Richmond rounds of the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition for young musicians, delayed for a year because of the pandemic, are under way, with most of the competition being conducted online.
In one live-only event, the Richmond Symphony, with guest conductor Jahja Ling and violinist Angelo Xiang Yu, a winner in the 2010 competition, will perform in a Celebration Concert, whose program includes Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216, and “The Marriage of Figaro” Overture; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major; “Bound Away,” a piece for violin written for the competition by Richmond-bred Mason Bates; and “Starburst” by Jessie Montgomery, at 7 p.m. May 14 and 8 p.m. May 15 at the Carpenter Theatre of Dominion Energy Center, Sixth and Grace streets. Tickets: $10-$100 (seating limited). Details: (800) 514-3849 (ETIX); http://www.richmondsymphony.com
Other events in the Menuhin Competition, including concerts by the Regina Carter Quartet, Mark & Maggie O’Connor, members of the Sphinx Virtuosi chamber orchestra, past winners of the competition and the Richmond Symphony with violinist Angelo Xiang Yu and winners of this year’s competition, can be accessed without charge. Schedule details: https://letterv.blog/2021/04/25/mostly-virtual-menuhin-competition-beginning-in-richmond-this-week/
For more information on the Menuhin Competition, running through May 23, visit its website: http://2021.menuhincompetition.org
Members of the Richmond Symphony play chamber works in Coffee Break Concerts, 11:30 a.m. May 7 and 21 at Ironclad Coffee Roasters, 1805 E. Grace St. Admission is free. Details: (804) 788-1212; http://richmondsymphony.com
Virginia Opera and the Richmond Symphony, Adam Turner conducting, stage Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera “Trouble in Tahiti” at 4 p.m. May 1 at Dogwood Dell, Byrd Park, in Richmond. The cast includes Marissa Simmons as Dinah, Eric McConnell as Sam and Symone Harcum, Andrew Turner and Nicholas Martorano as the boys-and-girl trio. Kyle Lang is the stage director. Admission is free; reservations are required. Details: (804) 644-8168; http://vaopera.org . . . The production moves to Norfolk for performances with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, presented in conjunction with the Virginia Arts Festival, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. May 7 and 4 and 7 p.m. May 8 at the VAF Bank Street Stage, 440 Bank St. Tickets: $35-$140. Details: (866) 673-7282; http://vaopera.org
The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, in partnership with the Richmond Public Library’s Gellman Room series, presents flutist Mary Boodell, violinist Jesse Mills, pianists Rieko Aizawa and Ingrid Keller, writer Angela Lehman and host James Wilson performing from their homes in Richmond and New York in “A Musical Aviary,” a free program of works by Saint-Saëns, Somei Satoh, Howard Swanson and Jean Sichler in an online stream at 2 p.m. May 1. Access: http://rvalibrary.org/events/gellman-concerts . . . The society also presents clarinetist David Lemelin, violinists Meredith Riley and Christopher Whitley, violist Fritz Gary and cellist Khari Joyner in live performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581; Carlos Simon’s “An Elegy: Cry from the Grave;” and a quartet arrangement of Bartók’s “Romanian Folk Dances” at 4 p.m. May 2 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2315 N. Parham Road. Tickets: $5-$30. Details: (804) 304-6312; http://cmscva.org
Benjamin Rous conducts the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in John Adams’ “Shaker Loops” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 (“Linz”) at 2:30 p.m. May 2 at the Sandler Arts Center, 201 S. Market St. in Virginia Beach. Tickets: $35. . . . Gerard Schwarz conducts the VSO, with soprano Aundi Maria Moore, in a Virginia Arts Festival-sponsored, all-American program of works TBA by Copland, Barber and Still at 7:30 p.m. May 14 at Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Arts Center in Newport News and 7:30 p.m. May 15 at Chrysler Hall, 215 St. Paul’s Boulevard, in Norfolk. Tickets: $35-$55. Details: (757) 892-6366; http://virginiasymphony.org
Other Virginia Arts Festival classical events: The Brentano String Quartet in an evening concert at 7:30 p.m. May 10 at the VAF Bank Street stage, 440 Bank St. in Norfolk (tickets: $35-$140), and a morning concert at 10:30 a.m. May 11 at Sandler Arts Center in Virginia Beach (tickets: $15-$20). . . . A May 13 recital by classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco is sold out. . . Pianist Olga Kern, violinist Lara St. John and cellist Amanda Forsyth perform at 7:30 p.m. May 25 at VAF Bank Street Stage in Norfolk (tickets: $35-$140), and in a morning concert at 10:30 a.m. May 26 at Sandler Arts Center in Virginia Beach (tickets: $15-$20). Programs TBA. Details: (757) 282-2822; http://vafest.org
Other ensembles in Virginia and the Washington area are presenting series of streamed and archived programs. Check the websites of organizations and presenters for details and access procedures.
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