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JoAnn Falletta Renews Contract with Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Announcement Comes as Symphony Prepares to Open New Season
Hampton Roads, VA…Virginia Symphony Board Chair Richard Waitzer has announced the renewal of Music Director JoAnn Falletta’s contract. The announcement comes two weeks before the opening of the Symphony’s expansive new season that inaugurates concert series at four new venues: the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, the Historic Freight Shed in Yorktown and the Smithfield Little Theatre, in addition to ongoing series at Chrysler Hall, Ferguson Center for the Arts, Regent University and St. Bede Catholic Church.
"I am extremely happy to renew my commitment to the Virginia Symphony,” said Ms. Falletta. “We are very fortunate to have a major symphony of this extraordinary quality in this region, and I feel privileged to be a part of the VSO team."
Ms. Falletta became Music Director of the VSO in 1991. The contract extends through 2011 confirming her ongoing commitment to the orchestra and the community of Hampton Roads. Her contract will take her through her 20th anniversary season and the orchestra through its 90th season. During her tenure she has led the Symphony to new artistic heights and helped establish wide spread recognition of the orchestra as a community treasure.
JoAnn Falletta, who also serves as Music Director of The Buffalo Philharmonic and Artistic Advisor of the Honolulu Symphony, has achieved world wide prominence as a conductor. She has been described by the New York Times as “one of the finest conductors of her generation” and by The Washington Post as having “Toscanini’s tight control over ensemble, Walter’s affectionate balancing of inner voices, Stokowski’s gutsy showmanship, and a controlled frenzy worthy of Bernstein.”
On and off the podium, Falletta is a vibrant ambassador for music, an inspiring artistic leader and an important part of the fabric of our community. In 2007 she was named a “Norfolk Legend” with her own “sidewalk star” on Granby Street. In her 16th year with the VSO, she will lead the orchestra this season in a celebration of the Spirit of Romanticism, with concerts that include a salute to the fiery passion of the Russian masters as part of Hampton Roads Arts Community’s Russian Festival.
Highlighting this season Maestro Falletta will conduct the VSO’s opening concert at the Sandler Center for Performing Arts in Virginia Beach and concerts with Sir James Galway, Joshua Bell, Zuill Bailey and Nicola Benedetti.
JoAnn Falletta is a prolific recording artist whose discography contains 40 titles including recordings with the Virginia Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic and the London Symphony. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for her recording of Ken Fuchs’ Eventide with the London Symphony.
Ms. Falletta has been a guest conductor of more than 100 world orchestras. She has been recognized with prestigious conducting awards: the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award for exceptionally gifted American conductors; the Stokowski Competition and the Toscanini, Ditson and Bruno Walter Awards. ASCAP has given her eight consecutive awards for creative programming.
A graduate of Mannes College of Music, she received her master’s and doctorate degrees from The Julliard School. In 2007 she was awarded honorary doctoral degrees by the College of William and Mary and Mannes College of Music.
Falletta opens the Symphony’s 2007-2008 season September 7th, 8th and 9th with performances of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Pathetique with guest pianist Christopher O’Riley at the Ferguson Center for the Arts and Chrysler Hall.
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The Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a complement of 79 professional musicians under the direction of Grammy-nominated Music Director JoAnn Falletta performs 140 concerts annually, reaching 200,000 concert goers every season in venues throughout the region. Our education and outreach programs reach 53,000 students and adult learners every year. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is the cultural cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
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