Department of Music

The Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra continues its 2011-12 “Bridges” season with a romantic program titled “Bridges Across Generations” on Saturday, February 11, 8:00 p.m., at Old Cabell Hall on the U.Va Grounds, and Sunday, February 12, 3:30 p.m., at Monticello High School in Charlottesville.

Music Director Kate Tamarkin returns to the podium following a fall sabbatical.

She has chosen examples from Italian, French, Russian and Viennese opera in a multi-national salute to Valentine’s Day.  “The theme of this concert is unabashedly romantic and sentimental,” she says.  “Our program includes some of the most beautiful operatic music ever written for both voice and orchestra.”

Two exciting young artists will join the orchestra in a thrilling mix of solos and duets.  Soprano Jennifer Lynn Waters will sing “Mi Chiamano Mimi” from Puccini’s timeless and tragic “La Boheme,” Doretta’s Aria from Puccini’s “La Rondine” and “Czardas” from perennial favorite, “Die Fledermaus,” by Johann Strauss, Jr.

Ms. Waters is a graduate of the Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.  At Washington National Opera she sang roles in “Madama Butterfly,” “Carmen,” “Ariadne auf Naxos,” “Götterdämerung,” “Le nozze de Figaro” and “Falstaff.”  Recent engagements include a debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as Geraldine in Samuel Barber’s “A Hand of Bridge.”  She has been a soloist with the Caramoor Music Festival, Maryland Concert Opera, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas and the Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, D.C.

Rodolfo in “La Boheme” is a role frequently performed by tenor Gerard Powers and he will sing Rodolfo’s “Che gelia manina” in Charlottesville as well.  A Juilliard graduate, he has been heard on operatic and concert stages across the United States and in Canada, Italy, Germany, Ireland, England, Belgium, Russia and Portugal.  Among others, he has portrayed Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly with Opera and Opera Omaha; Don Jose in “Carmen” for his debut with Houston Grand Opera; and Prunier in “La Rondine” with Opera Tampa and for his much anticipated debut with San Francisco Opera.

On this program he will also sing the Flower Song from “Carmen” and join Ms. Waters in the Cio Cio San-Pinkerton Duet, “Vogliatemi bene” from Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.”

The orchestra will perform the Overture to “Die Fledermaus,” the Prelude and Aragonaise from “Carmen,” the Intermezzo from Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and the Polonaise from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.”

Know the Score pre-concert lectures will be presented 45 minutes before each concert.  Free of charge, these informative and entertaining lectures by McIntire Department of Music Chair Music Richard Will offer both novice and experienced patrons a deeper appreciation of the performances.  Friday’s lecture will take place in Minor Hall; Sunday’s lecture will be held in the Forum at Monticello High School. 

Free parking is available in the U.Va Central Grounds Parking Garage, located on Emmet   Street, on Saturday night and at the high school on Sunday afternoons.  Both venues are wheelchair accessible.

Tickets are priced at $20, $25, $30 and $38 for adults, and $10 for students.  U.Va students may request one complimentary ticket in advance.  Tickets may be purchased at The University of Virginia Arts Box Office, (434) 924-3376, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday in the lobby of the Drama Building at 109 Culbreth Road, or on-line at www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu.

Remaining dates in the Bridges season are:

March 24-25            Bridges Across Genres with pianist Michael Mizrahi
                                  works by Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein

April 21-22              Bridges Across Hemispheres with CUSO Principal Oboe Aaron Hill and Principal Tuba Seth Cook
                                 works by Tann, Vaughan Williams and Sibelius

Mini-subscriptions for the final three pairs of concerts are available at the orchestra office, (434) 924-3139.