Letter V

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

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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”

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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”)

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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”

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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

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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

The premiere of David T. Little’s “What Belongs to You,” a chamber opera adapted from the novel by Garth Greenwell; new and recent commissions by the Kronos Quartet and Third Coast Percussion with international guests; a folk-classical crossover program with violinist Tessa Lark, cellist Joshua Roman and double-bassist and composer Edgar Meyer; and recitals by baritone Keith Phares and pianist Simone Dinnerstein are classical offerings in the 2024-25 season of Modlin Arts Presents, the mainstage ticketed series of the University of Richmond’s Modlin Arts Center.

Modlin Arts Presents also will feature a variety of jazz, folk and world music artists and dance and theater troupes.

Single tickets for the series are $20 to $60. Subscribers to three to six events receive a 15 percent discount on adult ticket prices. Programs by Music Department faculty and student ensemble are free, but ticket reservations are required.

For more information, call the center’s box office at (804) 289-8980 or visit http://modlin.richmond.edu

Modlin Arts Presents classical attractions:

Sept. 26 & 28 (7:30 p.m., Jepson Theatre) – Karim Sulayman, tenor; Alarm Will Sound; Mark Morris, stage director & choreographer. David T. Little: “What Belongs to You.” (Free panel discussion at 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Jepson Theatre.)

Oct. 24 (7:30 p.m., Perkinson Recital Hall, North Court) – Keith Phares, baritone; pianist TBA. Program TBA.

Nov. 8 (7:30 p.m., Camp Concert Hall) – Tessa Lark, violin; Joshua Roman, cello; Edgar Meyer, double-bass. Folk & classical program of works TBA by Meyer, others.

Feb. 21 (7:30 p.m., Camp Concert Hall) – Third Coast Percussion; Zakir Hussain, tabla. Program TBA.

March 21 (7:30 p.m., Jepson Theatre) – Kronos Quartet; Peni Candra Rini, vocalist. Program TBA.

April 11 (7:30 p.m., Camp Concert Hall) – Simone Dinnerstein, piano. Program TBA.

* * *

Music Department classical programs, all in Camp Concert Hall unless listed otherwise:

Sept. 13 (7:30 p.m.) – UR faculty & student ensembles TBA. “Family Weekend Concert.” Program TBA.

Sept. 16 (7:30 p.m., Ukrop Auditorium) – Neumann Lecture on Music: Robert Fink. “What is Playlist Culture?”

Oct. 24 (7:30 p.m., Perkinson Recital Hall) – Keith Phares, baritone; pianist TBA. Program TBA. (Master class at time TBA, Oct. 25, Camp Concert Hall.)

Oct. 25 (7:30 p.m.) – Christoph Wagner, cello; Joanne Kong, piano. Works TBA by Brahms, Chopin, Martinů, Giovanni Sollima.

Oct. 27 (3 p.m.) – UR Schola Cantorum & orchestra, Jeffrey Riehl conducting. Fauré: Requiem, “Cantique de Jean Racine.”

Nov. 15 & 16 (7:30 p.m.) – Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival. Artists & works TBA.

Nov. 25 (7:30 p.m.) – UR Wind Ensemble, Brianna Gatch directing. Program TBA.

Dec. 2 (7:30 p.m.) – UR Chamber Ensembles. Program TBA.

Dec. 8 (5 & 8 p.m., Cannon Memorial Chapel) – UR Schola Cantorum, Jeffrey Riehl directing. Mary Beth Bennett, organ; brass ensemble. 51st annual Festival of Lessons and Carols.

Feb. 2 (3 p.m.) – Ronald Crutcher, cello; pianist TBA. Works TBA by Beethoven, Barber, Rachmaninoff.

Feb. 5 (7:30 p.m.) – Richard Becker, piano. Program TBA.

March 2 (3 p.m.) – Doris Wylee-Becker, piano. Program TBA.

March 5 (7:30 p.m.) – Anzû Quartet. Contemporary works TBA.

