2010-11 season overview

Richmond’s 2010-11 classical season sees the arrival of new artistic and organizational leaders – Steven Smith, the Richmond Symphony’s fifth music director; Deborah Sommers, the new executive director of the Modlin Arts Center at the University of Richmond; and the newness doesn’t stop there.

The season boasts an extensive and varied lineup of new and recent music: The Richmond Symphony will perform the "Ode" and a new fanfare by Mason Bates, the Richmond-bred composer now in residence with the Chicago Symphony (Sept. 25-26); Michael Colgrass’ Concerto for piano and harpsichord with Joanne Kong as soloist (Oct. 22); Judith Shatin’s "Jefferson, in His Own Words" (Nov. 13-14); a new orchestral work by Daniel Roumain (March 5-6); and an evening of contemporary music for percussion and orchestra with Evelyn Glennie (April 2).

At UR's Modlin Center: Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 2 ("The American Four Seasons") (Robert McDuffie with Venice Baroque Orchestra, Nov. 15); Len Liang’s Quintet for string quartet and pipa (Chinese lute) (Shanghai Quartet and Wu Man, Feb. 27); a new choral work by Chen Yi (UR’s Schola Cantorum and Women’s Chorale with eighth blackbird, April 8); and contemporary works by Glass, Corigliano, Frederic Rzewski and György Ligeti, among others, played by eighth blackbird in two programs (Sept. 15 and March 14), and by the ’birds and other performers and composers in UR’s Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival (Nov. 4-6).

Vocal music will have a higher-than-usual profile in the coming season. The Richmond Symphony and Symphony Chorus open and close the orchestra’s Masterworks season with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Sept. 25-26) and "Missa Solemnis" (May 21-22), along with their annual performance of Handel’s "Messiah" (Dec. 3).

The Virginia Opera showcases ensemble singing in Mozart’s "Cosí fan tutte" (Nov. 26 and 28) and heroic voices in Wagner’s "The Valkyrie" (aka "Die Walküre") (Feb. 25 and 27), bracketed by two Italian staples, Verdi’s "Rigoletto" (Oct. 22 and 24) and Puccini’s "Madame Butterfly" (April 8 and 10).

Soprano Katie Calcamuggio joins eighth blackbird in John Corigliano’s Bob Dylan cycle "Mr. Tambourine Man" (Sept. 15); tenor Christoph Genz joins pianist Charles Rosen in Schumann’s song cycle "Dichterliebe" (Oct. 23); soprano Kelly Nassief joins the symphony in Ravel’s "Schéhérazade" and opera excerpts (Jan. 15-16); and the roster of touring recitalists includes UR performances by The King’s Singers (Nov. 30) and soprano Amanda Pabyan (Feb. 18).

There are way too many conflicting dates, about which I’ve already scolded presenters:

http://letterv.blogspot.com/2010/08/bad-timing-badly-timed.html

On my high-anticipations list: Symphony performances of the Beethoven Ninth (always an occasion, more so as it launches Steven Smith’s tenure) and Dvořák’s too rarely heard, Brahmsian Sixth Symphony (Nov. 13-14); 8bb-Corigliano-Dylan, Shanghai/Wu Man, and pianist Yefim Bronfman (March 21) at UR; the VCU recitals by Rosen and the Ysaÿe String Quartet (March 5); and the Virginia Opera production of "Cosí" (my favorite opera).

Here’s an overview of Richmond’s 2010-11 classical performances, which I’ll update as more dates are announced:

SEPTEMBER
15 – eighth blackbird (UR Modlin Center)
21 – Andrew Scanlon (organ) (All Saints Episcopal Church)
21 – Elisabeth Adkins (violin)/Edward Newman (piano) (VCU Singleton Center)
24-26 – Alexander Paley Music Festival (First English Lutheran Church)
25 – The Claremont Trio (VCU Singleton Center)
25-26 – Richmond Symphony & Chorus/Steven Smith (Carpenter Theatre)

OCTOBER
1 – Richmond Symphony/Erin R. Freeman (St. Mary’s Episcopal Church)
1 – Shanghai Quartet/Michel Lethiec (clarinet) (UR Modlin Center)
3 – Richmond Symphony/Erin R. Freeman (Randolph-Macon College)
3 – Sonia Vlahcevic (piano) (VCU Singleton Center)
9 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Steven Smith/Cirque de la Symphonie (Carpenter Theatre)
15 – Patrick Smith (French horn) (VCU Singleton Center)
16-17 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Dmitri Shteinberg (piano) (Carpenter Theatre)
19 – VCU Symphony Orchestra (VCU Singleton Center)
22 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Joanne Kong (piano & harpsichord) (UR Modlin Center)
22/24 – Virginia Opera "Rigoletto" (Carpenter Theatre)
23 – Charles Rosen (piano)/Christoph Genz (tenor) (VCU Singleton Center)
26 – Oberon Quartet (St. Christopher’s School)
30 – Richmond Symphony LolliPops/Erin R. Freeman/Magic Circle Mime Company ("Phantoms of the Orchestra") (Carpenter Theatre)

NOVEMBER
4-6 – Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival/eighth blackbird (UR Modlin Center)
5 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Steward School)
5 – Daniel Sullivan (organ) (St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church)
6-7 – James River Singers (First Presbyterian Church/location TBA)
7 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Randolph-Macon College)
7 – Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Inon Barnatan (piano) (UR Modlin Center)
7 – Richmond Philharmonic/Robert Mirakian (Hermitage High School)
13-14 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Neal Cary (cello) (Carpenter Theatre)
15 – Robert McDuffie (violin)/Venice Baroque Orchestra (UR Modlin Center)
21 – VCU Opera (VCU Singleton Center)
26/28 – Virginia Opera "Cosí fan tutte" (Carpenter Theatre)
30 – The King’s Singers (UR Cannon Chapel)

