Published on September 21, 2017
Victor Wooten, Grammy award-winning bassist and a graduate of Denbigh High School, will perform with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra this weekend at three venues in Hampton Roads.
A founding member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Wooten was named one of the “Top 10 Bassists of All Time,” by Rolling Stone magazine readers. According to his biography, Wooten began playing bass with his family’s band at age 5 and performed with family members at Busch Gardens in the 1980s.
“There’s nothing better than coming home to share my love of music with family and friends,” Wooten told the Daily Press via email.
This weekend’s performances will open the 97th season for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and will begin with the orchestra’s premiere of Randall Svane’s “Quantam.” Next, Wooten will perform “Bass Whisperer” on the electric bass, co-written by him and Conni Ellisor.
For the last segment of the performance, the orchestra will play 20th-century composer Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” The piece serves as a tribute to NASA Langley Research Center’s centennial, according to a news release from the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
“This is going to be an electrifying opening weekend,” said music director JoAnn Falletta in a news release. She will conduct the performances 8 p.m. Friday at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, 8 p.m. Saturday at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach.
“The Planets” contains seven movements, all “named after a planet in the solar system and its related astrological character,” the release said. The piece was written between 1915 and 1916, and premiered Sept. 29, 1918, in Queen’s Hall in London, according to the release.
Holst’s “The Planets” has infiltrated pop-culture throughout history and influenced music on TV and in movies such as Star Wars, said Ray Landon, Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus manager.
“It’s exciting for the audience when they hear the no-kidding original stuff that may have led to some other popular themes they’ve heard recently,” Landon said.
The women chorus members will add a unique aspect to the performance, Landon said.
“We have amazing soprano and alto section that put a lot of energy and a lot of feeling into it,” Landon said. “It will be spectacular.”
Tickets begin at $25 and can be purchased by phone at 757-892-6366 or by visiting virginiasymphony.org.
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