2022-23 season overview – Letter V

Time once again for Letter V’s thumbnail overview of the coming classical season in Central Virginia.

Preparing this list, I’m reminded that reports of classical music’s demise are premature, at least in these parts. The Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area, population 1.3 million, 45th largest in the US, has more classical performances on offer than many more populous places. That’s due mainly to a continuing proliferation of chamber-music and chamber-orchestra concerts in smaller venues, where music-making has more intimacy, immediacy and impact. (Also, lower ticket prices.)

The following listings include most performances for which tickets must be purchased or online reservations must be made. A number of likely events, such as concerts in churches, choral series and programs in or around holy days, are yet to be announced. Summer series aren’t set until spring at the earliest. As with the monthly events calendar, student recitals and private or invitational performances are not listed.

Time permitting, I’ll update the listings as other fall-to-spring series or events are announced.

The season has the usual clusters of events on weekends, but not as many conflicts or hasty trips from matinees to evening performances as we’ve had in the past.

Addresses and contact information for presenting organizations and venues follow the monthly listings. Their websites list concert programs, if and when available.

Here goes . . .

* Indicates free concerts. (Registration may be required; donations may be requested)

SEPTEMBER
*10 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Heritage Amphitheater, Pocahontas State Park)
11 – Rennolds Chamber Concerts: George Li, piano (Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University)
16 – Paley Music Festival: Amiram Ganz, violin; Alexander Paley, piano (St. Luke Lutheran Church)
17-18 – Richmond Symphony, Symphony Chorus & soloists/Valentina Peleggi (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
17 – Paley Music Festival: Amiram Ganz, violin; Alexander Paley, piano (St. Luke Lutheran Church)
18 – Paley Music Festival: Alexander Paley & Peiwen Chen, piano four-hands (St. Luke Lutheran Church)
*18 – Joanne Kong, harpsichord (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
22 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi (Hardywood Park Craft Brewery)
*23 – Bruce Stevens, organ (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
24 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Steve Hackman (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*24 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
24 – Belvedere Series ensemble (Marburg House)
25 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (St. Mary’s Episcopal Church)
*30 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

OCTOBER
4 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Yo-Yo Ma, cello (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
14/16 – Virginia Opera/Adam Turner: “Das Rheingold” (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*14 – Lynn Trapp & Jennifer Pascual, organ (River Road Church, Baptist)
22-23 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Jennifer Koh, violin (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
23 – Rennolds Chamber Concerts: Emerson String Quartet (Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University)
*25 – Vox Luminis (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
27 – Susanna Phillips, soprano; Craig Terry, piano (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*28 – Richmond chapter, American Guild of Organists’ Repertoire Recital Series: Johann Vexo, organ (River Road Church, Baptist)
29 – Belvedere Series ensemble (Marburg House)
29 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Altria Theater)
*29 – Lisa Ruth, piano (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
30 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
30 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia: Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord (Second Presbyterian Church)
*30 – University of Richmond Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale/Jeffrey Riehl & David Pedersen (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)

NOVEMBER
*3 – Sigma Alpha Iota artists (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
*4 – Crystal Jonkman, organ (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
*4-5 – Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*11 – Richmond chapter, American Guild of Organists’ Repertoire Recital Series: Nicole Keller, organ (All Saints Episcopal Church)
12-13 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Inbal Segev, cello (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
13 – Richmond Philharmonic/Peter Wilson; Kevin Newton, French horn (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
17 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Hardywood Park Craft Brewery)
18/20 – Virginia Opera/Adam Turner: “The Pirates of Penzance” (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*19 – RVA Baroque (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
*20 – Vox Humana (River Road Church, Baptist)
*21 – University of Richmond Wind Ensemble/Steven Barton (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
26-27 – Richmond Symphony Pops & Symphony Chorus/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
28 – “Holiday Festival of Music” with Richmond Symphony, others (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
*28 – University of Richmond Chamber Ensembles (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*30 – University of Richmond Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Kordzaia (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)

