Author: letterv13

Peter Nero, the pianist known for his syntheses of classical, jazz and American popular song, has died at 89.

A New Yorker who began piano lessons at 7 and studied for a time at the Juilliard School, Nero (born Bernard Nierow) was a budding classical pianist when he developed a keen interest in jazz in the 1950s. He launched a recording career playing combinations of the two styles – what would later be called “crossover” – and became a star in the 1960s.

Nero composed the soundtrack of the 1963 film “Sunday in New York,” and was the pianist of Michel Legrand’s score for “The Summer of ’42.” In 1971, he introduced “Anne Frank,” a setting of selections from “The Diary of a Young Girl” by the Dutch teenager who would become one of the most widely known victims of the Holocaust of European Jewry.

In later life, Nero was the music director of the Philly Pops (1979-2013), known for playing piano with one hand and conducting the orchestra with the other. He continued performing on concert tours into his 80s.

An obituary by The New York Times’ Robert D. McFadden:

Pianist Emanuel Ax, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, the Danish String Quartet and trumpeter-composer Terence Blanchard highlight classical attractions in the 2023-24 season of the University of Richmond’s Modlin Arts Center.

Other classical artists featured in the ticketed series, Modlin Arts Presents, are cellist Zuill Bailey with pianist Natasha Paremski, the Canadian Brass and the trio of pianist Inon Barnatan, violinist James Ehnes and cellist Alisa Weilerstein.

Blanchard, the jazz trumpeter and composer of the opera “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” which was premiered in 2019, will lead a performance of a new concert version of the work.

UR’s music department will stage free concerts by its faculty artists and faculty and student ensembles, including the 50th annual presentation of the Christmas-season Festival of Lessons and Carols by the UR Schola Cantorum and Women’s Chorale.

Modlin Arts Presents also will feature visiting artists in jazz, folk and ethnic musics, dance and theater.

Tickets, sold in three seating “zones” of Camp Concert Hall, may be purchased separately, with discounts for UR students, faculty and staff and for seniors and groups, or in discounted packages of four or more performances.

To obtain a season brochure and more information, call the Modlin Center box office at (804) 289-8980 or visit http://modlin.richmond.edu

Classical programs in the Modlin Arts Presents series, all at 7:30 p.m. in Camp Concert Hall:

Oct. 27
Inon Barnatan, piano
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
James Ehnes, violin
Schubert: Piano Sonata in C minor, D. 958
Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major, D. 929
$30-$50

Nov. 9
J’Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
pianist TBA
program TBA
$30-$50

Nov. 12
Terence Blanchard, trumpet & composer
other artists TBA
Blanchard: “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” (concert version)
$30-$50

Nov. 29
Canadian Brass
“Holiday Show”
program TBA
$35-$65

Feb. 24
Zuill Bailey, cello
Natasha Paremski, piano
program TBA
$30-$50

April 5
Emanuel Ax, piano
works TBA by Beethoven, Schoenberg, Webern
$30-$50

April 20
Danish String Quartet
works TBA by Haydn, Shostakovich
Scandinavian folk song arrangements
$30-$50

***

Free programs from the UR Music Department, at 7:30 p.m. in Camp Concert Hall unless listed otherwise:

Sept. 29
artists TBA
Family Weekend Concert
program TBA

Oct. 29 (3 p.m.)
UR Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale
program TBA

Nov. 20
UR Wind Ensemble
“Old Wine in New Bottles”
works TBA by Rimsky-Korsakov, Berlioz, Wagner, Leroy Anderson, others

Dec. 3 (5 & 8 p.m., Cannon Memorial Chapel)
UR Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale
50th annual Festival of Lessons & Carols

Dec. 4
UR Chamber Ensembles
program TBA

Dec. 6
UR Symphony Orchestra
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor – I: Moderato
Ben Nguyen, piano
other works TBA

Jan. 31
Richard Becker, piano
Schubert: “Moments musicaux,” D. 780
Brahms: Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 118, No. 1
Brahms: Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2
Brahms: Intermezzo in B flat major, Op. 117, No. 2
Chopin: Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60
Becker: Variations (2024)

Feb. 4 (3 p.m.)
Paul Hanson, piano
program TBA

March 3 (3 p.m.)
Doris Wylee-Becker, piano
program TBA

March 4
Richmond Piano Trio:
Joanne Kong, piano
Daisuke Yamamoto, violin
Neal Cary, cello
Debussy: Piano Trio in G major
Grieg: Piano Trio movement
Beethoven: Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 70, No. 1 (“Ghost”)

April 8
UR Wind Ensemble
works TBA by Copland, Chance, Boysen, Barton, others

April 14 (3 p.m.)
UR Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale
program TBA

April 17
UR Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Triple Concerto in C major
Joanne Kong, piano
Anyango Yarbo-Davenport, violin
Christoph Wagner, cello
other works TBA

April 22
UR Chamber Ensembles
program TBA

Classical performances in and around Richmond, with selected events elsewhere in Virginia and the Washington area. Program information, provided by presenters, is updated as details become available. Adult ticket prices are listed; senior, student/youth, military, group and other discounts may be offered. Service fees may be added.

Contact presenters or venues for health and safety protocols.

