Updated Oct. 3
With the addition of a new series at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the expansion of the Metro Series of chamber-orchestra concerts to three venues, the Richmond Symphony has finalized its 2022-23 season.
The headline attraction of the season is a special concert on Oct. 4 featuring stellar cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto, the work in which he made his Richmond debut in 1980 with Jacques Houtmann conducting the symphony.
Violinists Jennifer Koh and Maria Deuñas, pianists Alexandra Dariescu and Michelle Cann and cellist Inbal Segev are slated to appear as soloists in the orchestra’s mainstage Symphony Series (formerly Masterworks) programs.
Valentina Peleggi, the symphony’s music director, and Chia-Hsuan Lin, the orchestra’s associate conductor, will lead most classical, pops and special concerts, with Tito Muñoz, music director of the Phoenix Symphony, and Lidiya Yankovskaya, music director of Chicago Opera Theater, guest-conducting spring Symphony Series programs.
Three members of the orchestra – the duo of violinists Adrian Pintea and Ellen Cockerham Riccio and cellist Schuyler Slack as a soloist – will be featured in Metro Series programs.
The Richmond Symphony Chorus, whose interim director this season is Anthony Blake Clark, music director of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, will perform in the premiere of “Beyond the Years” by Richmond born-composer Zachary Wadsworth, Dvořák’s Te Deum, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) in Symphony Series programs, as well as the annual “Let It Snow!” holiday pops concert, Handel’s “Messiah” and a spring choral program at First Baptist Church.
The orchestra will inaugurate a three-concert Music in the Galleries series at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the enlarged Metro Series will stage performances in Ryan Recital Hall at St. Christopher’s School along with the Perkinson Arts Center in Chester and Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.
Two concerts are scheduled to date in the casual-concert series at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. Spring concerts at Hardywood and several family concerts will be announced later.
Standard repertory to be performed in the coming season includes Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and Violin Concerto, Grieg’s Piano Concerto, Brahms’ Third Symphony, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Mozart’s “Linz” Symphony (No. 36), Beethoven’s First Symphony, Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
Contemporary music on the schedule, in addition to the Wadsworth premiere, includes works by Juan Pablo Contreras, Anna Clyne, James Lee III, Christopher Theofanidis, Steven Snowden, Vivian Fung, Carlos Simon and Damien Geter.
Rarely heard selections, most of them new to the symphony’s repertory, range from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Sixth Symphony, Ruth Gipps’ “Seascape,” Lili Boulanger’s “D’un matin de printemps” and Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony in F major, Op. 73a (his String Quartet No. 3 as orchestrated by Rudolf Barshai) to George Walker’s “Icarus in Orbit,” Florence Price’s “Ethiopia’s Shadow in America” and Marion Eugénie Bauer’s Symphonic Suite for string orchestra.
Pops attractions, in addition to “Let It Snow!” feature Steve Hackman’s musical mashup of Brahms’ First Symphony with Radiohead’s “Ok Computer,” “Eternal Tango” with the Hector Del Curto Quintet, the Richmond-based jazz quintet Butcher Brown and the rhythm & blues/jazz/music-theater singer N’Kenge.
To obtain a season brochure and ticket information, call the symphony’s box office at (804) 788-1212 or visit http://www.richmondsymphony.com/ticketing
The symphony’s 2022-23 artists, programs, venues and ticket prices:
SYMPHONY SERIES
at Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth and Grace streets
subscriptions: $220-$604; single tickets: $15-$85
Sept. 17 (8 p.m.)
Sept. 18 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
William Grant Still: “Festive Overture”
Dvořák: Te Deum
Alexis Seminario, soprano
Dashon Burton, baritone
Richmond Symphony Chorus
Anthony Blake Clark directing
Zachary Wadsworth: “Beyond the Years” (premiere)
Richmond Symphony Chorus
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor
Oct. 22 (8 p.m.)
Oct. 23 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Carlos Simon: “The Block”
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major
Jennifer Koh, violin
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 in E minor
Nov. 12 (8 p.m.)
Nov. 13 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Puccini: “Preludio sinfonico”
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
Prokofiev: “Romeo and Juliet” (excerpts)
Jan. 28 (8 p.m.)
Jan. 29 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Vaughan Williams: “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis”
Anna Clyne: “DANCE” for cello & orchestra
Inbal Segev, cello
Rimsky-Korsakov: “Scheherazade”
Feb. 25 (8 p.m.)
Feb. 26 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Juan Pablo Contreras: new work TBA
Lalo: “Symphonie espagnole”
Maria Deuñas, violin
Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in F major
April 1 (8 p.m.)
April 2 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
George Walker: “Icarus in Orbit”
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Resurrection”)
soloists TBA
Richmond Symphony Chorus
April 22 (8 p.m.)
April 23 (3 p.m.)
Tito Muñoz conducting
Lili Boulanger: “D’un matin de printemps”
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor
Michelle Cann, piano
Elgar: “Enigma Variations”
May 20 (8 p.m.)
May 21 (3 p.m.)
