Florida Grand Opera Musicians Association

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Formed in 2008 to support its members, the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra Musicians has been the exclusive orchestra for the Florida Grand Opera since 2003.

As early as the 1980's Florida Grand Opera(FGO) had an orchestra for its opera productions. Since the FGO orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic (then Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida) shared many of the same musicians, the orchestras merged in 1986 and Florida Grand Opera engaged the Florida Philharmonic for its productions. This relationship continued until 2002.

In 2001, citing scheduling conflicts with the FPO, the Opera engaged the "Florida Classical Orchestra" to perform for some of its productions. The FCO performed for two productions in the 2000-2001 season, three in 2001-2002, and four in 2002-3. From the 2003-2004 season to the present FCO has been the exclusive orchestra for the Florida Grand Opera.

Members of the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra have degrees from some of the most prestigious music schools in the country and have performed with every other musical organization in south Florida^[1], as well as many other major organizations across the country^[2]. Some include:

Alabama Symphony
Ann Arbor Symphony
Aspen Festival Orchestra
Atlantic Classical Orchestra
Baltimore Opera
Boca Pops
Boca Symphonia
Boston Mozarteum Orchestra
Boston Philharmonic
Chicago Symphony
Cincinnati Symphony
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Delaware Symphony
Florida Philharmonic
Florida West Coast Symphony
Fort Lauderdale Symphony
Jerusalem Symphony
Key West Pops
Memphis Symphony
Miami Chamber Symphony
Miami City Ballet
Miami Symphony
Michigan Opera Theater
Moscow Chamber Orchestra
Naples Philharmonic
New Jersey Symphony
New Philharmonic
New York Chamber Ensemble
Orchestra Miami
Palm Beach Opera Orchestra
Palm Beach Pops
Palm Beach Symphony
Pittsburgh Opera
Polish Chamber Orchestra
Puerto Rico Symphony
Rochester Philharmonic
Russian National Orchestra
Sarasota Opera
Spoleto Festival
State Symphony of Mexico
Sunshine Pops
Symphony of the Americas
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich
Tulsa Opera
USAF Academy Band and Military Airlift Command Band

Many of the musicians of the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra were members of the Boca Pops Orchestra, which filed for bankruptcy in 2001. The Boca Pops musicians had extensive experience as a pit orchestra, being the orchestra for Miami City Ballet from 1993 until the Ballet stopped using a live orchestra, ca. 2000. Many FGO orchestra members played for the opera as members of the now defunct Florida Philharmonic.

The organization is working towards a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Florida Grand Opera and is represented by American Federation of Musicians Local 655.