July 1 (7:30 p.m.)
The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
Wolf Trap Opera
Timothy Long conducting
Handel: “Semele”
Esther Tonea (Semele)
Veronique Filloux (Iris)
Juno: Emily Treigle (Juno/Ino)
Kathleen Felty (Athamas)
Lunga Eric Hallam (Jupiter)
Eric Lindsey (Cadmus/Somnus)
Samuel Krausz (Apollo)
Tara Faircloth, stage director
in English
$50-$94
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 1 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra Pops
James Bagwell conducting
Natalie Merchant, guest star
“Keep Your Courage Tour”
$49-$139
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

July 4 (7:30 p.m.)
Dogwood Dell, Byrd Park, Richmond
Richmond Concert Band
annual Fourth of July celebration
program TBA
free
(804) 737-3767
http://richmondconcertband.org

July 4 (8 p.m.)
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, 3400 Mountain Road, Glen Allen
Richmond Symphony
conductor TBA
No BS Brass Band
“Red, White and Lights 2023”
program TBA
laser-light show follows concert
free
(804) 652-1455
http://henrico.us/calendar/red-white-and-lights-2023/

July 4 (8 p.m.)
West Lawn, U.S. Capitol, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Jack Everly conducting
Renée Fleming, Boyz II Men, Chicago, Belinda Carlisle, other guest stars
“A Capitol Fourth”
free
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

July 5 (7:30 p.m.)
The Paramount, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
The Cville Band
Steve Layman directing
James Prodan, oboe
Robert Mott, bass trombone
Martha McKechnie, vocalist
program TBA
free
(434) 979-1333
http://theparamount.net

July 6 (6:30 p.m.)
Rhythm Hall, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Summer Chamberfest:
Victoria Chung, oboe
Thomas Schneider, bassoon
Russell Wilson, piano
André Previn: Trio for piano, oboe & bassoon
Lili Boulanger: “Three Pieces” for piano
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Duo for oboe & bassoon
Poulenc: Trio for piano, oboe & bassoon
sold out (waiting list)
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

July 7 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Hersh conducting
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Alexander Malofeev, piano
Holst: “The Planets,” with projections of NASA space images
$25-$96
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 8 (6 p.m.)
July 9 (3 p.m.)
Dunlop Pavilion, Wintergreen Resort, Nelson County
Wintergreen Music Festival:
Wintergreen Festival Orchestra
Erin Freeman conducting
Mozart: “Così fan tutte” Overture
Hanna Havrylets: Chorale for string orchestra
Barber: Violin Concerto
Elizabeth Adkins, violin
Emilie Mayer: Symphony No. 1 in C minor
$49
(434) 361-0541
http://wintergreen-music.org

July 8 (5 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
Garth Newel Piano Quartet
David Biedenbender: “Red Vesper”
Biedenbender: “Solstice”
$25 (concert), $95 (concert & dinner)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

July 8 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke conducting
“Return of the Jedi,” film with live orchestral accompaniment
$66-$119
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 9 (3 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
Simone Dinnerstein, piano
François Couperin: “Les Barricades Mysterieuses”
Schumann: Arabesque in C major, Op. 18
Philip Glass: “Mad Rush”
François Couperin: “Tic Toc Choc”
Satie: “Gnossienne” No. 3
Schumann: “Kreisleriana,” Op. 16
$25 (concert), $55 (concert & picnic)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

July 9 (6 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducting
Gabriela Lena Frank: “3 Latin-American Dances” – “The Mestizo Waltz”
Carlos Simon: “Tales: a Folklore Symphony”
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major
free
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

July 13 (6:30 p.m.)
Rhythm Hall, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Summer Chamberfest:
Adrian Pintea & Jeanette Jang, violins
Hyo Joo Uh, viola
Jason McComb, cello
Zachary Wadsworth: “They Rest above the River”
Adolphus Hailstork: “Eslanda Dance”
Andrea Portera: “(Trans)Form”
Verdi: Quartet in E minor
sold out (waiting list)
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.com

July 13 (7:30 p.m.)
31st Street Stage, King Neptune’s Park, 3100 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
July 23 (8 p.m.)
Towne Point Park, 113 Waterside Drive, Norfolk
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Morihiko Nakahara conducting
Nick Ziobro, vocalist
“Sinatra and the American Songbook”
free
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

July 14 (7:30 p.m.)
July 16 (2 p.m.)
Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Opera
Brian Demaris conducting
Puccini: “Tosca”
Marsha Thompson (Tosca)
Adam Diegel (Cavaradossi)
Todd Thomas (Scarpia)
Alek Shrader, stage director
in Italian, English captions
$25-$85
(434) 979-1333
http://charlottesvilleopera.org

July 14 (8 p.m.)
July 15 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
Joe Hisaishi conducting
“Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki”
$129
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 15 (6 p.m.)
July 16 (3 p.m.)
Dunlop Pavilion, Wintergreen Resort, Nelson County
Wintergreen Music Festival:
Wintergreen Festival Orchestra
Sameer Patel conducting
Reena Esmail: “Rosa de Sal” for trumpet and orchestra
Clarice Assad: Concerto for trumpet and string orchestra (“Bohemian Queen”)
Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet
Chabrier: Habanera
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat major
$49
(434) 361-0541
http://wintergreen-music.org

July 15 (5 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
Garth Newel Piano Quartet
Polina Nazaykinskaya: “Her New Home” (premiere)
Tasha Koontz, soprano
Brandon Morales, bass-baritone
Mozart: Piano Quartet in E flat major, K. 493
$25 (concert), $95 (concert & dinner)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

