Virginia Symphony Orchestra

2018-2019 Full Concert Schedule

Roarchestra • 4/28

Sunday, April 28, 2019 | The Virginia Zoo, Norfolk | 2PM

Thanks to Bank of America, bring your family and friends to enjoy a special evening at the Virginia Zoo as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performs outdoors. Pack you blankets and chairs to enjoy a classic evening under the stars at this outdoor, kid-friendly concert. Under the baton of Assistant Conductor Gonzalo Farias, the Symphony will perform family favorites.

Please note: no outside food or drink is permitted.

Location: Event Field

Cost: Regular Zoo Admission; Virginia Zoo Members and named Bank of America cardholders have free admission to this event. One Bank of America card equals one admission.

Gonzalo Farias, conductor

John Williams: Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone
Elgar: G.R.S. (The Bulldog) from Enigma Variations, op. 36
Anderson: The Waltzing Cat
Saint-Saëns: Tortoise from Carnival of the Animals
Offenbach: “Can-Can” from Orpheus in the Underworld
Rossini: Overture to La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie)
de Sarasate: Introduction and Tarantella, op. 43
James Newton Howard: Suite from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Stravinsky: Infernal Dance from The Firbird
De Abreu: Tico Tico
Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee
Alomia Robles: El Cóndor Pasa
Alan Menken: Beauty and the Beast
Tchaikovsky: Theme and Finale from Swan Lake, op. 20a

Presented by
Bank of America and The Virginia Zoo

Violin Masterclass with Vahn Armstrong • 5/4

Click here to apply

Saturday, May 4, 2019 | Hidenwood Presbyterian Church, 414 Hiden Blvd, Newport News | 3PM

To participate in the masterclass, students must submit an application by mail, postmarked by April 26, 2019.
Include all 3 of the following:
– Application form
– Audition recording (audio or video-may also be sent via email to cdunn@virginiasymphony.org)
– $10 application fee (make check payable to: VSO)

Mail to:
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
ATTN: Carolyn Dunn Buying
150 Boush Street, Suite 201
Norfolk, VA  23510

FREE and open to the public, no reservation required

Call or email for more information:
Phone: 757-213-1438
Email: cdunn@virginiasymphony.org

The Music of Star Wars • 5/4

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Saturday, May 4, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 7:30PM

Back by popular demand, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra will perform music from the iconic film franchise Star Wars. Experience the entire saga through the films’ scores written by the legendary John Williams, including music from Rogue One and the recently released Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

John Williams is a fifty-time Oscar nominee for his music, and is well-known for his vast musical film credits spanning from Jaws to E.T. and Harry Potter. His score to George Lucas’s two Star Wars trilogies are widely celebrated.  Williams’s Star Wars score stands out especially among the strong showing of science-fiction cinema in 1977, the year Star Wars premiere. NPR notes that “[Williams’s] mastery of melody and deftness of tone make the Star Wars scores a signal achievement in the history of cinema.”

Chelsea Tipton, conductor

Princesses and Pirates • 5/12

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Sunday, May 12, 2019 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 3PM

Ahoy Mateys!  Join the Virginia Symphony Orchestra on a magical journey of orchestral treasures perfect for Princesses and Pirates!  This musical adventure awaits young royalty and mariners ready to discover all the excitement of the symphony! Sing along to well- known songs and movie scores by Disney and other favorites.  Come dressed in your best princess or pirate costume and escape to a magical world!

Pre-concert activities start at 2 p.m.

Gonzalo Farias , conductor

PB&J Series Sponsor:

Afternoon Encores • 5/28 & 5/30

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Tuesday, May 28, 2019 | Denbigh Community Center, Newport News | 2PM

Thursday, May 30, 2019 | Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach | 2PM

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!

TICKETS $25 PER PERSON AND $20 PER PERSON FOR GROUPS

Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Accommodations for wheelchairs, scooters and other assistive devices will be available.
The concert will last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes.

Gonzalo Farias, conductor

Dvorák: Carnival Overture, op. 92
Robles: El Condor Pasa
Offenbach: Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld
Anderson: The Waltzing Cat
Rossini: La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie)
Abreu: Tico-Tico
Loewe/Bennett: My Fair Lady
Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee
Hosay: Sing Along
Tchaikovsky: Theme and Finale from Swan Lake

Presented by
The Neptune Festival and Newport News Parks, Recreation and Tourism

CommUNITY Play-In & Sing-Along • 9/8

Sunday, September 9, 2019 | Scope Arena, Norfolk | 4PM

Join the VSO in a celebration of brotherhood, unity, and peace in remembrance of 9-11. 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.

