Alexandria Symphony Announces 2021-2022 Season: All Together Now
The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) announced its return to the concert stage with its 2021-2022 Season led by Music Director James Ross.
Photo Credit: P.J. Barbour
Alexandria, VA—The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) announced its return to the concert stage with its 2021-2022 Season led by Music Director James Ross.
The ASO will present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 with Pianist Michelle Cann on Saturday, October 2 (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, October 3 (3:00 p.m.) at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center. This program is a repertoire change from the originally scheduled Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Alexandria Choral Society. “Choral singing has been found to create a particularly challenging environment for COVID safety,” said ASO Executive Director George Hanson. “With recent infection rates increasing in Alexandria, we had to make the difficult choice to postpone our performances with the Alexandria Choral Society of Beethoven’s great Choral Symphony, the Ninth. We are delivering on our promise to ticket buyers by presenting three all-time orchestral favorites to replace the popular Ninth.”
Photo Credit: Steven Mareazi Willis
Renowned pianist Michelle Cann has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and others. The Philadelphia Inquirer described her February 2021 performance with Philadelphia Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin as “exquisite.” A champion of the music of Florence Price, Ms. Cann is recognized as a leading African-American performer dedicated to artistic excellence and community engagement.
“The clarion call for transformation, diversity, unity and joy embodied by Beethoven’s Ninth is being honored in our choice to combine his Fifth Symphony with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Valerie Coleman’s anthem of unity, Umoja,” says ASO Music Director James Ross. “With Copland’s Fanfare kicking things off and Michelle Cann’s pianistic prowess, we’ve created a big musical tent to celebrate our return to the stage.”
In partnership with the Alexandria Film Festival, the ASO presents Homegrown: American Stories in Music and Film on November 6 and 7. Original films that were commissioned by the ASO and produced by local artists will accompany music from the Americana tradition including Higdon’s Blue Cathedral, Copland’s Our Town and John Henry, Griffes’ Clouds, Ives’ “Housatonic at Stockbridge” and Grant Still’s “Manhattan Skyline.” The program culminates with Mussorgsky’s well-loved Pictures at an Exhibition.
On December 17 and 19, the ASO brings back the joy of live holiday music that audiences yearned for in 2020. ASO will accompany dancers from BalletNOVA with selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Join the ASO for choruses from Händel’s Messiah and popular holiday carols.
Photo Credit: Vanessa Bricen
Renowned pianist Sara Daneshpour headlines on February 12 and 13, 2022, with Rachmaninov’s stirring Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. A native of Washington, D.C., Ms. Daneshpour has garnered awards internationally and received acclaim as a sought-after touring artist. Strings take center stage with Beethoven’s last string quartet, expanded for orchestra by Maestro Jim Ross. The program also features George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Sibelius’ epic tone poem, Finlandia.
Brahms’ uplifting Symphony No. 1 provides a fitting and dramatic conclusion to the season, moving from profound sadness to unbridled joy. The performances on April 23 and 24 feature violinist Dylana Jenson, the youngest and first American woman to win a medal in the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition, in Samuel Barber’s sparkling and virtuosic violin concerto. The concert opens with the world premiere of Brian Prechtl’s Tribute, commissioned for the ASO by Classical Movements’ Eric Helms New Music Program, uniting the ASO musicians on stage with students from ASO’s award-winning education program, Sympatico.
Be sure to tune into Z-TV LIVE! Wednesday, September 8, with ASO Music Director James Ross.
The 2021-2022 Season is generously underwritten by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Subscription packages start at $86. Adult prices start at $20; $5 for youth and $15 for students. Military, senior, and group discounts are also available. Tickets are on sale now. Visit www.alexsym.org or call (703) 548-0885 for more information.
BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH & RHAPSODY
James Ross, Music Director Michelle Cann, piano Michelle Cann appears by arrangement with the Curtis Institute of Music
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man Coleman: Umoja: Anthem of Unity
Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
James Ross, Music Director
Homegrown: American Stories in Music and Film, a partnership with the Alexandria Film Festival
Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition
Copland: John Henry And Our Town
Griffes: Clouds
Ives: “Housatonic At Stockbridge” From Three Places In New England
Higdon: Blue Cathedral
Grant Still: “Manhattan Skyline” from American Sketches
Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
George Washington Masonic Memorial
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Photo Credit: P.J. Barbour
James Ross, Music Director
BalletNova
Handel: Selections From Messiah
Tchaikovsky: Excerpts from The Nutcracker
Sing-along holiday carols
Friday, December 17, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
George Washington Masonic Memorial
RACHMANINOV RHAPSODY
James Ross, Music Director
Sara Daneshpour, piano
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini
Sibelius: Finlandia
Beethoven: String Quartet In C-sharp Minor
Walker: Lyric for Strings
Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall
Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.
George Washington Masonic Memorial
BARBER & BRAHMS
Photo courtesy of Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO)
James Ross, Music Director
Dylana Jenson, violin
Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 In C Minor
Brian Prechtl: Tribute (World Premiere)
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.
George Washington Masonic Memorial
