, presents accessible and evocative music
beloved by smaller opera theaters and college productions, and includes the
love duet, a square dance, and the iconic quintet, The Promise of Living.
Next is Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout, commissioned by the
Philadelphia Orchestra in 2020 to honor frontline workers during the COVID-19
pandemic. This dynamic and colorful piece has become an anthem of resilience,
filled with urgency and energy. As Coleman describes it, Seven O’Clock Shout is
“a declaration of our survival,” a tribute to essential workers, and a symbol of unity during challenging times.
The program concludes with Dvořák’s New World Symphony (Symphony No. 9
in E Minor, Op. 95: From the New World). This work marked a major milestone
in validating American—or “New World”—music as a source for classical
composition. It incorporates elements of African-American spirituals and Native
American melodies into the traditional symphonic format, creating a unique and
pioneering sound. The symphony serves as a statement on the potential of
American music and encourages composers to draw inspiration from the distinct sounds and rhythms of the New World.
Jacksonville Symphony Program Notes can be found at:
https://www.jaxsymphony.org/dvoraks-new-world-program
The ARIAS bus will pick up passengers at two convenient Nassau County locations—AMC Theatre in Yulee and Harris Teeter on Amelia Island—and transport you directly to Jacoby Hall in plenty of time for the concert. The return trip is just as convenient, ensuring you won’t have to worry about nighttime driving on your way back to Jacksonville.
Bus tickets can be purchased at ariasnassau.org/bus, where you’ll find additional details on pricing, pick-up locations, and ARIAS membership discounts and rebates.
Please note that bus tickets are separate from concert tickets, which can be obtained through the Jacksonville Symphony website here or by calling the box office at 904-354-5479.
If you plan to ride the bus, we recommend purchasing your ticket early, as we need to confirm arrangements with the bus company the week before the concert. Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred to another rider for the night of the event.