Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Full Concert Schedule
The Music of Star Wars • 4/27
Friday, April 27, 2018 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 7:30 PM
Performing original music from the iconic motion picture series, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra takes audiences to a galaxy far, far away in a concert of Jedi proportions. Experience the entire saga through the films’ scores written by the legendary John Williams, including music from the recently released Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Don’t miss this epic performance of The Music of Star Wars!
Damon Gupton, conductor
OBX Outdoor Concert • 4/28
Saturday, April 28, 2018 | Roanoke Island-Festival Park, Manteo, NC | 3PM
1 Festival Park, Manteo, NC 27954
Listen to the spectacular music of The Virginia Symphony, conducted by nationally acclaimed resident conductor Benjamin Rous. This evening’s exceptional performance by The Virginia Symphony will highlight selected popular selections from the light classical and pops music.
Afternoon Encores • 5/1
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 | 2:00 PM | Chesapeake Conference Center, Chesapeake
A special concert for the Senior Community of Hampton Roads
Robert Shoup, conductor
Enjoy a look back in time with familiar light classics and favorite popular tunes. Join the musicians of the Virginia Symphony on a musical tour through the years with romantic strings, rousing marches, and toe-tapping favorites. We’ll even throw in a sing-along for the young at heart!
Accommodations for wheelchairs, scooters and other assistive devices will be available. If you have a question about accessibility, please ask! We welcome your questions and look forward to welcoming you! Ushers will be on hand to greet you and your friends at this fun and memorable event! The concert will last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes.
TICKETS $25 PER PERSON AND $20 PER PERSON FOR GROUPS
Star Spangled Banner
Rossini: William Tell Overture
Beethoven: Mvt. 1, Symphony No. 5
Bernstein, arr. Mason: Selections from West Side Story
Rous (arr.): Aura Le
Willson, arr. Hayman: Music Man Selections
Williams (arr.): Hooray for Hollywood
Copland: Hoedown
Patriotic Singalong
Sousa: Washington Post March
Afternoon Encores • 5/2
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 | 2:00PM | Virginia Beach Convention Center
A special concert for the Senior Community of Hampton Roads
Enjoy a look back in time with familiar light classics and favorite popular tunes. Join the musicians of the Virginia Symphony on a musical tour through the years with romantic strings, rousing marches, and toe-tapping favorites. We’ll even throw in a sing-along for the young at heart!
Accommodations for wheelchairs, scooters and other assistive devices will be available. If you have a question about accessibility, please ask! We welcome your questions and look forward to welcoming you! Ushers will be on hand to greet you and your friends at this fun and memorable event! The concert will last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes.
TICKETS $25 PER PERSON AND $20 PER PERSON FOR GROUPS
Star Spangled Banner
Rossini: William Tell Overture
Beethoven: Mvt. 1, Symphony No. 5
Bernstein, arr. Mason: Selections from West Side Story
Rous (arr.): Aura Le
Willson, arr. Hayman: Music Man Selections
Williams (arr.): Hooray for Hollywood
Copland: Hoedown
Patriotic Singalong
Sousa: Washington Post March
Presenting Sponsor
Bernstein on Broadway • 5/12
May 12, 2018 | 8PM | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Rob Fisher, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus,
Robert Shoup, Chorusmaster
Broadway Soloists
Brooke Shields
Ross Lekites
Mikaela Bennett
Music director, arranger and conductor Rob Fisher’s Broadway resume includes some of the biggest hits of the past three decades, including Chicago, Anything Goes, Hair, and An American in Paris. Fisher’s Bernstein roots run deep, and include the 2003 Broadway revival of Wonderful Town. In this starry evening at the Sandler Center, Fisher leads the VSO and leading Broadway singers in songs from Bernstein’s Broadway masterworks including West Side Story, On the Town, Candide, Wonderful Town, and more.
Leonard Bernstein at 100 is the worldwide celebration of the 100th birthday of composer, conductor, educator, musician, cultural ambassador and humanitarian Leonard Bernstein. Virginia Arts Festival is pleased to join hundreds of arts institutions and ensembles around the world in celebrating the contributions of this seminal artist.
