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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – With music inspired by fairy tales, a princess and a hero, The Florida Orchestra will perform “Play Me a Story,” a free concert exclusively for young patients and their families at All Children’s Hospital at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 13. Musicians also will play in the hallways, bringing music to children unable to attend the concert.
“We all remember the first time we saw an orchestra live on stage. We were transfixed as the musicians turned these simple objects made of wood and metal into spectacular life-enhancing sounds that wildly sparked our imaginations,” said new Music Director Designate Michael Francis – himself a new father – who will conduct. “Our concert at All Children’s Hospital will explore the magical world of fairy tales as told by the greatest composers. We want every child, everywhere, to feel the transformative power of live music.”
The orchestra will perform at All Children’s Hospital, 501 Sixth Ave. S, outside next to a play pirate ship (weather permitting). Kids will hear Rossini’s galloping Overture to William Tell (also known as the theme from the Lone Ranger), as well as selections from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, Ravel’s Ma Mere l’Oye (Mother Goose) Suite and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite.The concert is scheduled to be simulcast to patients’ rooms.
“Music can calm an anxious child as they prepare to undergo a procedure. It can help a struggling teen express their jumbled up feelings, and it can soothe an infant who is unable to get comfortable with wires and tubes surrounding them,” said Kelly Tyrrell, a certified music therapist at All Children’s. “It is not limited by age, diagnosis, gender, or background. There is nothing quite like the experience of hearing great quality, live music. What an honor it is to have The Florida Orchestra come and perform for children and families.”
“Play Me a Story” is another chapter in the orchestra’s expanded mission to take music to the people, under the baton of Michael Francis, who takes over as music director in the 2015/16 season. Last December, “A Season Serenade” was performed just before Christmas at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, and in early February, the orchestra previewed its new season amid shoppers at International Plaza.
Please note this event is not open to the public. However, for news media, there will be several opportunities on March 13:
About 1:15 pm: Some musicians will play in the hallways. There may be one-on-one interaction and musicians wearing protective garb for kids with immune sensitivities.
2:30 pm: Concert performance on pirate ship deck*
*In the event of rain, a smaller ensemble will play a program in a designated area of the hospital.
About The Florida Orchestra
The Florida Orchestra presents the 14-concert Tampa Bay Times Masterworks series and the 9-concert Raymond James Pops Series, both of which are performed in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Other concert series include the 8-concert morning Coffee Concert series in St. Petersburg, the newly expanded 4-concert morning Coffee Concert series in Clearwater and the 3-concert Rock series in St. Petersburg. The orchestra also offers a variety of free Pops in the Park concerts around Tampa Bay, including the annual Ashley for the Arts “Pops in the Park” concert at St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park. Furthermore, the orchestra presents a variety of Family Concerts, Youth Concerts and other educational and community engagement activities serving thousands of school children and adults throughout the Tampa Bay area annually.
Click here for a bio of new Music Director Designate Michael Francis.
About All Children’s Hospital
All Children’s Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine located in St. Petersburg, is the most advanced children’s hospital on Florida’s west coast and a U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital, ranking in the top 50 in three specialty areas. With over 50 pediatric specialties and 259 beds, All Children’s is dedicated to advancing children’s health through treatment, research, education and advocacy. Programs that include a Clinical and Translational Research Organization, pediatric biorepository and a new pediatric residency program are driving innovation in personalized pediatric medicine and child health. A network of 11 outpatient care centers in eight counties along with affiliate programs at regional hospitals makes All Children’s a leading provider of care for Florida’s children. |
