The Florida West Coast Symphony and the Sarasota Film Festival celebrated the first-time collaboration of CineSymphony!” a multimedia performance event featuring renowned film composer Elmer Bernstein. The one-time event was held January 25, 2003, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, and was a fundraiser for both organizations.

Elmer Bernstein led the full symphony orchestra in a retrospective of the following critically acclaimed film scores: The Sons of Katie Elder; Hawaii; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Great Escape; The Ten Commandments, Kings of the Sun; The Age of Innocence; The Incredible Sarah; Summer and Smoke; From the Terrace; Thoroughly Modern Millie; The Man with the Golden Arm; Walk on the Wild Side; The Magnificent Seven, and the recently-released Far From Heaven, starring Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid. Clips and stills from Mr. Bernstein’s films were shown at the concert.

“I always try to develop a clear picture for myself of what is at the heart of a film before I start writing,” stated the maestro. “For me what this new film, Far From Heaven, is about is people’s yearning for love and the emotional comfort than love can provide. This will be only the second time I have performed this suite in concert with a full symphonic orchestra. I hope the audience enjoys the suite as much as I enjoyed writing it,” he added.

Click here for the complete program.