July 16 (3 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
Garth Newel Piano Quartet
Mahler: Piano Quartet in A minor
Jordan Kuspa: “Fire Flowers”
Tasha Koontz, soprano
Fauré: Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor
$25 (concert), $55 (concert & picnic)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

July 20 (6:30 p.m.)
Rhythm Hall, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Summer Chamberfest:
Sam Huss, trumpet
Dominic Rotella, French horn
Evan Williams, trombone
Jerome Naulais: “Flash”
Anthony Plog: “Postcards”
Václav Nelhýbel: Trio for brass
Brad Edwards: “Blue Wolf”
Lydia Lowery Busler: “Appalachia”
Lauren Bernofsky: Trio for brass
sold out (waiting list)
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.com

July 21 (7:30 p.m.)
July 23 (2 p.m.)
July 27 (2 p.m.)
July 29 (7:30 p.m.)
The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
Wolf Trap Opera
Geoffrey McDonald conducting
Gounod: “Faust”
Eric Taylor (Dr. Faust)
Brittany Logan (Marguerite)
William Clay Thompson (Méphistophélès)
Mary Beth Nelson (Siébel)
Kyle White (Valentin)
Kathleen Felty (Marthe)
Alison Moritz, stage director
in French, English captions
$50-$94
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 21 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
conductor TBA
The Dispatch, guest stars
$35-$130
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 22 (6 p.m.)
July 23 (3 p.m.)
Dunlop Pavilion, Wintergreen Resort, Nelson County
Wintergreen Music Festival:
Wintergreen Festival Orchestra
Nicholas Hersh conducting
Reena Esmail: “Avartan”
Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major
Joplin: “Solace: a Mexican Serenade” (Nicholas Hersh arrangement)
Copland: Clarinet Concerto
Charlie Messersmith, clarinet
$49
(434) 361-0541
http://wintergreen-music.org

July 22 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
conductor TBA
“Jurassic Park,” film with live orchestral accompaniment
$40-$96
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

July 23 (3 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
Thalea String Quartet
Gabriella Smith: “Carrot Revolution”
Erwin Schulhoff: “5 Pieces”
Beethoven: Quartet in F major, Op. 135
$25 (concert), $55 (concert & picnic)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

July 23 (6 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducting
Errollyn Wallen: “Photography” – I: Vivace
William Grant Still: Symphony No. 2 (“Song of a New Race”)
Ravel: “La valse”
Richard Strauss: “Der Rosenkavalier” Suite
free
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

July 26 (8 p.m.)
July 27 (8 p.m.)
July 28 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke conducting
Jonathan Larsen: “ ‘Rent’ in Concert” (premiere)
Jimmie Herrod (Angel)
Myles Frost (Benny)
Andrew Barth Feldman (Mark)
Ali Stroker (Maureen)
Alex Boniello (Roger)
Sammi Cannold, concert director
$39-$149
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

July 27 (6:30 p.m.)
Rhythm Hall, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Summer Chamberfest:
Daisuke Yamamoto, violin
Schuyler Slack, cello
Maria Yefimova, piano
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 8
Reena Esmail: “Saans”
Carlos Simon: “Be Still and Know”
Lalo: Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 7
sold out (waiting list)
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.com

July 27 (8 p.m.)
31st Street Stage, King Neptune’s Park, 3100 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Morihiko Nakahara conducting
“Adventures in Music”
John Stafford Smith: “TheStar-Spangled Banner”
Rossini: “William Tell” Overture
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: “The Sea Hawk” Suite
John Williams: “E.T.” – “Adventures on Earth”
Grieg: “Peer Gynt” – “Morning Mood”
Maurice Jarre: “Lawrence of Arabia” theme
John Williams: “Star Wars Saga” – “The Forest Battle”
Ferde Grofé: “Grand Canyon Suite” – “On the Trail”
Koji Kondo: “The Legend of Zelda”
Klaus Badelt: “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme
John Williams: “Raiders March”
free
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

July 29 (6 p.m.)
July 30 (3 p.m.)
Dunlop Pavilion, Wintergreen Resort, Nelson County
Wintergreen Music Festival:
Wintergreen Festival Orchestra
Andrew Litton conducting
Lili Boulanger: “D’un matin de printemps”
Daron Hagen: Electric Guitar Concerto (“Film Noir”)
D.J. Sparr, electric guitar
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“From the New World”)
$49
(434) 361-0541
http://wintergreen-music.org

July 29 (5 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
artists TBA
“Emerging Artists Showcase I”
program TBA
$25 (concert), $95 (concert & dinner)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

July 30 (3 p.m.)
Herter Hall, Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs
artists TBA
“Emerging Artists Showcase II”
program TBA
$25 (concert), $55 (concert & picnic)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

Aug. 4 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
Alpesh Chauhan conducting
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major
Hilary Hahn, violin
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor
$25-$96
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

Aug. 6 (3 p.m.)
Bon Air Presbyterian Church, 9201 W. Huguenot Road, Richmond
Richmond Chamber Players
Kirke Mechem: “Wedding Madrigal” for flute & piano
Alfred Schnittke: “Suite im alten Stile” for violin & piano
Mechem: Divertimento for flute & strings
Mahler & Schnittke: Piano Quartet in A minor
$30
(804) 272-7514
http://richmondchamberplayers.org

Richmond BizSense’s Charlotte Mallory reports on the closure of Kapeller Violins, which has sold and serviced stringed instruments for thousands of Richmond area musicians since Stephen Kapeller opened the shop in 1978. It will close at the end of July.

