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Hear comments by those who make the arts so vibrant in Hampton Roads - conductors, musicians, singers, actors, teachers, visual artists. Learn about performances and get insight into the creative process from the artists themselves.
"Virginia Arts Festival: An evening of American song with Kelli O'Hara and Rob Fisher" - MP3 Download 
As one of the final events of the 2010 Virginia Arts Festival, Broadway star Kelli O’Hara will present an evening of American Song in Williamsburg. She’ll be accompanied by an ensemble led by Hampton Roads native, now Broadway conductor, Rob Fisher. Dwight Davis spoke with Rob Fisher about the program, and its emphasis on songs by Harold Arlen.
 "Virginia Arts Festival: Grand Finale with the Virginia Symphony" - MP3 Download The 2010 Virginia Arts Festival ends with a concert by the Virginia Symphony in Williamsburg. Joann Falletta will conduct the orchestra in the Royal Fireworks Music of Handel, Tchaikovsky's Mozartiana and, with cellist Alisa Weilerstein, the dvorak Cello Concerto. Dwight Davis spoke with Joann Falletta about the concert.
"Virginia Arts Festival: Orion Quartet" - MP3 Download The Orion String Quartet returned to the Virginia Arts Festival for three performances during the 2010 season. Dwight Davis spoke with the cellist of the group, Timothy Eddy, about the music of Leon Kirchner and Robert Schumann, which the quartet performed.
"Virginia Arts Festival: Alisa Weilerstein" - MP3 Download The outstanding young cellist Alisa Weilerstein will perform twice in Williamsburg as part of the 2010 Virginia Arts Festival. She spoke with Dwight Davis about the pieces she will be performing, first discussing the Bach cello suites.
The vocal ensemble Schola Cantorum presents a series of four concerts this spring, each featuring music by Norfolk composer Walter Marshall, the Requiem in f minor, commissioned by Schola Cantorum. Anthony McSpadden spoke with the group's conductor, Agnes Mobley-Wynne, and composer Walter Marshall about the concerts.
Two seldom-heard requiems make up the Virginia Chorale's spring concerts - those by Tomas Luis de Victoria and Ildebrando Pizzetti. Dwight Davis spoke with the conductor of the Virginia chorale, Scott Williamson, about these works.
"Symphonicity - Goldfingers and the Silver Screen" - MP3 Download The final subscription concert of the year for Virginia Beach’s orchestra, Symphonicity, is a concert of film music, including a United States premiere. Dwight Davis spoke with conductor David Kunkel and guest pianist Thomas Pandolfi about the concert.
"Virginia International Tattoo" - MP3 Download For the past 14 years, the Virginia Arts Festival has featured a spectacle of sight and sound with bands from around the world – the Virginia International Tattoo. Dwight Davis spoke with the producer of the tattoo, Scott Jackson about this year’s version.
"Virginia Arts Festival" - MP3 Download Among the many outstanding presentations in this year’s Virginia Arts Festival, General Manager Scott Jackson singled out two of special interest. He spoke to Dwight Davis about them.
The male vocal ensemble Cantus returns to Hampton Roads as part of the Virginia Arts Festival. The group has garnered praise for impeccably singing a wide-ranging repertoire. Dwight Davis spoke with one of the singers, Aaron Humble, about Cantus.
"Leonard Bernstein's Mass" - MP3 Download One of the centerpieces of this year's Virginia Arts Festival is the Virginia premiere of Leonard Bernstein's monumental theater piece, Mass, presented April 25th and 26th. Anthony McSpadden spoke with Virginia Symphony conductor Joann Falletta about this exciting and unusual work.
"Organist Isabelle Demers plays at the Virginia Arts Festival" - MP3 Download The Virginia Arts Festival, in conjunction with the Tidewater Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, welcomes Canadian organist Isabelle Demers for a performance at Christ and St. Luke's Church in Norfolk. Jonathan Lichtenstein spoke with Ms. Demers about her career and the concert.
For its final production of the season, Virginia Opera will present the great American opera, Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," opening April 10 at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk. Dr. Glenn Winters, Virginia Opera's Community Outreach Musical Director, offers this insight into this operatic masterpiece.
"Lisa Relaford Coston - In Memorium" - MP3 Download Hampton Roads lost one of its premiere singing voices recently. Mezzo-soprano Lisa Relaford Coston performed extensively throughout Hampton Roads and was beloved by audiences and fellow musician alike. WHRO-FM joins with those who fondly remember this outstanding singer.
