The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra is celebrating 40 years of entertaining audiences with a season that blends new and classical music.
“There is both fresh and familiar (music) with a variety of programs for everyone,” said Music Director Michael Butterman.
With most performances at the Williamsburg Community Chapel, the season kicks off in September with a symphonic jazz version of Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” with the Marcus Roberts Trio.
“This is a reimagination of Gershwin’s piece, it’s very unique. There’ll probably be some improvisation as well,” Butterman said.
The symphony will also play Gershwin’s “Lullaby for Strings and Piano Concerto in F.”
In October, guest artist Richard Scofano, who plays the bandoneón, will perform a piece he wrote, called “The Land Without Evil,” an Argentinean tango.
“I heard him on public radio,” Butterman said. “The piece paints a paradise.”
A concert with recognizable music from movies like “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” is “The Magic of John Williams” is set for November.
Butterman said that one is a good concert for families, since many people will know Williams’ work.
The Holiday Pops Concerts will feature soprano vocalist Tiffany Haas. The Hampton Roads native regularly performs on Broadway and is known for her role as Glinda in “Wicked.”
Butterman will conduct the orchestra, while Haas sings holiday favorites twice a day for two days at the Kimball Theatre in Colonial Williamsburg.
Cabaret and Cocktails Broadway Rocks in early 2025 features guest artists LaKisha Jones, Chloe Lowery and Dan Domenech.
This performance, at the Williamsburg Lodge, will feature pieces from musicals including “Kinky Boots,” “Mamma Mia” and “Tommy.”
The same month, Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark will be the guest artist at Bluegrass and Beethoven. The performance will present Torke’s bluegrass-inspired “Sky.”
The program begins with Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6.”
Lark will also host a violin masterclass while in town.
“The Planets” in March 2025 will include a larger orchestra with about 80 musicians playing alongside footage of the solar system from NASA.
One composition, “Moons of the Giants” by John Heins, was inspired by the moons of Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune, according to the Symphony Orchestra’s season brochure.
Youth musicians from local high schools will play with professional musicians in a Side-by-Side concert in May 2025. Each student performer will be paired with a professional performer. This concert is done every other year, Butterman said.
The symphony will host pre-concert talks before each performance, and performs for local schools throughout the season.
The season closes with guest artist R. Carlos Nakai who will play the Native American flute, which is made with wood instead of metal.
“He is the best known Native American flute musician in the world,” Butterman said.
The Leah Glenn Dance Theatre will also perform at the closing event, choosing to premiere “Secrets: A Tribute to the Brafferton Indian School.”
The Brafferton was the colonial-era Indian Residential School on William & Mary’s campus that educated indigenous children from around North America after its construction about 300 years ago.
More information on performances and tickets can be found at the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra online.
