Longwood’s spring concert calendar will once again crescendo to a performance by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, which will return to campus in April to perform for the seventh year in a row.
The symphony is part of an exciting lineup of performances this semester by accomplished guest musicians and artist faculty, as well as concerts by the Longwood Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble, and Camerata and Chamber singers. All performances except the Richmond Symphony concert are free.
We invite the greater Farmville community, as well as music lovers across the heart of Virginia, to come enjoy these inspiring musical performances this semester at Longwood.
Lisa Kinzer, chair of Longwood’s music department Tweet This
“We invite the greater Farmville community, as well as music lovers across the heart of Virginia, to come enjoy these inspiring musical performances this semester at Longwood,” said Lisa Kinzer, chair of Longwood’s music department. “The musicians cover a broad range of genres—so there’s a little something for everybody.”
The Richmond Symphony will take the stage in Jarman Auditorium to perform its inspirational New World Symphony concert on Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will include pieces by Kaprálová, Brahms and Dvořák, and will feature soloists Daisuke Yamamoto on violin and Neal Cary on cello.
Yamamoto, known for his immense virtuosity and probing musicianship, has served as concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony since 2013. Cary has been principal cellist with the symphony since 1988, and has been praised for the tremendous amount of emotion and heart he brings to his performances.
The symphony will be conducted by Steven Smith, who is in his eighth season as music director of the Richmond Symphony and also is music director of the Grammy Award-winning Cleveland Chamber Symphony.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through the Longwood Box Office. The first 200 Longwood students to reserve a ticket will be admitted free. To ensure availability, students should reserve tickets online or by calling (434) 395-2474.
The orchestra’s performance is part of a partnership established by the late Dr. John Cook, a 1952 Longwood alumnus and benefactor of the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences.
The spring semester will also feature two concerts in the Chamber Music Series, a centerpiece of the Southside Virginia music landscape. Now in its 32nd year, the annual series brings nationally recognized and heralded ensembles to campus and provides essential calendar items for music lovers in the region.
On Feb. 19, Leslie Burrs and the Chakaba Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Molnar Recital Hall in Wygal Hall.
Chakaba, the urban classical music ensemble created by flutist and composer Burrs, embodies new perspectives on world music. Urban classical music incorporates African-American, classical and contemporary music, and the Chakaba Ensemble’s performances reveal the mystical richness of their instruments. As a soloist, Burrs’ inspired combination of classical virtuosity and dazzling improvisation has captivated audiences across the United States and Europe.
On March 14, the acclaimed Hot Club of San Francisco and the popular French vocalist Isabelle Fontaine will perform Meet Me in Paris, a charming concert invoking an unforgettable Parisian experience that harkens back to the love songs and gypsy jazz made famous during the 1920s and 1930s. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium.
Admission to Chamber Music Series performances is free thanks to the generous patronage of community members.
Other musical guests and performers coming to campus this spring include bass-baritone and composer Ian Richardson, Shane Lynch and the Washington and Lee University Singers, and the James String Quartet, the artists-in-residence at Lynchburg College.
Music department recitals and ensemble concerts will take place throughout the semester. Following the symphony concert on April 20, the semester will wrap up with the Men’s and Women’s choirs concert on April 23 and the Camerata and Chamber singers concert on April 26.
Longwood University Music Department Spring Schedule
- Jan. 25—Senior Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- Feb. 1—Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- Feb. 16—Shane Lynch and the Washington and Lee University Singers Recital, 7:30 p.m. at Farmville United Methodist Church
- Feb. 17—Ian Richardson Guest Recital, 7:30 p.m.
- Feb. 19—Chamber Music Series: Leslie Burrs and the Chakaba Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.
- Feb. 22—Black History Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- Feb. 28—Wind Symphony Concert, 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium
- March 14—Chamber Music Series: The Hot Club of San Francisco, 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium
- March 15—Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- March 16—Faculty Recital: Lisa Burrs, voice, 7:30 p.m.
- March 20—Jazz Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium
- March 23—James String Quartet, 7:30 p.m.
- March 24—Senior Recital: Laura Millon, voice, 7:30 p.m.
- March 25—Senior Recital: Montana Nelson, clarinet, and Lauren Peters, voice, 2 p.m.
- March 29—Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- April 5—Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- April 7—Senior Recital: Nate Irving and Daryl Love, percussion, 4 p.m.
- April 17—Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium
- April 19—Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- April 20—Richmond Symphony Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium
- April 23—Men’s and Women’s Choirs Concert, 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium
- April 26—Departmental Recital, 3:30 p.m.
- April 26—Camerata and Chamber Singers Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m. at Farmville United Methodist Church
- April 28—Senior Recital: Raven Branson and Emily Turner, piano, 7:30 p.m.
All concerts are held in the Molnar Recital Hall in Wygal Hall unless otherwise stated. Times and concerts are subject to change, so please check www.longwood.edu/music for up-to-date performance information.
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