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2025-26 season overview – Letter V
Labor Day weekend has arrived, and with it, Letter V’s overview of the classical season to come in the Richmond area. This September-to-June thumbnail calendar covers all major ticketed performances and many free or donation-requested events. Long as it is, the list is incomplete: Several church and community concert series, most choral programs and some…
Letter V Classical Radio Aug. 31 – Letter V
In the first of the show’s Sunday matinees during the University of Richmond’s fall semester, previews of coming attractions: Artists performing in Richmond’s 2025-26 classical season, among them pianist Emanuel Ax, violinist Midori, the Dover Quartet and the Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra. 1-3 p.m. EDT1700-1900 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.net J.S. Bach: Double Concerto in…
September calendar – Letter V
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. Some prices include service fees. Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m.)Lake Matoaca Amphitheater, 121 Ukrop…
Chamber Music Society 2025-26 – Letter V
The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia will present nine programs, featuring works by Beethoven, Debussy, Dvořák, Shostakovich and the contemporary Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, as well as music by five Virginia-based or -born composers, in its 2025-26 season. Seven ticketed concerts at four Richmond area churches – Holy Comforter and St. Mary’s Episcopal, First…
Virginia Opera 2025-26 – Letter V
In its 2025-26 season, Virginia Opera will present three mainstage productions – Rossini’s “Cinderella” (“La Cenerentola”), Verdi’s “Aïda” and “Intelligence” by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer – and an evening of three contemporary one-acts. All productions will be staged at Harrison Opera House, 160 E. Virginia Beach Boulevard in Norfolk, and the Carpenter Theatre of…
UR Modlin Center 2025-26 – Letter V
Violinist Midori, the Pacifica Quartet with clarinetist Anthony McGill and the SPA Trio – soprano Susanna Phillips, violist Paul Neubauer and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott – highlight classical attractions in the coming season of the University of Richmond’s Modlin Arts Center. In addition to the Modlin Arts ticketed series, which also will present jazz, world music,…
Letter V Classical Radio Aug. 17 – Letter V
Celebrating Pierre Monteux, the eminent French conductor and teacher of conductors, born 150 years ago. As a young musician, he performed for Brahms, Grieg and other late-romantic luminaries. In the years before World War I, he conducted a string of premieres – Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” and “The Rite of Spring,” Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé,” Debussy’s “Jeux”…
Richmond Philharmonic 2025-26 – Letter V
In its 2025-26 season, the Richmond Philharmonic will present three classical and two pops programs, focusing on American music as the US heads toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Although the orchestra’s classical season is framed by two major symphonies by Europeans – Beethoven’s “Eroica” (No. 3 in E flat major) and…
A sound world well worth visiting – Letter V
In a New York Times “Critic’s Notebook,” Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim samples the Bard Festival’s survey of music by Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959), the Czech-born composer who spent most of his creative life in France and US. “[A] restless exile equally fluent in Czech folk song, Neo-Classicism and the hum of the modern world . . .…
Paley Music Festival 2026 – Letter V
The Alexander Paley Music Festival, the concert series that the Moldavan-born pianist has staged in Richmond since 1998, will return for three concerts, Jan. 9-11, at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 7757 Chippenham Parkway. Paley and his spouse and piano 4-hands partner, Peiwen Chen, will be joined by violinist Daisuke Yamamoto, concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony,…
Belvedere Series 2025-26 – Letter V
The Belvedere Series of chamber concerts will present seven programs in its 2025-26 season – four in the salon setting of Marburg House in Richmond’s Carillon district, three in the larger venues of Ryan Recital Hall at St. Christopher’s School and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Pianist Ingrid Keller, artistic director of the series, will join…
Letter V Classical Radio Aug. 24 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.net Prokofiev: “Overture on Hebrew Themes”Sarah Nemtanu & Deborah Nemtanu, violinsPierre Génisson, clarinetEnsemble Contraste(Alpha) Mozart: String Quintet in G minor, K. 516Alexander String QuartetPaul Yarbrough, cello(Foghorn Classics) Telemann: Concerto in E minor, TWV 52:e1Dorothee Oberlinger, recorderMichael Schmidt-Casdorff, fluteEnsemble 1700(Deutsche Harmonia Mundi) Ravel: “Miroirs” – IV: “Alborada del gracioso”(Ravel…
VCU Rennolds Chamber Concerts 2025-26 – Letter V
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anne Rennolds Chamber Concerts series expands to five programs on Sunday afternoons in the coming season, presenting artists ranging from a piano duo to a baroque orchestra. The series opens on Sept. 14 with the duo of pianists (and spouses) Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung, and continues with performances by Trio Zimbalist…
