South Florida Symphony Orchestra Inc

REMAINING TRUE TO ITS MISSION TO DELIGHT, INSPIRE AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (SFSO) PERFORMED MORE THAN 5 VIRTUAL CONCERTS AND EVENTS FOR PATRONS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH FLORIDA REGION, INCLUDING MONROE, MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE MASTERWORKS CONCERT SERIES FEATURED WORLD-RENOWNED SOLOISTS, INCLUDING PIANIST SVETLANA SMOLINA, CELLIST ZUILL BAILEY AND OTHERS. AMONG THE ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON WAS GRAMMY AWARD WINNER, ZUILL BAILEY, CELLO AND HIS PERFORMANCE OF THE SHOSTAKOVICH CELLO CONCERTO NO 1 IN E-FLAT MAJOR'. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSFORMATIVE MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM, SYMPHONY IN THE SCHOOLS, EXPOSED MORE THAN 5,000 CULTURALLY UNDERSERVED STUDENTS TO THE MAGIC OF LIVE CLASSICAL MUSIC. THE CHALLENGE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN ALL LIVE PERFORMANCES, IMPACTED OUR PROGRAMING AND FINANCES.

DURING FY21, SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY PRESENTED A SERIES OF SIX VIRTUAL (DUE TO GOVERNMENT MANDATED PERFORMANCE HALL CLOSURES) MASTERWORKS CONCERTS -- FEATURING WORLD-CLASS SOLOISTS AND MUSICIANS -- WHICH WERE ATTENDED VIRTUALLY BY MORE THAN 10,000 PATRONS AND STUDENTS IN BROWARD, MIAMI-DADE, AND MONROE COUNTIES. FACILITATING VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTS FOR MORE THAN 5,000 CULTURALLY UNDERSERVED STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THIS YEAR, THE IMPACTFUL SYMPHONY IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM FEATURED TWO THEMES PROVIDED VIRTUALLY: PROKOFIEV'S MUSICAL ADVENTURE, PETER AND THE WOLF, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ORCHESTRA THROUGH COMPARING ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS WITH THE ENGAGING STORY OF PETER AND HIS ANIMAL FRIENDS. PRESERVING OUR CORAL REEF, WITH COMMISSIONED MUSIC AND COSTUMES, A MULTI-MEDIA JOURNEY THAT EMPOWERS CHILDREN - THROUGH CLASSICAL MUSIC - TO CHANGE PERSONAL BEHAVIORS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. FURTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ALSO INCLUDES THE OF THE COMMUNITY BEATS PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES MEMBERS OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE THE PERFORMING ARTS IN INTIMATE, UNEXPECTED SPACES. THROUGH A VIRTUAL SERIES OF EVENTS FEATURING MUSIC, FOOD, AND SOCIALIZATION OPPORTUNITIES, PARTICIPANTS WERE PROVIDED FREE ACCESS TO ART, GUEST SOLOISTS AND MUSICIANS IN UNINTIMIDATING AND UNUSUAL LOCATIONS. IN ADDITION, SFSO IS A CULTURAL LEADER AND COMMUNITY ASSET, HAVING A FAR- REACHING ECONOMIC IMPACT. AS THE LARGEST ORCHESTRAL EMPLOYER IN THE REGION, THE ORGANIZATION GENERATES JOBS FOR NEARLY 300 MUSICIANS, PRODUCTION STAFF AND ARTS ADMINISTRATORS DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. DESPITE A MORE THAN 50% CUT IN STATE FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONTINUED TO HAVE AN IMMEASURABLE EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES. NOTE, THE PROGRAM IS RETURNING TO LIVE, IN PERSON PERFORMANCES IN FY22.