Raymond Jones invites you to explore the neighboring states that share a border with Virginia Wednesday night at 9:00 on WHRO-FM’s ‘A Local Touch – Music With A Virginia Connection.’ A three-hour symphonic journey through five states awaits, so tune in!
We begin our trip in North Carolina, where pianist Yevgeny Sudbin teams up with the North Carolina Symphony for Rachmaninoff’s jazz-influenced Piano Concerto No. 4. From there, we travel west to Tennessee’s Music City, where the Nashville Symphony performs George Chadwick’s “Aphrodite,” inspired by the Greek goddess of love and filled with lush Romantic melodies and shimmering orchestral textures. Next, we head to the Bluegrass State of Kentucky for Arthur Foote’s dramatic symphonic poem “Francesca da Rimini,” with the Louisville Orchestra under Jorge Mester. We then continue to the Mountain State of West Virginia for “Appalachian Impressions,” a contemporary work by West Virginia Public Radio’s Matthew Jackfert evoking the region’s traditions and landscapes. Traveling a little further afield, we’ll also hear a piece by Jackfert reflecting on time he spent in China: “On the Shores of Qingdao”, with the West Virginia University Symphony Orchestra. Our journey then takes us to Maryland, where the Baltimore Symphony performs Aaron Copland’s suite from “Billy the Kid,” a vivid musical portrait of the American West featuring folk-inspired melodies, expansive landscapes, and scenes from the legendary outlaw’s life. We conclude our travels across the Potomac with the National Symphony performing Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony, a masterpiece blending Bohemian, African American and Native American influences.
Join Raymond Jones for this musical tour around Virginia’s neighboring states. Tune in for “A Local Touch” on WHRO-FM at 9:00 p.m. You can also listen online through our Media Player or your preferred device.
