Twenty years ago, Demetrius Fuller had a simple but ambitious vision: create something fun.

• “We started Sinfonia with the notion that there was no other fully professional symphony orchestra in our Okaloosa and Walton County region,” said Fuller, founder and artistic director of Sinfonia Gulf Coast. “We wanted to create an environment – an organization, an entity – that made going to an arts event fun.”

Two decades later, that vision has transformed the cultural landscape of Northwest Florida. Sinfonia Gulf Coast has presented more than 700 concerts, reached half a million patrons and brought music education to 250,000 children across Okaloosa and Walton counties. 

The area’s only fully professional symphony orchestra celebrates its 20th anniversary this season with a lineup that includes 10-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan and programming that continues to redefine what a symphony means to local communities.

For Fuller, a Fort Walton Beach High School graduate who studied clarinet under band directors Randy Folsom and Ernest Hebson, founding Sinfonia was about coming home. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and serving three seasons with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra at Okaloosa Walton Community College, he launched Sinfonia in 2005 with a mission to entertain, educate and inspire.

• “I look back and wonder how we even did this,” Fuller said of the organization’s founding. “And on top of that, to convince Bernadette Peters to be our first guest artist.”

Peters performed before 1,600 people at the Convention Center during that first season. Twenty years later, she returned for the anniversary season opener, performing a cabaret. Fuller spent three years convincing her team to recreate that intimate atmosphere – something that can be attributed to his persistence and the relationships he has built over two decades.

That ability to attract world-class talent while maintaining an accessible, welcoming environment has become Sinfonia’s signature. Tony and Emmy winners Kristin Chenoweth and Cheyenne Jackson have performed with the orchestra. Broadway legends Patti LuPone graced local stages. R&B artists Roberta Flack and Mary Wilson of The Supremes brought different musical traditions to Northwest Florida. 

Grammy Award winners including John Pizzarelli, Howard Levy, Tracy Silverman, the Parker Quartet, New York Voices, the von Trapps and Pink Martini have collaborated with Sinfonia.

Fuller’s varied programming approach reflects a simple philosophy: give people options.

• “I think by giving them a variety of opportunities and options is why Sinfonia has been so successful,” Fuller said.

That success extends beyond the concert hall. For Fuller, Sinfonia’s most significant achievements live in the organization’s educational programs – the next generation of musicians learning, growing and discovering the power of music.

An after school strings program now serves 115 students, providing the region’s only program of its kind. A youth orchestra that joined Sinfonia in 2013 has grown from fewer than 20 students to more than 100 across three ensembles. 

Elizabeth Aylor, who taught strings classes at Longwood Elementary for more than 40 years, founded the youth orchestra before bringing it to Sinfonia. The program now includes a starter group, Symphony Strings, and a full orchestra of 45 to 50 students under the leadership of Margaret Gordon.

• “That alone, over the last 20 years, is hugely significant in my opinion, because we have the only after school strings program,” Fuller said.

A 15-year partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program brings between 3,500 to 4,000 third through fifth graders from Okaloosa and Walton counties to two concerts annually. Students play recorders alongside professional musicians in performances Fuller describes as among his favorites each year.

“I always say it’s a sound only a mother can love,” Fuller said playfully. “If you have 3,000 kids blowing the recorder, it’s really something. But it’s one of my favorite concerts of the year, if not my favorite concert of the year.”

For some students, Link Up provides their only arts education during the school year. The program now extends to Walton County schools, with expansion into other areas under consideration.

The Paint the Music program, launched between 2010 and 2012 in partnership with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, offers another creative outlet. Students receive musical excerpts, interpret what they hear through visual art, then attend a concert to experience the music live while their artwork is displayed.

• “It’s not just limited to symphony programs. We want people to see the power of music education — what it means and how it affects not just people involved with Sinfonia, but the community at large,” Fuller said.

