CFCArts’ Symphony Orchestra. (Photo courtesy CFCArts)
The Central Florida Community Arts Symphony Orchestra will bring together a unique combination of sports and music for fans of all ages with “Call of the Champions” May 2-3.
The CFCArts Symphony Orchestra, the largest and most dynamic orchestra in the country, celebrates the joy and triumph of sports with a concert of unforgettable and heroic music, according to a press release.
Justin Muchoney, music director and principal conductor of CFCArts Symphony Orchestra, says this is his dream job. He has been the conductor for 13 years and serves as its artistic director.
“I work with some of the most dedicated, talented, empathetic and compassionate people,” Muchoney says. “We get to put on incredibly epic and fun concerts. I get to deal with people who genuinely love what they do, genuinely love Orlando and our community.”
While Muchoney is from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, he says he is happy to call Orlando home. He says there’s so much to love like the people, culture and the arts.
The 250-member CFCArts Symphony Orchestra will play three of John Williams’ famous Olympic themes, music from sports movies and original work that captures the relationship between sports and music.
Travis Lefke, trumpet player and section leader for the trumpet section, says a show like “Call of the Champions” is challenging because of the energy that goes into playing athletic music. He says he wants the audience to feel like they are in an athletic environment to have an authentic experience.
“Compared to past concerts that we’ve had, it does take a bit more preparation for the members, but in a good way,” Lefke says. “We get like two hours a week on Sunday nights to rehearse as an ensemble and then the sections take it upon themselves to do sectionals as well.”
From “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” to “Chariots of Fire” to music from “Rudy” and “Remember the Titians,” this concert will remind audiences of how powerful and thrilling it can be to bring sports and music together.
The CFCArts exists to serve and build community through the arts, according to its website.
With core values of integrity, inclusivity, creativity, community, accessibility and quality, the CFCArts began in 2011 with a choir of over 130 singers and an orchestra of more than 35 players. It has now grown to a choir of more than 300 and a symphony orchestra of more than 200, both the largest in the country.
When it comes to the music of the shows, Lefke says, Muchoney raises the bar for every new season.
“Each time its different,” Lefke says. “I’m like Justin can’t go any bigger than this, but he does. Justin is a very imaginative person and he puts in fun elements.”
Something Muchoney always does is push the group to new heights. He says he values the performer’s time as CFCArts will take any performer at any skill level.
“I have an exceptionally high bar because I know that they’re capable of really great things,” Muchoney says. “Creating an environment where everybody walks in happy to see each other and feels that they have something to offer in a safe, inclusive space is the most important thing to me.”
Over the past decade, the CFCArts Symphony Orchestra has grown to an orchestra that consistently boasts performances with more than 160 non-auditioned musicians, according to its website.
For Lefke, he feels fortunate to be a part of the orchestra as music has always been his escape. He says being able to perform as an adult while living the life he wants to live is the most important thing to him.
“Not only am I a performer here in CFCArts, but I also perform in the Central Florida Sounds of Freedom, the LGBT band,” Lefke says. “That’s my way of giving back to the community that helped me become who I am.”
Lefke says he hopes CFCArts will continue to grow with a diverse group of performers and its audience. He says he wants the group to keep engaging with the community through its performances.
CFCArts aims to create an artistic family that celebrates our natural abilities and allows people to use their talents, all while building lasting connections, according to its website.
Muchoney says there is something special that happens when the performers get together to play as there’s strength in numbers. He says the show is another scale that will blow the audience’s mind.
“The orchestra is exceptional but the humans, the people that are in this orchestra are exceptional,” Muchoney says. “It really comes out in how they perform because their talent is amazing but it’s one of those things where the end result is always greater than the sum of its parts.”
“Call of the Champions” will be showing May 2-3 at 7:30 p.m. at Northland Church in Longwood. Tickets for the show are available now at Central Florida Community Arts’ website. Note: This event features the use of theatrical effects including fog, haze, bright/flashing lights and lasers. These displays may affect people with sensitivities to light.