His wife, Jane Kapeller, has run the business in recent years as her husband’s health declined.

Brittany Leaper, who has been Kapeller’s repair and restoration specialist, plans to open her own business, Mallory reports:

Kapeller Violins closing its doors at end of July after 45 years

Occramer Marycoo, a Ghanian captured by slavers and shipped in 1764 to the American slave port of Newport, Rhode Island, apparently was the first Black composer in what became the United States to have his music published, Sophie Genevieve Lowe writes in Early Music America.

Renamed Newport Gardner and held in Newport by the slave trader Caleb Gardner, Marycoo quickly learned to speak English and French and to master the basics of Western musical composition. His dance tune “Crooked Shanks” was published in Britain in 1768, and there are accounts of his anthems being performed in a Newport church, Lowe writes.

She speculates that Marycoo was one of the aristocratic “singing men” of oral historians and troubadours in the Akan culture of West Africa. She also notes that the Akan word “okyerema,” quite similar to Marycoo’s first name, means “master drummer.”

Marycoo purchased his freedom in 1791, and his family was granted its freedom shortly afterward. He opened a singing school, and by 1807 was prosperous enough to buy a home. In 1826, Marycoo and his family set sail for Africa. Accounts differ as to whether he died on the voyage home or shortly after arriving.

Lowe, a British violinist and scholar of the music of Colonial America, tells Marycoo’s remarkable story:

America’s First Published Black Composer?

(via http://www.artsjournal.com)

Music celebrating Juneteenth, the national holiday that marks the proclamation, on June 19, 1865, of the liberation of the Black people of Texas, the last in the former slave states to achieve emancipation.

1-3 p.m. EDT
1700-1900 UTC/GMT
WDCE, University of Richmond
90.1 FM
http://wdce.org

Scott Joplin: “Treemonisha” Overture
Paragon Ragtime Orchestra/Rick Benjamin
(New World)

Aaron Copland: “A Lincoln Portrait”
James Earl Jones, narrator
Seattle Symphony/Gerard Schwarz
(Delos)

William Levi Dawson: “Negro Folk Symphony”
Seattle Symphony/Roderick Cox
(Seattle Symphony Media)

Undine Smith Moore: “Afro-American Suite”
Laurel Zucker, flute
Jia-Mo Chen, cello
John Cozza, piano
(Cantilena)

Florence Beatrice Price: Symphony No. 3 in C minor
Philadelphia Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin
(Deutsche Grammophon)

Jessie Montgomery: “Banner”
Catalyst Quartet
(Azica)

Classical performances in and around Richmond, with selected events elsewhere in Virginia and the Washington area. Program information, provided by presenters, is updated as details become available. Adult ticket prices are listed; senior, student/youth, military, group and other discounts may be offered. Service fees may be added.

Contact presenters or venues for health and safety protocols.

June 1 (7 p.m.)
June 2 (8 p.m.)
June 3 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda conducting
Beethoven: “The Creatures of Prometheus” Overture
George Walker: Sinfonia No. 3
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor (“Choral”)
Camilla Tilling, soprano
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
Issachah Savage, tenor
Hanno Müller-Brachmann, bass-baritone
The Washington Chorus
$15-$139 (June 1 sold out)
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 1 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Pops
Enrico Lopez-Yañez conducting
Josè Sibaja, trumpet
Mónica Abrego, soprano
“Latin Fire”
$35-$90
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

June 3 (2 p.m.)
Bryan Park, 4308 Hermitage Road, Richmond
Richmond Symphony members
“Mile of Music”
ensemble works TBA during walk through park
free
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.com

June 3 (8 p.m.)
Main Street at Walter Reed Way, Gloucester
June 11 (7:45 p.m.)
Cavalier Hotel, 4200 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Helen Martell conducting
John Stafford & Francis Scott Key: “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Adolphus Hailstork: “Fanfare on ‘Amazing Grace’ ”
Rimsky-Korsakov: “Scheherazade” – I: “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship”
Alan Menken: “The Little Mermaid” – “Part of Your World”
Lin-Manuel Miranda: “Moana” – “How Far I’ll Go”
Richard Rodgers: “South Pacific” – “I’m Gonna Wash That Man,” “A Wonderful Guy”
Angelica Michelle, vocalist
Gilbert & Sullivan: work TBA
John Philip Sousa: “Hands Across The Sea”
James Hosay: “Rivers of the Chesapeake” – I: “The Elizabeth”
trad.: “Shenandoah” (Bob Krogstad arrangement)
Johann Strauss II: “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”
John Williams: “Jaws” – “The Shark Theme”
John Williams: “Midway March”
free
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

June 4 (2 p.m.)
The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
Véronique Filloux, soprano
Mary Beth Nelson, mezzo-soprano
Daniel Rich, baritone
William Clay Thompson, bass
Marco Rizzello, piano
Steven Blier directing
“Night and Day USA”
program TBA
$50
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

June 4 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
National Philharmonic
Piotr Gajewski conducting
Adolphus Hailstork: Symphony No. 5 (premiere)
Orff: “Carmina burana”
Marlisa Hudson, soprano
Robert Baker, tenor
Brandon Hendrickson, baritone
National Philharmonic Chorale
$19-$99
(301) 493-9283
http://nationalphilharmonic.org

