Virginia Symphony 2010-11

The Virginia Symphony celebrates its 90th anniversary, and the 20th of its music director, JoAnn Falletta, in a 2010-11 season that will feature pianists Olga Kern and Susan Starr, percussionist Colin Currie, violinist Chee Yun and cellist Julian Schwarz as guest soloists; and the premiere of a work by the prominent American composer Lowell Liebermann.

Major standard orchestral repertory for the season includes Tchaikovsky’s Fifth, Beethoven’s "Pastoral," Schumann’s "Rhenish," Mozart’s "Linz" and Samuel Barber’s First symphonies; Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Scheherazade" and Carl Orff’s "Carmina Burana." Also on the schedule are works by contemporary composers Michael Daugherty, Robert Sirota and Einojuhani Rautavaara.

The Hampton Roads-based orchestra will present two classical series, a pops series, family concerts and Christmas-season performances from September to April at six venues, Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, the Ferguson Arts Center of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, the Sandler Arts Center in Virginia Beach, St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Regent University Theater in Virginia Beach and Harrison Opera House in Norfolk.

To obtain a season brochure, subscription ticket prices or more information, call (757) 892-6366 or visit www.virginiasymphony.org

The Virginia Symphony’s 2010-11 schedule:

CLASSICAL
8 p.m. unless listed otherwise

Sept. 10 (Ferguson Center), Sept. 11 (Chrysler Hall), Sept. 12 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Robert Sirota: "A Rush of Wings;" Glazunov: Violin Concerto (Chee Yun, violin); Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5.

Sept. 25 (Chrysler Hall), Sept. 26 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Schmitt: Suite No. 1 from "Antony and Cleopatra;" Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 (Erica Cicarelli, piano); Berlioz: "Romeo and Juliet" (excerpts).

Oct. 28 (Ferguson Center), Oct. 30 (Chrysler Hall), Oct. 31 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Bantock: "Witch of Atlas;" Michael Daugherty: "UFO" (Colin Currie, percussion); Rachmaninoff: "Isle of the Dead;" Boito: "Prologue in Heaven" from "Mefistofele."

Nov. 5 (Ferguson Center), Nov. 6 (Chrysler Hall), Nov. 7 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Lowell Liebermann: work TBA (premiere); Haydn: Cello Concerto in C major (Julian Schwarz, cello); Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral").

Nov. 18 (St. Bede), Nov. 20 (Regent Theater) – conductor TBA. Sibelius: "Pelléas and Mélisande;" Bottesini: "Grand Duo Concertante" (Pavel Ilyashov, violin; Chris White, bass); Beethoven: Symphony No. 4.

Dec. 10 (St. Bede), Dec. 11 (Regent Theater), Dec. 12 (Ferguson Center) – JoAnn Falleta conducting. Handel: "Messiah" (soloists TBA, Virginia Symphony Chorus).

Jan. 21 (Ferguson Center), Jan. 22 (Chrysler Hall), Jan. 23 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Barber: Symphony No. 1; Orff: "Carmina Burana" (Amy Cofield Williamson, soprano; Scott Williamson, tenor; Andrew Garland, baritone; Virginia Symphony Chorus).

March 11 (Ferguson Center), March 12 (Chrysler Hall); March 13 (Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Rautavaara: "Isle of Bliss;" Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 (Olga Kern, piano); Brahms: Symphony No. 4.

March 17 (St. Bede), March 18 (Regent Theater) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Györgi Ligeti: "Concert Romanesc;" Barber: Violin Concerto (Vahn Armstrong, violin); Mozart: "Coronation" Mass (soloists TBA, Virginia Symphony Chorus).

March 25 (Ferguson Center), March 26 (Chrysler Hall) – Jesús Amigo conducting. Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Susan Starr, piano); Mozart: Symphony No. 36 ("Linz"); Schumann: Symphony No. 3 ("Rhenish").

April 8 (Ferguson Center), April 9 (Chrysler Hall), April 10 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falleta conducting. Bach: Concerto in D major (after Vivaldi); Arutunian: Trumpet Concerto (Joe Burgstaller, trumpet); Rimsky-Korsakov: "Scheherazade."

POPS
8 p.m. unless listed otherwise

Oct. 9 (Chrysler Hall) – conductor TBA. Aaron Neville, guest star.

Dec. 17 (Harrison Opera House), Dec. 18 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – Robert Shoup conducting. "Holiday Pops!" (Virginia Symphony Chorus).

Jan. 27 (St. Bede), Jan. 28 (Regent Theater), Jan. 29 (Chrysler Hall) – Bob Bernhardt conducting. Copland: "Four Dance Episodes" from "On the Town," "Our Town;" Porter: "Within the Quota;" Gershwin: "Rhapsody in Blue" (Robert Thies, piano), "An American in Paris," Lullaby for strings.

March 5 (Chrysler Hall) – conductor TBA. "A Classical Mystery Tour," with original cast of the Broadway musical "Beatlemania."

April 2 (Chrysler Hall) – conductor TBA. "Three Broadway Divas," starring Debbie Gravitte, Jan Hervath and Christiane Noll, vocalists.


FAMILY CONCERTS
3 p.m., Chrysler Hall

Nov. 14 – Matthew Kraemer conducting. "All Aboard!" music inspired by trains.

Feb. 6 – conductor TBA. "A Seussical Adventure," Robert Kapilow’s music based on Dr. Seuss stories.

March 6 – conductor TBA. "An Afternoon at the Museum" (Anna Celenza, narrator & author).

April 3 – conductor TBA. "The Classical Clown" with Dan Kamin.