2014-15 season overview

For your calendar-marking and ticket-buying convenience, here’s an overview of ticketed classical events and festivals in Richmond during the 2014-15 season.

There are fewer conflicts than in past years. Two dueling matinees – Virginia Opera vs. Richmond Symphony on Oct. 5, symphony vs. Richmond Philharmonic on May 3 – and a couple of pops concerts up against chamber-music programs are the only offenders (so far).

There aren’t many blockbusters or game-changers, either. In the former category, the symphony’s performances of Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony (No. 2) on Oct. 18-19 qualify. And eighth blackbird, the University of Richmond’s new-music sextet, undoubtedly will spring surprises galore in their programs on Sept. 22 and, with the Sleeping Giant composers’ collective, on March 16. (Some free performances at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond, not listed here, also venture off the usual musical turf.)

It will be nice to hear violinist Joshua Bell, appearing in Richmond for the first time since 1989 in the symphony’s Sept. 20 season-opener. He’s playing Bruch’s Concerto No. 1 in G minor, one of his signature showpieces. I can’t say I’ve spent 25 years yearning to hear Bell play this above all other music; but if he delivers the goods, I’m prepared to be dazzled.

In contrast to recent seasons in which it pushed the repertory envelope, Virginia Opera marks its 40th anniversary with a greatest-hits lineup: “Sweeney Todd” (Oct. 3 and 5), “H.M.S. Pinafore” (Nov. 21 and 23), “Salome” (Feb. 6 and 8) and “La Traviata” (March 27 and 29). The latter features the Richmond Symphony as the pit band touring the state – thus, the blank spell on the calendar in early April.

Highlighting chamber-music offerings: the first local performance by pianist Hélène Grimaud (April 22) at UR; return engagements for the Pacifica Quartet (Sept. 13) and St. Lawrence String Quartet (Nov. 15), the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (Feb. 28) and violinist Rachel Barton Pine (Jan. 24) at VCU; the annual visit by the Shanghai Quartet with former Guarneri Quartet violist Michael Tree (Jan. 25) and a duo recital by pianist Jonathan Biss and violinist Miriam Fried (Nov. 2) at UR; and James Wilson’s characteristically wide-ranging programming, with extra helpings of solo Bach, for the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia on various dates in October, January and May.

Following the calendar, you’ll find telephone and online links to the presenting organizations.


SEPTEMBER
10 – Albert Guinovart, piano (UR Modlin Center).
13 – Pacifica Quartet (VCU Singleton Center).
20 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Joshua Bell, violin (Richmond CenterStage).
22 – eighth blackbird (UR Modlin Center).
26-28 – Alexander Paley Music Festival (St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church).
27 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Keitaro Harada; Waterloo (“ABBA – the Music”) (Richmond CenterStage).

OCTOBER
2 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Rush-Hour concert) (Richmond CenterStage).
3/5 – Virginia Opera: “Sweeney Todd” (Richmond CenterStage).
5 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Randolph-Macon College).
18-19 – Richmond Symphony & Symphony Chorus/Steven Smith (Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony) (Richmond CenterStage).
25 – Richmond Symphony LolliPops/Keitaro Harada (“Beethoven Lives Upstairs”).
25 – New York Brass Arts Trio (VCU Singleton Center).
27 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia (Bon Air Presbyterian Church).

NOVEMBER
2 – Jonathan Biss, piano; Miriam Fried, violin (UR Modlin Center).
2 – Richmond Philharmonic/Peter Wilson, conductor & violin (Collegiate School).
7-8 – Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival (UR Modlin Center).
8 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Richard King, French horn (Richmond CenterStage).
13 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Tom Schneider, bassoon (Rush-Hour concert) (Richmond CenterStage).
15 – St. Lawrence String Quartet (VCU Singleton Center).
16 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Tom Schneider, bassoon (Randolph-Macon College).
21/23 – Virginia Opera: “H.M.S. Pinafore” (Richmond CenterStage).

DECEMBER
6-7 – Richmond Symphony Pops & Symphony Chorus/conductor TBA (“Let It Snow!”) (Richmond CenterStage).
13 – Richmond Symphony & Chorus/Steven Smith (Handel’s “Messiah”) (Richmond CenterStage).
16 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia: Beiliang Zhu & James Wilson, cellos (Holy Comforter Church, Episcopal).

JANUARY
8 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Rush-Hour concert) (Richmond CenterStage).
10 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia (First Unitarian Universalist Church).
11 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Randolph-Macon College).
12 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia (First Unitarian Universalist Church).
17-18 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Adam Golka, piano (Richmond CenterStage).
24 – Richmond Symphony LolliPops/Keitaro Harada; Charlotte Blake Alston, narrator (“Pinocchio’s Adventures in Funland”) (Richmond CenterStage).
24 – Rachel Barton Pine, violin (VCU Singleton Center).
25 – Shanghai Quartet; Michael Tree, viola (UR Modlin Center).
27 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith (Holocaust anniversary program) (Richmond CenterStage).
31 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Keitaro Harada; Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Richmond CenterStage).

FEBRUARY
6/8 – Virginia Opera: “Salome” (Richmond CenterStage).
11 – New York Polyphony (UR Modlin Center).
13 – Richmond Symphony & Symphony Chorus; One Voice Chorus; St. Paul’s Baptist Church Chorus/Steven Smith (Duke Ellington program) (St. Paul’s Baptist Church).
14 – Richmond Symphony & Symphony Chorus; One Voice Chorus; St. Paul’s Baptist Church Chorus/Steven Smith (Duke Ellington program) (Richmond CenterStage).
22 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia: Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord (Holy Comforter Church, Episcopal).
28 – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (VCU Singleton Center).
28 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Keitaro Harada; vocalists TBA (“Wicked Divas”) (Richmond CenterStage).

MARCH
7 – Richmond Symphony/Tito Muñoz; Stanislav Khristenko, piano (Richmond CenterStage).
8 – Richmond Philharmonic/Peter Wilson; Sheri Oyan, also saxophone (Collegiate School).
16 – eighth blackbird; Sleeping Giant (UR Modlin Center).
21 – Richmond Symphony LolliPops/Keitaro Harada (“Orchestra Games”) (Richmond CenterStage).
27/29 – Virginia Opera: “La Traviata” (Richmond CenterStage).

APRIL
18-19 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Daisuke Yamamoto, violin (Richmond CenterStage).
22 – Hélène Grimaud, piano (UR Modlin Center).

MAY
2 – Richard Goode, piano; Sarah Shafer, soprano (VCU Singleton Center).
3 – Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith; Lynette Wardle, harp (Randolph-Macon College).
3 – Richmond Philharmonic/Peter Wilson; Jack Glatzer, violin (Collegiate School).
9-10 – Richmond Symphony & Symphony Chorus/Steven Smith (Richmond CenterStage).
16 – Richmond Symphony/conductor TBA (“Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II”) (Altria Theater).
17 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia (First Unitarian Universalist Church).
19 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia (First Unitarian Universalist Church).


RICHMOND SYMPHONY:
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
www.richmondsymphony.com

VIRGINIA OPERA:
(866) 673-7282
www.vaopera.org

UR MODLIN CENTER:
(804) 289-8980
www.modlin.richmond.edu

VCU RENNOLDS CONCERTS:
(804) 828-6776
www.arts.vcu.edu/music

RICHMOND PHILHARMONIC:
(804) 673-7400
www.richmondphilharmonic.org

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA:
(804) 519-2098
www.cmscva.org

ALEXANDER PALEY MUSIC FESTIVAL:
(804) 665-9516
www.paleyfestival.info