The final concert of the Charlottesville Symphony’s 2018-19 season started slowly and finished in triumph. It was quite a journey. The Saturday, April 24th concerto opened with Wagner’s Prelude from “Parsifal.” This is a quiet, introspective work that uses silence as an important element. The orchestra played beautifully, achieving a shimmering quality in some passages. […]
benjamin rous
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Charlottesville Symphony Thrill with Bartok and Mendelssohn
Bela Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 2 is a challenging work for both soloist and ensemble. Audiences were treated to a fine performance by violinist Joseph Lin, maestro Benjamin Rous, and the Charlottesville Symphony March 23 and 24th, 2019. Lin possessed all the technical ability necessary for this difficult piece. He played with a clean, pure […]
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Charlottesville Symphony combines the unusual and the inspired
Two things I really enjoy in a concert: unusual repertoire, and inspired performances. I enjoyed both in the opening concert for the Charlottesville Symphony. York Bowen’s Concerto in C minor for Viola and Orchestra constituted the unusual. Viola concertos are relatively rare, and British composer Bowen is seldom heard on this side of the Atlantic. […]
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Charlottesville Symphony Gives Rock-Solid Performances of Other-Worldly Music
The final concert of the 2017-18 season was nothing short of a triumph – at least the performance I attended Saturday, April 28. The two works on the program were separated by almost a century. And yet, in some ways, they weren’t that far apart stylistically. Kaija Saariaho’s 2002 “Orion” made up the first half […]
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Charlottesville Symphony Director discusses upcoming concert April 28/29
Gustav Host: The Planets, Op. 32 Kaija Saariaho: Orion (2002) The Charlottesville Symphony The Women of the UVA Chamber Singers Benjamin Rous, conductor April 28 & 29, 2018 Benjamin Rous, director of the Charlottesville Symphony, visited WTJU to discuss the last Masterworks concert of the season at the end of April. Listen to what Maestro […]