F

or nearly 50 years, 

the Northwest 

Florida Ballet 

(NFB) has grown 

accustomed to setting the 

standard for performing 

arts in the area. From 

hosting world-renowned 

international guest artists 

to establishing the area’s 

first public school centered 

on arts education, NFB has 

consistently focused beyond 

its company repertoire to raise the bar of distinction. 

It’s this commitment to excellence that has driven NFB Artistic 

Director/CEO Todd Eric Allen to bring his next great vision to life 

– the addition of the Northwest Florida Ballet Symphony Orchestra 

(NFBSO), led by NFB music director Dr. David Ott.

“Three years ago NFB made a commitment to bring live music back 

to our performances, and since then we have been overwhelmed by the 

feedback. The addition of the NFBSO is a natural next step for us as it 

provides a layer of depth to our productions with goal of enhancing the 

audience experience,” Allen said.

Under Ott’s direction, the newly formed orchestra will provide 

live musical accompaniment for two of the 2016-2017 productions. 

The NFBSO will debut with the classical holiday favorite, “The 

Nutcracker” Nov. 18-20. 

The orchestra will return for the season finale on April 1 and 2 with 

“From Russia With Love: A Celebration of The Ballet Russe de Monte 

Carlo” featuring “The Firebird,” the balcony scene from “Romeo and 

Juliet” and “Scheherazade.”

Ott has been cited among America’s most-performed composers 

of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and his works 

have been performed or recorded by some of the most distinguished 

American and European orchestras. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 

music as well as Grammys, Ott has a large portfolio of compositions 

in every genre of music, from large-scale orchestra works to short 

overtures.

“As a conductor this is truly and exciting opportunity,” Ott said. 

Leading musicians through a beautiful score as dancers gracefully and 

skillfully move across the stage combines the artistry of the ear and the 

eye in an unforgettable way.”

In addition to his new role as NFB music director, Ott is also the 

conductor of the Panama City Pops Orchestra and serves as the 

organist/music director at Christ the King Episcopal Church in Santa 

Rosa Beach.

For more information on the NFBSO or Ott, visit NFBallet.org/

orchestra. For tickets to the NFB productions, visit NFBallet.org/tickets.

The Next Step: The Northwest 

Florida Ballet Premiers Its Own 

Symphony Orchestra, Led by 

David Ott

story by Sabrina McLaughlin

110     |    DestinMagazine.com

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