For seventeen years, Annabel Russell, 67, has headed The Symphonia, bringing concerts and music-related programs to the local community.
While The Symphonia is about to enter its 18th season later this year, its leader has been involved in the arts her entire life. “I actually was a ballet dancer, and then subsequently, I became a codirector of the Ontario Ballet Theatre in Canada,” says Russell, who is originally from England and came to Florida in 1995. “But I’ve been all over the world with various different companies as a dancer, and also as something called a choreologist. Choreology is the art of putting dance down on paper.” Having trained in England’s Institute of Choreology, Russell worked with choreographers to notate movements in dance, so that performances wouldn’t be lost to the ages as much were in the past.
The Symphonia’s season is from November through April, but Russell ensures that it, and music itself, is present in the lives of locals throughout the year. In addition to playing concerts in the Roberts Theater on the campus of Saint Andrews School in Boca Raton, The Symphonia also has a number of educational outreach programs for children.
At the local Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach, Building a String Orchestra and Self-Esteem teach stringed instruments to the kids. “We give them an opportunity to do something they might not otherwise be able to do — learn a musical instrument,” says Russell. “To see the joy on their faces when they play and do their recitals — it’s fantastic!”
In Meet the Orchestra, kids meet the musicians before a concert and experience an “instrument petting zoo.” With the Box Lunch It, anyone can enjoy a boxed lunch on the Friday rehearsal prior to a Sunday concert, listen to the orchestra, and experience a Q&A. The Symphonia also serves as the official orchestra for the Festival of the Arts BOCA.
“We’re always trying to introduce our audiences to something new. We want them to enjoy what they hear, but we also want them to go away thinking about what they’ve heard,” says Russell. “Every time they come to a Symphonia concert, they’re going to hear something that’s a bit different, and they’ll go away feeling perhaps a bit more inspired or that they’ve learned something new.”
For more information, visit thesymphonia.org.