The Festival will partner with two artists who share deep connections with Leonard Bernstein: Virginia Symphony Orchestra Music Director JoAnn Falletta, who studied under Bernstein, and Rob Fisher, the award-winning music director who has led Bernstein shows on Broadway and most recently kicked off the Leonard Bernstein at 100 worldwide celebrations with a Bernstein on Broadway tribute concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This program funded in part by the Sandler Center Foundation and the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission.
The Music of Journey • 5/17 & 5/18
Thursday, May 17, 2018 | 8PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Friday, May 18, 2018 | 8PM | Ferguson Center for the Arts
Forever Yours. Faithfully. For decades, Journey has been one of the world’s most revered rock bands of all time. With 25 gold and platinum albums, and 19 Top 40 singles, this year the world celebrates their influence with the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Join Benjamin Rous and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra for its own celebration of the band that never stopped believing. The Music of Journey boasts all the beloved rock ballads and hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Lights,” and “Faithfully.”
Chia-Hsuan Lin, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Rique Franks, vocals
Kathryn Rose, vocals
Katalin Kiss, vocals
Ian Jutsun, vocals
Bob McAlpine, guitar
Steve Lucas, bass
Kevin Adamson, piano
Jeff Christmas, drums
Newport News POPS! Series Sponsor:
Norfolk POPS! Series Sponsor:
Norfolk POPS! Concert Sponsor: Southern Bank, Grow
Partial support is provided by the Business Consortium for Arts Support, Newport News Arts Commission, City of Norfolk, and the Virginia Commission from the Arts.
Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead • 5/20
Sunday, May 20, 2018 | 3 PM | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
The composer is dead! But where is the culprit lurking? In the strings? The lower brass? The woodwinds? Young music-loving sleuths can unravel the mystery in a concert of wit, wonder and whimsy! Experience how all the instruments of the symphony combine to bring the story to life!
Jeff Phelps, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Virginia Beach PB&J Series Sponsor:
Mozart & Copland • 5/25
Friday, May 25, 2018 | 8PM | Regent University, Virginia Beach
This remarkable performance will feature signature works by two musical icons – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arguably the greatest composer of all time, and “America’s foremost composer,” Aaron Copland. Mozart’s Haffner Symphony is one of his most famous, and like many of his works, it has a backstory nearly as interesting as the music itself. Copland’s Appalachian Spring was a commission by famed dancer Martha Graham and, throughout the years, has become an American anthem as important to our national heritage as apple pie.
Benjamin Rous, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni
Mozart: Symphony No. 35, Haffner
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Copland: “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo
Virginia Beach Regent University Classics Series Sponsor:
Afternoon Encores • 5/29
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 | 2:00PM | Denbigh Community Center, Newport News
A special concert for the Senior Community of Hampton Roads
Robert Shoup, conductor
Enjoy a look back in time with familiar light classics and favorite popular tunes. Join the musicians of the Virginia Symphony on a musical tour through the years with romantic strings, rousing marches, and toe-tapping favorites. We’ll even throw in a sing-along for the young at heart!
Accommodations for wheelchairs, scooters and other assistive devices will be available. If you have a question about accessibility, please ask! We welcome your questions and look forward to welcoming you! Ushers will be on hand to greet you and your friends at this fun and memorable event! The concert will last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes.
TICKETS $25 PER PERSON AND $20 PER PERSON FOR GROUPS
Star Spangled Banner
Rossini: William Tell Overture
Beethoven: Mvt. 1, Symphony No. 5
Bernstein, arr. Mason: Selections from West Side Story
Rous (arr.): Aura Le
Willson, arr. Hayman: Music Man Selections
Williams (arr.): Hooray for Hollywood
Copland: Hoedown
Patriotic Singalong
Sousa: Washington Post March
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Concert in the Park: The Music of Elton John, a Summer Pops Concert • 7/29
July 29, 2018 | Town Point Park, Downtown Norfolk Waterfront, Virginia | 6pm-10pm
Free & open to the public!
