In addition to the events listed in the Fabulous Fundraisers page we also sponsored a number of other events earlier this season. We hope that you were able to join us for our earlier fabulous fundraisers which are shown below. The money raised at these, and all of our events, go to the operation of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic.
You can see photographs taken at many of our events on our Facebook Albums page.
AN ARTISTIC ODYSSEY--
A Gala Evening of Fine Dining, Stunning Art & Exquisite Music
As the Friends celebrate their 30th anniversary, join us for an elegant musical tour of the Orlando Philharmonic's 2025-2026 season. The event will combine the visual and culinary arts with the breathtaking artistry of Maestro Eric Jacobsen and Rimma Bergeron-Langlois. They will perform stirring passages from the upcoming season beneath Dale Chihuly's famed Cobalt and Blue Citron Tower, a setting as glorious as the sound of their strings. So let's raise our glass to 30 years of music, memories, and the Friends' shared passion for OUR Orlando Philharmonic.
Cocktail Attire Suggested – Dress to Celebrate!
Wine and Hors d'Oeuvres 6:30-7:30 PM
Galleries open 6:30-7:30 PM
Dining in the Grand Gallery 7:30 PM
$225/seat for members; $250/seat for Non-Members; $300/seat for "Premium" tables
Catering by Arthur's • Complimentary Valet Parking
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.
Athletes of the Stage
What do professional sports have in common with playing the tuba? Much like elite athletes, musicians rely on a finely-tuned physical and mental regimen to maintain peak performance. The difference? Their playing careers can span a lifetime. Bob Carpenter, Principal Tuba, will demonstrate how he copes with hours of repetitive motion, awkward positions, the pressure of precision under the spotlight, and the necessity for new techniques as he grows older.
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 The 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,” The Solaria Singers 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. This event is limited to 60 guests.
Friends Members - $150/person; $175/person for others
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.
From Vivaldi to John Williams – Exploring the Concerto
Nearly every classical concert features a concerto – the perfect showcase for soloists’ versatility and virtuosity. Friends’ favorite Diane Bishop, with pianist Cheryl Tschanz, will trace the growth of the concerto through the eyes of a bassoonist. Starting with Vivaldi and culminating with the bassoon concerto of John Williams (yes, that John Williams!), prepare to experience almost 400 years of music in one program, as Diane brings the concerto to life with humor and artistry.
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.
Life on the Podium
Named one of the “Fifty Great Conductors” by Gramophone magazine, multiple Grammy Award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta (OPO Guest Conductor Feb 28/Mar1) is described as having “Toscanini’s tight control over ensemble, Walter’s affectionate balancing of inner voices, Stokowski’s gutsy showmanship, and a controlled frenzy worthy of Bernstein.” You don’t want to miss your opportunity to meet this accomplished conductor.
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.
Lights, Camera, Symphony!
How do composers transform pivotal scenes in movies into powerful cinematic experiences? Chris Confessore will share tricks of the trade for integrating live orchestral music and video. Find out how the greatest film composers tell stories through sound. Among the classic scores in this program are ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, Psycho (both ET & Psycho are included in the OPO’s Movie Package in Spring 2026), The Empire Strikes Back, and more!
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
