FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Donna Hudgins, Director of Public Relations, 757.213.1428;
or
Bobbie Fisher, WHRO, Director of Corporate Communications, 757.889.9107 , Fax: 757.423.5174, Email: bobbie.fisher@whro.org
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Presents Mozart’s Requiem
Guest soloists and 85-voice Virginia Symphony Chorus to Perform with Orchestra at Regent Theater; Concert to be Broadcast on WHRO Public Radio and Television
HAMPTON ROADS, VA — As part of a season-long commemoration of the 250th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in collaboration with WHRO and Regent University will perform Mozart’s majestic Requiem at the Regent University Theatre January 20, 8 pm. The performance will be broadcast live in Hampton Roads on WHRO TV 15 and WHRO 90.3 FM from 8-10:30 pm. The Requiem will also be performed on Saturday, January 21, 8 pm, at Chrysler Hall and January 22, 2:30 pm. at Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University. These performances will not be broadcast.
JoAnn Falletta will conduct the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and chorusmaster Robert Shoup will lead the 85-voice chorus in the performance of the Requiem with guest soloists: Jane Ohmes, soprano, Angela Horn, alto, Jonathon Boyd, Mozart/tenor, Jason Grant, Salieri/bass.
WHRO has co-produced a special intermission with Regent for inclusion in the program, featuring JoAnn Falletta and WHRO classical music host Dwight Davis in conversation about the relevance of Mozart’s monumental work.
“The origin of the Requiem remains shrouded in drama and mystery,” says Falletta, music director of the Symphony. “It was written by a dying man and it is overwhelming in its harrowing emotion which is both terrifying and comforting.
Its tragic eloquence and humanity have made it one of the most unforgettable works in the repertoire.”
“To have the opportunity to perform this majestic work in Hampton Roads in collaboration with WHRO and Regent University and to bring Mozart’s masterpiece to so many more people through the broadcasts is thrilling,” said Falletta.
Also on the program is Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart and Salieri conducted by Falletta in which the composer offers a possible answer to the mystery surrounding the Requiem.
WHRO President and CEO Joseph Widoff said, “It’s a real privilege for WHRO to be able to provide this extraordinary musical experience to everyone in Hampton Roads, and so gratifying to once again be collaborating with our Hampton Roads arts, cultural and educational institutions.”
Tickets are available by calling the Virginia Symphony box office at (757) 892-6366, Ticketmaster at 671- 8100 or online at www.virginiasymphony.org. Ticket prices are $22 to $40.