arts & entertainment

The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra celebrates the sea in its ever-changing glory during Sea Pictures at 3:00 PM on Sunday, January 31 at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center at 1707 16th Street in Vero Beach, 32960.  Composers Smetana, Elgar, Mendelssohn and Sibelius are highlighted in a program that celebrates the beauty, power, and mystery of the sea.  Sea Pictures opens with Hebrides Overture, a work conceived by Mendelssohn’s Scottish trip and his visit to Fingal’s Cave, which inspired his musical representation of the eerie sounds produced by the echoes of waves. Mezzo soprano, Eliza Dopira joins the orchestra to sing Elgar’s evocative song cycle for which the concert is named, Sea Pictures, based on poems evoking fear and fascination with the sea.  Central Florida standout, Kristin Naigus will be featured on English horn on Jean Sibelius’ haunting work, The Swan of Tuonela. Beautiful and mystical, this is an example of Sibelius’ picturesque writing, pulling the listener into a soundscape of slowly shifting musical colors.  The concert is rounded out with two rousing works from the orchestral repertoire, Smetana’s Die Moldau and Sibelius’ Finlandia.  $30 advance tickets for adults are available through the orchestra website at SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at beachside and mainland branches of Marine Bank & Trust. Tickets at the door are $35.  Online ticketing is encouraged, for optimum social distancing and capacity planning. The symphony’s Covid-19 safety measures will be in place for the indoor concert, including temperature checks, limited and spaced seating and mandatory mask-wearing for the duration of the event. The audience is asked not to arrive more than 30 minutes prior to show time.  Sea Pictures is free for those aged 18 and under or with a student ID. For more information, call toll free to 855-252-7276 or visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org.  

Conductor and Artistic Director, Aaron T. Collins thinks the audience will appreciate the beauty of the works presented.

“Living so near the Atlantic ocean, we’ve all experienced that moment– being transfixed by the waves,” said Collins. “No matter how many times you walk the beach and take it all in, it’s different each time. This program explores the mystery of the sea.”  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the symphony’s board of directors has chosen a slate of safety protocols consistent with other performing groups in Central Florida. The SCSO Covid-19 policy is available here: https://spacecoastsymphony.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SCSO-Covid-Policy.pdf

Concertgoers aged 18 and under or with a college ID are admitted free to every SCSO concert. For more information about the Space Coast Symphony’s 2020-21 Season and to view Covid-19 protocols for each performance, please visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org or call toll-free (855) 252-7276.