Arts Conversations

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

AMon,g 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.

One of the centerpieces of this year’s Virginia Arts Festival is the Virginia premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mon,umental theater piece, Mass, presented April 25th and 26th. Anthony McSpadden spoke with Virginia Symphony conductor Joann Falletta about this exciting and unusual work.

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, Porgy and Bess, opening April 10 at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk. Dr. Glenn Winters, Virginia Opera’s Community Outreach Musical Director, offers insight into this operatic masterpiece.

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.

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.

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 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 Mon,umental “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.

This year, Hampton Roads will be treated to performances of the beloved ballet by the State Ballet of Virginia – the RichMon,d Ballet – joined by Todd Rosenlieb Dance, the Virginia Childrens’ Chorus and the Virginia Symphony. Stoner Winslett, Director of the RichMon,d Ballet and choreographer for this new production, spoke with Jonathan Lichtenstein about it the quintessential holiday ballet.

The Virginia Chorale’s holiday concert, “Sweet 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.