Letter V Classical Radio Aug. 10 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Michael Torke: “Bright Blue Music”Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/David Zinman(Decca) Bernstein: Serenade (“after Plato’s ‘Symposium’ ”)Zino Francescatti, violinNew York Philharmonic/Leonard Bernstein(Sony Classical) Duke Ellington: “Harlem”(Luther Henderson orchestration)Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi(Chandos) Holst: “The Planets”Boston Symphony Orchestra/William Steinberg(Deutsche Grammophon) Nielsen: “Helios” OvertureDanish National Symphony Orchestra/Thomas Dausgaard(Dacapo) Debussy: “La mer”Cleveland Orchestra/Pierre Boulez(Deutsche…
Portland Opera promotes Damien Geter – Letter V
Damien Geter, composer-in-residence at the Richmond Symphony, has been named music director of Oregon’s Portland Opera. Geter had been serving as the company’s artistic advisor and interim music director. A 45-year-old native of Chesterfield County in Richmond’s suburbs, now based in Chicago, Geter is a bass-baritone who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and Chicago…
Richmond Symphony 2025-26 – Letter V
The Richmond Symphony’s 2025-26 season will explore musical Americana in a genre-crossing sampler ranging from works by Copland, Gershwin and John Williams to Sousa marches, gospel music and songs from Motown and the Philly Sound. The coming season, Valentina Peleggi’s fifth as the orchestra’s music director, will feature nine programs in the mainstage Symphony Series…
Letter V Classical Radio Aug. 3 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.net Kodály: “Dances of Galanta”Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Charles Mackerras(Linn) Germaine Tailleferre: Concertino for harp & orchestraMarie-Pierre Langlamet, harpBerlin Philharmonic/Juan José Mena(Berliner Philharmoniker) Enescu: Suite No. 2, Op. 10Charles Richard-Hamelin, piano(Analekta) Hindemith: “Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber”Philadelphia Orchestra/Wolfgang Sawallisch(Warner Classics) Schubert: Fantasie in C major, D.…
August calendar – Letter V
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. Prices do not include service fees. Aug. 1 (7 p.m.)Garth Newel Music Center,…
Endangered wood = endangered bows – Letter V
Pernambuco, the Brazilian wood used for bows of stringed instruments, has been classed since 2007 as endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Trade in in the wood is permitted but tightly regulated. Now CITES is considering upgrading protection of Pernambuco to its highest level, which…
The potency of the ‘weaker’ hand – Letter V
In an article for The Guardian, Nicholas McCarthy, a pianist who was born without a right hand, explores music for piano left-hand, “often seen as a mysterious niche” of the classical repertory. Some of the best-known works in this genre were written for the Viennese pianist Paul Wittgenstein, brother of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. After…
Letter V Classical Radio July 27 – Letter V
Celebrating the centenary of electrical recording – in which microphones amplify sound, producing a more realistic representation of music – we go back-to-shellac: Memorable recordings from the golden age of the 78-rpm record. At this speed, many of the legendary figures of 20th-century classical music documented their artistry and set standards of performance that today’s…
Milestone for iconic choir – Letter V
The Tabernacle Choir of Salt Lake City, perhaps the largest and certainly the best-known American choir, is celebrating the 5,000th broadcast of its radio program “Music and the Spoken Word.” Ruth Graham, writing for The New York Times, notes that the 30-minute show’s format “not only has endured since 1929, but almost as remarkably, has…
Cleo Laine (1927-2025) – Letter V
Cleo Laine, the British jazz vocalist also famed for performances in music theater and modern classical repertory, has died at 97. Laine launched her career singing with a group led by clarinetist and saxophonist John Dankworth, whom she married in 1958. The couple continued performing together until shortly before Dankworth’s death in 2010. Known for…
Tom Lehrer (1928-2025) – Letter V
Tom Lehrer, the Ivy League mathematician whose acerbic satirical songs delighted fans and outraged civic and religious establishments, has died at 97. Lehrer was a math prodigy who enrolled at Harvard University at 15, subsequently taught there and at Wellesley College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Santa Cruz, and worked…
Dine well, get well with Mozart – Letter V
“Ten percent: That’s how much more money people spend at restaurants when classical music is being played in the background.” – Ed Elson, on the Prof G podcast, July 15 Classing up the proceedings with music has a long history. For centuries, aristocrats and rich people have employed musicians to serenade them at dinners and…
Letter V Classical Radio July 13 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703Artemis Quartett(Erato) Jan Václav Voříšek: Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 20Nikolai Demidenko, piano(AGPL) Brahms: Horn Trio in E flat major, Op. 40William Purvis, hornDaniel Phillips, violinRichard Goode, piano(Bridge) Mozart: Serenade in D major, K. 239 (“Serenata notturna”)English Chamber Orchestra/Benjamin Britten(Decca)…