The park opens at 6pm for picnics. The concert begins at 8pm.
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra concert is the fourth concert, in a series of 5 annual summer concerts that feature national recording artists, all sponsored by the Patricia and Douglas Perry Foundation.
Produced by Norfolk Festevents, admission to the concert is free and open to the public. Open lawn seating is available and picnics are welcome. The evening will include gourmet artisan foods and beverages for purchase. Town Point Park will open at 6pm for pre-concert picnics. The show begins at 8pm.
Sir Elton John, with 37 gold and 27 multi-platinum albums and 250 million records sold worldwide, the third-most successful artist in the history of the American charts (behind only Elvis and The Beatles), is a force of musical nature. It’s reasonable to say no one can hold a Candle in the Wind to the astronomic Rocket Man, who has been honored time and again for his poignant and transcendent rock ballads that still hum in the hearts of listeners worldwide. This year, we pay special tribute to one of culture’s most enduring performers as Sir Elton John embarks upon his final tour. Join us as we honor and celebrate this larger-than-life Pop Rock icon with The Music of Elton John.
CommUNITY Play-In & Sing-Along • 9/9
Sunday, September 9, 2018 | Scope Arena, Norfolk
Join the VSO in a celebration of brotherhood, unity, and peace in remembrance of 9-11. Originally created in 2017 in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, this annual event embraces our community’s cultural richness and diversity, uniting people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds through participation in music, dance and spoken word. Music will be available for any instrument at any level, so come play and sing with us!
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
Faith-The Music of George Michael • 9/14 & 9/15
Friday, September 14, 2018 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, September 15, 2018 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
With over 115 million records sold world-wide, George Michael secured his place in pop music history long before his untimely death on Christmas Day in 2016. A voice of his generation, his iconic style and high-energy songs spanned a 30-year career. Join the Virginia Symphony Orchestra for a special tribute to this superstar, performing his best hits like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “I’m Your Man,” “Faith,” and “Careless Whisper.”
Pictures at an Exhibition • 9/21 – 9/23
Friday, September 21, 2018 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, September 22, 2018 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, September 23, 2018 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
Saunter into a new season with Pictures at an Exhibition. Mussorgsky’s most famous composition, written in just twenty days, is a suite of 10 pieces depicting his tour of a memorial exhibition for his late friend, the painter and architect Victor Hartmann. JoAnn Falletta and the VSO will perform Ravel’s orchestration of this picturesque masterpiece. Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture makes for a triumphant opening to this program before world-class violinist Sandy Cameron takes the stage to perform acclaimed film composer Danny Elfman’s Violin Concerto, recently premiered in June 2017 with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Sandy Cameron, violin
Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
Elfman: Violin Concerto
Mussorgsky/arr. Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
Boléro • 10/19 – 10/21
Friday, October 19, 2018 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, October 20, 2018 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, October 21, 2018 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
Building on the momentum of our opening night, JoAnn Falletta and the VSO return for Ravel’s most famous work, Boléro. This melodic, whimsical work – originally composed as a ballet – is a perfect example of Ravel’s preoccupation with restyling and reinventing dance movements. The program begins with the Fourth Piano Concerto by Canadian composer André Mathieu, performed by guest artist Alain Lefèvre, who worked with conductor and composer Gilles Bellemare to reconstruct the composition that was lost for 70 years. At the height of the concert is Poulenc’s most celebrated work, Gloria.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Alain Lefèvre, piano
Anna Feucht, soprano
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Robert Shoup, chorus master
Tailleferre: Overture
Mathieu: Piano Concerto No. 4
Poulenc: Gloria
Ravel: Boléro
The Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel • 11/3
Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Michael Krajewski, conductor
AJ Swearingen & Jonathan Beedle, vocals
Theirs was the harmony of a generation. Popular conductor Michael Krajewski returns to the VSO with two outstanding singers and band to lead this tribute, featuring Simon & Garfunkel’s greatest hits: “The Sounds of Silence,” “Scarborough Fair,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Boxer,” and many more. This show is sure to leave you Feelin’ Groovy.
