SOUTH SHORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PHOTOS
The 40-member, South Shore Symphony Orchestra rehearses and performs its annual series of concerts at the SouthShore United Church of Christ in Sun City Center from October through late March or early April.

South Shore Symphony Orchestra to end its 2018-19 season with three concerts

By LOIS KINDLE

June Hammond, Ph.D. is the music director and conductor of the South Shore Symphony Orchestra. She has been with the orchestra since 2010 and has led it since 2014.

Not many communities have their own symphony orchestra where the musicians actually get paid. But South Shore does, and residents are invited to come out and see just how fortunate they are to have one right in their own backyard.

The South Shore Symphony Orchestra’s final performances of the 2018-2019 season will be Jan. 27, Feb. 24 and March 24. All performances will be at 2 p.m. at the SouthShore United Church of Christ (formerly known as the United Community Church), 1501 La Jolla Ave., Sun City Center.

Whether you are a regular attendee or someone who’s never been, you won’t want to miss one of these concerts.

The first is “Classical Showcase,” the second “Be My Valentine” and the third, “American Portrait.”

Tickets are $15 per person, and groups of 15 people or more get a discount of $5 per ticket. 

“These are experienced, professional musicians, who rehearse four times and put on a concert,” said June Hammond, the symphony’s music director and conductor. “And they’re part of a very fine, professional-quality orchestra.”

Members range in age from 21 to 83.

The South Shore Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2010 by lifelong musician Dominick Galati. The 40-member, 501(c)3 nonprofit group formed a partnership with SouthShore United Church of Christ in January 2015, and it rehearses and performs concerts there from October through late March or early April.

Based on the preferences of area residents, which are determined by focus groups and audience surveys, the orchestra plays a wide variety of light classical, romantic and pops selections. It’s become known for its lively, 90-minute performances.

“The pieces range from the Rachmaninoff piano and Dvorak cello concertos to Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and John Phillip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” said Hammond, who joined the orchestra in 2010 and played principal bassoon through 2014. She served as associate conductor from 2011-2014 and was named to lead the group in December 2014. Hammond is also a tenured professor of music at St. Leo University.

“We genuinely seek to play pieces our audiences enjoy and also ones that challenge our musicians,” Hammond said. “That’s why our selections are so diverse.” 

Cellist Roberta Hardy, of the South Shore Symphony Orchestra, is set to perform during practice for one of the nonprofit group’s upcoming performances.

The South Shore Symphony received several grants for the 2018-2019 season. The Interfaith Social Action Council of Sun City Center helped it purchase new instruments. The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay helped fund its community outreach and marketing, and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County gave it a Community Arts Impact Grant to provide additional compensation for its musicians, who are compensated for their work through ticket sales. 

“Every year, this orchestra has gotten better and better. It has an absolutely beautiful sound,” said Louise Stinespring, whose husband John is its first bassoon. “I’m truly amazed at the ticket prices. They’re quite a deal!” 

Kings Point resident Joseph Tony O’Reilly, a regular concert-goer and patron, is equally as impressed.

“Cultural events like this should be supported,” he said. “I enjoy live music, and I like seeing the instruments and hearing their differences. The church’s acoustics are wonderful, and I find the concerts very uplifting. 

“I also enjoy how Dr. Hammond always explains what the music means and what the composer was trying to achieve. It’s very interesting.”

For tickets, stop by the SouthShore United Church of Christ office or call 813-634-1304.

For more information on the orchestra, visit www.southshoresymphonyorchestra.org.