DECEMBER
3 – Richmond Symphony Brass Ensemble/Chia Hsuan Lin (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
4 – Richmond Symphony Brass Ensemble/Chia Hsuan Lin (Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College)
*4 – University of Richmond Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale/Jeffrey Riehl & David Pedersen: Festival of Lessons and Carols (Cannon Memorial Chapel, University of Richmond)
*5 – Three Notch’d Road (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
*10-11 – Richmond chapter, American Guild of Organists’ Repertoire Recital Series: Scott Detra, organ (St. James’s Episcopal Church)
*11 – River Road Church Chancel Choir/Robert Gallagher (River Road Church, Baptist)
*16 – Cathedral Choir: Advent Lessons and Carols (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
19 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (Church of the Holy Comforter, Episcopal)

JANUARY
*7 – Richmond Music Teachers Association artists (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
14 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Chia-Hsuan Lin; Butcher Brown (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
15 – Richmond Symphony/Daniel Myssyk (Perkinson Arts Center)
20 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Schuyler Slack, cello (Perkinson Arts Center)
21 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Schuyler Slack, cello (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
21 – Kronos Quartet; vocal ensemble; Nicky Finney, narrator; Valérie Sainte-Agathe, conductor (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
22 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Schuyler Slack, cello (Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College)
*28 – Quatuor Cent Cordes (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)

FEBRUARY
*1 – Richard Becker, piano (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
2 – Richmond Symphony Chorus/Valentina Peleggi (First Baptist Church)
3 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (Church of the Holy Comforter, Episcopal)
*4 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
4 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
5 – Anthony McGill, clarinet; Gloria Chen, piano (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
9-10 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Hardywood Park Craft Brewery)
10/12 – Virginia Opera/Adam Turner: “Fellow Travelers” (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
11 – Rennolds Chamber Concerts: Xavier Foley, double-bass (Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University)
12 – Belvedere Series ensemble (Marburg House)
19 – Third Coast Percussion & Flutronix (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
22 – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*25 – Greater Richmond Children’s Choir/Crystal Jonkman (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
25-26 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi; Maria Deuñas, violin (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*26 – Washington & Lee University Singers (River Road Church, Baptist)

MARCH
9 – Richmond Symphony; Daisuke Yamamoto, violin & leader (Hardywood Park Craft Brewery)
*11 – Capitol Opera Richmond (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
12 – Richmond Philharmonic/Peter Wilson (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
*17 – Isabelle Demers, organ (River Road Church, Baptist)
17/19 – Virginia Opera/Adam Turner: “La Traviata” (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*19 – Doris Wylee-Becker, piano (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*25 – Magdalena Adamek, piano (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
25 – Rennolds Chamber Concerts: Neave Trio (Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University)
25 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin; Adrian Pintea & Ellen Cockerham Riccio, violins (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
26 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin; Adrian Pintea & Ellen Cockerham Riccio, violins (Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College)
26 – Belvedere Series: Jonathan Stinson, baritone & composer; Ingrid Keller, piano (Marburg House)
*27 – Bruce Stevens, organ (Cannon Memorial Chapel, University of Richmond)

APRIL
1-2 – Richmond Symphony & Symphony Chorus/Valentina Peleggi (Carpenter Theatre, (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*10 – University of Richmond Wind Ensemble/Steven Barton (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*14 – Richmond chapter, American Guild of Organists’ Repertoire Recital Series: Caroline Robinson, organ (St. Mary’s Episcopal Church)
*15 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
15 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Chia-Hsuan Lin; Hector Del Curto Quintet (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
16 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (First Unitarian Universalist Church)
*16 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)
*16 – University of Richmond Schola Cantorum & Women’s Chorale/Jeffrey Riehl & David Pedersen (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
*17 – University of Richmond Chamber Ensembles (Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond)
22-23 – Richmond Symphony/Tito Muñoz; Michelle Cann, piano (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
28 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi (Perkinson Arts Center)
*28 – Robert Brooks Carlson, piano (River Road Church, Baptist)
*29 – Megan Slay, piano (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
29 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
30 – Richmond Symphony/Valentina Peleggi (Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College)