"Virginia Opera Preview" - MP3 Download On February 13th, the Curtain goes up on the Virginia Opera production of one of the greatest operas ever written – Mozart’s Don Giovanni. The Community Outreach Musical Director of Virginia Opera, Dr. Glenn Winters, offers this preview of Mozart’s masterpiece.
"Colorful Music by Arial Ramirez" - MP3 Download Exciting and colorful music by Arial Ramirez will be presented on Jan. 17th, 21st, 23rd and 24th when Schola Cantorum joins with the Tidewated Guitar Orchestra and the ODU Percussion Ensemble for the area premiere of the Misa Criolla. Anthony McSpadden spoke with Agnes Wynn, Sam Dorsey and David Walker about this rhythmic and appealing folk mass.
"The Virginia Symphony's 90th Anniversary" - MP3 Download The Virginia Symphony will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a musical birthday party on January 29th, 30th and 31st. The major work on the program will be the monumental “Choral” Symphony, the Symphony No. 9, by Beethoven. Dwight Davis spoke with conductor JoAnn Falletta about the program.
The American Boychoir is regarded as the United States’ premier concert boys’ choir and one of the finest boychoirs in the world. It continues to dazzle audiences with its unique blend of musical sophistication, effervescent spirit and ensemble virtuosity. Its members – boys from grades 4 through 8 – come from 9 states and 4 foreign countries. Anthony McSpadden spoke with conductor, FERNANDO MALVAR-RUIZ, about the group’s performance at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach. It simply would not be Christmas without Tchaikovsky’s classic confection “The Nutcracker.” This year, Hampton Roads will be treated to performances of the beloved ballet by the State Ballet of Virginia – the Richmond Ballet – joined by Todd Rosenlieb Dance, the Virginia Childrens’ Chorus and the Virginia Symphony. Stoner Winslett, Director of the Richmond Ballet and choreographer for this new production, spoke with Jonathan Lichtenstein about it the quintessential holiday ballet.
The Virginia Chorale’s holiday concert, “Sweet was the Song,” offers both familiar and little-known music for Christmas. On the program are selections by Mendelssohn, Randall Thompson and Benjamin Britten, as well as a world premiere. Dwight Davis spoke with Chorale Director Scott Williamson about the concert.
The second subscription concert of the season for Symphonicity, the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach, features “Mendelssohn for Two.” Pianists Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn join Symphonicity for the sparkling Double Concerto in E by Felix Mendelssohn. Conductor David Kunkel has also scheduled the Tannhauser Overture and the New World Symphony on the program. Dwight Davis spoke to Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshin about the Mendelssohn concerto.
For the first time in history, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus presents the "German Requiem" by Johannes Brahms. For this very personal work, Brahms adapted texts which did not follow the traditional form of the Requiem, and in doing so, created one of the most moving choral compositions in the literature. Anthony McSpadden spoke with conductor JoAnn Falletta about performing this masterpiece.
The Virginia Chorale Society sings Gilbert & Sullivan - MP3 Download The Virginia Chorale Society opens its new season with a rollicking program of highlights from some of the most famous Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. Dwight Davis spoke to conductor James Powers about the concert.
Williamsburg Symphonia opens its new season - MP3 Download
The Williamsburg Symphonia opens its 2009-10 season with an all-Gershwin program. Presented outdoors in Merchant's Square, in conjunction with the Occassion for the Arts. Dwight Davis spoke with conductor Janna Hymes about the concert.
The Virginia Chorale sings in the Seasons - MP3 Download The Virginia Chorale offers five centuries of songs for the four seasons at their opening concert in September. Music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, in several styles, will be sung by the Chorale. Dwight Davis spoke with conductor Scott Williamson about the concert.
The Virginia Symphony Plays Led Zeppelin - MP3 Download The Virginia Symphony performs classical music, of course, but on September 25, the orchestra played classical rock music. The Virginia Symphony welcomed conductor Brent Havens, vocalist Randy Jackson, and a full rock band for a concert of the music of Led Zeppelin. Joann Falletta, conductor of the Virginia Symphony, spoke with WHRO-FM's Raymond Jones about this exciting concert.
Pianist Andre Michel Schub has been Music Director of the chamber music concerts of the Virginia Arts Festival since the beginning of the Festival. He spoke to WHRO-FM's Dwight Davis about the chamber series.
Award-winning composer Ellen Taafe Zwillich has written a new work for a new combination of instruments, a piece co-commissioned by the Virginia Arts Festival. She Spoke to WHRO-FM's Dwight Davis about her Piano Septet.
