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VWU Joins WHRO for Virtual Chamber Music Concert Series
The series is being broadcast on air and online through February 17
University News | January 10, 2021
The Virginia Wesleyan University Concert Series has partnered with WHRO-FM to present the Virtual Chamber Music Concert Series on air and online January 10 through February 17. Outstanding regional artists—including three with VWU connections—recorded the concerts live on campus in the Brock Theatre of the Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. The series is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Broadcast events on 90.3 WHRO-FM include a Sunday morning interview with each artist on Musical Brunch and podcast, premiere of the full performance Wednesday evening on A Local Touch, and video premiere on WHRO’s Facebook page (also linked on the Goode Center’s Facebook page) Times and links noted below.
New Commonwealth Quartet
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January 10 (interview at 10 a.m.); January 11 (video concert at 5 p.m.); January 13 (A Local Touch at 9 p.m.)
VWU Performing Artist faculty Elizabeth Richards, cello, joins Elizabeth Vonderheide, violin; Jonathan Richards, violin; and Matthew Umlauf, viola, to perform Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 18/3- II. Andante con Moto and Grieg’s String Quartet, No.1 – I. Un poco andante – Allegro molto ed agitato. Formed in 2015 by members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra family, NCQ presents programs of cutting-edge music through Funhouse Fest, and has developed a popular Sunday chamber series at Norfolk’s East Beach Community Center, as well as recording tracks for Bruce Hornsby’s next album.
Todd Holcomb
January 17 (interview at 10 a.m.); January 18 (video concert at 5 p.m.); January 20 (A Local Touch at 9 p.m.)
VWU Performing Artist faculty Todd Holcomb performs Jobim’s Felicidade, arranged by Dyens, and Turina’s Sonata para guitarra, Op. 61. Holcomb’s performances have been described as ‘virtuoso’ and ‘a force of nature.’ As soloist and chamber musician he has earned top prizes in numerous competitions including the East Carolina University International Guitar Competition, the Mississippi International Guitar Competition, and the J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition, to name a few. In addition to solo work, he performs with flutist Wayla Chambo as Duo Thalassa, and is also Executive Director of the Tidewater Classical Guitar Society.
Debra Wendells Cross, flute & Barbara Chapman, harp
January 24 (interview at 10 a.m.); January 25 (video concert at 5 p.m.); January 27 (A Local Touch at 9 p.m.)
Praised for their lyrical, ethereal sound, the flute and harp duo of Debra Wendells Cross and Barbara Chapman warm the hearts and souls of their audience. They perform Blavet’s Sonata in g, Op. 2/4, Godard’s Berceuse de Jocelyn, Arrigada’s Milong and Danza Venezolana, and Grady’s arrangement of the traditional melodies of Shenandoah and The Water is Wide. Both are long-time members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra; Wendells Cross as Principal Flute and Chapman as Principal Harp. They have been featured as part of the Virginia Arts Festival’s Chamber Music Series, on numerous recital series throughout Southeastern Virginia, and broadcast nationally on NPR’s Performance Today.
Lee Jordan-Anders, piano
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January 31 (interview at 10 a.m.); February 1 (video concert at 5 p.m.); February 3 (A Local Touch at 9 p.m.)
Lee Jordan-Anders is Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Music Emerita at Virginia Wesleyan University where she served on the faculty for 29 years, founding the Familiar Faces Concert Series (forerunner of the VWU Concert Series), teaching classes in aesthetics, listening, music theory, chamber music, and applied piano. Jordan-Anders was Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestra of the Eastern Shore, 2009-14, and taught at the Governor’s School for the Arts from 2014-18. She continues to perform frequently both as soloist and as collaborating pianist, and in this performance presents Debussy’s Estampes and Danse.
Anna Feucht, soprano & Steve Kolb, piano
February 7 (interview at 10 a.m.); February 8 (video concert at 5 p.m.); February 10 (A Local Touch at 9 p.m.)
Anna Feucht has been praised for her ‘exciting coloratura’ and ‘exceptionally beautiful and powerful sound.’ A frequent soloist with Virginia Opera and Tidewater Opera Initiative, she has served as soloist with the Virginia Symphony, Symphonicity, and the Williamsburg Choral Guild, among others. In this performance she presents Heggi’s Songs and Sonnets to Ophelia and Bellini’s Ah! Non credea mirati . . . Ah! Non giunge (from La Sonnambula), joined by pianist Steve Kolb, known throughout the region for his command of the keyboard in both classical and jazz styles, as well as collaborating pianist. Recognized by the Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads for his contributions to the cultural life of the region, he is past chair of the Southern Region of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and past board president of Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia.
Rebecca Gilmore, cello & Daniel Lau, piano
February 14 (interview at 10 a.m.); February 15 (video concert at 5 p.m.); February 17 (A Local Touch at 9 p.m.)
Orchestral and chamber musician Rebecca Gilmore is Assistant Principal Cello with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in her 20th year, having previously served as Principal Cellist with the Greensboro Symphony. Gilmore is co-founder of the Ambrosia String Quartet which performs both the classics and works of contemporary composers. In this performance of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No 3, Gilmore is joined by pianist Daniel Lau, who has performed world-wide in recital and with orchestras, and is praised for his ‘exemplary artistry’ and ‘beautifully shaped playing.’ Also a violinist and conductor, he has directed performances of Manon, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Merry Widow, and The Magic Flute, among others, and serves as Chair of the Department of Music at Washington Adventist University.
Interviews - 90.3 WHRO-FM: 10 a.m. (Sundays on Musical Brunch)
Podcast: (Anytime)
Video Concert Premieres: WHRO Facebook: 5 p.m. (Mondays)
Concerts: 90.3 WHRO-FM: 9 p.m. (Wednesdays on A Local Touch)
Additional Details on the Performers
Visit the Arts at VWU webpage for more information.