The Jacksonville Symphony celebrates 100 years of Richard Norman’s silent film classic with the world premiere of a newly commissioned orchestral score November 14.
A century after Jacksonville filmmaker Richard Norman brought The Flying Ace to the silver screen, the landmark silent film is getting a new voice, thanks to six extraordinary composers and the Jacksonville Symphony.
On Saturday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m., audiences at Jacoby Symphony Hall will experience The Flying Ace as never before, accompanied by a newly commissioned orchestral score that bridges the film’s 1920s origins with the sounds of today.
Produced in Jacksonville by Norman Studios in 1926, The Flying Ace is a rare surviving example of the films created by independent African American filmmakers during the silent era. Featuring an all-Black cast in a story of aviation, mystery and adventure, the film challenged the racial stereotypes prevalent in Hollywood productions of its day.
Now, six acclaimed composers have joined forces to create an original score for the film, which the Jacksonville Symphony will perform live under the direction of Music Director Courtney Lewis.
Meet the Composers
Carlos Simon — Lead Composer
Carlos Simon
GRAMMY-nominated composer Carlos Simon is one of contemporary classical music’s most compelling voices, known for blending orchestral traditions with the influences of jazz, gospel and African American musical heritage.
An Atlanta native, Simon has served as Composer-in-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was named the inaugural Composer Chair of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His works have been commissioned and performed by leading orchestras across the country, including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
His album Requiem for the Enslaved, commemorating 272 enslaved people sold by Georgetown University in 1838, earned a GRAMMY nomination. Simon’s ability to bring history, identity and storytelling together through music makes him an especially fitting creative voice for The Flying Ace.
Nathalie Joachim — Composer
Nathalie Joachim
GRAMMY-nominated Haitian American composer, vocalist and flutist Nathalie Joachim creates music that explores cultural heritage, personal identity and the connections between generations.
Her acclaimed project Fanm d’Ayiti, celebrating the voices and stories of Haitian women, received a GRAMMY nomination for Best World Music Album. Her 2024 album Ki moun ou ye continued that exploration of ancestry and belonging.
An assistant professor of composition at Princeton University, Joachim has worked with leading orchestras and arts institutions, including the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall and Opera Philadelphia. Her distinctive approach to musical storytelling adds another creative dimension to The Flying Ace’s new score.
Kathryn Bostic — Composer
Kathryn Bostic
Award-winning composer and singer-songwriter Kathryn Bostic has built a distinguished career creating music for film, television, theater and the concert stage.
She is known for scoring the acclaimed documentary Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am and the feature film Clemency, starring Alfre Woodard. Her work has also included collaborations with playwright August Wilson, including music for Broadway productions of his plays.
An Emmy-nominated composer, Bostic has received numerous industry honors, including a Hollywood Music in Media Award and a BMI Streaming Media Award. Her experience composing for the screen and bringing emotional depth to visual storytelling is a natural complement to this historic silent film.
Jongnic Bontemps — Composer
Jongnic Bontemps
Jongnic “JB” Bontemps is an award-winning film and television composer whose music has helped bring some of Hollywood’s most compelling stories to life.
His credits include the blockbuster Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, for which he received the inaugural NAACP Image Award for Outstanding TV/Film Score, along with a Hollywood Music in Media Award nomination. He has also composed music for documentaries, television productions and independent films.
Known for combining orchestral composition with contemporary musical influences, Bontemps brings a cinematic sensibility to the project, helping connect the visual storytelling of Norman’s silent-era filmmaking with today’s audiences.
Allison Loggins-Hull — Composer
Allison Loggins-Hull
Composer, flutist and producer Allison Loggins-Hull is known for creating music that crosses genres, incorporating elements of classical, electronic and contemporary Black American musical traditions.
Her compositions have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and other leading ensembles. She has served as a Lewis Composer Fellow with the Cleveland Orchestra and as Resident Artistic Partner with the New Jersey Symphony.
Loggins-Hull’s work frequently explores Black history, cultural identity and community, often drawing on Afrofuturism, an artistic movement that imagines new possibilities through the lens of Black cultural experiences. She has also worked with popular recording artists including Lizzo and Frank Ocean and composed the score for Bring Them Back, a documentary about dancer Maurice Hines.
Levi Taylor — Composer
Levi Taylor
Emmy-nominated composer Levi Taylor has established a growing reputation for music that spans film, television and the concert stage.
A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Millikin University, the Los Angeles-based composer has created music for productions including Discovery Channel’s Shark Week and Sewer Divers, as well as Peacock’s Vampire Academy.
His concert works include Daydreaming, commissioned for the acclaimed Sphinx Virtuosi and performed at Carnegie Hall and other major venues across the country. A Kennedy Center Artist and Civitella Ranieri Fellow, Taylor has also received commissions associated with the Washington National Opera.
Beyond his compositions, Taylor has demonstrated a commitment to music education and community engagement, including establishing a free group piano program for young people in Michigan.
A Century-Old Film, A New Musical Legacy
When Richard Norman made The Flying Ace in Jacksonville 100 years ago, he was doing something remarkable: creating a motion picture that portrayed African American characters as intelligent, capable and heroic at a time when such depictions were rare on American movie screens.
Today, the film stands as an important reminder of Jacksonville’s place in early motion picture history and of Norman Studios’ contributions to independent Black cinema.
The Jacksonville Symphony’s presentation offers an opportunity to experience that history in an entirely new way. Through the combined artistry of six contemporary composers and a live symphony orchestra, The Flying Ace will once again captivate audiences, this time with a musical accompaniment created especially for its centennial celebration.
Join us for this special event!
The Flying Ace — Jacksonville Symphony
Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Jacoby Symphony Hall, Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
300 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL
Get tickets and info here: https://my.jaxsymphony.org/flying-ace/4381