April 13 (3 p.m.) – UR Schola Cantorum, Jeffrey Riehl directing. Program TBA.

April 14 (7:30 p.m.) – UR Wind Ensemble, Brianna Gatch directing. Program TBA.

April 21 (7:30 p.m.) – UR Chamber Ensembles. Program TBA.

April 23 (7:30 p.m.) – UR Symphony Orchestra, Naima Burrs conducting. Program TBA.

Major works by Handel, Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Borodin and Elgar, and works by eight living composers, will be featured in the 20th anniversary season of the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia.

Cellist James Wilson, the Chamber Music Society’s artistic director, has mustered 42 instrumentalists, singers, actors and speakers, as well as the 132 Ensemble, for the series.

A “Festival of Premieres” in January will feature digital streams of works the Chamber Music Society has commissioned. Details on access will be announced later.

Subscriptions for seven ticketed concerts are $160 for adults, $25 for students. Single tickets are $30, $5 for students.

The Chamber Music Society’s 2024-25 concert season:

Sept. 15 (4 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, Monument Avenue at Staples Mill Road) – “House of Handel.” Works TBA by Handel; Zachary Wadsworth: “. . . like a shepherd” (premiere).

Oct. 12 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library, First & Franklin streets) – “A Richmond Cabaret.” Commissioned works by Emily Graham, Zachary Wadsworth, Riley Peters, Betsy Podsiadio. Free.

Oct. 14 (7 p.m., First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Ave. at the Carillon) – “Swept Away!” Jake Heggie: “For a Look or a Touch;” works TBA by composers active in Weimar Germany between the world wars.

Nov. 9 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library) – “The Sun.” Works TBA by Haydn, Kyle Valorose. Free.

Dec. 16 (7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter) – “Bach by Candlelight.” J.S. Bach: solo-cello suites & solo-violin sonatas & partitas TBA.

Feb. 15 (2 p.m. Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library) – “Opus 20: Anniversary.” Elgar: Serenade in E minor, Op. 20 (arranged for flute & strings); Borodin: Quartet No. 2 in D major. Free.

Feb. 16 (4 p.m., St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 12291 River Road) – “Celebration.” Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op. 20; works TBA by Ravel, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Donovan Williams.

March 8 (7 p.m.) & March 9 (4 p.m., Wilton House Museum, 215 S. Wilton Road) – “Baroque at Wilton.” Program TBA.

April 5 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library) – “Opus 20: Party of 7.” Works TBA by Beethoven, Antonio Garcia. Free.

May 4 (4 p.m., Second Presbyterian Church, 5 N. Fifth St.) – “Schubert Quintets.” Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 (“Trout”); Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D. 956.

The young Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, Germany’s Goldmund Quartet, the Spanish Brass quintet and two classical-crossover ensembles, Time for Three and the Harlem Quartet, will perform in the 2024-25 season of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Mary Anne Rennolds Chamber Concerts series.

Repertory for the programs will be announced later.

Subscriptions are $100. Single tickets are $35.

For more information, call the VCU Music Department at (804) 828-1166 or visit http://arts.vcu.edu/music-tickets.

The performances, all at 3 p.m., will be staged in Vlahcevic Concert Hall of VCU’s Singleton Arts Center.

Oct. 6 – Spanish Brass.

Nov. 3 – Alexander Malofeev, piano.

Jan. 19 – Time for Three.

March 2 – Goldmund Quartet.

April 6 – Harlem Quartet.

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. Ticket prices do not include service fees.