Latin Spirit • 11/15
Thursday, November 15, 2018 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 8PM
The 2018-2019 Regent Classics Series begins with a program of Spanish and South American origins. We’ll hear from a variety of composers hailing from Spain, Chile and Argentina for a dynamic, colorful program that highlights some familiar and some not-so-familiar works. The lush, whimsical sound of Soro’s Three Chilean Aires will sweep you away. The romantic tangos of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires featuring Concertmaster Vahn Armstrong will leave your heart racing and toes tapping. Then we dive into de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat Suite No. 1 with its lively characters and drama, followed by Ginastera’s folkloric and expressive Concert Variations.
Vahn Armstrong, violin
Soro: Tres aires chilenos
Piazzolla: Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas
de Falla: El Sombrero de tres picos, Suite No. 1
Ginastera: Variaciones concertantes
Latin Flair • 11/17
Saturday, November 17, 2018 | 8PM | CrossWalk Church, Williamsburg
The 2018-2019 Williamsburg Classics Series begins with a program of Spanish and South American origins. We’ll hear from a variety of composers hailing from Spain, Chile and Argentina for a dynamic, colorful program that highlights some familiar and some not-so-familiar works. The lush, whimsical sound of Soro’s Three Chilean Aires will sweep you away. The romantic tangos of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires featuring Concertmaster Vahn Armstrong will leave your heart racing and toes tapping. Then we dive into de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat Suite No. 1 with its lively characters and drama, followed by Ginastera’s folkloric and expressive Concert Variations.
Vahn Armstrong, violin
Soro: Tres aires chilenos
Piazzolla: Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas
de Falla: El Sombrero de tres picos, Suite No. 1
Ginastera: Variaciones concertantes
Winter Dreams • 11/30 & 12/2
Friday, November 30, 2018 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Sunday, December 2, 2018 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
“Winter is coming….” Usher in the season with the VSO in a program featuring an homage to winter featuring Glazunov’s picturesque Winter from The Seasons. Celebrated cellist Julian Schwarz returns with Tchaikovsky’s delightful Rococo Variations. The VSO then takes a trip north to Finland for Sibelius’ evocative Fifth Symphony. We close with a rare treat on the concert stage, the climactic Pas de Deux from Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Julian Schwarz, cello
Glazunov: Winter from The Seasons, Op. 67
Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations for Cello and Orchestra
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky: Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker
Hallelujah • 12/13
Thursday, December 13, 2018 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 8PM
Join the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and VSO Chorus for the time-honored Christmas tradition of George Frideric Handel’s revered oratorio, Messiah. Get in the spirit of the season with this distinguished performance of Handel’s sacred masterpiece that presents the austere and dramatic narrative of the Messiah. From Isaiah’s prophecies to the Hallelujah Chorus, you will be brought to your feet in the Messiah performance of the season.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Robert Shoup, chorusmaster
Handel: Messiah
Handel’s Messiah • 12/14 & 12/15
Friday, December 14, 2018 | First Baptist Church, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, December 15, 2018 | Harrison Opera House, Norfolk | 8PM
Join the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and VSO Chorus for the time-honored Christmas tradition of George Frideric Handel’s revered oratorio, Messiah. Get in the spirit of the season with this distinguished performance of Handel’s sacred masterpiece that presents the austere and dramatic narrative of the Messiah. From Isaiah’s prophecies to the Hallelujah Chorus, you will be brought to your feet in the Messiah performance of the season.
Handel: Messiah
Holiday Brass • 12/14
Friday, December 14, 2018 | St. Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg | 8PM
Holiday Pops! • 12/20 – 12/22
Thursday, December 20, 2018 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Friday, December 21, 2018 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Saturday, December 22, 2018 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 8PM
Robert Shoup, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Join us for the must-see holiday tradition of the season – Holiday Pops! There’s no better way to lift your spirits than with seasonal songs and traditional carols delivered in full sound and spectacle by the Virginia Symphony, the inspirational voices of Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and special guests. Led by conductor Robert Shoup, Holiday Pops and will have all the magical elements you’ve come to expect Holiday Pops—high energy, familiar carols and lots of holiday warmth! And we’ll even throw in a surprise or two! We can’t wait to celebrate the season with all of you!
