This week on “A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection,” Raymond Jones curates a wide-ranging program that celebrates the Commonwealth’s deep-rooted ties to the world of classical music. Join us this Wednesday at 9 p.m. for a night of outstanding musical performances with Virginia roots and global resonance.
The program opens with a powerful performance of Richard Strauss’s “Domestic Symphony”, a tone poem that paints scenes of domestic life with orchestral brilliance. Lorin Maazel, a longtime resident of Castleton, Virginia, conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble he once brought to the Virginia Arts Festival, on a performance that reflects the clarity and authority for which he was known.
From Staunton, the “Heifetz Institute of Music” shares a vibrant segment from its “Heifetz on Air” series, featuring alumni and faculty from its concert season. These performances, including works by Brahms, Elgar, and Josef Suk, are filled with nuance and expressive depth. A standout is the evocative interpretation of the Chinese symphonic classic “The Butterfly Lovers,” which showcases the program’s global reach and artistic versatility, all from the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
Next, we turn to a contemporary work with folkloric inspiration: Chris Lamb’s “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” performed by the Hampton Roads Philharmonic under Steven Brindle. Based on a Nordic fairy tale, this piece is a sonic journey that combines narrative and technical elements, designed to showcase the percussionist’s extraordinary expressive versatility.
The evening also includes a performance by Symphonicity, Virginia Beach’s community orchestra, conducted by Daniel W. Boothe, in Mozart’s ever-popular ‘A Little Night Music.’ Often cited as one of the most recognizable pieces in the classical canon, this serenade captures Mozart’s charm and precision. In Symphonicity’s hands, it feels both fresh and timeless.
Join Raymond Jones this Wednesday at 9 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, or stream online, for a program that maps the musical terrain of Virginia with depth, style, and a distinctly local touch.
