Jacksonville has a very diverse culture when it comes to the arts. Many outside the area might not know how popular the symphony and fine arts are in the community. The San Marco Chamber Music Society are trying to showcase all of the above to areas around Jacksonville that might not have easy access to downtown by playing free concerts with their smaller group at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Co-founders, Eric and Ellen Olson have taken conventional chamber music and pushed it outside the box. They have a revolving group of musicians with eclectic instrumentations outside the normal “strings only” design to offer an inspirational take on classics.
Besides exposing more areas of Jacksonville to their music, the SMCMS have taken on the challenge of showcasing their musical style on an international stage. They have set up an exchange with a group from Oxford England who will be coming to Jacksonville in April to perform.
I’m still striving to up my culture game, so I met up with the group to get some insight into the San Marco Chamber Music Society.
Rance