Sinfonia Gulf Coast Presents Classical Connections Featuring Ying Li

Disclaimer: We are promoting this event on behalf of a local chamber member. This event is not managed or sponsored by the Destin Chamber.

Sinfonia Gulf Coast announces a program update for its Classical Connections concert set for Saturday, Feb. 7.

Due to an unavoidable personal schedule conflict, guest artist Howard Levy is unable to appear this season. His premier performance of a newly commissioned piece for harmonica and piano will be rescheduled for fall 2026.

In his place, Sinfonia welcomes acclaimed pianist Ying Li, who will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 with the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra, in addition to Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 conducted by Music Director Demetrius Fuller. The concert will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Destin High School at 7:30 p.m. as part of the orchestra’s continuing 20th anniversary 2025–2026 season celebration.

“We look forward to staging Howard Levy’s amazing piece next season, which was commissioned and composed specifically for Sinfonia,” Fuller says. “In the meantime, we are pleased to have the unexpected opportunity to welcome the extraordinary talent of Ying Li to Sinfonia’s 20th anniversary season. Her artistry and musical insight make her a compelling interpreter of Mozart, and we know our audience will be captivated by her Sinfonia debut.”

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 is among the composer’s most beloved works, celebrated for its elegance, warmth and expressive lyricism. The concerto’s radiant outer movements frame a deeply moving slow movement that reveals Mozart at his most introspective.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 reflects the composer’s bold emergence as a symphonist, blending classical elegance with flashes of the innovative spirit that would soon redefine the genre.

Winner of the 2021 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Li has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony and Orlando Philharmonic. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, she completed her master’s and artist diploma studies at The Juilliard School and is recognized for performances that combine technical brilliance with expressive depth.

Tickets are $35 per person. Purchase tickets online at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or by calling the box office at (850) 460-8800.

Patrons who already hold tickets for the February 7 concert may use their existing tickets for admission, request a credit toward a 2025–2026 Main Event Sinfonia concert, or donate their tickets back to Sinfonia. Contact box office liaison Bridget Gorder at bgorder@sinfoniagulfcoast.org.