DECEMBER
1 – University of Richmond Orchestra/Alexander Kordzaia (UR Modlin Center)
3 – Richmond Symphony & Chorus/Erin R. Freeman (Handel "Messiah") (Carpenter Theatre)
3 – Commonwealth Singers (VCU Singleton Center)
4 – Jon Nakamatsu (piano) (VCU Singleton Center)
4-5 – Richmond Symphony Pops & Symphony Chorus/Erin R. Freeman ("Let It Snow!") (Carpenter Theatre)
5 – Candlelight Festival of Lessons and Carols (UR Cannon Chapel)
6 – Richmond Philharmonic/Robert Mirakian (James Center Atrium)
7 – VCU Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Myssyk (VCU Singleton Center)
7 – Richmond Festival of Music: "A Musical Offering" (Wilton House Museum)
8 – Richmond Festival of Music: "Solo Bach: the Baroque Player's Perspective" (Richmond Public Library)
8 – VCU Choral Arts Society (VCU Singleton Center)
9 – Richmond Festival of Music: "Baroque by Candlelight – a Handel Celebration" (First Unitarian Universalist Church)
10 – VCU Holiday Gala (VCU Singleton Center)

JANUARY
15-16 – Richmond Symphony & Chorus/Steven Smith/Kelly Nassief (soprano) (Carpenter Theatre)
22 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Erin R. Freeman/The Contours (Carpenter Theatre)
22 – Susanna Klein (violin)/Hannah Holman (cello) (VCU Singleton Center)
23 – Robinson Guitar Duo (VCU Singleton Center)
26 – eighth blackbird, et al. (UR Modlin Center)
28 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (KingsWay Community Church)
30 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Randolph-Macon College)

FEBRUARY
5-6 – Richmond Symphony/Victor Yampolsky/Awadagin Pratt (piano) (Carpenter Theatre)
6 – Richard Becker (piano) (UR Modlin Center)
8 – Patrick Smith (French horn) (VCU Singleton Center)
12 – Borromeo String Quartet (VCU Singleton Center)
18 – Amanda Pabyan (soprano) (UR Modlin Center)
19 – Richmond Symphony LolliPops/Erin R. Freeman/Michael Boudewyns (actor) ("Green Eggs and Ham") (Carpenter Theatre)
20 – Richmond Festival of Music: "Beethoven and Blank" (Bon Air Presbyterian Church)
23 – Oberon Quartet/Ralph Skiano (clarinet) (St. Catherine’s School)
23 – Thomas Mastroianni (piano) (UR Modlin Center)
25 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Bon Air Baptist Church)
25/27 – Virginia Opera "The Valkyrie" (Carpenter Theatre)
27 – Shanghai Quartet/Wu Man (pipa) (UR Modlin Center)
27 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Randolph-Macon College)

MARCH
5 – Ysaÿe String Quartet (VCU Singleton Center)
5-6 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Tim Hooten (trumpet) (Carpenter Theatre)
12 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Carl Davis ("The Music of James Bond") (Carpenter Theatre)
13 – Richmond Philharmonic/Robert Mirakian (VCU Singleton Center)
14 – eighth blackbird (UR Modlin Center)
21 – Yefim Bronfman (piano) (UR Modlin Center)
21 – Susanna Klein (violin) (VCU Singleton Center)
25 – Jeremy Filsell (organ) (Centenary United Methodist Church)
27 – Richard Becker & Doris Wylee-Becker (piano duo) (UR Modlin Center)

APRIL
2 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Evelyn Glennie (percussion) (Carpenter Theatre)
2 – Zuill Bailey (cello) (VCU Singleton Center)
3 – Sérgio & Odair Assad (guitars), et. al. (UR Modlin Center)
6 – University of Richmond Orchestra/Alexander Kordzaia (UR Modlin Center)
8 – UR Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale/eighth blackbird (UR Modlin Center)
8/10 – Virginia Opera "Madame Butterfly" (Carpenter Theatre)
30 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Karen Johnson (violin) (Carpenter Theatre)

MAY
1 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith/Karen Johnson (violin) (Carpenter Theatre)
6 – Peggy-Marie Haas Howell (organ) (St. Michael’s Episcopal Church)
7 – Richmond Symphony LolliPops/Erin R. Freeman ("Carnival of the Animals") (Carpenter Theatre)
8 – Richmond Philharmonic/Robert Mirakian (VCU Singleton Center)
13 – Richmond Festival of Music: "White Nights – Heaven and Earth" (First Unitarian Universalist Church)
14 – Richmond Festival of Music: "Tchaikovsky in Words and Music" (Richmond Public Library)
14 – Richmond Festival of Music: "Baroque Reflection"
16 – Richmond Festival of Music: "The Nature of Nostalgia" (First Unitarian Universalist Church)
21-22 – Richmond Symphony & Chorus/Erin R. Freeman (Carpenter Theatre)

JUNE
19 – Richmond Philharmonic/Robert Mirakian (Gardens at Sunday Park, Brandermill)


DETAILS:
Richmond Symphony: http://www.richmondsymphony.com/
Virginia Opera: http://www.vaopera.org/
UR Modlin Center: http://www.modlin.richmond.edu/
VCU Music: http://www.vcumusic.org/
American Guild of Organists: http://www.richmondago.org/
Richmond Philharmonic: http://www.richmondphilharmonic.org/
James River Singers: http://www.jamesriversingers.org/
Alexander Paley Music Festival: http://www.paleyfestival.info/