Queens of Soul • 9/20 – 9/21

Friday, September 20, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, September 21, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, that’s what the “Queens of Soul” have earned selling millions of albums and countless chart-topping hits. Rock out with the full power of a symphony orchestra and vocalists on the tunes of the strongest women in musical history — including Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, and Adele. Bring your girlfriends and sing out loud and proud!

Shayna Steele, vocalist

Music of Neil Diamond • 11/7 – 11/9

Thursday, November 7, 2019  |  Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 7:30PM
Saturday, November 9, 2019 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM

One of the best-selling singer/songwriters of all time, Neil Diamond, gave us unforgettable Top Ten hits like “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue,” “America” and “Desiree.” The VSO has invited Jay White, who has performed more than 2,000 Neil Diamond Las Vegas casino shows, to perform with us in a tribute show for true lovers of the Neil Diamond mystique. Jay captures Diamond’s essence and charismatic stage presence, along with an uncanny vocal and physical likeness. Backed up by the full Virginia Symphony, this is an unparalleled tribute to the man himself! The quality and depth of this show will thrill current Diamond fans and is sure to make new ones.

Vivaldi • 11/21 & 11/23

Thursday, November 21, 2019 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 7:30PM

Saturday, November 23, 2019 | Crosswalk Church, Williamsburg | 7:30PM

Returning to the VSO stage, popular former Resident Conductor Benjamin Rous opens the 2019-2020 Regional Classics Series with a concerto that deserves to be singled out among the hundreds that Vivaldi wrote. VSO’s own take center stage in Vivaldi’s electrifying Concerto for Two Cellos. Additional works by Vivaldi and other masters of the Baroque era, round out this energetic, fast-paced program.

Benjamin Rous, conductor
Michael Daniels, cello
Rebecca Gilmore, cello

Vivaldi: Concerto for Two Cellos
Vivaldi: Sinfonia in B minor, Al Santo Sepolcro
Vivaldi: Concert for String in G major, Alla Rustica

Holiday Pops! • 12/13 – 12/15

Friday, December 13, 2019 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, December 14, 2019 | Harrison Opera House Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, December 15, 2019 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 7PM

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. Holiday Pops will have all the magical elements you’ve come to expect —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

Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Robert Shoup, chorusmaster

Sponsored By

Holiday Brass • 12/18

Wednesday, December 18, 2019 | St. Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg | 7:30PM

The bold sounds of the Virginia Symphony brass section ring in the holidays with a blast! Experience the festive sounds of the season in a concert filled with wit, virtuosity, and the glorious music of the holidays—featuring the VSO brass and percussion sections in an all-new program. You’ll enjoy music from a variety of styles that have made this concert a new holiday tradition!

 
 

Mozart • 2/6 & 2/8

Thursday, February 6, 2020 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 7:30PM

Saturday, February 8, 2020 | Crosswalk Church, Williamsburg | 7:30PM

From the opening notes of the charming overture to Mozart’s final opera, this concert will be a thrill for lovers of that ever-popular composer.  The VSO welcomes for the first time 22-year-old violin prodigy Randall Goosby, who made his first solo appearance with a professional orchestra when he was only nine.  Since that debut, he’s been the winner of numerous prizes including firsts with Young Concert Artists and the Sphinx Competition and has studied with renowned masters of the violin including Itzhak Perlman.  The concert will close with Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony, not only that composer’s largest and most complex symphony but regarded by many as one of the greatest symphonies of all time.  Don’t miss this blockbuster evening!

Randall Goosby, violin

Mozart: Clemenza di Tito Overture
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4
Mozart: Symphony No, 41, Jupiter

Dancing & Romancing • 2/13 – 2/14

Thursday, February 13, 2020 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 7:30PM
Friday, February 14, 2020 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM

You’ll be transported back to a place and time when dancing and romancing were king, with magical songs such as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Singing in the Rain,” “All That Jazz,” “In the Mood,” “That Old Black Magic,” and many more romantic, dance-filled favorites. Broadway and Hollywood combine for a romantic and entertaining evening of song and dance with two veterans of the Broadway stage. Inspired by the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Gene Kelly, this evening will put a song in your heart and have you dancing in the aisles!

Mahler Symphony No. 4 • 2/21-2/23

Friday, February 21, 2020 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, February 22, 2020 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM
Sunday, February 23, 2020 | Sandler Center for the Perfoming Arts, Virginia Beach | 2:30PM

“Danzmayr has what it takes,” wrote The Chicago Tribune of David Danzmayr’s performances leading the Illinois Symphony. Last year, Danzmayr was appointed chief conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic – part of an extensive European career of concerts in venues like Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, and the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg. One of his shorter symphonies, Mahler’s fourth is that last of his so-called Wunderhorn symphonies, all based on songs from The Youth’s Magic Horn – and is one of his most popular and widely performed.