Letter V Classical Radio July 6 – Letter V
For the Fourth of July weekend, musical Americana – which, being American, goes off in all directions. 7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Alexander Reinagle: “Occasional Overture” in D major(Bertil Van Boer reconstruction)Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä/Patrick Gallois(Naxos) Amy Beach: Symphony in E minor (“Gaelic”)Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi(Chandos) Ives: “New England Holidays Symphony” – III:…
July calendar – Letter V
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. July 1 (7:30 p.m.)The Barns at…
Letter V Classical Radio June 29 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Mozart: “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” (“The Abduction from the Seraglio”) Suite(Johann Went arrangement)Netherlands Wind Ensemble(Decca Eloquence) Elgar: Serenade in E minor, Op. 20Camerata Wales/Owain Arwel Hughes(BIS) Amy Beach: Theme and Variations, Op. 80Eugenia Zukerman, fluteShanghai Quartet(Delos) Mendelssohn: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” film score(Erich Wolfgang Korngold arrangement)Celinda…
Letter V Classical Radio June 22 – Letter V
In the second hour of the program, remembering Alfred Brendel, one of the most esteemed pianists of the past 50 years, in music that was foundational in his repertory: Mozart, Haydn and Liszt. 7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Wagner: “Rienzi” OvertureVienna Philharmonic/Christian Thielemann(Deutsche Grammophon) Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minorJoshua…
Alfred Brendel (1931-2025) – Letter V
Alfred Brendel, the Moravian-born Austrian-British pianist widely celebrated as an authoritative interpreter of the Austro-German classical repertory, has died at 94. A largely self-taught musician, Brendel began his career in post-World War II Vienna. He first drew international notice with recordings, especially of the Mozart piano concertos, for Vox, a budget record label. His later…
Letter V Classical Radio June 15 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Walton: Partita for OrchestraCleveland Orchestra/George Szell(Sony Classical) Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C majorMartha Argerich, pianoBerlin Philharmonic/Claudio Abbado(Deutsche Grammophon) Milhaud: “La Cheminée du roi René” (“The Chimney of King René”)Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet(BIS) Barber: “Medea’s Dance of Vengeance”Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin(Warner Classics) Janáček: Quartet No.…
Opera introduced at UR wins critics’ award – Letter V
“What Belongs to You,” David T. Little’s opera based on the Garth Greenwell novel, introduced last fall at the University of Richmond’s Modlin Arts Center, has won the 2025 Best New Opera award from the Music Critics Association of North America. In the September 2024 premiere performances, Little’s opera, a musical monodrama, starred tenor Karim…
Bach choy beats rock choy – Letter V
Bok choy, a Chinese cabbage used in East Asian cuisine, grows more robustly when exposed to music – but not just any music, a group of researchers from Malaysia and the United Kingdom report in a recent study. “Music for Plants? An Investigation into the Impact of Exposure to Acoustic Stimulus in Bok Choy (Brassica…
Letter V Classical Radio June 8 – Letter V
7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Sibelius: “Finlandia”YT Male Voice ChoirMinnesota Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä(BIS) Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (“Rhenish”)Cleveland Orchestra/Christoph von Dohnányi(Decca) Vaughan Williams: “The Lark Ascending”Iona Brown, violinAcademy of St. Martin in the Fields/Neville Marriner(Decca) Johann Strauss II: “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”Vienna Philharmonic/Josef Krips(Decca Eloquence) Brahms: “Liebeslieder-Walzer,” Op.…
Arizona Opera taps Charlottesville maestro – Letter V
Brian DeMaris, who this summer concludes a three-year tenure as conductor of Charlottesville Opera, has been named president and general manager of Arizona Opera. DeMaris, an Arizona native, is artistic director of the music theater and opera program at Arizona State University, and has held positions at New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Glimmerglass…
Backlash at the box office? – Letter V
Following the takeover of Washington’s Kennedy Center by President Trump and his allies, subscription ticket sales for next season’s offerings at the center have dropped significantly, The Washington Post’s Travis M. Andrews and The New York Times’ Javier C. Hernández report, with an especially steep decrease in sales for theater productions. Hernández reports that subscriptions,…
Letter V Classical Radio June 1 – Letter V
An all-French program, with a historic centerpiece: Maurice Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé,” conducted by Pierre Monteux, who led the ballet’s premiere in 1912 and in 1959 made the still-definitive recording of the work with the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Opera Chorus. 7-10 p.m. EDT2300-0200 UTCWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Berlioz: “Le Corsaire” OvertureBaltimore Symphony…
June calendar – Letter V
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. June 1 (7 p.m.)River Road Church,…