New music director, plus "new" hall, equals excitement.
That’s the 2010-11 formula for listeners to the Richmond Symphony.
The “new” hall is the renovated Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage, which opened last year. And audiences already are applauding its bright new look, and, most importantly, improved, if not perfect, acoustics.
The new music director is Steven Smith, who was chosen this spring. He’s coming here from positions as conductor of the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and the Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus. He’s promised challenging programs and new directions for the orchestra.
Presents new works
The season Altria Masterworks Series will be bookended by Beethoven with the top-flight Richmond Symphony Chorus, prepared by Associate Conductor Erin R. Freeman. Beethoven’s Ninth “Choral” Symphony will open the season in late September. Freeman will take the podium in late May to conduct orchestra and chorus in the “Missa Solemnis” (“Solemn Mass”).
The season will be filled with many highlights. New works presented by the orchestra will include a fanfare and “Ode” by Richmond native Mason Bates, Charlottesville composer Judith Shatin’s “Jefferson in His Own Words” and a commissioned work by crossover composer Daniel Bernard Roumain.
The symphony’s pops series will offer such mixtures of music and dance as “Cirque de la Symphonie,” a re-creation of a circus on the stage, and “The Contours, 50 Years of Motown,” featuring Motown’s own Sylvester Potts.
The Lollipops children’s series will be held on three Saturday mornings at the Carpenter Theatre. Freeman will conduct.
Holiday concerts also are scheduled, highlighted by Handel’s “Messiah.” Also, the symphony will head out to the University of Richmond for a special concert featuring a new work by alumna Heather Stebbins, class of 2009, and the premiere of “Side by Side” by Michael Colgrass. The piano soloist will be UR faculty member Joanne Kong.
Opera favorites
Meanwhile, opera lovers are applauding the return of the Virginia Opera from the Landmark Theater to Carpenter Theatre. The 2010-11 season will include favorites from recent seasons. The most ambitious undertaking will be “The Valkyrie,” second in Wagner’s epic “Ring” cycle of four operas. This will be a revival of the 2002 production.
Other orchestras filling the classical music calendar include the Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ulysses Kirksey, and the Richmond Philharmonic, led by Robert Mirakian. The Petersburg orchestra performs on Sunday afternoons in the Petersburg High School auditorium. The philharmonic will open the season at Hermitage High School in Henrico County, then continue at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University and in outreach concerts throughout the Richmond area.
Chamber music concerts
The region is especially rich in chamber music. The leading series is the Mary Anne Rennolds Chamber Concerts at VCU that features artists from throughout the nation and world. Booked for 2010-11 are the Claremont Trio, pianists Charles Rosen and Jon Nakamatsu, the Borromeo and Ysaye quartets and cellist Zuill Bailey.
At the University of Richmond’s Modlin Center, the calendar is filled with music for small ensembles. Eighth Blackbird, the Grammy Award-winning group in residence at the university, will open the season with the U.S. premiere of a work based on songs by Bob Dylan. The Shanghai Quartet, which preceded eighth blackbird as artists in residence at UR, will return twice.
At both VCU and UR, listeners may enjoy a plethora of concerts by faculty and student musicians. They rank among some of the finest offerings of any musical season.
The same may be said for the area’s churches and synagogues. For details on these Concert Series, see the Making Music list.
The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia is the umbrella for the Richmond Festival of Music as well as other concerts throughout the year. Heading the list of players is James Wilson of New York, formerly cellist in the Shanghai Quartet. The Oberon String Quartet is in residence at St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s schools and specializes in less familiar works. The Gellman Room series offers varied fare by small ensembles and soloists at the Richmond Public Library downtown.
Choral & Band groups
Choral groups abound. Their concerts are held usually in churches in the area. For a complete list of these groups, see the Making Music list. Bands include the Richmond Pops and the Richmond Concert Band, which adds musical fire to the annual Fourth of July celebration at Dogwood Dell in Byrd Park. After all, who doesn’t love a march or song?
Discover Richmond is an annual publication of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, offering a guide to the metro area for newcomers and longtime residents. The 36th issue is published with the Aug. 29, 2010, newspaper.
You can purchase additional copies for $2 at the front counter of The Times-Dispatch, 300 E. Franklin St., Richmond, 23219. Order by mail for $3 each; send check or call 649-6261 with credit card number. Orders for 25 or fewer handled at the front counters; for 26 or more copies (not guaranteed unless ordered in advance), contact Tammy Martin, at 775-2724 or tmartin@timesdispatch.com.
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