arts & entertainment

A modern major general. Three little maids from school. Pirates who always spared orphans. Fast, funny, and brilliantly clever — lighthearted Gilbert & Sullivan operettas changed musical theater with a wink and a whirlwind pace. The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra will present some of the duo’s most popular and silly songs during Gilbert & Sullivan Unbuttoned on Sunday, September 20 at 3:00 PM.

The Emerson Center, at 1590 27th Avenue in Vero Beach, will host eight professional Central Florida singers in a program that features a selection of numerous G&S classics. While the symphony is keeping the final play list under wraps, the songs will undoubtedly include such favorites as “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” “Three Little Maids From School Are We,” “With Cat-like Tread,” “He is an Englishman,” “A Wand’ring Minstrel I,” and more. Featured guest artists Mary Anne Kruger, Kate Stenzel-Whitworth, Samantha W. Petersen, Sarah Purser, Kit Cleto, Bryan Hayes, Andrew LeJeune and Stephen Mumbert comprise a nimble cast of singers who serve as both soloists and chorus.

The first half of the program will feature international trumpeter, Robert L. Chambers III in a performance of Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto in E Major. Written in 1803, the three-movement work will highlight Chambers’ virtuosity and technical agility. The concerto is a cornerstone of the brass repertoire, with a style bridging the transition from the Classical to the Romantic period. Chambers plays trumpet often with the SCSO and has appeared as a concerto soloist with more than 25 professional ensembles worldwide. $35 tickets for Gilbert & Sullivan Unbuttoned are available through the orchestra website at www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at Marine Bank & Trust 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 Gilbert & Sullivan Unbuttoned, call 855-252-7276 or visit www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org.   

Gilbert & Sullivan were a famous Victorian-era theatrical partnership that created 14 comic operas together between 1871 and 1896. The duo consisted of dramatist W.S. Gilbert, who wrote the clever and satirical words, and composer Arthur Sullivan, who wrote the memorable music. Their most famous works, often called the “Savoy Operas,” include classics like H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado.

Aaron T. Collins, Conductor and Artistic Director for the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, describes what the audience can expect during Gilbert & Sullivan Unbuttoned.

“Gilbert & Sullivan combined brilliant orchestral writing with some of the most memorable melodies ever written for the stage,” said Collins. “Add an amazing trumpet concerto and skilled artists, and you have a program at the intersection of classical virtuosity and theatrical wit.”  

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 2026-27 season or the Symphony for Everyone discounted ticket program, visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org or call (855) 252-7276.

ABOUT THE SPACE COAST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA — The SCSO is a lively and passionate Central Florida orchestra comprised fully of professional musicians and music educators from throughout the Sunshine State. Many of its musicians also perform with other prestigious orchestras in Florida and the United States. Each season, select students are invited to participate in the SCSO’s Mentorship program, giving them the unique opportunity to perform alongside their professional counterparts on designated concerts. The Orchestra was formed by Conductor and Artistic Director Aaron T. Collins with a simple mission: to provide year-round professional concerts at genuinely affordable prices.

The SCSO is dedicated to supporting the work of living composers and shining a light on new music. Since 2009, the SCSO has presented dozens of World Premieres and Southeastern U.S. Premieres and actively promotes diversity by programming works by BIPOC composers. Aaron T. Collins is a past recipient of the Richard A. Stark Award for cultural leadership from the Cultural Council of Indian River County and has been recognized by LEAD Brevard as one of their “4 under 40” Young Professionals.

School-aged children 18 years and under are admitted free of charge, as are college students with a valid ID. More information about upcoming concerts, ticket sales, venues, and sponsorship opportunities is available at SpaceCoastSymphony.org or by calling (855) 252-7276.

OUR SPONSOR– Concert sponsorship is provided by MusicWorks Concerts. MusicWorks has been bringing artists and music lovers together for over a decade—cultivating programs that allow listeners to travel back in time and re-experience the powerful music that shaped their lives. MusicWorks Concerts bring classic rock, folk favorites and other remarkable tribute performances to Central Florida audiences—hand-selected artists that ignite nostalgia and keep audiences singing and dancing in the aisles. Learn more at www.musicworksconcerts.com.