NEWS RELEASE | Aug. 16, 2021 CONTACT: Kelly Smith, Communications, [email protected]; 727.362.5448

The Florida Orchestra adds VII REMAKE, rock, holiday concerts; single tickets on sale today

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – With its new season fast approaching, The Florida Orchestra is expanding its 2021-22 schedule with the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Orchestra World Tour video game concert; two rock concerts celebrating the music of & Billy Joel and Def Leppard; a Holiday Brass concert; and two full orchestra Family Concerts, the orchestra announced today. Tickets go on sale today (Aug. 16), along with single tickets to TFO’s entire season.

The concerts boost TFO’s full lineup of classical, popular and family-friendly concerts as the orchestra returns to full power for full audiences at venues throughout Tampa Bay in the fall. Music Director Michael Francis opens his seventh season with Beethoven’s Fifth and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons on Sept. 24-26 in the Tampa Bay Times Masterworks series with concerts in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

All tickets are now available at FloridaOrchestra.org and 727.892.3337 or 1.800.662.7286. Published ticket prices include all fees. The Florida Orchestra Ticket Center remains closed to in-person transactions.

With a proven safety record of 86 concerts for live audiences amid the pandemic, The Florida Orchestra has led the way in creative programming and health and safety protocols for patrons, musicians and staff. If necessary, TFO will make any safety decisions for the 2021-22 season based on the latest CDC guidance, the advice of an epidemiologist and the requirements of our venues.

Concerts are being seated at full capacity at three major venues: Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, The Duke Energy Center for the Arts/Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Concerts subject to change. All sales final.

Here are details of the added concerts:

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Orchestra World Tour Video Game Concert with Live Florida Orchestra In this electrifying concert, experience all new symphonic based on composer Nobuo Uematsu’s beloved FINAL FANTASY VII music, and the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE theme song Hollow, performed live by The Florida Orchestra. Grammy-winning conductor Arnie Roth leads over 100 musicians on stage, with stunning, high- definition video scenes from the new game created exclusively for this concert by . Cosplay welcome! Two performances at the Mahaffey Theater Sat, Nov 20, 8 pm Sun, Nov 21, 2 pm Tickets: $35, $55, $75, $95 – all fees included

Two concerts with full rock band • The Florida Orchestra and Jeans n’ Classics Present Back to Back: Music of Elton John & Billy Joel Remember when rock was young? A night of unforgettable melodies by two legends with the power of a full orchestra, rock band and vocalists. Featuring She’s Got a Way, Man, Circle of Life, Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, and many more. Daniel Black conducts. Jean Meilleur, vocalist; John Regan, piano. Fri, Nov 19, 8 pm, Mahaffey Theater Tickets: $35, $55, $70 – all fees included

• The Florida Orchestra and Windborne Present The Music of Def Leppard The Florida Orchestra amps up the Hysteria with a full rock band and vocalist for the greatest hits of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame band. The ultimate night of classic rock features Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar on Me, Photograph, Hysteria and many more. Brent Havens conducts, with vocalist MiG Ayesa. Fri, Mar 18, 8 pm, Mahaffey Theater Tickets: $35, $55, $70 – all fees included Two Family Concerts with full orchestra • Great Big World Explore plants, animals and other wonders of our great big world, featuring the full orchestra. Venture into landscapes through pieces such as Jennifer Higdon’s “Teton Range” from All Things Majestic and excerpts from Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. The orchestra will mimic animals small and large, from bumblebees to elephants, with music by Camille Saint-Saëns and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The adventure will end in the water with excerpts from Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz and Claude Debussy’s La Mer. Plus: Big screen visuals, a sing-along and dancers from the USF School of Dance. Daniel Black conducts. Sun, Oct 3, 2 pm, Straz, Ferguson Tickets: $10, $15, $20 – all fees included Ages 3 and under free

• Play Me a Story The full Florida Orchestra plays some of your favorite classics to show how music tells a story in this interactive concert. We’ll set a scene with Smetana’s The Moldau, sing along to How Far I’ll Go from Moana, get into the action of Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King, tie it all together with excerpts from Rimsky-Korsakov’s thrilling Scheherazade, and more. Daniel Black conducts. Sun, Jan 16, 2 pm, Straz, Ferguson Tickets: $10, $15, $20 – all fees included Ages 3 and under free Holiday Brass The incomparable brass and percussion sections of The Florida Orchestra bring festive favorites such as Sleigh Ride, The Nutcracker, classic carols and more. Todd Craven conducts. Sat, Dec 18, 2 pm, Palladium Tickets: $25 general admission – all fees included