Sept. 1 (3 p.m.)
Garth Newel Music Center, Garth Newel Lane at US Route 220, Hot Springs
Garth Newel Piano Quartet
Maureen Nelson, violin
Debussy: Violin Sonata in G minor
Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81
$30 (concert); $75 (concert & picnic)
(540) 839-5018
http://garthnewel.org

Sept. 1 (8 p.m.)
West Lawn, US Capitol, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Enrico Lopez-Yañez conducting
Christylez Bacon, guest star
Annual Labor Day Concert
program TBA
free
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 3 (7:30 p.m.)
Neptune’s Park, 3001 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Brandon Eldredge conducting
“Once Upon a Symphony”
Copland: “Rodeo” – “Buckaroo Holiday”
Handel: “Royal Fireworks Music” – “La Réjouissance”
Saint-Saëns: “Danse macabre”
Tchaikovsky: “Swan Lake” Suite
Berlioz: “Symphonie fantastique” – IV: “March to the Scaffold”
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat major – IV: Allegro ma non troppo
Mitch Leigh: “Man of La Mancha” Theme
Lalo Schifrin: “Mission Impossible” Theme
John Williams: “Jurassic Park” Theme
Stevie Wonder: “Stevie Wonder Medley”
John Williams: “A Tribute to John Williams”
free
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m.)
Babcock Arts Center, Sweet Briar College, Amherst County
Richmond Symphony
Hae Lee conducting
works TBA by Beethoven, Dvořák, Barber, Shostakovich
$11.50 via https://sweetbriar.ticketleap.com/rso-2024/dates/Sep-05-2024_at_0730PM; free for Sweet Briar community, college & high-school students
(434) 381-6262
http://www.sbc.edu/calendar/event/24383-richmond-symphony-orchestra-concert

Sept. 7 (3 p.m.)
River Pavilion, Kennedy Center, Washington
Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra members
works TBA by Ravel, François Devienne
free
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 8 (6:30 p.m.)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony
Hae Lee conducting
“Band Geek Date Night”
works TBA by Beethoven, Dvořák, Shostakovich, others
$40
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 8 (2 p.m.)
Kaufman Theater, Chrysler Museum of Art, 1 Memorial Place, Norfolk
Feldman Chamber Music Society:
New Commonwealth Quartet
Stephen Coxe, piano
Haydn: Quartet in G major, Op. 77, No. 1
Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81
free
(757) 552-1630
http://feldmanchambermusic.org

Sept. 8 (7:30 p.m.)
Neptune’s Park, 3001 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Todd Craven conducting
“Where Wishes Come True: a Night of Enchanted Melodies”
program TBA
free
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

Sept. 8 (3 p.m.)
Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival:
Brooklyn Rider
Timothy Summer, violin
Raphael Bell, cello
Dan Tepfer, piano
J.S. Bach: Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007, for solo cello
J.S. Bach: “The Art of Fugue,” BWV 1080 (selections)
Alfred Schnittke: “Prelude in Memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich”
Sofia Gubaidulina: “Reflections on the Theme B.A.C.H.”
Tepfer: “Natural Machines”
$22-$30
(434) 295-5395
http://cvillechambermusic.org

Sept. 9 (7:30 p.m.)
Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival:
Brooklyn Rider
Timothy Summer, violin
Raphael Bell, cello
Dan Tepfer, piano
Boccherini: “Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid”
György Kurtág: “Hommage à J.S.B.”
Valentyn Silvestrov: “Hommage à J.S.B.”
Colin Jacobsen: “BTT”
Tepfer: “Inventions/Reiventions” (after J.S. Bach)
$22-$30
(434) 295-5395
http://cvillechambermusic.org

Sept. 12 (1 p.m.)
Gottwald Playhouse, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Strad Fest:
Sofia Vettori, speaker
“The Art of Stradivari”
free; ticket required
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m.)
Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival:
Johnny Gandelsman, Simone Porter, & Blake Pouliot, violins
Timothy Summers, violin and viola
Rebecca Albers & Jessica Thompson, violas
Raphael Bell, Michael Nicholas & Raman Ramakrishnan, cellos
Anthony Manzo, double-bass
Benjamin Hochman, piano
J.S. Bach: “Brandenburg” Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
Christopher Trapani: “Palermo Canons” (premiere)
Beethoven: Cello Sonata in A major, Op. 69
Mendelssohn: String Octet in E flat major, Op. 20
$22-$30
(434) 295-5395
http://cvillechambermusic.org

Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m.)
Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center, Washington
Vocal Arts DC:
Lucas Meachem, baritone
Irina Meachem, piano
Mahler: “Kindertotenlieder”
Liszt: “Petrarch” sonatas
works TBA by Rachmaninoff, William Grant Still
$50
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 13 (11 a.m.)
Gottwald Playhouse, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Strad Fest:
Sofia Vettori, speaker/demonstrator
“Evolution of Musical Repertoire and Instruments”
free; ticket required
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 13 (7 p.m.)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Strad Fest:
Richmond Symphony
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
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 13 (7:30 p.m.)
Camp Concert Hall, Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond
faculty & student ensembles TBA
“Family Weekend Concert”
program TBA
free; ticket reservations required
(804) 289-8980
http://modlin.richmond.edu

Sept. 13 (7:30 p.m.)
Ferguson Arts Center, Christopher Newport University, Newport News
Sept. 15 (2:30 p.m.)
Sandler Arts Center, 201 S. Market St., Virginia Beach
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Eric Jacobsen conducting
Valerie Coleman: “Fanfare for Uncommon Times”
Mason Bates: “Philharmonia Fantastique”
Mussorgsky: “Pictures at an Exhibition” (Maurice Ravel orchestration)
$15-$119
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

Sept. 13 (12:30 p.m.)
Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival:
Johnny Gandelsman, Simone Porter & Blake Pouliot, violins
Timothy Summers, violin & viola
Rebecca Albers & Jessica Thompson, violas
Raphael Bell, Michael Nicholas & Raman Ramakrishnan, cellos
Anthony Manzo, double-bass
Benjamin Hochman, piano
Community concert
J.S. Bach: “Brandenburg” Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: I: Allegro
John Dowland: “Pavana Lachrymae” (William Byrd arrangement)
Oliver Knussen: “Prayer Bell Sketch”
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Christe”
Mendelssohn: String Octet in E flat major, Op. 20: IV: Rondo
other works TBA
free
(434) 295-5395
http://cvillechambermusic.org

Sept. 13 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Pops
Steve Hackman conducting
“BSO Fusion: Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue”
$36-$75
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

Sept. 14 (1 p.m.)
Gottwald Playhouse, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Strad Fest:
artists TBA
“Strad Fest Chamber Concert”
program TBA
$200
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 14 (5 p.m.)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Strad Fest:
Richmond Symphony
Valentina Peleggi conducting
Itzhak Perlman, violin
“Cinema Serenade”
program TBA
$15-$69
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 14 (7:30 p.m.)
Elmwood Park Amphitheater, 706 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke
Roanoke Symphony Orchestra
David Stewart Wiley conducting
Kianna Price Marshall, narrator
Darryl Duff, vocalist
RSO Chorus
SWVA Ballet
program TBA
free
(540) 343-9127
http://rso.com

Sept. 14 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Eugene Rogers conducting
Jessie Montgomery: “Banners”
Copland: “Old American Songs” – “Zion’s Walls,” “Simple Gifts,” “At the River”
Morris Robinson, bass-baritone
Copland: “Billy the Kid” Suite
Carlos Simon & Dan Harder: “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson”
Morris Robinson, bass-baritone
The Washington Chorus
$44-$160
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 15 (3 p.m.)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Strad Fest:
Itzhak Perlman, violin
pianist TBA
program TBA
$82-$180
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 15 (4 p.m.)
Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Monument Avenue at Staples Mill Road, Richmond
Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia:
chamber orchestra
conductor TBA
“The House of Handel”
works TBA by Handel
Zachary Wadsworth: “. . . like a shepherd” (premiere)
$30
(804) 304-6312
http://cmscva.org

