Symphonic Music for All!
Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville Celebrates its 10th Anniversary Season!
Join us in closing out our 10th Anniversary Season with Carnival of the Animals, a vibrant and family-friendly concert presented at 4PM on April 25 and 26, 2026 starting at 4:00 PM. Blending classical masterworks with beloved film scores, this celebratory finale creates a musical menagerie where lions roar, swans glide, and fossils rattle back to life, featuring selections from The Lion King, Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, The Jungle Book, and Jurassic Park.
Under the direction of Dr. Marguerite Richardson, the orchestra’s milestone 10th season concludes with a program designed to spark imagination, curiosity, and joy—welcoming seasoned concertgoers and first time listeners alike! Both performances are free and open to the public. The April 26 concert takes place at the VyStar SkyScape entrance of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens; Zoo admission is not required to attend the concert.
REPERTOIRE
Richard Audd, Concert Fanfare for Orchestra
John Williams, The Lion King, arr. Parson
Mussorgsky/Ravel, "Bydlo" and "Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells" from Pictures at an Exhibition
Camille Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals
Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman, The Jungle Book, arr. Mortimer
Jurassic Park, arr. Custer
~*~
Carnival of the Animals
Saturday, April 25, 2026
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Northeast Florida School of Special Education, 223 Mill Creek Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32211
Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:
First Coast Investment Group of Raymond James
Sunday, April 26, 2026
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 370 Zoo Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32218
Dr. Marguerite Richardson, conductor
Learn more about our special 10th anniversary season by clicking the link below!
Support the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville Today!
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville,
The Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville exists to bring the joy, beauty and power of symphonic music to everyone, especially those in communities that otherwise would not be able to experience a live performance. Help us to reach our fundraising goal of $20,000 by September 30th and ensure that we can continue to fulfill our mission. Donate today!
*Please note that donations to our donor platform organization, Zeffy, are completely optional*
As of April 4, 2026, we have raised $13,000!
11th Annual Orchestration of Food, Wine and Music
November 7, 2026 | 6:30-8:30 PM
Timuquana Country Club, 4028 Timuquana Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32210
Get out your party shoes and get ready to celebrate another season of spectacular music with the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville! Sip champagne and mingle with friends while enjoying the music of Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville musicians in the banquet room.
The deadline to purchase tickets is November 2nd so click the link below to secure yours today! Your support helps to ensure that the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville can continue to serve the Jacksonville community for years to come!
Become a Member
If you are interested in performing great symphonic works with a community of musicians this upcoming season, please click the link below to fill out a brief survey and our librarian will get in touch with you. All musicians 18 and older may apply to join.
Thank You to Our Generous Supporters!
Grant Providers
Vivace and Allegro Sponsors ($2,500 and up)
John and Marilyn Abbott
Jennifer Barrett
Kim Blankenship and Cindy Coggin
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville
The Lisska Family
Stan Lovenworth and Sam Tallerico
The Shorstein Family Foundation
Southpoint Cancer Center LLC
Ivy and Tom Suter
Cindy Zarsky
Moderato Sponsors ($1,000 and up)
The Berman Family Foundation
The Blackbaud Giving Fund
Marilyn Crawford
Toni and Chuck Harrison
Alissa and Joe Lisska
Vanessa and John Lukas
Jennifer and Roger Ogburn
Nancy Paulikens
Dana and Phyllis Pescosolido
Mary K. Robinson
Cathy and Dan Stevens
The Sabel Foundation
Andante and Patron Sponsors ($250-$500)
Stephen Ackert
David Avery
Julia Ayala
Rick Beaver and Peggy Holt
Karen Bowden
John Chen
Charmaine Chiu and Ernest Koe
Max Chmura
Holly Decardenas
Carol Fallucco
Christine Fallucco
First Citizens Bank, Jenevieve and Ron Kart
Andrea Fritschle
Gabriel Gerzvolf
Eleanor Millwood
Five Points Dental, Dawn and Ron Roessler
Andrea Fritschle
Tom Gallacher
Scott Hart
Marilu and Michael Hornstein
Charles Joseph
Karen and Richard Johnston
Karen and Roland Kieffer
Richard Lewis
Erica Lovelace and Josh Pekera
Diane and Tim Martin
Purnal McWhorter
Margareta Moczynski
Anne and Tony Nasrallah
Sandra Navarroli
Mary O’Donnell
Jeff Otey
Davalu C. Parrish
Randy and Patricia Paulikens
Thomas T. Phillips, Jr. Foundation Inc.
Regency Centers
Marguerite Richardson and Scott Watkins
Marcia and Jim Ricket
The Rowley Family
Miles Scheuth
Sonja Schoeppel and Mark Lavigne
Rose Ann Schwartz
Charles Sessa
Noisy B Media Services
Spinner Construction
Linda Turner
Joan Waitz
William and Shawna Watson
Stephen Williams
Catherine Winterfield
Michelle Villasenor
Dr. and Mrs. Eugene and Brenda Wolchok
Meng H. Yang
Daniel Yip
“A thriving creative economy enhances the quality of life for us all. Supported in part by the Merit-Based Cultural Service Grant Program, administered by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville with funding from the City of Jacksonville and our elected officials, we extend our gratitude to all partners who make this possible.”