Marin Alsop Returns to Lead the Richmond Symphony’s Altria Masterworks Opening Weekend

Violin Virtuoso and Menuhin Competition Prize Winner,

Inmo Yang, Joins to Perform Paganini

Richmond, Va. (Sept. 9, 2019)—The Richmond Symphony will welcome back former Associate Conductor Marin Alsop to the podium as she kicks off the Altria Masterworks Opening Weekend on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. at the Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts’ Carpenter Theatre.

The program, selected by Alsop, will include Stravinsky’s “The Firebird: Suite” (1919); Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn—a work previously performed by the Richmond Symphony during Alsop’s tenure as associate conductor; Zemlinsky’s Psalm 13, Opus 24, with the Richmond Symphony Chorus; and Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Opus 6, with Korean violinist Inmo Yang.

Alsop, who is currently music director of the Baltimore Symphony and São Paulo Symphony Orchestras, as well as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, is known for her artistry, innovation and advocacy for women in the field. A pupil of Leonard Bernstein, she has led many of the world’s leading orchestras and is the only conductor to have received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Alsop served as associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony from 1988-1989.

 

Opening Weekend, page 2

As an award-winning violin prodigy, Yang is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after violinists today. He is the youngest winner of the Paganini competition and a prize winner of the Menuhin competition, the world’s leading violin competition for players under 22. The Richmond Symphony will host The Menuhin Competition Richmond 2020 from May 14-24, 2020, in venues throughout the city.

“The Richmond Symphony’s opening weekend is a reflection of our exciting season to come, explained David J.L. Fisk, executive director of the Richmond Symphony. “We are thrilled to have Marin Alsop, now one of the world’s preeminent conductors, return to Richmond to lead the orchestra once more, where her early career was forged as our associate conductor.  We are also delighted to have a former prize winner of the Menuhin Competition, Inmo Yang, with us a soloist, in the same season that we are hosting the prestigious Menuhin Competition in Richmond.”

In celebration of Alsop’s return to the Richmond Symphony, VPM, Virginia’s home for public media, has arranged for Fred Child, host of “Performance Today,” to participate in opening weekend activities.  He will interview Alsop on-stage as part of the Richmond Symphony’s pre-concert talks on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.  In addition, Child will introduce both weekend concerts from the stage, which includes a live broadcast of Saturday’s performance on VPM Music (93.1 FM/107.3 FM).

Tickets to the Altria Masterworks opening weekend concerts start at $10 for adults and are free for active military members and for children 18 and under.  For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.richmondsymphony.com or call 804.788.1212.

Marin Alsop is represented by Opus 3 Artists.  For more information, please visit: www.marinalsop.com

For more information about Inmo Yang, please visit: www.kanzenarts.com/artist.php?id=inmoyang&aview=bio

The Richmond Symphony Masterworks Series is sponsored by Altria. Special thanks to our Concert Sponsor Covington Travel and to Genworth for its support of Marin Alsop’s appearance.

 

Opening Weekend, page 3

About the Richmond Symphony:  Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 260 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season, more than 200,000 members of the community enjoy concerts, radio broadcasts and educational outreach programs. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.  For more information about the Richmond Symphony, please visit: www.richmondsymphony.com

 

Full concert listing:

The Return of Marin Alsop

Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts

Carpenter Theatre

Sept. 21, 2019, at 8 p.m.

Sept. 22, 2019, at 3 p.m.

Marin Alsop, Conductor

Inmo Yang, Violin

Richmond Symphony Chorus

Zemlinsky: Psalm 13, Opus 24

Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1, Opus 6

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, Opus 56a

Stravinsky: The Firebird: Suite (1919)

 

Pre-Concert Talks

 Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts

Carpenter Theatre

 

Fred Child, Host, Performance Today

Marin Alsop, Conductor

Sept. 21, 2019, at 7 p.m.

Sept. 22, 2019, at 2 p.m.

 

 

#          #          #

 

Christy Crytzer Pierce, publicist
615.715.9344 (c)

pr@richmondsymphony.com

 

Carrie Thornbrugh, marketing and public relations manager

804.788.4717 (ex: 121)

cthornbrugh@richmondsymphony.com