Fuller has also championed contemporary composers throughout his tenure, commissioning new works and conducting premieres including the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s fully orchestrated electric violin concerto “Seeing is Believing” and the southeastern U.S. premiere of Tan Dun’s “Crouching Tiger Concerto.”

His international experience – including multiple invitations by Maestro Kurt Masur to conduct l’Orchestre Nationale de France in Paris and serving as resident conductor of Brazil’s Festival of the Mountains for two seasons – has shaped his artistic vision while keeping him grounded in Northwest Florida.

The recognition has followed. 

In 2024, Fuller became the first and only professional member appointed to The Recording Academy from Northwest Florida. He serves on the board of directors of Young Concert Artists, a New York City based organization that has partnered with Sinfonia for 12 years. In 2023, he was named a mentor for Grammy U, a program affiliated with The Recording Academy.

Beyond the podium, Fuller serves as a trustee of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, previously chaired the American Cancer Society’s Cattle Barons’ Ball, and has served on boards including Alaqua Animal Refuge, Cultural Arts Alliance, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Okaloosa Arts Alliance. He works as a grant panelist for the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and serves as CEO of the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, which is celebrating its own 30th anniversary this year.

• Sinfonia has forged similar partnerships throughout the community with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, Northwest Florida Ballet, Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and Okaloosa Arts Alliance. Fuller has developed relationships with Jimmy Choo, Panerai Watch and Giorgio Armani for fundraising events that combine fashion with arts support.

The annual Crescendo fundraiser features seven to 12 wine dinners on the Friday before the main event, with proceeds supporting education programs. Youth musicians often perform alongside professionals at fundraising events, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to nurturing the next generation.

A military ticket program, now in its 16th or 17th year and sponsored by Eglin Federal Credit Union, offers discounts to service members and their families – a natural fit for a region defined by Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field.

For Fuller, success is measured not just in numbers but in loyalty and relationships.

“I measure it by the people that keep coming,” Fuller said. “We have such an incredible patron base and the fact that we have had sponsors that have been with us since the beginning.”

The 20th anniversary season reflects both the journey and the vision ahead. The November 14 gala at Hotel Effie Sandestin features Chaka Khan, whom Fuller booked after attending a Giorgio Armani fashion show in New York where the singer performed and invited his friend, recording artist Morgan James, onto the stage. James’ performance received 1.1 million views on Vogue’s social media.

Programming throughout the season ranges from Broadway tributes to Tina Turner celebrations, from classical masterworks featuring Grammy winner Howard Levy to the 50th anniversary screening of Jaws with live orchestra accompaniment. Each concert represents Fuller’s commitment to variety and accessibility.

Yet as Sinfonia celebrates 20 years of achievement, Fuller has his eyes on the horizon. Looking ahead to the next two decades, he has a clear priority: securing a permanent venue.

• “The biggest obstacle is that we don’t have our own venue. That is the number one thing that is on our list going forward,” Fuller said.

Until then, Fuller encourages community support through more than financial contributions.

“If you like something, share it with others. If you go to a concert and it’s a great experience, then make sure people know because word-of-mouth is the biggest thing for us,” Fuller said.

Twenty years after founding Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Fuller has created more than an orchestra. He has built a community institution that educates children, attracts world-class talent and proves that classical music can be both excellent and fun. 

The 20th anniversary season continues with:

Toast ‘N Jam: A Broadway Holiday: The Calla-Way featuring Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway on Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at Hotel Effie Sandestin

Holiday Pops Spectacular on Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Destin-FWB Convention Center

The Music of Tina Turner on Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Destin-FWB Convention Center

Classical Connections featuring Grammy winner Howard Levy on harmonica and piano on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Destin High School

Toast ‘N Jam: Sincerely, Sondheim featuring Nicholas Rodriguez on Feb. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Hotel Effie Sandestin

Jaws in Concert celebrating the film’s 50th anniversary on May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Destin-FWB Convention Center

Information and tickets are available at sinfoniagulfcoast.org.