“The Timucua Story,” a book stuffed with photos and memories, celebrates where the Timucua Arts Foundation has been. So will Timucua 25, the organization’s Nov. 14 benefit gala. But the Orlando nonprofit’s leadership trio is focused on the future.
The organization published “The Timucua Story” to commemorate 25 years of hosting concerts, plays, spoken-word evenings and artistic wellness events alongside visual art displays: Its first event, a concert, took place Sept. 19, 2000. The location: The southwest Orlando living room of Benoit Glazer, then music director for Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” show at Walt Disney World. He wanted to bring different kinds of top-tier music to Central Florida, and with his connections, he could.
In doing so, Glazer also created the most distinctive local concert experience. To accommodate the growing demand, he first knocked down walls in his house. When that was no longer enough, he then moved with his family to what’s known as the White House, off Summerlin Avenue east of downtown. It was specially constructed to accommodate performances: 91 patrons sit on multiple tiers in the home’s built-in concert hall boasting world-class acoustics.
That small audience size makes the space unique but also keeps it somewhat under the radar on the Central Florida cultural scene. It’s often referred to as one of the city’s “hidden gems.”
“We don’t want to be a hidden gem anymore,” says executive director Leah Nash with a laugh.
“We just want to be a gem,” Glazer adds.
Nash joined the organization at the start of 2024. Six months later, Terry Olson — the former arts and cultural administrator for Orange County — became president of its board of directors.
They’re now mapping out what comes next for the nonprofit, which welcomed more than 22,000 people to about 150 events last year on a budget of just $600,000.
“We’ve become very, very good at managing small amounts of money to do big things,” Glazer said.
Some of their work involves nuts-and-bolts legal stuff: Clearly separating the property, owned by Glazer and wife Élaine Corriveau, from the nonprofit presenting organization.
Timucua Arts Foundation’s White House, located east of downtown, as seen in 2021. (Orlando Sentinel file photo)
“In the long-term [the nonprofit] would like to buy the house,” Olson said. “It’s part of the incredible uniqueness of the organization. There’s no other space like this.”
Other work involves succession planning, thinking about a day when Glazer is no longer as involved — though he has no plan to step away anytime soon. Still, the family knows that circumstances can change unexpectedly; daughter Camille died in 2023 of complications from acute myeloid leukemia. A memorial plaque has a place of honor in the White House lobby.
Sons Charles and Jean-Marie, both musicians, are involved in the family business; Charles, the elder, handles technology. Jean-Marie works in hospitality and community outreach.
“People sometimes think of Timucua, and they think of me,” Glazer said. “But it’s a team. And a good team.”
Building audience
Many of the future plans involve ways to increase the Timucua audience, by diversifying and expanding programming. The organization used to be quiet in July but presents shows year-round now.
Its artist-in-residence program for the first time is focused on youth, building the audience of tomorrow.
Glazer is adding more visual art and multi-genre events into the mix.
“Integration of the arts always has been important to me,” he said. “I mean, I came from the circus.”
The concert hall within Timucua Arts Foundation’s White House, the home of Benoit Glazer and Élaine Corriveau, seats 91 patrons. (Orlando Sentinel file photo)
Some events even branched out from the White House. The organization’s Orlando Latin Jazz Festival used a few other venues, including the new CityArts courtyard. For the next installment, the plan is go even bigger.
Some of the audience focus is on tourists. Timucua was awarded a $100,000 cultural-tourism grant from Orange County last month. Nash said because of the specific-genre appeal of many of the musicians who play Timucua, they draw fans from across the Southeast.
“They tell us we’re the closest venue to see these performers, and it’s an amazing experience,” Nash said.
While ticket prices are generally low — most shows top out at $30 with discounts for seniors, students, military personnel and first responders — Timucua is experimenting with a few higher-priced shows.
An October performance by master percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, who is internationally known for his prowess on the conga drums, showed people were willing to spend $50 on a ticket for a big name.
“We took a risk, but we were very successful,” Glazer said.
Spreading the word
Of course, none of these strategies will be effective if word doesn’t get out. How do you eliminate the “hidden” from “hidden gem”?
The Timucua team is hoping arranging the calendar into series, with themed months and festival ticket bundles, will help. Promising results have been seen with an International Guitar Festival and an International Chamber Music Festival. An opera festival also shows potential for growth, with the region’s various vocal-music organizations collaborating.
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“I see a point in the future where everyone collaborates to raise the art form in the city,” Glazer said.
There’s also hope people will discover Timucua through its strong online presence. Not only are shows live-streamed, at a reduced ticket cost, they are available after the fact as video-on-demand.
Of course, watching online means music lovers miss the “warm and inviting atmosphere” that is built into the Timucua mission statement. For many years, in the spirit of the house-party origin of the organization, patrons brought food to share. The COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that, but guests are still encouraged to bring a bottle of wine or other beverage.
Musician support
The inviting atmosphere is not only for audience members but also for musicians. They receive behind-the-scenes support in tour marketing and understanding contracts. Timucua supplies them with professional videos and recordings of their White House performances.
At show 1,000, Orlando’s most unique concert hall is poised for bigger future
About 1,000 artists passed through the White House doors last year, Glazer said, with a number of them doing private recording at Timucua. The White House is equipped with Variable Acoustic System technology that lets the acoustics replicate 65 different types of space with the touch of some buttons.
That’s a big draw for recording artists, as well as a boon for patrons.
Glazer said some artists even fly down for the day to lay down tracks.
“It’s cheaper for them to do that than record in New York,” he said.
The family will play together again at the Timucua 25 gala. Timucua Arts Foundation founder and artistic director Benoit Glazer, his wife, Élaine Corriveau, and their two sons, Jean-Marie Glazer, right, and Charles Edouard Glazer sing together while sitting on the performance space’s stage on Thursday, Nov. 6. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Timucua 25
The Nov. 15 gala will call back to the original living-room shows, when the musicians of the Glazer family would serve as the opening act.
The plan is “very reminiscent of what we’ve done over the years,” said Glazer. It will be extra special, though because the gala will mark Glazer’s first public concert in more than three years. He stopped playing trumpet after a memorable family function.
“I played better than in my whole life,” he recalled. “I said, ‘That was perfect, that’s it.’ I wanted to go out on a high note.”
He’s not nervous about playing again — “but I’m practicing,” he said.
The gala, which will be hosted by Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell, also includes an auction, a raffle for a Canadian vacation including the famed Montreal International Jazz Festival, and food and drink. Guests will receive a copy of “The Timucua Story” book and a commemorative anniversary pin.
Timucua is selling corporate sponsorships for the celebration — corporate sponsorship being an area the organization needs to grow, Nash said.
They find hope and take pride in the fact that, as their current patrons show, once Timucua is discovered, people stick with it.
“The people who come, they keep coming,” Glazer said. “When we’re sold out, I’m as happy as can be. I could do this for 25 more years, no problem.”
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‘Timucua 25’
What: Gala to raise funds for Timucua Arts Foundation, hosted by Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell with heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and spirits, and a performance by the Glazer family
Where: Timucua’s White House, 2000 S. Summlin Ave. in Orlando
When: 7-10:30 p.m. Nov. 15
Cost: $250
Info: timucua.com