June 6 (7:30 p.m.)
The Paramount, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
The Cville Band
Steve Layman directing
Cécile Chaminade: Concertino for flute
Lizzie Mayhood, flute
Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, K. 447
Becky Allen, French horn
other works TBA
free
(434) 979-1333
http://theparamount.net

June 7 (7 p.m.)
St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1205 W. Franklin St., Richmond
Welcome Summer Recital Series:
Charles Humphries, countertenor
Charles Lindsey, piano
works TBA by Purcell, Britten, George Butterworth, others
free
(804) 355-1779
http://doers.org/st-jamess-music-schedule/

June 7 (10:30 a.m.)
Hennage Auditorium, 301 S. Nassau St., Williamsburg
Virginia Arts Festival:
Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players
C.P.E. Bach: “Hamburg” Sonata in G major
Mozart: Divertimento in B flat major, K. 270
Carl Reinecke: Wind Sextet in B flat major, Op. 271
$18.75-$25
(757) 282-2822
http://vafest.org

June 8 (7 p.m.)
June 10 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Joseph Young conducting
Dvořák: “Othello” Overture
Florence Price: Piano Concerto in one movement
Michelle Cann, piano
Prokofiev: “Romeo and Juliet” (selections)
$15-$109
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 10 (2 & 8 p.m.)
Altria Theater, Main and Laurel streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony
conductor TBA
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” film with live orchestral accompaniment
$52.50-$119.50
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

June 10 (8 p.m.)
Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield County
Richmond Symphony
Daniel Myssyk conducting
Copland: “Outdoor Overture”
Florence Price: “Dances in the Canebrakes”
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Ballade in A minor
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“From the New World”) – I: Adagio – allegro molto
Ives: Symphony No. 1 in D minor – II: Adagio molto (sostenuto)
Josef Suk: Serenade in E flat major – II: Allegro ma non troppo e grazioso
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor
free; $10 parking fee
(804) 796-4255
http://richmondsymphony.com

June 10 (7:30 p.m.)
The Paramount, 215 E Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Symphony Pops
Benjamin Rous conducting
“Symphonic Sci-fi Spectacular”
film and television themes TBA
$15-$59.50
(434) 979-1333
http://theparamount.net

June 10 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Kevin John Edusei conducting
Kodály: ”Variations on a Hungarian Folk Song” (“The Peacock”)
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major
Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor
$35-$90
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

June 11 (4 p.m.)
River Road Church, Baptist, River and Ridge roads, Richmond
River Road Chancel Choir & orchestra
Robert Gallagher conducting
Beethoven: Mass in C major
Beethoven: Fantasia in C minor, Op. 90 (“Choral Fantasy”)
Daniel Stipe, piano
free; tickets required via http://eventbrite.com
(804) 288-1131
http://rrcb.org/all-beethoven-spring-chancel-choir-choir-2022-2023-concert-series/

June 11 (3 p.m.)
Lehman Auditorium, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Festival Orchestra
Daniel Myssyk conducting
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
Amir Farsi, flute
J.S. Bach: Cantata, “Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke,” BWV 84
Christine Glick-Fairfield, soprano
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson: Lament for viola & piano
Diane Phoenix-Neal, viola
David Berry, piano
Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op. 20
Amy Glick, Wanchi Huang, Jake Roege & Violaine Michel, violins
Diane Phoenix-Neal & Celia Daggy, violas
Paige Riggs & Kelley Mikkelsen, cellos
$10-$40
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 11 (2 p.m.)
Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center, Washington
Kennedy Center Chamber Players
Frank Bridge: Lament for 2 violas
Stephen Jaffe: Quartet No. 2
Brahms: String Quintet in G major, Op. 111
$36
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 11 (5 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
Choral Arts Society of Washington & orchestra
André J. Thomas conducting
Haydn: Mass in D minor (“Nelson Mass”)
Adolphus Hailstork: “I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes”
Dominick DiOrio: “Solaris”
$15-$69
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 12 (noon)
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Jean-Marie Leclair: 6 duos for 2 violins, Op. 12
Wachni & Jake Roege, violins
Lera Auerbach: “Three Dances in the Old Style,” Op. 54
Amy Glick, violin
Paige Riggs, cello
Brahms: Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8
Wachni, violin
Kelly Mikkelsen, cello
David Berry, piano
free
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 13 (noon)
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Mendelssohn: Prelude and Fugue in G major, Op. 37, No. 2
hymn medley
Luke Haynes, organ
Britten: “Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury”
Christine Carrillo, Chris Carrillo & Judith Saxton, trumpets
Florence Price: “Silk Hat and Walking Cane”
Lise Keiter, piano
J.S. Bach: Sonata in G minor, BWV 1029 – Vivace
Martha McGaughey, viola da gamba
Arthur Haas, harpsichord
Corelli: Sonata in D minor, Op. 5, Nop. 12 (“La Follia”)
Daniel Lee, baroque violin
Martha McGaughey, viola da gamba
Arthur Haas, harpsichord
free
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 14 (7:30 p.m.)
St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1205 W. Franklin St., Richmond
Welcome Summer Recital Series:
Eckhart Ensemble:
Gus Highstein, oboe & direction
Anna Bishop, Ellen Cockerham Riccio, Susy Yim & Adrian Pintea, violins
Johanna Beaver & Molly Sharp, violas
Ryan Lannan & Schuyler Slack, cellos
Ayça Kartari, double-bass
works TBA by J.S. Bach, Schubert, Respighi
free; donations benefit CARITAS
(804) 355-1779
http://doers.org/st-jamess-music-schedule/

