Thursday's pay-what-you-can concert at St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater finds Florida Orchestra Music Director Michael Francis and pianist Natasha Paremski in a casual setting and utilizing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” to celebrate the resilience of the Tampa Bay community over the last year. ICYMI, Beethoven started going deaf in his late 20s, had complete hearing loss by his mid-40s but still continued to compose. “The concerto encapsulates the heroic struggle of the individual and how one determined soul can influence the world around him to a magnificent degree,” Francis said.
There will be no advanced sales, so pay-what-you-can at the door. Masks are required and there will be a temperature check at the door. If you want more, return for one of three weekend performances of the “Emperor” concerto plus, “Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3”, happening May 29 (2 p.m., 8 p.m.) and May 30 (2 p.m.)
The Florida Orchestra Inside the Music: Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Thursday, May 27, 7:30 p.m. Pay-what-you-can. Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg. floridaorchestra.org
See a list of Tampa “Safe & Sound” live music venues here.
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This article appears in May 20-26, 2021.