Sept. 15 (3 p.m.)
Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival:
Simone Porter & Blake Pouliot, violins
Timothy Summers & Jennifer Stumm, violas
Raphael Bell & Raman Ramakrishnan, cellos
Benjamin Hochman, piano
Brahms: String Sextet in B flat major, Op. 18
Beethoven: “Diabelli Variations,” Op. 120
$22-$30
(434) 295-5395
http://cvillechambermusic.org

Sept. 15 (7 p.m.)
Center for the Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax
Jeffrey Siegel, piano & speaker
“Keyboard Conversations: Music of Joy and Peace”
works TBA by Mozart, Chopin, Grieg, Rachmaninoff
$29-$50
(703) 993-2787
http://cfa.gmu.edu

Sept. 18 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Pops
Steven Reineke conducting
Tobe Nwigwe, guest star
“Hood Hymns”
$49-$169
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 19 (6:30 p.m.)
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Overbrook Road at Ownby Lane, Richmond
Richmond Symphony
Hae Lee conducting
works TBA by J.S. Bach, Debussy, Ives, Piazzolla
$30-$40
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Sept. 19 (7:30 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street, Richmond
Justin Alexander, percussion
program TBA
$12
(804) 828-1166
http://arts.vcu.edu/events

Sept. 19 (3:30 p.m.)
Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival:
Jennifer Frautschi, violin
Timothy Summers, viola
Raphael Bell, cello
Andrew Armstrong, piano
Schubert: Sonata in A minor, D. 821 (“Arpeggione”)
Salina Fisher: “Hikari”
Armstrong: “She Fell for a Flyfisher”
Gershwin: “Rhapsody in Blue”
Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26
$22-$30
(434) 295-5395
http://cvillechambermusic.org

Sept. 20 (7:30 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street, Richmond
Doug Richards Orchestra
Laura Ann Singh, vocalist
Antonio Carlos Jobim: works TBA (Doug Richards arrangements)
$25
(804) 828-1166
http://arts.vcu.edu/events

Sept. 20 (11 a.m.)
Chrysler Hall, 215 St. Paul’s Boulevard, Norfolk
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Eric Jacobsen conducting
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Beethoven: “Coriolan” Overture
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major: III: Rondo
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat major: I: Adagio – allegro vivace
$15-$39
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

Sept. 20 (7:30 p.m.)
Chrysler Hall, 215 St. Paul’s Boulevard, Norfolk
Sept. 21 (7:30 p.m.)
Ferguson Arts Center, Christopher Newport University, Newport News
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Eric Jacobsen conducting
Beethoven: “Coriolan” Overture
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat major
$15-$119
(757) 892-6366
http://virginiasymphony.org

Sept. 20 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Jonathon Heyward conducting
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Season-opening gala
program TBA
$175-$300
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

Sept. 21 (7 p.m.)
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 6010 Fergusson Road, Richmond
Belvedere Series:
Nicholas DiEugenio & Ellen Cockerham Riccio, violins
Fitz Gary & Andriana Linares, violas
Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Ingrid Keller, piano
Mozart: String Quintet in C major, K. 515
Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81
$30
(804) 833-1481
http://belvedereseries.org

Sept. 21 (7 p.m.)
Heritage Amphitheater, Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield County
Richmond Symphony
Hae Lee conducting
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
(804) 788-1212
http://richmondsymphony.org

Sept. 22 (7 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street, Richmond
Ronn McFarlane, lute
Andrew McEvoy, guitar
program TBA
$12
(804) 828-1166
http://arts.vcu.edu/events

Sept. 22 (3:30 p.m.)
Old Cabell Hall, University iof Virginia, Charlottesville
UVa Chamber Music Series:
David Sariti, violin
program TBA
$15
(434) 924-3376
http://music.virginia.edu/events

