Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO) is Central Florida's premier professional orchestra, celebrated for its excellence in live music performance and community engagement. Founded 30 years ago, the OPO has been under the artistic leadership of Music Director Eric Jacobsen and consists of a diverse group of talented musicians from around the globe. The orchestra's performance calendar includes an 11-concert Classics Series and Pops Series held in Steinmetz Hall, as well as the Focus Series and Symphony Storytime Series at The Plaza Live, a historic venue in Central Florida. The OPO's vision is to enrich, inspire, and serve the community through the transformative power of live music. It accomplishes this by presenting over 170 live concerts annually and reaching more than 70,000 children, youth, and families through its extensive educational programs. These programs include the Young People’s Concerts, Symphony Storytime Series, Notes in Your Neighborhood, and free outdoor community concerts. A significant educational initiative by the OPO was the 2014 Young People’s Concerts series titled "Nature in Music," which reached over 56,000 students from Orange County Public Schools and the School District of Osceola County. These concerts, provided free of charge, featured music from composers such as Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Mussorgsky, and were enhanced by collaborations with the Orlando Ballet, local opera singers, and narrators from the Orlando Repertory Theater. The OPO is a resident company of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and takes pride in performing in Steinmetz Hall, renowned for its acoustic quality. The orchestra is also a Partner Organization of the National Alliance for Audition Support, an initiative led by The Sphinx Organization to increase diversity in American orchestras. The orchestra's commitment to the community is further demonstrated through partnerships, including its support of the Greater Orlando Performing Arts Relief (GOPAR) program, which aids local artists affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The OPO operates with a set of core values that emphasize inclusion, excellence, sustainability, education, community, and innovation. Its mission is to provide excellence and innovation in orchestral music performance and education that serves and engages the community. The OPO's goals include expanding community awareness and engagement, increasing community impact, ensuring organizational stability, and supporting artistic excellence. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by an orchestra staff, with administrative offices located at 425 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando, FL. The OPO also offers various ways for the community to support its mission, including donations, corporate giving, planned giving, and a capital campaign for The Plaza Live. For more information about the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, its concerts, educational programs, and community initiatives, visit the official website at orlandophil.org.