Lidiya Yankovskaya conducting
Florence Price: “Ethiopia’s Shadow in America”
James Lee III: “Amer’ican”
Mussorgsky: “Pictures at an Exhibition” (Ravel orchestration)
–––
METRO SERIES
subscriptions: $82 (St. Christopher’s School & Randolph-Macon College); single tickets: $25
Dec. 3 (7:30 p.m.)
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 711 St. Christopher’s Road
Dec. 4 (3 p.m.)
Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College, 205 Henry St., Ashland
Symphony Brass Ensemble
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
“Holiday Brass”
program TBA
Jan. 20 (7:30 p.m.)
Perkinson Arts Center, 11810 Center St., Chester
Jan. 21 (7:30 p.m.)
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 711 St. Christopher’s Road
Jan. 22 (3 p.m.)
Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College, 205 Henry St., Ashland
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Christopher Theofanidis: “Visions and Miracles”
Marion Eugénie Bauer: Symphonic Suite for string orchestra
Steven Snowden: “The Mortal Frame”
Schuyler Slack, cello
Bartók: Divertimento for strings
March 25 (7:30 p.m.)
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 711 St. Christopher’s Road
March 26 (3 p.m.)
Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College, 205 Henry St., Ashland
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
J.S. Bach: Double Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043
Vivian Fung: Double Concerto
Adrian Pintea & Ellen Cockerham Riccio, violins
James Lee III: “Emotive Transformations”
Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D major (“London”) – IV: Finale: Spiritoso
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major
April 28 (7:30 p.m.)
Perkinson Arts Center, 11810 Center St., Chester
April 29 (7:30 p.m.)
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 711 St. Christopher’s Road
April 30 (3 p.m.)
Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College, 205 Henry St., Ashland
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Ruth Gipps: “Seascape”
Mozart: Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 (“Linz”)
Damien Geter: “I Said What I Said”
Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony in F major, Op. 73a (Rudolf Barshai orchestration of String Quartet No. 3)
–––
MUSIC IN THE GALLERIES
at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Arthur Ashe Boulevard at Grove Avenue
free admission; tickets required
Sept. 30 (7 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
program TBA
April 16 (3 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
program TBA
May 28 (3 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
program TBA
–––
MUSIC AT HARDYWOOD
6:30 p.m. at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Overbrook Road at Ownby Lane
single tickets: $30 (limited seating)
Sept. 22
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Copland: “Appalachian Spring” Suite for 13 instruments
Brahms: Serenade No. 1 in D major
$30
masks recommended
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com
Nov. 17
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
program TBA
Feb. 9-10
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
program TBA
March 9
Daisuke Yamamoto, violin & leader
program TBA
–––
POPS
at Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth and Grace streets, unless listed otherwise
single tickets: $15-$85; discounts on subscriptions for 5 or more concerts
Sept. 24 (8 p.m.)
Steve Hackman conducting
“Steve Hackman’s Brahms vs. Radiohead,” mashup of Brahms’ First Symphony & Radiohead’s “Ok Computer”
Oct. 29 (8 p.m.)
Altria Theater, Main and Laurel streets
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
“Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton”
Nov. 26 (8 p.m.)
Nov. 27 (3 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
Richmond Symphony Chorus
“Let It Snow!”
holiday pops program TBA
Jan. 14 (8 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
Butcher Brown, guest stars
Feb. 4 (8 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
“Classic Hollywood Love Songs”
April 15 (8 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
Hector Del Curto Quintet, guest stars
“Eternal Tango”
May 13 (8 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
N’Kenge, guest star
“Legends”
–––
SPECIAL CONCERTS
Sept. 10 (8 p.m.)
Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
light-classical & pops program TBA
free; $10 parking fee
Oct. 4 (8 p.m.)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth and Grace streets
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Gabriela Ortiz: “Kauyumari”
De Falla: “The Three-Cornered Hat” Suite No. 2
Johann Strauss II: “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”
Ravel: “La valse”
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
$65-$200
Oct. 30 (3 p.m.)
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 711 St. Christopher’s Road
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
family concert
program TBA
$15-$25
Dec. 2 (7:30 p.m.)
River Road Church, Baptist, River and Ridge roads, Richmond
Anthony Blake Clark conducting
Handel: “Messiah”
soloists TBA
Richmond Symphony Chorus
$25
Jan. 15 (3 p.m.)
Perkinson Arts Center, 11810 Center St., Chester
Daniel Myssyk conducting
“Celebrate MLK”
program TBA marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day
$15-$25
Feb. 2 (7:30 p.m.)
First Baptist Church, Monument Avenue at Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Richmond Symphony Chorus
program TBA
May 6 (8 p.m.)
Altria Theater, Main and Laurel streets
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” film with live orchestral accompaniment
tickets: $44-$88
May 14 (3 p.m.)
Perkinson Arts Center, 11810 Center St., Chester
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
family concert
program TBA
$15-$25
June 10 (7 p.m.)
Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
light-classical & pops program TBA
free; $10 parking fee
Letter V 