Florida Grand Opera has officially fired its orchestra contractor Sunset Entertainment of Delray Beach and has hired Miami Symphonic Services to provide its pit musicians for the 2008-2009 season.
The change was made, said Justin Moss, managing director of marketing and communications, ``to improve the quality of the orchestra.''
The playing of the Florida Classical Orchestra, contracted through Sunset Entertainment has been criticized this season.
The orchestra, led by guest conductors, will finish out the season, including the performances of La bohème, which opens Saturday, and Julius Caesar, which opens at the end of the month.
Alfredo Oliva, violinist and owner of Miami Symphonic Services, will be the new contractor. His company is also providing musicians for the Florida Symphony, the new ensemble that is performing for the Concert Association of Florida.
In January, Moss denied a story in The Miami Herald that said the opera company would be sharing an Oliva-contracted ensemble, calling it an ``inaccurate representation.''
On Friday, Moss said there very well would be ''overlap'' between the Concert Association's Florida Symphony and FGO's new pit orchestra.