June 14 (7:30 p.m.)
Attucks Theater, 1010 Church St., Norfolk
Virginia Arts Festival:
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Eric Jacobsen conducting
Jessie Montgomery: “Five Freedom Songs”
Julia Bullock, soprano
Dvořák: Quartet in F minor, Op. 96 (“American”) (Stewart orchestration)
George Walker: “Lyric for Strings”
$10-$35
(757) 282-2822
http://vafest.org

June 14 (noon)
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Lynda Dembowski: “Jams for 2 Clarinets”
Lynda Dembowski & James Tobin, clarinets
Gwenyth Walker: “When the Spirit Sings”
Joan Griffing, violin
Diane Phoenix-Neal, viola
Beth Vanderborgh, cello
Joseph Miraslav Weber: Septet in E major (“Aus meinem Leben”) (selections)
Amy Glick, violin
Diane Phoenix-Neal, viola
Paige Riggs, cello
Lynda Dembowski, clarinet
David Savige, bassoon
Jay Chadwick & David Wick, French horns
Pergolesi: Trio Sonata No. 4
Jay Crone & Matt Wright, tenor trombones
Harold Van Schaik, bass trombone
Kevin Stees, tuba
free
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 14 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Jules Buckley conducting
Anoushka Shankar, sitar
Shankar: works TBA (Buckley orchestrations)
$29-$99
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 15 (noon)
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
François Couperin: “Leçons de Ténèbres” – Seconde leçon
Leah Wenger, soprano
Cameron Kuzepski, harpsichord
Katie Kotar, baroque cello
Mozart: Flute Quartet in D major, K. 285
Cari Shipp, flute
Mark Taylor, violin
Celia Daggy, viola
Beth Vanderborgh, cello
Paquito d’Rivera: “Danzón & Afro”
Mark Hartman, violin
Nadine Monchecourt, cello
Lise Keiter, piano
Ernesto Lecuona: “La comparsa” (Jorge Amado arrangement)
Eleonel Molina & Phil Stoltzfus, violins
Thomas Stevens, viola
Beth Vanderborgh, cello
Jessie Montgomery: “Strum”
Violaine Michel & Christa Hoover, violins
Celia Daggy, viola
Amanda Gookin, cello
free
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 15 (7:30 p.m.)
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Baroque Academy Faculty:
Judith Malafronte, mezzo soprano
Anne Timberlake, recorders
Daniel Lee, violin
Martha McGaughey, viola da gamba
Arthur Haas, harpsichord
Buxtehude: Trio Sonata in F major, Op. 1, No. 7
Barabara Strozzi: “Il Romeo”
Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi: Sonata in D major, Op. 3, No. 4 (“La Castella”)
John Eccles: “The Judgment of Paris” – “Saturnia, wife of thund’ring Jove am I”
Telemann: Sonata for viola da gamba & basso continuo
Jean-Henri D’Anglebert: “Transcriptions de Lully”
Passacaille d’Armide: “Ouverture de Cadmus”
Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre: Sonata for violin & basso continuo
Tarquinio Merula: Ciaccona, Op. 12, No. 20
$10-$40
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 16 (7:30 p.m.)
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Laurel Street at Floyd Avenue, Richmond
Daniel Sañez, organ
J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 545
Domenico Zipoli: “Sonate d’intavolatura per organo e cimbalo” – 4 verses and Canzona in G minor
Mozart: “12 Variations on ‘Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman,’ ” K. 265
Franck: Chorale No. 1 in E major
Vierne: Berceuse, Op. 31, Vol. II, No. 19
Jehan Alain: “Litanies”
free; tickets required via http://eventbrite.com
(804) 359-5961
http://richmondcathedral.org/concerts

June 16 (noon)
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Mendelssohn: Konzertstück in D minor, Op. 114, No. 2
Leslie Nicholas, clarinet
Lynda Dembowski, basset horn
Lise Keiter, piano
Madeleine Dring: Trio for flute, oboe & piano
Cari Shipp, flute
Stephen Key, oboe
Lise Keiter, piano
Marcel Tournier: Nocturne, Op. 21
Tom Stevens, viola
Kelly Mikkelsen, cello
Anastasia Jellison, harp
Vaughan Williams: “Six Studies in English Folk-Song”
Tom Stevens, viola
Anastasia Jellison, harp
works TBA
Michael Richardson, baritone
Marvin Mills, piano
free
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 16 (7:30 p.m.)
Lehman Auditorium, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Festival Orchestra
Daniel Myssyk conducting
Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D major
Brendon Elliott, violin
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (“Eroica”)
$10-$40
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 16 (7:30 p.m.)
Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Boulevard
Roanoke Symphony Pops
David Stewart Wiley conducting
Jeans ’n Classics, guest stars
“Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon”
$31-$56
(540) 343-9127
http://rso.com

June 17 (7:30 p.m.)
Lehman Auditorium, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Festival Orchestra & Choir
Daniel Myssyk conducting
Adolphus Hailstork: “Fanfare on ‘Amazing Grace’ ”
Haydn: ”The Seasons” – “Spring”
Gabriela Lena Frank: “Pachamama Meets an Ode”
Sibelius: “Finlandia” (choir & orchestra version)
Zachary Wadsworth: “Beyond the Years”
Schumann: Symphony No.1 in B flat major (“Spring”)
$10-$40
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 17 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
James Conlon conducting
Adolphus Hailstork: “Epitaph for a Man Who Dreamed”
Alvin Singleton: “56 Blows”
Joel Thompson: “Awaken the Sleeper”
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 in E minor
$35-$90
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

