Before the Florida Symphony, um, went outta business it was difficult for a lot of people. It was difficult for the concert-goers, certainly the musicians. I was chairman of the orchestra committee, uh, French horn player in the Florida Symphony. Um, and we were just exhausted when the orchestra went out of business. It was a very difficult time and, at the time, I never imagined that we would start a new orchestra so soon.
And the reason we did that—the reason we tried to—to build something back quickly, uh—there were a lot of fine musicians in the area that have lost their jobs. We wanted to keep them in the area. And, um, of course we wanted to go back to the supporters of the Florida Symphony and say, “Look, you know, we’re gonna try to do something new here—something that works for our community.” So we did exactly that, but what we found out was people who had contributed a lot of money to the Florida Symphony were not ready to contribute to another orchestra. They were concerned about how it would be managed and we learn that very quickly and it was a very difficult learning process.
We didn't start from scratch in the sense that there were—there was a core group of musicians in town. Um, and—but what the challenge was they had other options. They had family they had to feed, you know. They had to do everything that they could. So going to them and saying, “Hey, look. Donate your time to us and we'll create this orchestra again,” you know, really wasn't gonna fly. We had to find funding to put this together an, um, you know, the—the artistic integrity of the organization was first and foremost on our mind. And so that was that was another big challenge we have to find the funds to put together a concert series that would keep these musicians involved and I think, you know—looking back on it I think that work pretty well.
The story that I think dates back the furthest in an organization, that I kinda chuckle about every now then, had to do with Mark Fisher, who’s now general manager and principal horn of the orchestra. When we were first starting the orchestra, we were doing everything we could to get support. I mean, everything we could. And we were fortunate enough to be asked by the City of Kissimmee to do a concert at a local park in Kissimmee. And with the concert was really well attended. it was really great for the organization to do it. The problem was that we didn't have a lot of money to produce this concert. So I conducted the concert, and Mark played French horn in the concert. But we are also stage crew and, you know, we had to get out hours before the event. we had to set up the entire orchestra. The orchestra performed. We had to tear down the orchestra, put everything back on the truck, and drive all the way back to Orlando, unloaded the truck. Mark and I—we were exhausted and we sat down on the kind of the lift on the track and it was about one o'clock in the morning. And Mark looks at me and he says, “I hope we don't ever talk about this as the good old days.”
When I think about the accomplishment, I think how lucky I am that I even got to do it and it was really by default. The orchestra needed somebody to conduct for a concert. I had had conducting classes in college, had always had an interest in it, um, and I have my opportunity to do it. So I’d really have to say my proudest accomplishment was the first time I did it for the Orlando Philharmonic [Orchestra], because, as I said, these musicians fabulous and all I had to do was get up there and be concerned about myself and they took care of the rest.Schillhammer
In my 13 years with the Orlando Philharmonic [Orchestra], there are so many great stories, but I think one of the really great highlights and one of the great honors bestowed upon the Orlando Philharmonic was the opportunity to play for the grand opening of Universal [Studios Florida]’s Wondrous—Harry Potter's Wondrous World.[1]
And that, in of itself, was an honor enough, but we were conducted by the great John Williams, who of course has composed all of that great music and is truly, you know, um, America's genius. As soon as he picked up his baton and started conducting, it transformed the sound of the Orlando Philharmonic. The conductor can have that. It was so inspiring for the musicians of the Orlando Philharmonic—for those of us who were there to witness it—to see the kind of music making that he could bring to the Orlando Philharmonic.
He had put his foot down. He wanted either the London Symphony [Orchestra] or the Boston Pops [Orchestra], and they were going to have to fly in these orchestras from either London[, England, United Kingdom] or Boston[, Massachusetts], and, uh, that was, those were his demands and once we sent him recordings of the orchestra and once, uh, some people from Universal came to the concerts, they knew they had a prize-winning, award-winning orchestra right here in their backyard. And he penned the most genuinely, kind, sincere complimentary letter, um, that we have ever received. He didn’t have to do that. And, um, I get goose bumps right to this day thinking about what a great thrill it was performing with John Williams.
We have had incredible success with ticket sales. It is an enormous increase. we've had double-digit growth increase in subscription sales each and every year during what has been the worst [Great] Recession in American history since the—since the Great Depression. and people have remained passionate about the programming of the Orlando Philharmonic. Our mantra is “exciting programming marketed well.”
You have to have both. We have to have exciting programming and we have to tell the story about why it’s exciting programming. I like to think and I—I do believe that every Orlando Philharmonic concert is an event. And the musicians are some of the best in the country, if not the world. I mean, our performances are as good as any American orchestra. I’ll put us up against anybody. And, uh, uh, people respect and appreciate that and they come in record numbers.
We elevated the musicians from what is generally the bottom of the totem pole and put them at the top of the totem pole, equal setting with the—with the community board of directors. Our bylaws mandate that 25 percent of the positions on the board of directors be filled by musicians in the orchestra—unheard of to this day. Most American officers have no musicians on the board on purpose. Uh, some might have one or two. Um often, they’re non-voting, and they're never on executive committee, where the real decisions are made and we break down all those barriers. We have a musician who serves on the five-member executive committee, and we talk about things open and honestly at every level, no matter how difficult it is.
Well, we have a tremendous track record of fiscal responsibility. I really give credit to the founders and to the Board of Directors. We all work together to ensure financial equilibrium each and every year. We've never had a penny of red ink.
