This Wednesday at 9 p.m., “A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection” celebrates Virginia’s vibrant classical music scene, from the symphonic stage to historic concert halls. Join host Raymond Jones to honor the Commonwealth’s musical legacy.
The night will begin with a salute to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra on their new season with two remarkable performances. The first is Michael Daugherty’s “Night Owl,” a three-movement orchestral work commissioned by Susan and David Goode and inspired by the nocturnal photography of O. Winston Link.
And the second one is Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” performed during the Virginia Symphony’s 1997 Carnegie Hall debut under Falletta, a milestone moment that showcased Virginia’s orchestral excellence on the national stage.
From Staunton, our “Heifetz on Air” segment, titled “The Romantic Generation,” celebrates the major composers of the Romantic era, including Schumann, Chopin, and Mendelssohn.
Listeners will be delighted with the Christopher Wren Singers of William & Mary from their recording “In Scarlet Town,” demonstrating the rich choral tradition within the state, and a performance of the “Suite for String Quartet & Piano” by the late Richmond native Mary Howe, whose music continues to reflect Virginia’s artistic heritage.
The program concludes with pianist Thomas Pandolfi, who has been recently performing in Hampton Roads, in an emotional rendition of Franz Liszt’s “After a Lecture of Dante.”
If you enjoy programs like "A Local Touch" that shine a light on Virginia’s classical music and artists, please consider supporting WHRO with a donation. Make a gift today.
Join Raymond Jones this Wednesday at 9 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, or stream online, for “A Local Touch,” where Virginia’s orchestras, choirs, and composers bring their world-class artistry to your home.
