Itzhak Perlman will headline a “Strad Fest,” leading a cast playing classic Stradivarius violins, in the 2024-25 season-opening concerts of the Richmond Symphony.
Two other prominent violinists, the Canadian James Ehnes, playing Brahms’ Violin Concerto, and the South Korean Inmo Yang, playing Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto, also will be featured in the orchestra’s mainstage Symphony Series programs.
Other series highlights include a concert presentation of Puccini’s “Tosca,” Michael Sachs playing the Trumpet Concerto of jazz/classical master Wynton Marsalis, the return of Handel’s “Messiah” with the Richmond Symphony Chorus, and new and recent works by Carlos Simon, Vivian Fung, Conni Ellisor, Anna Clyne and the Virginia composer Joe Jaxson.
Other guest soloists in the series include pianists Stewart Goodyear, playing Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” and Clayton Stephenson, playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major.
Music Director Valentina Peleggi will conduct seven of the nine Symphony Series programs, with guest conductors Anna Duczmal-Mróz and Michael Repper appearing in the others.
Standard-repertory works in the coming season include Beethoven’s Sixth (“Pastoral”), Schumann’s Second, Dvořák’s Eighth, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth and Mahler’s Fourth symphonies; Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique;” Debussy’s “La mer;” and Stravinsky’s “Le sacre du printemps” (“The Rite of Spring”).
Hae Lee, the orchestra’s new associate conductor, will lead most of the symphony’s Metro Series and pops concerts and casual concerts at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery.
The symphony also will stage a number of special concerts, including Handel’s “Messiah” led by Richard Robbins, the newly named director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus, and an MLK Day celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
Subscriptions for the mainstage Symphony Series are $256-$688, with single tickets priced at $15-$86. Subscriptions for the Metro Series are $75-$164, with single tickets priced at $30-$50. Pops series single tickets are $15-$86. Discounts of 20 percent are offered for five or more performances in the pops series and special concerts. Music at Hardywood single tickets are $30-$40.
For more information, call the symphony box office at (804) 788-1212 or visit http://richmondsymphony.com/ticketing
STRAD FEST
Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets
Sept. 12 (1 p.m., Gottwald Playhouse)
Sofia Vettori, speaker
“The Art of Stradivari”
free; ticket required.
Sept. 13 (11 a.m., Gottwald Playhouse)
Sofia Vettori, speaker
“Evolution of Musical Repertoire and Instruments”
free; ticket required.
Sept. 13 (8 p.m., Carpenter Theatre)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Daniel Dastoor, Annelle Gregory, William Hagen, Qing Li, Emma Meinrenken, Julian Rhee, Ade Williams & Daisuke Yamamoto, violins
Vivaldi: “The Four Seasons;” Astor Piazzolla: “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires”
$32-$86
Sept. 14 (1 p.m., Gottwald Playhouse)
artists TBA
“Strad Fest Chamber Concert”
program TBA
$200
Sept. 14 (5 p.m., Carpenter Theatre)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Itzhak Perlman, violin
other violinists TBA
“Cinema Serenade”
works TBA by Korngold, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Leonard Bernstein, others
$32-$86
Sept. 15 (3 p.m., Carpenter Theatre)
Itzhak Perlman, violin & speaker; pianist TBA.
program TBA
$50-$180
SYMPHONY SERIES
8 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets.
Oct. 19 (8 p.m.)
Oct. 20 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Debussy: “La Mer”
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Clayton Stephenson, piano
Stravinsky: “Le sacre du printemps” (“The Rite of Spring”)
Nov. 2 (8 p.m.)
Nov. 3 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Carlos Simon: “Fate Now Conquers”
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major
James Ehnes, violin
Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 in G major
Jan. 25 (8 p.m.)
Jan. 26 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Puccini: “Tosca” (concert presentation)
Jennifer Rowley, soprano
other cast members TBA
Richmond Symphony Chorus
in Italian, English captions
Feb. 22 (8 p.m.)
Feb. 23 (3 p.m.)
Anna Duczmal-Mróz conducting
Vivian Fung: “Earworms”
Wynton Marsalis: Trumpet Concerto
Michael Sachs, trumpet
Schumann: Symphony No. 2 in C major
March 8 (8 p.m.)
March 9 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Conni Ellisor: “A Woman without Apology”
Jennifer Higdon: Violin Concerto
Massenet: “Thaïs” – “Méditation”
Inmo Yang, violin
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor
March 22 (8 p.m.)
March 23 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Joe Jaxson: new work TBA
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 (“Haffner”)
Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G major
soprano TBA
April 12 (8 p.m.)
April 13 (3 p.m.)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Anna Clyne: “Masquerade”
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major (“Pastoral”)
Rachmaninoff: “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”
Stewart Goodyear, piano
May 17 (8 p.m.)
May 18 (3 p.m.)
