This week on “A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection,” Raymond Jones brings listeners an evening of powerful performances highlighting local talent, Virginia’s unique musical spaces, and breathtaking virtuosity that connects the Commonwealth to the global stage.
The program begins with Mozart’s Adagio and Allegro, K. 594 performed by acclaimed organist Colin Howland, recorded on the Robert William Wallace pipe organ at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Fredericksburg.
Next, we hear Felix Mendelssohn’s “Hear My Prayer,” featuring the late Lisa Relaford Coston, a celebrated Virginia mezzo-soprano whose warm, radiant voice left a lasting imprint on audiences and colleagues alike. She is joined by the I. Sherman Greene Chorale and members of the Virginia Symphony, creating a moving moment of reflection and musical grace that honors her legacy within the Commonwealth’s cultural landscape.
The evening continues with Antonín Dvořák’s Largo from the “New World Symphony,” performed by the Governor’s School for the Arts Orchestra under Raymond Pancarowicz. This Norfolk-based program continues to cultivate young talent in Hampton Roads, paving the way for the next generation of Virginia musicians.
We then turn to a performance that demonstrates the global reach of Virginia’s musical ties, as Hilary Hahn, a violinist whose artistry has captivated audiences worldwide, performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic under Vasily Petrenko.
The program concludes with this week’s Heifetz on the Air feature: “Virtuosi.” Recorded at the Heifetz International Music Institute in Staunton, the program features an exhilarating showcase of “devilishly difficult” works designed to challenge even the most seasoned young artists. Listeners will hear Paganini Caprices, bravura Beethoven, and Bottesini’s Grand Duo, all performed live, in concert.
Join us Wednesday, July 9 at 9:00 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, and online through our Media Player, for an evening that celebrates artistry, community, and the spirit of music in Virginia.