Sept. 22 (noon)
Skylight Pavilion, Kennedy Center, Washington
Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra members
program TBA
free
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 23 (7:30 p.m.)
Kaufman Theater, Chrysler Museum of Art, 1 Memorial Place, Norfolk
Feldman Chamber Music Society:
Trio Zimbalist
Haydn: Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV:25 (“Gypsy”)
Bohuslav Martinů: “Bergerettes,” H. 275
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor
$40
(757) 552-1630
http://feldmanchambermusic.org

Sept. 24 (7:30 p.m.)
Williamsburg Library Theatre, 515 Scotland St.
Trio Zimbalist
Haydn: Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV:25 (“Gypsy”)
Bohuslav Martinů: “Bergerettes,” H. 275
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor
$30
(757) 741-3300
http://chambermusicwilliamsburg.org

Sept. 25 (7 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street, Richmond
Magdalena Adamek, piano
Justin Alexander, percussion
Filipe Leitao, composer
“Beyond Horizons: a Piano Voyage”
works TBA by Rachmaninoff, Brad Mehldau, Chick Corea, Zbigniew Preisner, others
$12
(804) 828-1166
http://arts.vcu.edu/events

Sept. 26 (7:30 p.m.)
Sept. 28 (7:30 p.m.)
Jepson Theatre, Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond
Karim Sulayman, tenor
Alarm Will Sound
David T. Little: “What Belongs to You” (premiere)
free panel discussion, 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Jepson Theatre
$20-$60
(804) 289-8980
http://modlin.richmond.edu

Sept. 26 (7:30 p.m.)
Williamsburg Community Chapel, 3899 John Tyler Highway
Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra
Michael Butterman conducting
Gershwin: “Lullaby for Strings”
Gershwin: “An American in Paris”
Gershwin: “Rhapsody in Blue”
Marcus Roberts Trio
$65-$75
(757) 229-9857
http://williamsburgsymphony.org

Sept. 27 (7:30 p.m.)
River Road Church, Baptist, River & Ridge roads, Richmond
Richmond chapter, American Guild of Organists’ Repertoire Recital Series:
Alan Morrison, organ
Leo Sowerby: “Pageant”
William Grant Still: Elegy
Florence Price: Organ Sonata No. 1
Jonathan Dove: “The Dancing Pipes”
Maurice Duruflé: Scherzo, Op. 2
Mary Beth Bennett: Partita on “Veni, Creator Spiritus”
Rachel Laurin: Concert Piece No. 3, Op. 94 (“Mr. Mistoffelees Overture”)
donation requested
(804) 288-1131
http://richmondago.org

Sept. 28 (7:30 p.m.)
Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Sept. 29 (3:30 p.m.)
Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Center, Charlottesville High School, 1400 Melbourne Road
Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia
Benjamin Rous conducting
Verdi: “La forza del destino” Overture
Jonathan Russell: Adagio for clarinet, cello & orchestra
Jiyeon Choi, clarinet
Adam Carter, cello
Artie Shaw: Clarinet Concerto
Jiyeon Choi, clarinet
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
$10-$53
(434) 924-3376
http://cvillesymphony.org

Sept. 28 (7 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda conducting
Season-opening gala
Carlos Simon: “Four Black American Dances”
Mel Bonis: Pavane
Bonis: Sarabande
Bonis: Bourrée
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Yunchan Lin, piano
Ravel: “La Valse”
$90-$229
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Sept. 28 (8 p.m.)
Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, 10 First St. SE, Washington
Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra
Scott Flavin conducting
Mancini: movie-score excerpts TBA
free; tickets required via http://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/
(202) 707-5507
http://www.loc.gov/events/concerts-from-the-library-of-congress/concerts/upcoming-concerts/

Sept. 28 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Jonathon Heyward conducting
James Lee III: “Visions of Cahokia”
Barber: Violin Concerto
James Ehnes, violin
Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 in G major
$38-$99
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

Oct. 1 (7:30 p.m.)
Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Tuesday Evening Concerts:
Viano Quartet
Astor Piazzolla: “Introduccione al Angel”
Florence Price: “5 Folksongs in Counterpoint”
Beethoven: Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 (“Razumovsky”)
$12-$45
(434) 924-3376
http://tecs.org