Unidentified
Okay, now if I take that down a half step [plays trumpet].
Schillhammer
Our educational programs are something for which we’re very proud. Our young people's concerts—every year we perform 28 young people’s concerts for close to 60,000 elementary school students in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties. It’s one of the largest of its kind in the country.
We also have “Tiny Tots” for daycare centers we have “Notes in Your Neighborhood” that goes into the school, primarily in those critical after school hours. We have our young composers challenge which is also very special. It started out as the Orlando Young Composers Challenge and now it's the National Young Composers Challenge.
I think that you'll find this event has all drama of a spelling bee combined with the passion of great music making.
We have adult classes. We have, uh—it’s called “Sounds of Music in Adult Music Appreciation” class we have about a hundred people who sign up every year. They want to know more. They go to the concerts and there’s mysteries about symphony orchestras. They want to know this information and when they know this information they can enjoy the performances more. They become more passionate supporters. And, uh yeah. So our adult music appreciation classes have been really great. So we’re—we’re out there as much as we possibly can, nurturing people’s interests and passion for symphonic music.
[1] Correction: Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Caroline
I was retired. He was still working. Uh, so I dragged him in slowly but surely it's well.
Hugh
If you sort of had to ask, “What is the nicest thing about working with the OPO[ Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra]?” It's the people. it's the people. Um, especially, in some ways, the musicians. They’re not people in fancy suits across there on the stage. They’re regular folks and they are just nice people. They’re all such nice people.
Caroline
The Philharmonic really reaches out to its patrons and wants every patron to know they are the most important person in that auditorium. And we, um—we have post-concert receptions, where you get to meet the musicians, the staff, guest artists, fellow patrons. And there’s a real mixing and mingling and you feel like you're part of a big family.
Hugh
The Philharmonic has become an integral part of the community. Um, both with its concerts, with its presentations, with its opera, and with all the things that it's doing for young people. So, um, I think the recognition in the community is far, far higher than it was 10 years ago. With each concert, we have less general seating tickets to sell. That’s the bad news [laughs]. The good news is that’s because they are full of subscribers.
Brodie
We were doing a—an outdoor concert—a park concert. And I honestly can't remember exactly where it was, but the interesting thing about it was it started raining. I mean, downpour. And, uh, instead of us stopping the program, uh—I remember Andy Lane[1] was conducting the concert and he invited the audience to come under the tent [laughs]. And so we had the entire audience that was out there. Instead of being in the rain, they were under the tent with the orchestra. And we continue playing the concert [laughs].’
The, um—the early days, of course, um, were pretty tough, uh, because we didn't have a home. Um, we did concerts in various venues around the city.
Um, we, um, started of course by doing programs to—of educational quality. Both for young people's concerts, and for the opera, and for the ballet. And, um—and we started by doing those kinds of service-related kinds of things and then programs that were, uh, basically, um fee-based. So we weren't doing subscription programs as such at the very beginning. And, um, as we grew, we start doing more those kinds of things, but the venues changed quite a bit for the first three years. I think it was not until the third or fourth year that we actually were able to mount a problem in the performing arts center—Bob Carr [Performing Arts Centre].
Performing with John Williams for the opening of the Harry Potter theme park, you know, was a real thrill. There have been many, many, many great experiences performing with the Orlando Philharmonic.
The, uh—the same music that we look at in Orlando is the same music that the performers look at a New York [City, New York] in Chicago[, Illinois], and Dallas[, Texas], and Los Angeles[, California], in Berlin[, Germany], and Vienna[, Austria].
Um, when we perform [Gustav] Mahler, or [Johann] Strauss, or [Sergei] Prokofiev, or [Dmitri] Shostakovich, those are the same parts everyone are performing all over the world. The members of the orchestra are members of the community. Um, we’ve been able to, fortunate enough to told a number of additions and—and bring in some really, really good performers, so we're really fortunate for that. And all of those people have become part on the community as well.
[1] Andrew Lane.
Fischer
Well I think one of the—one of the events that stands out as we started out as an orchestra was, uh, a result of our willingness to do almost anything. And, um, Andy Lane, [1] who was the manager at the time, uh, received a call from a production company wanting to use an all-male orchestra dressed in, uh, boxer shorts to film a dream sequence for the, uh—um, the television show seaQuest [DSV].
We, uh, performed in the Lake Eola Bandshell, with the actor Roy Scheider on the podium. And, uh, Mr. Scheider was watching Andy Lane, who was behind the orchestra—not one camera—and was mirroring his motions as a conductor. And so we played the music and, um—and eventually it made it on to the dream sequence that was part of, uh, Roy Scheider’s character, uh, in the television show. And when we did that I thought, Okay. Well, we just moved the boundary a little bit, and I think, um, we’ll see what comes next. And, you know, there—there are no boundaries apparently.
I think what amazes me most about the success of the Orlando Philharmonic [Orchestra] over the years is the extent to which it’s been embraced by people in the community. People have, uh—members of the friends of the Philharmonic would volunteer as board members, have really gone the extra mile over the years to help sustain this organization, and to see to it that even in hard economic times that it can—it can flourish. When—when musicians see that kind of commitment to the organization it makes them also more committed. Um, it, uh, gives one a sense of—of well-being. And, uh, that what—what we do as musicians is important. And, uh, and it’s considered indispensable to the community.
[1] Andrew Lane.