Sharing the Joy of Music
Happy Holidays
December 10, 2023. 3:00 pm.
Once again, we invite you to Celebrate this great time of year with the North Port Symphony, in our offering of music for the Holiday Season, including sing-alongs, guest vocalist, and all the festive yuletide splendor of the North Port Performing Arts Center. We hope you
keep us as a part of your family's annual tradition, as we perform the great music of the season.
Guest Artist: Stewart Kitts, Violin
Stewart Kitts is a third generation professional violinist who began playing at the age of five on a 1/4 size violin built by his teacher and grandfather, Otto Frey. Stewart soloed at the age of six with his violinist mother and bassoonist father’s orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony. At ten he soloed with the University of Florida Symphony and also became the Concertmaster of the Alachua County Youth Orchestra (with a high school senior sitting next to him). Stewart also studied extensively with the famed teacher Ivan Galamian at the Meadowmount School of Music and the soloist James Buswell, as a violin performance major at Indiana University. He was Associate Concertmaster of the Florida Orchestra for 23 years as well as holding many other esteemed concertmaster positions including for the Hollywood Philharmonic and the Charlotte Symphony. Additionally, he was the Concertmaster for Disney recording sessions and for touring show including Manheim Steamroller, Johnny Mathis, Ann Murray, Styx, Little River Band, Young Frankenstein, The Alan Parsons Project, Sting, Adam Levine, and many others.
Stewart is currently Concertmaster of the Ocala Symphony and Co-Concertmaster of the Villages Philharmonic. He resides in Gainesville where he has a teaching studio and is co-director with his sister, Jennifer, of the Celebration Suzuki Strings and conducts the Celebration String Orchestra.
Stewart is the father of fourth-generation violinists, Elizabeth and Natalie Kitts.