Oct. 3 (7 p.m.)
Salem Presbyterian Church, 14 E. Main St.
Akemi Takayama, violin
Roanoke Symphony Orchestra string principals
David Stewart Wiley, piano
“Peace, Reflection and Transfiguration”
program TBA
$34-$52
(540) 343-9127
http://rso.com

Oct. 3 (7 p.m.)
Oct. 4 (8 p.m.)
Oct. 5 (8 p.m.)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington
National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda conducting
Carlos Simon: “Four Black American Dances”
Richard Strauss: “Four Last Songs”
Rachel Willis-Sørensen, soprano
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
$17-$133
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

Oct. 4 (7 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street, Richmond
VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Terry Austin directing
“Illumination”
Holst: Suite in E flat major
Sam Hazo: “Ride”
other works TBA
$12
(804) 828-1166
http://arts.vcu.edu/events

Oct. 4 (7:30 p.m.)
Oct. 6 (2:30 p.m.)
Harrison Opera House, 160 E. Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk
Virginia Opera
Adam Turner conducting
Mozart: “Don Giovanni”
Ethan Vincent (Don Giovanni)
Wm. Clay Thompson (Leporello)
Symone Harcum (Donna Anna)
Alexandra Loutsion (Donna Elvira)
Jordan Costa (Don Ottavio)
Ricardo Lugo (Commendatore)
Chase Sanders (Zerlina)
Patrick Wilhelm (Masetto)
Kyle Lang, stage director
in Italian, English captions
$21.25-$130
(866) 673-7282
http://vaopera.org

Oct. 4 (8 p.m.)
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Baltimore Symphony Pops
Stuart Chafetz conducting
Jessica Handy, Kelli Rabke & John Boswell, guest stars
“Blockbuster Broadway”
$38-$99
(877) 276-1444
http://strathmore.org

Oct. 5 (7 p.m.)
Oct. 6 (3:30 p.m.)
Perkinson Recital Hall, North Court, University of Richmond
Belvedere Series:
William Ferguson, tenor
Martin Katz, piano
“My Beloved”
works TBA by Britten, Schumann, Leonard Bernstein, others
$45 (limited seating)
(804) 833-1481
http://belvedereseries.org

Oct. 5 (8 p.m.)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth & Grace streets, Richmond
Richmond Symphony Pops
Chia-Hsuan Lin conducting
Miramar, guest stars
$15-$86
(800) 514-3849 (ETIX)
http://richmondsymphony.com

Oct. 6 (3 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street, Richmond
Rennolds Chamber Concerts:
Spanish Brass
program TBA
$35
(804) 828-1166
http://arts.vcu.edu/events

Oct. 6 (7:30 p.m.)
Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center, Washington
Fei Tong, violin
Canjingjing Cui, soprano
Baoqi Zhu, piano
Chinese works TBA
$34-$58
(800) 444-1324
http://kennedy-center.org

7-9 p.m. EDT
2300-0100 UTC/GMT
WDCE, University of Richmond
90.1 FM
http://wdce.org

Arthur Sullivan: “The Merchant of Venice” Suite
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Vivian Dunn
(Klavier)

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Romance in G major, Op. 39
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
Encore Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Hege
(Çedille)

Ernst von Dohnányi: Sextet in C major, Op. 37
Kálmán Berkes, clarinet
Radovan Vlatković, French horn
András Schiff, piano
Takács Quartet members
(Decca)

Borodin: Piano Quintet in C minor
Alexander Mogilevsky, piano
Andrey Baranov & Geza Hosszu-Legocky, violins
Nora Romanoff, viola
Jing Zhao, cello
(Warner Classics)

Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D minor
Cleveland Orchestra/Christoph von Dohnányi
(Decca)

Eric W. Dolan, writing for the PsyPost website, outlines research, published in Scientific Reports, suggesting that “the shared experience of live music creates a remarkable physiological bond among audience members, revealing the profound impact of music on the human body.”

