Virginia Symphony Orchestra to Present Concert Series at WM

By Amber Lester Kennedy Sunday, January 23, 2011

Classical music lovers can look forward to a series of special performances by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Williamsburg.

Starting in December, the symphony will kick off a four-concert series of shows at Phi Beta Kappa Hall on the campus of The College of William and Mary. The concerts will be offered in October, December, February and March, all starting at 8 p.m.

The series will be conducted by VSO Music Director JoAnn Falletta, VSO Associate Conductor Benjamin Rous and guest conductor Robert Franz. The Symphony has ties to the college, with nine of its musicians on the faculty for the music department.

For the past several years, the orchestra has performed at St. Bede Catholic Church, but Executive Director Eric Borenstein said in a press release that Phi Beta Kappa will offer a more centrally located venue. “We have enjoyed our relationship with the church leadership, and they have been most gracious with us,” he said. “The move to Phi Beta Kappa Hall will allow us to perform in a venue that is more centrally located and provides a more traditional concert experience. We hope that our St. Bede subscribers will be as excited about our new venue as we are and that they will renew their subscriptions for the new season.”

The opening performance on Oct. 6 will feature “Jefferson in his Own Words,” a commissioned piece by Judith Shatin. The piece for the narrator and orchestra was written by a composer at the University of Virginia and will be performed at William and Mary, linking the two important colleges in Jefferson’s life. The performance will also include Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto” performed by Concertmaster Vahn Armstrong. Rous will conduct the premiere performance of the series.

The concert series will also incorporate audience favorites and popular classical composers. On Dec. 8, guest conductor Robert Franz will lead the orchestra and Virginia Symphony Chorus to play Handel’s “Messiah.” On Feb. 2, 2012, Rous will conduct a performance featuring the music of Beethoven, Dvorak and Mozart with violinist Simon LaPointe. The series will conclude March 1 with a performance of Mozart’s “Coronation Mass,” conducted by JoAnn Falletta.

“We feel privileged to have the opportunity to collaborate on this new series with William and Mary,” Borenstein said. “It provides a chance for us to make our concerts more accessible to William and Mary students, as well as community residents and visitors to the historic area.”

William and Mary students will be able to purchase $10 tickets at the PBK box office with student IDs on the evening of each concert. Faculty and staff will receive a 15 percent discount to the shows.

Subscriptions for the four-concert series range from $69 to $165 and go on sale Jan. 21. They can be purchased from the Symphony Box Office, (757) 892-6366. Single tickets for individual concerts will go on sale Aug. 1.