The Central Florida Community Arts Symphony Orchestra is performing an out-of-this-world program this weekend called Final Frontier.
CFC Arts’ Executive and Artistic Director and conductor Justin Muchoney says this show not only focuses on space – from pop culture references to enduring classical pieces – but it also features Central Florida’s role in space history. Photos from a local space photographer will be featured during the show, and the Central Florida Astronomical Society will be present outside the venue after the show with telescopes for any audience members to use, to see the stars for themselves.
“There will be over 375 musicians on stage performing together,” Muchoney said, noting that this community orchestra is the largest in the country. “We're not just performing together, we’re playing music that is meant to be felt as much as it is to be heard. We are talking Star Wars, Star Trek, Galaxy Quest, Interstellar, Apollo 13, as well as some good big classical music, Mars and Jupiter from The Planets by [early 20th century composer Gustav] Holst, all kind of woven together into a celebration of space exploration – like science fiction, gazing at the stars, but performed in this richly immersive, deeply powerful way. Because all of these musicians are pouring every ounce of their energy into making sure that this audience is truly swept off their feet.”
And just like Central Florida itself, the concert offers unique connections to space. That includes award-winning astrophotography from Derek Demeter, who also heads up the planetarium at Seminole State College.
“He has taken incredible photos of the stars and of nebulae and of galaxies and of the planets and of the moon from throughout gorgeous locations in Central Florida,” said Muchoney. “We'll be featuring a lot of his photography, and he's going to join me on stage for a couple of moments in the concert as well, to explain to the audience what we're looking at, why it matters, and why humans have been fascinated with stargazing and wondering what else might be out there for as long as we've been on this planet.”
The music of Star Trek and of Star Wars are clearly recognizable and largely beloved parts of pop culture, and Muchoney said many of the musicians themselves are “Trekkies.” But he said “Final Frontier” is about more than that.
“Part of the reason that we programmed this concert is not just because we love sci-fi music and I grew up listening to Star Wars and Star Trek, but because we love celebrating the people and places that make central Florida an awesome place to call home,” Muchoney said. “And the aerospace industry is a huge part of what drives Central Florida right now. So we’re celebrating that community, celebrating our unique place in that.”