In the “passive settings” of symphony concerts, “where listeners are not consciously interacting with one another, the shared experience of the music could lead to a kind of physiological entrainment among audience members,” Dolan writes.

This “interpersonal synchrony,” observed in social interactions such as conversation, “arises generally, in diverse contexts. Here, I have turned to a novel field, the responses to concerts measured in audiences, where we also applied the methods of synchrony research,” says Wolfgang Tschacher, professor emeritus at the University of Bern in Switzerland and author of the study.

Tschacher and his team tested the hypothesis in Berlin concerts, finding that the heart rates, breathing and “skin conductance” of 695 concertgoers “were all significantly synchronized across the audience” during performances.

Dolan’s article:

http://www.psypost.org/scientists-observe-a-remarkable-synchronization-effect-among-classical-music-listeners/

The Scientific Reports article:

http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-67455-2

(via http://artsjournal.com)

7-9 p.m. EDT
2300-0100 UTC/GMT
WDCE, University of Richmond
90.1 FM
http://wdce.org

Franz von Suppé: “Poet and Peasant” Overture
Vienna Philharmonic/Zubin Mehta
(Sony Classical)

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor
Martha Argerich, piano
National Symphony Orchestra/Mstislav Rostropovich
(Deutsche Grammophon)

Mahler: “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” (“Songs of a Wayfarer”)
Christian Gerhaher, baritone
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal/Kent Nagano
(Sony Classical)

Brahms: Scherzo in C minor (from “F.A.E.” Sonata)
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Yuja Wang, piano
(Decca)

Stravinsky: “L’histoire du soldat” (“The Soldier’s Tale”) Suite
Richard Stoltzman, clarinet
Lucy Chapman Stoltzman, violin
Richard Goode, piano
(RCA)

John Adams: “John’s Book of Alleged Dances”
Kronos Quartet
(Nonesuch)

7-9 p.m. EDT
2300-0100 UTC/GMT
WDCE, University of Richmond
90.1 FM
http://wdce.org

Daniel Auber: “Fra Diavolo” Overture
Cincinnati Pops/Erich Kunzel
(Telarc)

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414
Fazil Say, piano
Zürich Chamber Orchestra/Howard Griffiths
(Naïve)

Dvořák: Quartet in F major, Op. 96 (“American”)
Smetana Quartet
(Testament)

Mieczysław Weinberg: Fantasia, Op. 52
Pieter Wispelwey, cello
Les Métamorphoses/Raphaël Feye
(Evil Penguin)

Schumann: Symphony No. 2 in C major
New York Philharmonic/Leonard Bernstein
(Sony Classical)

YouTube’s algorithm has served me a 2019 performance of Mahler’s string orchestration of Schubert’s Quartet in D minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”) by Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the New World Symphony, the Miami ensemble that he founded as a post-graduate finishing school for young orchestral musicians.

This caught my eye because the New World Symphony sends many of its alumni to orchestras of the size and pay grade of the Richmond Symphony, and later on to major orchestras. A number of the players in this five-year-old performance are undoubtedly first-chairs somewhere today. Also because Tilson Thomas, while lauded for his Mahler, has not built his reputation on interpretations of earlier “core” Austro-German composers such as Schubert. What would he make of this classically structured but romantically charged score?

A lot, it turns out: If you’ve heard the Mahler “Death and the Maiden,” it was almost certainly played by a chamber orchestra. Tilson Thomas musters a complement of strings large enough to populate a Mahler symphony. (The Schubert arrangement, made in 1896, is roughly contemporaneous with Mahler’s first three symphonies.)

A beefier ensemble adds expressive gravitas and warmer, richer sonority (especially in bass lines); and, conducted attentively as it is here, gives greater prominence to Mahler’s articulative and dynamic retouchings. I heard details in this performance that I had never heard before.

Forty minutes well spent: