The Grove at Mead Botanical Garden, an open air performance pavilion, celebrates completion of phase 1 of the project with Holiday Inaugural Concert, featuring the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra.
ORLANDO, FL – (Nov. 20, 2012) – Winter Park’s Mead Botanical Garden will soon be home to one of the region’s most unique multi-purpose public performance venues. On December 9, the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra (FSYO) plans to hold the inaugural performance at The Grove, with a holiday program featuring FSYO’s award winning youth orchestras, and a world premier of “A Holiday Opening,” a new work by composer John Dupuis. This concert is sponsored in part by Chepenik Financial.
Tickets range from $10 to $20, and can be purchased at www.fsyo.org, or at the door on December 9.
The Grove at Mead Botanical Garden, an open air pavilion designed for musical performance, theatrical productions, film viewings, educational programming, and community gatherings, will be located in the heart of the 47-acre public garden in Winter Park. It will serve the FSYO as its preferred site for outdoor concerts.
“The Grove will add to the rich social, cultural and economic life in Winter Park and the region,” said Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley when the project was first announced. “The venue is part of the garden’s revival thanks to the commitment of the City and its partner, Mead Botanical Garden.”
“The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra is honored to be a part of this project. The Grove will provide our young musicians with an opportunity to perform on a stage, surrounded by Mead Garden’s beautiful landscape. We are grateful to be working with wonderful community partners that support arts and music education,” said FSYO Executive Director Heide Evans Waldron.
The Grove is one of the active components of the garden’s master plan initiated by Mead Botanical Garden, Inc. This non-profit community volunteer group organized in 2003, originally as Friends of Mead Garden, to revitalize the public garden in partnership with the City of Winter Park. Planning for The Grove began in 2010 when the FSYO, who had secured an initial funding source, approached the volunteer group and City of Winter Park. The three groups worked hand-in-hand on the vision and selecting the location for the venue. The Grove is located between the Lake Lillian wetlands and MBG’s environmental learning center where the Mead Young Naturalist Summer Camp and other programs take place. Planning work is now underway to restore Lake Lillian.
“The Grove at Mead Botanical Garden will provide visitors and users the opportunity to experience a full-range of senses for performances and learning,” said Bill Weir, president of Mead Botanical Garden, Inc.
Phase I of The Grove project includes the 40’ x 60’ concrete performance venue. Phase II funding is being sought for additional site work, landscape and horticulture improvements.
“The community and project partners really came together to make The Grove possible,” said Jeffrey Blydenburgh, former president of MBG, Inc., who managed the design phase of the project. The project team delivering the final design and construction services include Michael Planning of Florida, Powell Design Group, Lighthouse Creative, A.D. Owens Construction and Davidson Design. In addition, members of Full Sail University’s Audio Measurement faculty provided insight into the technical aspects of sound and acoustics within the space. Students and faculty from Full Sail University’s Show Production degree program will also be providing production assistance for the December 9 concert.
“Being involved in this educational and cultural community endeavor since it’s inception has been an incredible experience,” said Dana Roun, Full Sail’s Director of Audio Arts. “We are proud to have been able to lend our time and talents to this project, and look forward to the many concerts, performances, and live production opportunities it will bring to the youth and residents of Central Florida.”
The Grove at Mead Botanical Garden will be available for community rentals when requests do not conflict with FSYO performance needs.
About Mead Botanical Garden, Inc.: For decades, volunteers have given life to Mead Botanical Garden through advocacy, contributions, planting, weeding, fundraising, volunteer action and leadership. Since 2003, the Friends of Mead Garden, now Mead Botanical Garden, Inc., in partnership with the City of Winter Park has assessed the needs of the community, developed plans with community engagement and raised funds to achieve the vision of the garden. The organization’s purpose is to restore, develop and sustain the Garden as an urban oasis, as a refuge for wildlife, a botanical garden emphasizing nature, sustainability and environmental learning, and a place for contemplation, celebration, and recreation. MBG, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
About Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra: The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra aims to educate and inspire Central Florida’s top young musicians through programs committed to strengthening musical talents and developing appreciation of the arts through classical music. The FSYO, in its 56th Concert Season, comprises three full orchestras and one string training orchestra made up of more than 250 students from eight Central Florida counties. The FSYO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, please visit www.fsyo.org.
For more information about The Grove, contact Cynthia Hasenau, Executive Director, Mead Botanical Garden, Inc., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 407-677-5568. For more information about the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, contact Heide Evans Waldron at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 407-999-7800.
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The article above is an online press release. For media approval, please contact Heide Evans at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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