News Summary
Morgan Freeman, the acclaimed actor and Academy Award winner, will perform at the Mahaffey Theater as part of ‘Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience’ on September 25. This concert, organized by The Florida Orchestra, will honor Mississippi Delta blues music through live commentary and recorded narration by Freeman. The orchestra’s 58th season promises various performances across multiple venues, including significant classical works and modern compositions throughout the season.
St. Petersburg, Florida – Renowned actor and Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman will make a special in-person appearance at the Mahaffey Theater on September 25, 2023, during “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.” This unique concert produced by The Florida Orchestra will celebrate the rich heritage of Mississippi Delta blues music and include a recorded narration from Freeman, alongside his live commentary during the event.
The concert is part of The Florida Orchestra’s upcoming 58th season, which commences with the opening performance featuring Broadway star Cynthia Erivo at Ruth Eckerd Hall on September 3. Tickets for Erivo’s performance are currently available for purchase.
Before Freeman’s highly anticipated appearance, the Mahaffey Theater will host Quiara Alegría Hudes’ theatrical work, The Good Peaches, on September 20. This event is a collaboration with American Stage and projectALCHEMY dance company, showcasing the arts in the community.
The Florida Orchestra will present a variety of concerts at multiple venues, including the Mahaffey Theater, Ruth Eckerd Hall, and Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa. The orchestra’s 2025-26 Pops schedule will feature such events as Summer Breeze: Yacht Rock Classics on October 10 and 12, Holiday Pops from December 19-21, and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony on April 18. The program will also include The Billy Joel Songbook on January 16 and 17, and Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Friends on June 7.
For its Masterworks series, the orchestra has planned significant performances like Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony on October 3 and 5, along with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on October 18 and 19. Other highlights include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 on March 27-29 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 on May 15-17. The performances aim not just to celebrate the classics but also to connect various musical works through engaging pre-concert discussions and programming.
Music director Michael Francis emphasized that the Alpine Symphony is among the greatest of Strauss’s tone poems. Featured works will also include Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Respighi’s Pines of Rome, aiming to connect audiences to the music’s emotional narratives.
The orchestra also plans to debut modern compositions, including a US premiere of Thierry Caens’ Tribones Trombone Concerto in April, paired with Grofe’s Mississippi Suite and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Additionally, Leonard Bernstein’s Kaddish Symphony will be performed on November 7 and 8 in conjunction with the Florida Holocaust Museum, featuring readings from Samuel Pisar’s family.
Invited artists for the season include notable musicians such as Benjamin Beilman (violin), George Li (piano), and Maximilian Hornung (cello), among others. Along with the main concert series, The Florida Orchestra plans to announce six morning matinee concerts and additional Soundwaves chamber orchestra concerts later in the upcoming months.
Season packages for all subscription series are currently on sale, with single tickets set to go on sale starting August 12, allowing the community to engage with a wide-ranging selection of programming that celebrates both classic and contemporary music.
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Additional Resources
- St. Pete Catalyst
- Wikipedia: Morgan Freeman
- BBC News
- Google Search: Florida Orchestra season
- Axios
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Music
