LAKELAND —

If strings are your thing, the Florida Philharmonia Orchestra wants you.

Made up of 45 volunteer musicians, the 2-year-old Florida Philharmonia Orchestra — known as “The Phil” — is in need of violinists, violists and string bassists. With remaining concerts for the 2017-18 season Feb. 27 and April 24, Phil members have gotten a bit strung out over recruiting more strings.

“Strings have all the voicings; if you don’t have your depth, you can’t sustain your playing,” said Ron Wilder, board vice president and trumpet player.

Every Tuesday evening in the choir room at the College Heights United Methodist Church, Lakeland, musicians rehearse and refine music, ranging from pop classics to traditional classical pieces by composers such as Bizet, Mozart, Grieg Dvorak and Strauss.

During a Philharmonia meeting Monday, Wilder joined JoAnna Mongold, flutist; Stephanie Durham, violinist; and Susan Miller, a violist and the group's librarian, to discuss upcoming shows and for a short rehearsal. They talked about how The Phil allows them to leave the tedium and stress of everyday life for a few hours a week.

They also pitched their concern: recruiting and retaining more string members in time for their upcoming concerts.

“With so much new enthusiasm for the orchestra, we’re finding more and more need for string instruments,” said Miller, who lives in Lakeland.

Some of the songs The Phil are currently working to get ready for its Feb. 27 concert include: Bizet’s “Carmen Suite,” which relies heavily on string orchestra; “Bacchanale” from Saint-Saens’ “Samson & Delilah” and its rhythmic string bass part; Dvorak’s “Slavonic Dance No. 7,” featuring string sections that range from intense, to lighthearted, to choppy, to legato; and the “Radetzky March” by Strauss, a Romantic-period piece that has even been transcribed for a string quartet.

Mongold said one reason for the limited number of string players is there are more chances to join band with wind, brass and percussion instruments in elementary and high school than there are for string players.

“It’s easier to get band instruments that can be played after high school; strings often don’t carry over after high school,” she said.

Miller said the stringed instruments primarily needed are violin, viola and string bass. She said the more of those musicians who can be attracted, the more depth and broader repertoire The Phil will have.

“The bottom line is the strings are the heart of the orchestra,” she said.

So if you’re a string player interested in plucking away at The Phil, call 863-660-6136 or see www.floridaphilharmonia.org.

Paul Catala can be reached at paul.catala@theledger.com or 863-802-7533. He can be reached at Twitter @pcat0226.