June 18 (7 p.m.)
Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St., Richmond
Classical Revolution RVA
“Classical Incarnations”
chamber works TBA
donation requested
(804) 678-8863 (Gallery5)
http://classicalrevolutionrva.com/events

June 18 (10 a.m.)
Lehman Auditorium, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival:
Festival Choir, soloists & instrumentalists
Benjamin Bergey conducting
Marvin Mills, organ
the Rev. Shannon Dycus, homilist
“The Leipzig Service”
J.S. Bach: Cantata, “Jesu, nun sei gepreiset,” BWV 137
organ works TBA
free
(540) 432-4582
http://svbachfestival.org

June 20 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra Pops
David Hamilton conducting
CeCe Winans, guest star
$49-$124
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 21 (7:30 p.m.)
St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1205 W. Franklin St., Richmond
Welcome Summer Recital Series:
St. James’s Choir
Virginia Whitmire directing
“A Gloucester Prelude”
works TBA by Byrd, Bruckner, John Ireland, Herbert Howells, others
free; donations benefit Choir Scholarship Fund
(804) 355-1779
http://doers.org/st-jamess-music-schedule/

June 23 (7:30 p.m.)
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 7757 Chippenham Parkway, Richmond
Alexander Paley, piano
Chopin: “Variations on ‘La ci darem la mano’ from Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni,’ ” Op. 2
Chopin: Waltz in E flat major, Op. 18
Chopin: Waltz in A flat major, Op. 34, No. 1
Chopin: Waltz in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2
Chopin: Waltz in F major, Op. 34, No. 3
Chopin: Waltz in A flat major, Op. 42
Chopin: Impromptu in A flat major, Op. 29
Chopin: Impromptu in F sharp major, Op. 36
Chopin: Impromptu in G flat major, Op. 51
Chopin: Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66
Chopin: “Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante,” Op. 22
donation requested
(804) 665-9516
http://paleymusicfestival.org

June 23 (7:30 p.m.)
June 24 (2 & 7:30 p.m.)
June 25 (2 p.m.)
The Paramount, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Opera
Brian Demaris conducting
Frank Loesser: “Guys and Dolls”
Keith Phares (Sky Masterson)
Elise Quagliata (Sister Sarah Brown)
Chauncey Packer (Nathan Detroit)
Cree Carrico (Miss Adelaide)
Linda Brovsky, stage director
$20-$75
(434) 979-1333
http://theparamount.net

June 23 (7:30 p.m.)
June 25 (2 p.m.)
June 29 (2 p.m.)
July 1 (7:30 p.m.)
The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
Wolf Trap Opera
Timothy Long conducting
Handel: “Semele”
Esther Tonea (Semele)
Veronique Filloux (Iris)
Juno: Emily Treigle (Juno/Ino)
Kathleen Felty (Athamas)
Lunga Eric Hallam (Jupiter)
Eric Lindsey (Cadmus/Somnus)
Samuel Krausz (Apollo)
Tara Faircloth, stage director
in English
$50-$94
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

June 23 (8 p.m.)
June 24 (8 p.m.)
June 25 (2 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra Pops
Steven Reineke conducting
John Williams: “The Music of ‘Star Wars’ ”
$29-$89
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

June 30 (8 p.m.)
July 1 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra Pops
James Bagwell conducting
Natalie Merchant, guest star
“Keep Your Courage Tour”
$49-$139
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

July 5 (7:30 p.m.)
The Paramount, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
The Cville Band
Steve Layman directing
James Prodan, oboe
Robert Mott, bass trombone
Martha McKechnie, vocalist
program TBA
free
(434) 979-1333
http://theparamount.net

July 6 (6:30 p.m.)
Rhythm Hall, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Summer Series:
Victoria Chung, oboe
Thomas Schneider, bassoon
Russell Wilson, piano
André Previn: Trio for piano, oboe & bassoon
Lili Boulanger: “Three Pieces” for piano
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Duo for oboe & bassoon
Poulenc: Trio for piano, oboe & bassoon
sold out (waiting list)
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

July 7 (8 p.m.)
Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
National Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Hersh conducting
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Alexander Malofeev, piano
Holst: “The Planets,” with projections of NASA space images
$25-$96
(703) 255-1868
http://wolftrap.org

The Richmond Symphony’s Summer Chamberfest series presents four chamber-music programs by members of the orchestra and guests, staged at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays in July in Rhythm Hall of Dominion Energy Center, Sixth and Grace streets, in an intimate cabaret setting with refreshments.

Ensembles of strings, winds, brass and piano will play music by Francis Poulenc, Dmitri Shostakovich, Giuseppe Verdi and Edouard Lalo, as well as new and recent works by Virginia-based composer Adolphus Hailstork and Richmond-born composer Zachary Wadsworth, and pieces by contemporary composers Reena Esmail and Carlos Simon.

Four-concert subscriptions are $100. Single tickets, $30, go on sale on June 1. Seating is limited.