Other TFO series and concerts now on sale • TAMPA BAY TIMES MASTERWORKS SERIES: Concerts include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with its glorious Ode to Joy, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, Mozart’s Requiem and Brahms’ Violin Concerto. Internationally renowned soloists coming to Tampa Bay stages include classical guitar superstar Milos, violinists Karen Gomyo and Augustin Hadelich, and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. Tickets: $23, $45, $60,

all fees included. Kids and teens ages 5-18 get in free to Masterworks concerts with Classical Kids & Teen tickets, available in advance. Free Pre-Concert Conversation included with each ticket; sponsored by Smith & Associates Real Estate. • RAYMOND JAMES POPS SERIES: Highlights include Latin Fire, Music of Star Wars, Fly Dance Company: Breakin’ Classical, The Paul Simon Songbook, Broadway Pops: Masters of the Musical Theater and more. Tickets: $23, $45, $60, all fees included. • COFFEE CONCERT SERIES: Morning concerts with free coffee in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Season highlights include the Music of , Star-Crossed Lovers, From Russia with Love, Viva España and more. Series sponsored by MediWeightLoss. Tickets: $30, $39, $44, $52, all fees included.

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW: The Florida Orchestra is dedicated to offering a wide range of concerts at affordable prices. Premium curated packages are the best value: Season subscribers save $5 per ticket per concert over single ticket buyers. Subscribers receive more great benefits including priority seating, single ticket discounts, bonus concerts and free flexible ticket exchanges.

COMPOSE YOUR OWN SERIES. Mix and match any four Masterworks and Pops concerts for $160, all fees included. This flexible and affordable series requires a minimum of four concerts, and seat assignments are on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional tickets are $40. Premium fixed package benefits do not apply. Go to ComposeYourOwn.com to subscribe.

OTHER AFFORDABLE OPTIONS: Student and military tickets are $10, available 1 hour before the concert. Kids and teens get in free to all Masterworks concerts with a paying adult with Classical Kids & Teen tickets, available in advance through the TFO Ticket Office. The orchestra also will perform free or low-cost concerts this season, including free Pops in the Park and pay-what-you-can Inside the Music concerts.

Get the latest TFO news, photos, videos TFO Blog: FloridaOrchestra.org/blog TFO Email Club: Click here to sign up Instagram: @thefloridaorchestra Facebook: The Florida Orchestra Twitter: @FlaOrchestra YouTube: Subscribe to The Florida Orchestra’s channel About Michael Francis Entering his seventh season as music director of The Florida Orchestra, Michael Francis has raised artistic excellence to new heights, strengthened the audience’s connection to the music and reinvigorated TFO’s community and education programs. He has made a long-term commitment to The Florida Orchestra and the Tampa Bay community, extending his contract through at least 2024. The internationally acclaimed conductor also is music director of the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego and principal conductor of Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany. For more, click here

About Stuart Malina Principal Guest Conductor and Tony Award winner Stuart Malina leads the orchestra in our popular morning Coffee Concerts. For more, click here

About TFO Resident Conductor Daniel Black Daniel Black attracts attention as a conductor who “makes music in a way that is meaningful to audiences in the 21st century.” For more, click here

About The Florida Orchestra The Florida Orchestra (TFO) is recognized as Tampa Bay’s leading performing arts institution, the largest professional orchestra in Florida, and one of the most vibrant and innovative orchestras in America. This is its 54th season. Under the leadership of Music Director Michael Francis, TFO performs series of classical, popular, and morning coffee concerts in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as free Pops in the Park concerts. The orchestra is dedicated to connecting to the community both in-person and virtually, with family and youth concerts and other educational programs. For tickets and information: FloridaOrchestra.org. To support the power of live music: FloridaOrchestra.org/donate. The Florida Orchestra is a non-profit 501(c)3 EIN: 59-1223691 CH#1830.

Covid-19 Warning An inherent risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus/Covid-19 exists in any public place where people are present. Covid-19 is a highly contagious disease that may result in personal injury, severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and persons with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable. Please visit the CDC’s website for its current guidance on people at increased risk for severe illness and other people who should take extra precautions. By attending a performance of The Florida Orchestra, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19. Please help keep each other safe.