MAY
*5 – Music & Medicine Orchestra (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
6 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Altria Theater)
*12 – Joel Kumro, organ (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
13 – Belvedere Series: Jessica Xylina Osborne, piano (Marburg House)
*13 – Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia ensemble (Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
13 – Richmond Symphony Pops/Chia-Hsuan Lin; N’Kenge (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
14 – Richmond Philharmonic/Peter Wilson; Karen Johnson, violin; Jennifer Kloetzel, cello (Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School)
14 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Perkinson Arts Center)
*19 – Jaylin Brown, mezzo-soprano (River Road Church, Baptist)
20-21 – Richmond Symphony/Lidiya Yankovskaya (Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center)
*26 – Cathedral Schola Cantorum & Forgotten Clefs (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
*28 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

JUNE
*10 – Richmond Symphony/Chia-Hsuan Lin (Heritage Amphitheater, Pocahontas State Park)
11 – River Road Church Chancel Choir & orchestra/Robert Gallagher; Daniel Stipe, piano (River Road Church, Baptist)
*16 – Daniel Sañez, organ (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)

PRESENTERS
Richmond Symphony: (804) 788-1212; http://richmondsymphony.com
Virginia Opera: (804) 644-8168; http://vaopera.org
Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia: (804) 304-6312; http://cmscva.org
Belvedere Series: http://belvedereseries.org
Alexander Paley Music Festival: (804) 665-9516; http://paleymusicfestival.org
Richmond chapter, American Guild of Organists’ Repertoire Recital Series: http://richmondago.org

VENUES (all in Richmond unless listed otherwise)
Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center, Sixth and Grace streets:
(804) 592-3330; http://www.dominionenenergycenter.com
Altria Theater, Main and Laurel streets:
(804) 592-3384; http://www.altriatheater.com
Modlin Arts Center, University of Richmond, 453 Westhampton Way:
(804) 289-8980; http://modlin.richmond.edu
Singleton Arts Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Park Avenue at Harrison Street:
(804) 828-1166; http://arts.vcu.edu/events
Blackwell Auditorium, Randolph-Macon College, 205 Henry St., Ashland:
(804) 752-7200; http://rmc.edu
Perkinson Arts Center, 11810 Centre St., Chester:
(804) 748-5555; http://www.perkinsoncenter.org
Ryan Recital Hall, St. Christopher’s School, 711 St. Christopher’s Road:
(804) 282-3185; http://www.stchristophers.com
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Arthur Ashe Boulevard at Grove Avenue:
(804) 340-1400; http://vmfa.museum
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Overbrook Road at Ownby Lane:
(804) 420-2420; http://hardywood.com
Marburg House, 3102 Bute Lane:
(804) 604-0689
Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library, First and Franklin streets:
(804) 646-7223; http://rvalibrary.org
Heritage Amphitheater, Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield County:
(804) 796-4255; http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/pocahontas
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Laurel Street at Floyd Avenue:
(804) 359-5651; http://richmondcathedral.org
River Road Church, Baptist, River and Ridge roads:
(804) 288-1131; http://rrcb.org
St. Luke Lutheran Church, 7757 Chippenham Parkway:
(804) 272-0486; http://stlukerichmond.org
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 12291 River Road, Goochland County:
(804) 784-5678; http://stmarysgoochland.org
Church of the Holy Comforter, Episcopal, Monument Avenue at Staples Mill Road:
(804) 355-3251; http://www.hoco.org
First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Ave. at the Carillon:
(804) 355-0777; http://richmonduu.org
Second Presbyterian Church, 5 N. Fifth St.:
(804) 649-9148; http://www.2presrichmond.org
First Baptist Church, Monument Avenue at Arthur Ashe Boulevard:
(804) 355-8637; http://www.fbcrichmond.org