arts & entertainment

He’s not just another pretty face with a baton. Conductor and artistic director for the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, Aaron Collins will unveil his piano compositions during Aaron & Friends on Sunday, May 18 at 3:00 PM at the Emerson Center, 1590 27th Avenue in Vero Beach, 32960.  

Pianists Dr. Jacob Craig, Dr. Alessandro Fonseca, Dylan Rhodes, Jean Black and Philip King will perform music Collins has written over the past 25 years, including several works for “piano four hands,” a type of piano duet involving two players on the same piano. $35 tickets for Aaron & Friends are available through the orchestra website at www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at Marine Bank & Trust, beachside and mainland branches. Tickets at the door are $40. Concertgoers aged 18 and under or with a college ID are admitted free to every SCSO concert. For more information about Aaron & Friends, call toll free to 855-252-7276 or visit www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org.   

Aaron Collins was a horn player and a composer before starting the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra in 2009. He has over 650 compositions to his credit: six symphonies, one chamber opera, 70 orchestral works, eight solo concertos, 125 chamber works, as well as music for the screen. Over the orchestra’s 16 seasons, patrons and fans have often asked to hear the music penned by the firebrand conductor. 

“We have five really talented pianists on this program who will be performing a variety of different compositions,” said Collins. “We take seriously our mission at the SCSO to perform the work of living composers. But I have to admit– it’s a little nerve wracking when it’s your own work!”   

The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra is one of only a handful of U.S. orchestras to perform year-round. 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 2024-25 season or the Symphony for Everyone ticket program, visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org or call toll-free (855) 252-7276.