For more information, call (804) 788-1212 or visit http://richmondsymphony.com/summer-chamberfest

Summer Chamberfest dates, artists and programs:

July 6
Victoria Chung, oboe
Thomas Schneider, bassoon
Russell Wilson, piano
André Previn: Trio for piano, oboe & bassoon
Lili Boulanger: “Three Pieces” for piano
Villa-Lobos: Duo for oboe & bassoon
Poulenc: Trio for piano, oboe & bassoon

July 13
Adrian Pintea & Jeanette Jang, violins
Hyo Joo Uh, viola
Jason McComb, cello
Zachary Wadsworth: “They Rest above the River”
Adolphus Hailstork: “Eslanda Dance”
Andrea Portera: “(Trans)Form”
Verdi: Quartet in E minor

July 20
Sam Huss, trumpet
Dominic Rotella, French horn
Evan Williams, trombone
Jerome Naulais: “Flash”
Anthony Plog: “Postcards”
Václav Nelhýbel: Trio for brass
Brad Edwards: “Blue Wolf”
Lydia Lowery Busler: “Appalachia”
Lauren Bernofsky: Trio for brass

July 27
Daisuke Yamamoto, violin
Schuyler Slack, cello
Maria Yefimova, piano
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 8
Reena Esmail: “Saans”
Carlos Simon: “Be Still and Know”
Lalo: Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 7

Memorial Day is popularly celebrated as the start of the summer season; but the original purpose of the holiday was to remember Americans who served and died in our wars. In this program, music to mark the day as it was meant to be observed.

1-3 p.m. EDT
1700-1900 UTC/GMT
WDCE, University of Richmond
90.1 FM
http://wdce.org

Thomas Wiggins: “The Battle of Manassas”
John Davis, piano
(Newport Classics)

Ives: “Three Places in New England” –
I: “The ‘St. Gaudens’ in Boston Common (Col. Shaw and his Colored Regiment)”
Cleveland Orchestra/Christoph von Dohnányi
(Decca)

Vaughan Williams: “Dona nobis pacem”
Michelle Areyzaga, soprano
Kevin Deas, bass-baritone
Richmond Symphony Chorus
Richmond Symphony/Steven Smith
(Reference Recordings)

Barber: Symphony No. 2
Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
(Chandos)

Martinů: Symphony No. 3
Czech Philharmonic/Václav Neumann
(Supraphon)

I am medically advised to avoid crowded public events, and so cannot attend concerts. The Richmond Symphony is making video streams of its mainstage concerts available to ticket-holders. The stream of this program became accessible on May 25.

Lidiya Yankovskaya conducting
May 20-21, Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center

The Richmond Symphony’s final mainstage program of the season was a showcase of orchestral tone color. The program’s highlight, inevitably, was Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition;” but a first half of American works – John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” Florence Price’s “Ethiopia’s Shadow in America” and “Amer’ican” by James Lee III – enlarged the coloristic palette and offered some unexpected parallels and echoes.

With guest conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, the Russian-born American music director of Chicago Opera Theater, and a number of guest and substitute players, the orchestra audibly had sweated the details of wind solos and ensembles, string articulation and often tricky balances and exchanges among sections. This paid off to special effect in subtler or more atmospheric sections of “Pictures” and Lee’s tone poem.

“Pictures” was receiving a belated 100th-birthday salute: Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s 1874 piano suite was commissioned by the Russian conductor and new-music advocate Serge Koussevitzky, and introduced in his Concerts Koussevitzky series in Paris in October 1922. While Ravel’s timbral language here is as much his own as in works such as “Daphnis et Chloé” and “La valse,” the Russian qualities of Mussorgsky’s music comes through clearly, especially in Ravel’s weighty string and brass writing.

Yankovskaya and the orchestra realized both composers’ styles and soundscapes in a performance rich in both tonal and expressive detail and in massed sonority. The symphony’s woodwind and brass players – notably trumpeter Samuel Huss, bassoonist Thomas Schneider and alto saxophonist Dusty Dowdy – were in fine form, and the orchestra’s strings maintained balance with the relatively oversized complements of winds, brass and percussion.

An unexpected echo of the Russo-French sound of early 20th-century Paris came in Lee’s “Amer’ican,” music of a Black American composer introduced in 2021. Lee has described his piece as a “21st century response to [Antonín] Dvořák’s charge to American composers to incorporate the music of Native and Negro American music melodies.”

Melodically, “Amer’ican” follows that trajectory, with intermittent quotations from Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony (No. 9 in E minor). Lee’s sound textures and employment of tone color, especially in wind writing, often echo the more atmospheric, quasi-mystical sections of Igor Stravinsky’s “Le sacre du printemps” (“The Rite of Spring”), music of very different aesthetic and folk traditions. That contrast enriches the piece sonically and stylistically.

Price’s “Ethiopia’s Shadow in America,” written in 1932, is a more straightforward response to Dvořák’s charge, deeply informed, like most of her music, by spirituals (especially mournful or contemplative ones) and African-derived juba (or Giouba, aka “hambone”) dance rhythms. In three parts, played without pause, Price’s tone poem is a sonic representation of African slaves’ transportation to America, their “resignation and faith” during enslavement and “adaptation, a fusion of [their] native and acquired impulses.”

Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” a popular curtain-raiser since its premiere in 1986, is a percussively propulsive, vividly colorful example of the composer’s early, quasi-minimalist style.

Yankovskaya and the symphony gave sonically and stylistically idiomatic treatments to all three American works, making their most lasting impression in Lee’s “Amer’ican.”

The stream of this program remains accessible until June 30. Access: $30. Details: (800) 514-3849 (ETIX); http://richmondsymphony.com