The venerable Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio is featured in two chamber concerts in this year's Virginia Arts Festival.Dwight Davis spoke with pianist Joseph Kalichstein about the works on the concerts as well as the early days of the trio.
One of the finest string quartets in the world, the Tokyo Quartet, performed in this year's Virginia Arts Festival. Dwight Davis spoke with second violinist Kikuei Ikeda about the group's program.
This year's Virginia Arts Festival includes a new production of a favorite balletic masterpiece, Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet',Danced by the Mark Morris Dance Group. This original version, as conceived by Prokofiev and dramatist Sergei Radlov,had a happy ending to Shakespeare's tale. The new version is based on exclusive archival research conducted in Moscow. Associate Professor of Music at Princeton University, Simon Morrison. Dwight Davis spoke to him about the music.
The Best of the Virginia Chorale. Director Scott Williamson talked to WHRO-FM’s Dwight Davis about this concert of American music.
The Virginia Choral Society - MP3 Download The spring offering of the Virginia Chorale Society features “Music of the English Cathedral Tradition”, choral works by Elgar,Parry and others. Choral Society Director James Powers spoke with Dwight Davis about this concert.
The final production of Virginia Opera’s all-Italian season is that frothy favorite “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini. Virginia Opera’s Community Outreach Musical Director, Dr. Glenn Winters, presents a whimsical insight into this opera and offers some reasons why it appeals to everyone from opera lovers to the man in the street.
One of the most significant battles to be fought on American soil happened here in Hampton Roads just fifty years ago. When Norfolk citizens struggled to reopen public schools that had been shut in defiance to racial integration, Virginia’s infamous policy of Massive Resistance made national headlines. To the eyes of many today, our community is still recovering from that fight. VSC Artistic Director Chris Hanna will weave excerpts from original media coverage, court documents, and recorded personal accounts with imagined scenes and characters he creates to examine the legacy Massive Resistance provides our region today. His play, "A Line in the Sand", opens February 27th at the historic Wells Theater in Norfolk. Chris spoke to Dwight Davis about the play.
On February 21 and 22, the Virginia Chorale will present “A Romantic Celebration”, a program of choral music of Verdi, Puccini, Rheinberger, Brahms and others. Scott Williamson, the new conductor of the Chorale, spoke to WHRO-FM’s Dwight Davis about the concert.
Virginia Symphony Concert PreviewsWHRO and the Virginia Symphony have worked closely together over the years, bringing Hampton Roads the best in classical music, both on the radio and in the area’s concert halls. Now, WHRO and the Symphony are joining forces to take advantage of technology to enhance your appreciation of great music. We are offering comments by the conductor of the Virginia Symphony, JoAnn Falletta, and others, which will provide insights into the music and artists on upcoming Virginia Symphony concerts. These previews are available to everyone at the click of a mouse. The Virginia Symphony conductor trades her baton for her guitar to perform Vivaldi, alone and with VSO violist Beverly Baker. Program: Ravel: Pavane for a Dead Princess; Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto; Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola and Guitar; R.Strauss: Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite. Wednesday, April 16th at 8:00 PM at St. Bede Catholic Church; Thursday, April 17th at 10:30 AM at the Ferguson Center; Friday, April 18th at 8:oo PM at the Suffolk Center. For ticket information, 892-6366 or
www.virginiasymphony.org
The young British violinist Nicola Benedetti performs the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Virginia Symphony conducted by JoAnn Falletta. Also on the program, the monumental Symphony No. 9 by Anton Bruckner. Saturday, April 5th at 8:00 PM at Chrysler Hall; Saturday, April 6th at 2:30 at the Ferguson Center. For ticket information, 892-6366 or
www.virginiasymphony.org
JoAnn Falletta and the Virginia Symphony welcome Sir James Galway back for a musical re-telling of the story of the Pied Piper. Friday, March 7th at 8:00 PM at the Ferguson Center; Saturday, March 8th at 8:00 PM at Chrysler Hall; Sunday, March 9th at 2:30 PM at the Sandler Center. Program: Rossini: Cinderella Overture; Kodaly: Hary Janos Overture; Corigliano: Pied Piper Fantasy. For ticket information, 892-6366 or
www.virginiasymphony.org
> A romantic evening of music, dance and the spoken word, inspired by the Bard, under the direction of Assistant Conductor Matt Kraemer. Saturday, February 9th, 8:00 PM, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk. Reception at 7:00 PM. For ticket information, 892-6366 or www.virginiasymphony.org
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