Broadway A to Z … ABBA to Lez Miz!™ • 1/18 & 1/19
Friday, January 18, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, January 19, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
We’re back with the best of Broadway! Your favorite Broadway hits spanning the decades, from Jerome Kern to Comden and Green. Featuring songs from: SHOWBOAT, Les Misèrables, Guys and Dolls, The King And I, Peter Pan, Rent, West Side Story, La Cage Aux Folles, Cabaret, and The Music Man. These are the songs that you and all Broadway fans around the world want to hear sung by the current stars of Broadway!
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 • 1/25 – 1/27
Friday, January 25, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, January 26, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, January 27, 2019 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
Composed during a health retreat in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, in today’s Czech Republic, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 is one the composer considered to be among his best works. It gained instant popularity for its second movement, Allegretto, which was encored at the premiere in which Beethoven conducted. To open our program, the VSO is joined by soloist Sirena Huang for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, the largest orchestral work by the composer.
Thom Wilkins, conductor
Sirena Huang, violin
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
Beethoven Symphony No. 8 • 2/1
Friday, February 1, 2019 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 8PM
This program is centered around the concept of identity and the risks involved in being true to one’s self. Each composer in this program struggled with his own secrets. The concert opens with an overture to Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, in which Leonore must disguise herself as a prison guard to rescue her husband. George Corbett performs the Concertino for English Horn by Italian composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. Then, Copland’s Quiet City, featuring VSO principal trumpet David Vonderheide and English horn George Corbett. This piece represents a character from the Shaw play of the same name, who abandons his heritage and dreams in exchange for his material wealth and success. The program concludes with Beethoven’s cheerful Symphony No. 8, full of joy despite the loss of his hearing.
George Corbett, English horn
David Vonderheide, trumpet
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
Wolf-Ferrari: Concertino for English Horn
Copland: Quiet City
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Hidden Identity • 2/2
Saturday, February 2, 2019 | Crosswalk Church, Williamsburg | 8PM
This program is centered around the concept of identity and the risks involved in being true to one’s own. Each composer in this program struggled with his own secrets. The concert opens with an overture to Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, in which Leonore must disguise herself as a prison guard to rescue her husband. George Corbett makes his VSO solo debut, performing the Concertino for English Horn by Italian composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. Then, Copland’s Quiet City, featuring VSO principal trumpet David Vonderheide and English horn George Corbett. This piece represents a character from the Shaw play of the same name, who abandons his heritage and dreams in exchange for his material wealth and success. The program concludes with Beethoven’s cheerful Symphony No. 8, full of joy despite his onset of deafness.
George Corbett, English horn
David Vonderheide, trumpet
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
Wolf-Ferrari: Concertino for English Horn
Copland: Quiet City
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Grieg Piano Concerto • 3/9 & 3/10
Saturday, March 9, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, March 10, 2019 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
Guest artist Jeffrey Biegel joins the VSO for one of the most-loved concertos of all time, Grieg’s Piano Concerto. This concerto is among Grieg’s earliest important works and the only concerto the composer completed. Written in just a month in the summer of 1944, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 was intended to be “a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit.” This triumphant and electrifying composition has remained one of his most popular works.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Jeffrey Biegel, piano
Bantock: Kishmul’s Galley
Grieg: Piano Concerto
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5
Artistic Innovations • 3/15
Friday, March 15, 2019 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 8PM
This concert is a celebration of innovation, examining works in which each composer borrows classic forms and makes them new. The concert opens with Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Haydn – often said to be the first independent set of variations for orchestra in the history of music. The concert then shifts to Mozart’s lovely Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra, featuring VSO principal musicians Debra Wendells Cross and Barbara Chapman. The second half opens with Puccini’s dark-hued, melodic Chrysanthemums. We close with Stravinsky’s neoclassical masterpiece, Pulcinella. This suite is from a one-act ballet with original costumes and sets designed by Pablo Picasso.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Debra Wendells Cross, flute
Barbara Chapman, harp
Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Haydn
Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra K. 299
Puccini: Chrysanthemums
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite
Classics Reborn • 3/16
Saturday, March 16, 2019 | Crosswalk Church, Williamsburg | 8PM
Debra Wendells Cross, flute
Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Haydn
Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra K. 299
Puccini: Chrysanthemums
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite
A Mozart Celebration • 3/21 – 3/24
Thursday, March 21, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, March 23, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, March 24, 2019 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
Guest conductor Scott Yoo, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Mexico City Philharmonic, takes the helm of this magnificent Mozart program. Symphony No. 39 is the first of a set of three symphonies, the last set he composed. Its opening is “so majestic that it so surprised even the coldest, most insensitive listener.” The program opens with the Overture to The Magic Flute before Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, a work that blends symphony with concerto in this small-ensemble masterpiece. With its rich harmonies and incandescent themes, the work has inspired arrangers and composers for centuries. This beautiful piece, the only surviving complete concerto for this combination of instruments, features principal musicians of the VSO.