David Danzmayr, conductor
Clara Rottsolk, soprano

Mozart: Divertimento KV 136
Mozart: Voi avete un cor Fedele
Mahler: Symphony No. 4

Strauss • 3/13 & 3/14

Friday, March 13, 2020 | Regent University, Virginia Beach | 7:30PM

Saturday, March 14, 2020 | Jamestown High School, Williamsburg | 7:30PM

Join JoAnn Falletta as she makes her final appearances on the podium at Regent University and Williamsburg as VSO Music Director. From JoAnn herself: “My years with our beloved Regent University audience has been the happiest time of my life.  As my last concert in this series, I have picked a favorite composer – Richard Strauss – and one of the brilliant stars of the VSO- hornist Jacob Wilder – to say farewell to my wonderful friends.” It will be a special night of appreciation and celebration to remember!

JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Jacob Wilder, horn

Strauss: Serenade for Winds
Strauss: Concerto for Horn No. 1
Strauss: Suite from Ariadne auf Naxos

The Streisand Songbook • 3/20 – 3/21

Friday, March 20, 2020 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 8PM
Saturday, March 21, 2020 | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk | 8PM

Join the Virginia Symphony as we celebrate the music of one of America’s most powerful and enduring musical artists. Singing timeless classics from five decades of Barbra Streisand’s multi-faceted career, Platinum Award Winning singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway will show off her gorgeous voice with iconic hits like “The Way We Were,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade”, and “Cry Me a River.” Callaway, who was named Broadwayworld.com Performer of the Year, is a master of Streisand’s style and of the American songbook. Don’t miss her stellar first performance with the VSO!

An engaging orchestral conductor, award-winning pianist and passionate educator, Gonzalo Farias, has been recently appointed Assistant Conductor of the Virginia Symphony. Under the guidance of JoAnn Falleta, Mr. Farias’ ambition is to establish music-making as a way of rethinking our place in society by cultivating respect, trust, and cooperation among all people in the community.

He is the Associate Conductor of the Occasional Symphony in Baltimore and was the recipient of the prestigious Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Conducting Fellowship in 2016 and 2017. Mentored by Marin Alsop, he assisted conductors Robert Spano, Bernard Labadie, Markus Stenz, Christoph König, Johannes Debus, Lahav Shani, among others; he has worked with instrumentalists like Hélène Grimaud, Vadim Gluzman, Johannes Moser, André Watts, and composers Christopher Theofinidis, Anna Clyne, Jonathan Leshnoff, Christopher Rouse, among many others.

As Music Director of the Joliet Symphony Orchestra Farias transformed the city of Joliet embracing the Hispanic residents of the greater Chicago area with pre-concert lectures, free tickets, Latin-based repertoire, and a unique side-by-side Spanish/English narration of Bizet’s Carmen.

During the summer, Mr. Farias has worked closely with Jaap Van Zweden and Johannes Schlaefli in the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland as well as with Neeme and Paavo Järvi at the Pärnu Music Festival. In the United States, he was the recipient of the prestigious Bruno Walter Conducting Scholarship twice at the Cabrillo Music Festival and named “Emergent Conductor” by Victor Yampolsky at the Peninsula Music Festival. He attended also the Pierre Monteux Festival where he received the Bernard Osher Scholar Prize.

Out of 566 applicants and 78 countries, he was recently chosen one of 24 finalists in the prestigious 2018 Malko Conducting Competition with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Hailed by the Gramophone magazine critics, Mr. Farias offered one the “most fluent, honest, open hearted and pointed performances.”. He has conducting experience with orchestras including Charlotte Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Zagreb Philharmonic, National Symphony of Chile, among others.

Mr. Farias was born in Santiago de Chile, where he began his piano studies at age five. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the P.C. University of Chile, and then continued his graduate studies at the New England Conservatory as a full-scholarship student of Wha-Kyung Byun and Russell Sherman. He has won first prize at the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition and prizes at the Maria Canals and Luis Sigall Piano Competitions. As a conductor, Mr. Farias attended the University of Illinois working with Donald Schleicher and the Peabody Conservatory with Marin Alsop.

Besides having a fond love for piano, chamber, and contemporary music, Mr. Farias is passionate reader of second-order cybernetics as a way to help understand how complex social systems organize, coordinate and interconnect with one another. This includes the interdependent and recursive nature of musical experiences, in which performers and audiences alike interact and respond to each other. In addition to that, he has a warm affection for Zen Buddhism, which he has practiced for many years.