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Welcome to the 17th season of Valley Symphonic Concerts! The 2011-1012, three-concert series begins with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra taking the stage at Robert E. Lee High School in October. Richmond Symphony follows with two performances--in January and April. The first concert features award-winning mandolin player Jeff Midkiff playing his own Concerto for the Mandolin and Orchestra, a piece that “reflects the rich and colorful palette of music performed and enjoyed right in the Blue Ridge,” according to RSO’s Musical Director David Wiley. The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra will also play the beloved Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) by Dvorak and Bernstein’s exciting and colorful Overture to Candide. The second and third concerts will feature the Richmond Symphony playing a wonderful mix of Classical, Baroque, Romantic, and contemporary music. The second concert includes the Capricorn Concerto by Barber (considered one of his finest works), Mozart’s elegant Symphony No. 35 (considered one of his finest symphonies), Rameau’s charming Ballet Suite from the Baroque period, and John Adam’s Chamber Suite, written in the minimalist tradition in 1992. The third concert will feature the Richmond Symphony playing Charles Ives’ stirring Three Seasons in New England, one of his most beloved works. Composed at the beginning of this century, his music incorporates American hymns and marching tunes capturing the American ethos; an award-winning young violinist will play Saint-Saens’ beautiful Violin Concerto No. 3, considered one of the composer’s greatest works and part of his enduring legacy. Brahms lovely and moving Symphony No. 4 in E Minor will also be offered at the third concert, a work that has enjoyed enduring popularity since its premiere in 1885.
Sincerely,
Kenneth G. McCollum
President, VSC Board
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