Scott Yoo, conductor
Sherie Aguirre, oboe
Michael Byerly, clarinet
Laura Leisring, bassoon
Jacob Wilder, horn
Mozart: Overture to The Magic Flute
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 297b
Mozart: Symphony No. 39
Gershwin’s Rhapsody and More! • 3/28 & 3/29
Thursday, March 28, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Friday, March 29, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Kevin Cole, piano
Hailed “America’s Pianist,” Kevin Cole joins the VSO to pay homage to great American jazz giant George Gershwin! Chicago Tribune raves “When Cole sits down at the piano, you would swear Gershwin himself was at work… Cole stands as the best Gershwin pianist in America today.” Don’t miss this grand finale to an incredible POPS season featuring “Rhapsody in Blue” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”.
A Night at the Movies • 4/5 – 4/7
Friday, April 5, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, April 6, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, April 7, 2019 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM
Join the VSO for a Night at the Movies! From the composer of the score to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tan Dun’s Pipa Concerto features a first for local audiences. The pipa is a traditional Chinese four-stringed instrument, and soloist Wu Man is one of the world’s leading performers, having worked with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. John Williams’ hauntingly beautiful music from Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind will be one of the many film scores featured.
Wu Man, pipa
Tan Dun: Pipa Concerto
Rózsa: Hitchcock’s Spellbound
John Williams: Close Encounters
Mahler Symphony No. 2 • 4/19 & 4/20
Friday, April 19, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, April 20, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
The 2018-19 Classics Season comes to a close with one of the greatest symphonies of all time. Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, among his most popular and successful works during his lifetime, demonstrates his vision of beauty in the afterlife and in resurrection. Characteristic of Mahler, the symphony is written for a huge orchestra and runs the gamut of emotions in the contemplation of life and death.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Robert Shoup, chorus master
Mahler: Symphony No. 2
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Damon Gupton held the post of assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony from 2006 to 2008. Gupton received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Michigan. He studied conducting with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin at the Aspen Music Festival and with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C. He served as American conducting fellow of the Houston Symphony for the 2004/2005 season, and has made conducting appearances with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, The Cincinnati Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM, Brass Band of Battle Creek, New York University Steinhardt Orchestra, Kinhaven Music School Orchestra, Vermont Music Festival Orchestra, Michigan Youth Arts Festival Honors Orchestra and Sphinx Symphony as part of the 12th annual Sphinx Competition. He led the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on a national tour with performances at Carnegie Hall and a well reviewed recording available at White Pine Music. 
Lauded for her clarity and elegance on the podium, Chia-Hsuan Lin has shared her talents in many diverse musical settings throughout the world. Lin continues her second season as Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony and as Music Director of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra in 2017. Her '16-'17 season featured sold-out concerts in the RSO's Metro Collection Series and "The Genius of John Williams" pops show, and a crowd of 10,700 for Henrico County's "Red, White, and Lights" Independence Day celebration.
Benjamin Rous