Mount Dora Music Festival, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, is dedicated to celebrating culture through the performing arts.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Mount Dora Music Festival is to produce an annual celebration of the performing arts for the entertainment and education of the people of Lake County, FL and adjoining counties.
A parallel aim is to provide a forum for musicians and other performing artists, of local, national, and international renown, to perform and instruct and thus contribute to the cultural enhancement of the community.
History of the Mount Dora Music Festival
(formerly, the Mount Dora Festival of Music and Literature)
The Mount Dora Music Festival had its genesis in Europe, in the mid-1990’s, where Lake County resident Jennifer Reed was performing under the direction of Anthony Hose of the U.K. At the time, Reed was a violist with the Orlando Philharmonic and Hose was a conductor/pianist with a passion for organizing music festivals. Reed proposed to Hose that he consider starting a festival in Mount Dora. Maestro Hose visited Reed in 1997, fell in love with Mount Dora, and a festival was born.
Originally called the Mount Dora Spring Festival, the first one ran four days in April 1998. It featured classical music and jazz, a dance recital, cafe concerts with soloists performing at four Mount Dora restaurants, statewide writing and music contests in which the winners were featured during the Festival, and a community-chorus production of Mozart’s Requiem.
The 1998 format was used for the following two years. In 2001, the Festival expanded to eight days, with a free outdoor jazz concert, and in 2002, the Festival was renamed the Mount Dora Festival of Music and Literature. Following the 2005 Festival of Music and Literature, the Board of Directors engaged in a thorough review of the Festival and determined that the focus of the Festival should be on music, and that the literary programs of the Festival would be better served under the sponsorship of the Mount Dora Public Library and the Mount Dora Library Association.
In 2006 the Festival was restructured to be a 4-day musical event with programming that included not only classical music but also big band, jazz, gospel and ethnic music. The Festival Board also decided to partner with the newly formed Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra (FLSO) in presenting several concerts, including one during the Mount Dora Music Festival. During the 2006 Festival, there were a total of 17 programs; all but 4 were free to the public. Programs were offered throughout the downtown Mount Dora area, including concerts in the park, at the Mount Dora Community Building, cafe concerts, as well as performances at the Mount Dora Public Library and other venues. Free tickets were given to local school children to attend the FLSO concert held during the Festival, and a special program was presented at the Waterman Village Retirement Community. Although the Young Artists music competition was suspended in 2006, the Board is considering ways to resume it or a similar event.
In 2007, we are looking forward to celebrating the Festival’s 10th Anniversary with a schedule full of exciting and informative performances and educational programs.
(c)2007 Mount Dora Music Festival
Mission Statement
The mission of the Mount Dora Music Festival is to produce an annual celebration of the performing arts for the entertainment and education of the people of Lake County, FL and adjoining counties.
A parallel aim is to provide a forum for musicians and other performing artists, of local, national, and international renown, to perform and instruct and thus contribute to the cultural enhancement of the community.
History of the Mount Dora Music Festival
(formerly, the Mount Dora Festival of Music and Literature)
The Mount Dora Music Festival had its genesis in Europe, in the mid-1990’s, where Lake County resident Jennifer Reed was performing under the direction of Anthony Hose of the U.K. At the time, Reed was a violist with the Orlando Philharmonic and Hose was a conductor/pianist with a passion for organizing music festivals. Reed proposed to Hose that he consider starting a festival in Mount Dora. Maestro Hose visited Reed in 1997, fell in love with Mount Dora, and a festival was born.
Originally called the Mount Dora Spring Festival, the first one ran four days in April 1998. It featured classical music and jazz, a dance recital, cafe concerts with soloists performing at four Mount Dora restaurants, statewide writing and music contests in which the winners were featured during the Festival, and a community-chorus production of Mozart’s Requiem.
The 1998 format was used for the following two years. In 2001, the Festival expanded to eight days, with a free outdoor jazz concert, and in 2002, the Festival was renamed the Mount Dora Festival of Music and Literature. Following the 2005 Festival of Music and Literature, the Board of Directors engaged in a thorough review of the Festival and determined that the focus of the Festival should be on music, and that the literary programs of the Festival would be better served under the sponsorship of the Mount Dora Public Library and the Mount Dora Library Association.
In 2006 the Festival was restructured to be a 4-day musical event with programming that included not only classical music but also big band, jazz, gospel and ethnic music. The Festival Board also decided to partner with the newly formed Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra (FLSO) in presenting several concerts, including one during the Mount Dora Music Festival. During the 2006 Festival, there were a total of 17 programs; all but 4 were free to the public. Programs were offered throughout the downtown Mount Dora area, including concerts in the park, at the Mount Dora Community Building, cafe concerts, as well as performances at the Mount Dora Public Library and other venues. Free tickets were given to local school children to attend the FLSO concert held during the Festival, and a special program was presented at the Waterman Village Retirement Community. Although the Young Artists music competition was suspended in 2006, the Board is considering ways to resume it or a similar event.
In 2007, we are looking forward to celebrating the Festival’s 10th Anniversary with a schedule full of exciting and informative performances and educational programs.
(c)2007 Mount Dora Music Festival
History
Venues
Venue List
Venue List