For its final production of the season, Virginia Opera will present the great American opera, Porgy and Bess, opening April 10 at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk. Dr. Glenn Winters, Virginia Opera’s Community Outreach Musical Director, offers insight into this operatic masterpiece.

Hampton Roads lost one of its premiere singing voices recently. Mezzo-soprano Lisa Relaford Coston performed extensively throughout Hampton Roads and was beloved by audiences and fellow musician alike. WHRO-FM joins with those who fondly remember this outstanding singer.

On February 13th, the Curtain goes up on the Virginia Opera production of one of the greatest operas ever written – Mozart’s Don Giovanni. The Community Outreach Musical Director of Virginia Opera, Dr. Glenn Winters, offers this preview of Mozart’s masterpiece.

Exciting and colorful music by Arial Ramirez will be presented on Jan. 17th, 21st, 23rd and 24th when Schola Cantorum joins with the Tidewated Guitar Orchestra and the ODU Percussion Ensemble for the area premiere of the Misa Criolla. Anthony McSpadden spoke with Agnes Wynn, Sam Dorsey and David Walker about this rhythmic and appealing folk mass.

The Virginia Symphony will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a musical birthday party on January 29th, 30th and 31st. The major work on the program will be the Mon,umental “Choral” Symphony, the Symphony No. 9, by Beethoven. Dwight Davis spoke with conductor JoAnn Falletta about the program.

This year, Hampton Roads will be treated to performances of the beloved ballet by the State Ballet of Virginia – the RichMon,d Ballet – joined by Todd Rosenlieb Dance, the Virginia Childrens’ Chorus and the Virginia Symphony. Stoner Winslett, Director of the RichMon,d Ballet and choreographer for this new production, spoke with Jonathan Lichtenstein about it the quintessential holiday ballet.

The American Boychoir is regarded as the United States’ premier concert boys’ choir and one of the finest boychoirs in the world. It continues to dazzle audiences with its unique blend of musical sophistication, effervescent spirit and ensemble virtuosity. Its members – boys from grades 4 through 8 – come from 9 states and 4 foreign countries. Anthony McSpadden spoke with conductor, FERNANDO MALVAR-RUIZ, about the group’s performance at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach.

The Virginia Chorale’s holiday concert, “Sweet the Song,” offers both familiar and little-known music for Christmas. On the program are selections by Mendelssohn, Randall Thompson and Benjamin Britten, as well as a world premiere. Dwight Davis spoke with Chorale Director Scott Williamson about the concert.

The second subscription concert of the season for Symphonicity, the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach, features Mendelssohn for Two. Pianists Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn join Symphonicity for the sparkling Double Concerto in E by Felix Mendelssohn. Conductor David Kunkel has also scheduled the Tannhauser Overture and the New World Symphony on the program. Dwight Davis spoke to Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshin about the Mendelssohn concerto.

For the first time in history, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus presents the “German Requiem” by Johannes Brahms. For this very personal work, Brahms adapted texts which did not follow the traditional form of the Requiem, and in doing so, created one of the most moving choral compositions in the literature. Anthony McSpadden spoke with conductor JoAnn Falletta about performing this masterpiece.