Michael Repper conducting
Gabriela Ortiz: “Antropolis”
Borodin: “Prince Igor” – “Polovtsian Dances”
Richmond Symphony Chorus
Berlioz: “Symphonie fantastique”
METRO SERIES
7:30 p.m. Fridays (Thursday, April 3), Perkinson Arts Center, 11810 Centre St., Chester
7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 6010 Fergusson Road
3 p.m. Sundays, Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College, 205 Henry St., Ashland
Nov. 15 (Perkinson Center)
Nov. 16 (St. Christopher’s School)
Nov. 17 (Randolph-Macon College)
Hae Lee conducting
Mozart: “The Marriage of Figaro” Overture
H.K. Gruber: “3 MOB Pieces” for trumpet & small ensemble
Sam Huss, trumpet
Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major
Jan. 31 (Perkinson Center)
Feb. 1 (St. Christopher’s School)
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Stewart Goodyear: Serenade for strings
Julia Perry: Prelude for strings
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1 in C minor
Feb. 28 (Perkinson Center)
March 1 (St. Christopher’s School)
March 2 (Randolph-Macon College)
Hae Lee conducting
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on “Greensleeves”
Ruth Gipps: Clarinet Concerto
David Lemelin, clarinet
Copland: “Appalachian Spring” Suite
April 3 (Perkinson Center)
April 5 (St. Christopher’s School)
April 6 (Randolph-Macon)
Hae Lee conducting
Haydn: Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major
Jeannette Jang, violin
Shawn Okpebholo: “Zoom!”
Haydn: Symphony No. 103 in E flat major (“Drum Roll”)
POPS
(8 p.m. Saturdays unless listed otherwise, Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
Single tickets: $15-$86
Oct. 5
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
Miramar
Nov. 9
Valentina Peleggi conducting
“Best of Bernstein”
Nov. 10 (3 p.m.)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club
Nov. 30 (3 & 8 p.m.)
Hae Lee conducting
Carrie Brockwell, vocalist
“Let It Snow!”
Feb. 8
Hae Lee conducting
“Mancini: an Orchestral Love Affair”
March 15
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Cirque Musica: Symphonic!
May 31 (3 p.m.)
Hae Lee conducting
“Play Ball”
MUSIC AT HARDYWOOD
6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Overbrook Road at Ownby Lane
Single tickets: $30-$40
Sept. 19
Hae Lee conducting
works TBA by J.S. Bach, Debussy, Ives, Piazzolla, others
Oct. 24
Hae Lee conducting
program TBA
March 27
Hae Lee conducting
Gunther Schuller: Double Quintet for brass & wind quintets
Shostakovich: “2 Pieces for Octet”
Anna Clyne: “Overflow”
April 17
conductor TBA
program TBA
SPECIAL CONCERTS
Sept. 8 (6:30 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
Hae Lee conducting
“Band Geek Date Night”
$40
Sept. 21 (7 p.m., Heritage Amphitheater, Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield County)
Hae Lee conducting
“Pocahontas Premieres”
Elmer Bernstein: “The Great Escape” March
Cody Fry: “Caves”
Barber: Adagio for strings
Leonard Bernstein: “West Side Story” selections (Jack Mason arrangements)
Santos Cifuentes: “Scherzo Sobre Aries Tropicales”
Gabriela Lena Frank: “Raices (‘Roots’): Concerto Suite for Orchestra”
Lecuona: “Malagueña”
free; $10 parking fee
Oct. 12 (8 p.m., Altria Theater, Main & Laurel streets)
Eric Roth conducting
“Final Fantasy VII: Orchestra World Tour”
$45-$90
Oct. 26 (2 p.m., Altria Theater, Main & Laurel streets)
conductor TBA
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
$62.50-$124.50 (via http://www.etix.com/ticket/e/1044562)
Nov. 12 (7 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
conductor TBA
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra
program TBA
free
Dec. 1 (3 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
Richard Robbins conducting
soloists TBA
Richmond Symphony Chorus
Handel: “Messiah”
$15-$86
Dec. 16 (7 p.m., Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street)
conductor TBA
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra
free
Jan. 18 (8 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
Naima Burrs conducting
“Celebration of Black Music in Film”
$15-$86
Jan. 19 (3 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
conductor TBA
“Celebrate MLK,” Martin Luther King Jr. Day concert
$30
Feb. 23 (7 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
conductor TBA
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra & Percussion Ensemble
free
March 16 (3 p.m., Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets)
Valentina Peleggi conductor
Really Inventive Stuff’s Michael Boudewyns
“The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss”
$15-$25
March 29 (6 p.m., Altria Theater, Main & Laurel streets)
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
“Jurassic Park,” film with live orchestral accompaniment
$28-$88
May 24 (7 p.m., location TBA)
Hae Lee conducting
Big Tent concert
program TBA
free
June 7 (7:30 p.m., Heritage Amphitheater, Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield County)
Hae Lee conducting
program TBA
free; $10 parking fee
Letter V 