For its 11th Season, Ars Flores Symphony Orchestra began on Nov. 13, 2010 with its first free Music for Munchkins children’s concert in Miami Dade, exploring the sounds of music in nature and instruments imitating nature. Children listened to donkeys, horses’ hooves, rain, thunder and the wind. They then moved to a poem about the weather and listened to the orchestra, as it performed “On the Trail” and “Cloudburst” from Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite, while watching pictures of the Grand Canyon behind the orchestra. A similar Music for Munchkins was held in Broward at NSU.

Ars Flores Symphony Orchestra presented its evening concert, “America’s Music!,” featuring Associate Conductor, Maria Rudisill conducting two works by Aaron Copland. Then the complete Grand Canyon Suite, by Grofe, was conducted by Ars Flores Conductor, Dr. Lynn Luce. This was followed by a performance of Gershwin’s, Rhapsody in Blue, with guest pianist, Dr. Michael Caldwell. Concerts were given on Nov. 13^th in Broward and Nov. 14^th in Miami Dade.

In November, Ars Flores held its 10^th Annual Young Artists Concerto Competition.  Six winners performed solos with the orchestra in January, 2011. Winners included three students from South Florida high schools and three college students from the Florida West Coast, Miami, and Lynn Universities. Works included Vieutemp’s Violin Concerto, and Piano Concerti by Prokofiev, Grieg, Saint-Saens, Gershwin and Chopin. The concert was followed by a reception for musicians, their families, and the audience. The audience of approximately 400 people was very enthusiastic with multiple standing ovations!  The free afternoon Music for Munchkins concert featured one of the competition winners, Chien-I Yang.

During the free Music for Munchkins concerts in Miami Dade and Broward on March 26^th and 27^th, children listened to the difference between sung stories and song in opera, then listened to the Overture to the Masked Ball. They were invited to come close to the orchestra, while they heard the Overture to La Forza del Destino by Verdi.

On March 26th  and 27th, Ars Flores presented its evening concert, “A Romantic Night of Opera,” with French Soprano, Rima Tawil, and conducted by Ars Flores Conductor, Dr. Lynn Luce. Tawil is a well-known artist in Europe, having sung with Carreras and Placido Domingo. The concert consisted of overtures and operas by Verdi, Bizet, Strauss, Kalman, Puccini and more. A young singer from the University of Georgia was chosen through a competition to perform a duet with Tawil from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and all performances received standing ovations.  Tawil also conducted a free Voice Master Class for vocal students at Nova on March 30^th.

On April 16^th and 17^th, Ars Flores presented free Music for Munchkins concerts in Miami Dade and Broward, where they explored the concept of chamber music.  Children listened to Libertango by Piazzola for string quartet and were invited onto the stage to sit near the musicians and to dance.  Afterward, children with attendance for three or more concerts for the year were given special gifts. All were given a surprise gift and served a snack.