THE VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RETURNS TO A SCHEDULE OF LIVE PERFORMANCES TO CELEBRATE THE ORCHESTRA’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY BEGINNING FEBRUARY 26!
THE SIX LIVE PERFORMANCES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH WILL BE THE ORCHESTRA’S FIRST IN NEARLY A YEAR SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE PANDEMIC
HAMPTON ROADS, VA. [February 22, 2021] – After nearly a year away from the concert stage and live music, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra has announced an exciting schedule of six live performances between February 26 and March 28, including three different programs to be presented in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News, with safety protocols and limited audience capacity to ensure social distancing.
The much-awaited plan for returning to live performances comes after months of planning and discussions with musicians, venues, community leaders and health officials toward ensuring the safety of performers and audiences. In adherence to the Governor’s executive order, audience attendance will be limited to no more than 250 at each location and will require masking and other safety protocols (see full list on www.virginiasymphony.org). Running time for each of the concerts will be approximately 60-80 minutes, with no intermission.
Additionally, these concerts will be streamed live, real-time, with free priority access for current VSO season ticket holders who are choosing or not able to attend in person.
“This announcement that the VSO will be performing live concerts beginning in March is indeed exciting news. To be able to see and to hear exceptionally talented musicians performing on stage in front of a very appreciative audience gives me such joy and happiness,” said longtime subscriber Mary Margaret Hutchins. “I know that all the friends and supporters of the orchestra join me in thanking the VSO for safely bringing back the magic of the music.”
DETAILS OF THE CONCERT PROGRAMS FOR FIRST THREE WEEKENDS OF LIVE MUSIC:
FEBRUARY 26, OPENING NIGHT: JoAnn Falletta – the Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate – makes a very special appearance on the podium for this first live opening performance of the series in Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall. The program opens with the orchestral premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s Adagio, to honor and remember those we’ve lost in the last year. Next, Richard Strauss’s joyous Concerto for Horn No. 1 features the VSO’s Principal Horn, Jacob Wilder, as soloist – continuing a century-long tradition of showcasing VSO musicians as soloists. The final work is one of Mendelssohn’s most popular masterpieces, his Symphony No. 4 “Italian.” It is filled with echoes of his joy at visiting Italy for the first time, in a journey which inspired him to explore new ideas and different paths – in much the same way the VSO now begins a voyage of discovery looking forward to its next 100 years.
This concert is made possible by Connie and Marc Jacobson and the Helen G. Gifford Foundation.
An on-demand version of this performance is available for free beginning March 3rd. To reserve your on-demand ticket valid for 30-days of streaming this performance, please visit www.virginiasymphony.org.
MARCH 5-7, CONDUCTING MAVERICK: The second weekend in the series will welcome guest conductor Eric Jacobsen, who has carved out a reputation as one of classical music’s most exciting and innovative young conductors. With him will be brothers and Newport News natives Brendon and Sterling Elliott, making a rare joint appearance to perform the magical La muse et le poète from French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The program will conclude with Franz Schubert’s animated Symphony No. 3 in D Major, written when he was only eighteen years old. These performances will take place at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News on Friday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m., at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk on Saturday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m., and at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach on Sunday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. On-demand tickets for streaming this performance are available for $25 at virginiasymphony.org and will be available beginning March 10 for 30 days of streaming.
These concerts are sponsored by the Rutter Family Foundation. The Ferguson Center performance is supported in part by the Rona & Edwin Drucker Charitable Trust, and the Chrysler Hall performance is sponsored by TowneBank.
MARCH 26-28, THE BACH BRANDENBURGS: a very special evening of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti. Written in 1721, these musical jewels showcase a range of individual instruments spotlighting the superlative musicians of the VSO, led by world-famous guest conductor and violinist Cho-Liang (Jimmy) Lin. Known for his acclaimed violin and conducting appearances throughout the world, the VSO is honored to welcome Lin back to the region. This weekend of concerts will be performed at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News on Friday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. and at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach on Sunday, March 28 at 2:30 p.m. On-demand tickets for streaming this performance are available for $25 at virginiasymphony.org and will be available beginning March 31 for 30 days of streaming.
The March 28th performance at Sandler Center is supported in part by Avraham Ashkenazi in memory of his wife, Patricia Ashkenazi.
SPECIAL NOTE: Additional upcoming live VSO performances later this spring will be announced as details become available. To receive these updates, please “follow” us on Facebook and other social media, sign-up for email notifications and check for news at our website: www.virginiasymphony.org. We also welcome you to call our Patron Services Team with any questions weekdays at 757.892.6366.
For more information and questions, or to purchase tickets to on-demand concerts, visit virginiasymphony.org or call our Patron Services team at 757.892.6366.
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As the region’s most celebrated musical, educational and entrepreneurial arts organization, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra continues to challenge expectations and push the boundaries of what an American orchestra can be as it celebrates its 100th anniversary season in 2021.
At the heart of the VSO’s narrative is innovation. In 1991 the VSO made a very bold move in appointing the gifted young American conductor JoAnn Falletta as its music director. Since then, the orchestra has received national attention for its unique mission serving a home area of 1.7 million across the diverse communities of southeastern Virginia. Through appearances at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and commitment to adventurous programming, the VSO and its musicians have been highlighted in the media including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and BBC Worldwide News.
As the largest arts performing organization in southeastern Virginia, prior to the pandemic, the VSO and VSO Chorus presented more than 150 concerts and events to educate, enlighten and entertain more than 100,000 residents and visitors each year. Recent innovations include health and wellness programs, including interactive therapeutic experiences for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. As it celebrates its Centennial year, the Orchestra and its legions of fans look forward with anticipation as the VSO concludes a worldwide search for its next music director.
For Immediate Release
February 22, 2021
Contact: Monica Meyer,
Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Public Relations
Phone: 757.213.1431
email: mmeyer@virginiasymphony.org
Twitter: @VASymphony
Facebook: facebook.com/virginiasymphony