Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic
Our Mission
The Friends is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra of Orlando, Florida by:
- Promoting community awareness and appreciation of the Orchestra through social, cultural and educational events and programs directed towards current as well as the next generation of symphonic music patrons.
- Contributing to the financial strength of the Orchestra.
- Providing volunteer support to the Orchestra’s management and staff.
Next Meetings
Friends Mix, Mingle and Music
Board of Directors
Upcoming Events
Music to Grow On Campaign
Musicians of the Orlando Philharmonic come from 17 states and 11 countries. They range in age from mid-20s to mid-70s. Their backgrounds are varied and diverse. They have one thing tn common:
EXPOSURE TO MUSIC AT AN EARLY AGE.
Donate now to support the educational programs of our orchestra, serving over 65,000 children each year from toddlers to teens, through Symphony Storytime, Young People’s Concerts, OPO Summer Camp, free community concerts, school visits and even virtual music lessons!
Our goal is $10,000 to unlock a matching donation. Donations to-date are $7,505.02.
A National Award-Winning, Four-Part Music Awareness Series Presented by The Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring the Friends’ traditional hospitality in an intimate setting. All programs take place in the Palmer Room at the Plaza Live.
This season's Musical Insights programs consist of:
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- Tuesday, November 11, 2025 · Bob Carpenter · Athletes of the Stage · Are musicians really athletes in formal wear?
- Tuesday, January 20, 2026 · Diane Bishop · From Vivaldi to John Williams – Exploring the Concerto
- Tuesday, February 24, 2026 · JoAnn Falletta · “One of the finest conductors of her generation” – NY Times
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026 · Chris Confessore · Lights, Camera, Symphony
- Tuesday, November 11, 2025 · Bob Carpenter · Athletes of the Stage · Are musicians really athletes in formal wear?
You’ve heard Dr. Andrew Minear’s Orlando Sings perform with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Orlando in Defiant Requiem and Lord of the Rings as well as Home for the Holidays and The Music of Queen at the Springs with the OPO. Now you can experience the beauty and versatility of the human voice in its purest, most powerful form as Solaria Singers, a part of Orlando Sings, presents a luminous a cappella program spanning radiant Renaissance gems to Romantic-era part songs by Mendelssohn and Brahms, spirituals and contemporary treasures. Hailed as “mind-blowing… delightful, entertaining and thought-provoking,” Solaria was a 2024 national finalist for The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music. Prepare to be moved by the rich blend of eight individual voices coming together to create an extraordinary tapestry of sound in the intimate environs of a distinguished private residence.
Friends Members - $150/person; $175/person for others
Please RSVP by November 8, 2025
A noted interpreter of Gershwin as well as classical composers such as Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Liszt and Rachmaninoff, Juilliard graduate and Steinway Artist Thomas Pandolfi won the Juilliard Concert Competition with his performance of Gershwin’s Concerto in F. Pandolfi studied with legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz, and has sold out the world’s most prestigious stages, including Alice Tully Hall, The Kennedy Center, Kiev Opera House, Bucharest’s Romanian Athenaeum and London’s Cadogan Hall. Praised by the Washington Post as “a master of both the grand gesture and the sensual line…,” Pandolfi will perform on a splendid Steinway grand piano at a spectacular Spanish-style estate on Lake Virginia. With an international concert career and a recent record release of his performance of Polo Piatti’s Bohemian Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra, “his virtuosity and strength…might have had some believing that Liszt himself had taken over the keyboard.” (Ashville Citizen Times)
Friends members - $180/person; $200/person for others
Please register by February 28, 2026
