West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Announces A Return to the Stage!

CHARLESTON, W.VA. (10/28/20) – Due to federal and state guidelines regarding COVID-19, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (WVSO) was forced to cancel in-person concerts through January, but the WVSO is looking toward the future and is excited to announce its first live stream set for Sunday, November 15 at 3:00 p.m, with television broadcast to follow.

“We are so excited to be able to bring classical music to our WVSO patrons throughout the state,” said Music Director Larry Loh. “During these uncertain times, we must rely on technology to help us to continue to share the gift of music, and we are thankful for our friends at WV Public Broadcasting for helping to make this a reality.”

President of the WVSO, Joe Tackett had this to say; "After hours of discussions with our musicians, we are proud to make a commitment to bring back music in a new, safe way. While the pandemic has caused massive upheaval, we will be doing all that we can to financially support our musicians and stagehands so we can keep the music playing. We have made a promise to our community to innovate, and not hibernate".

The WVSO will stream live from the WV Culture Center on Sunday, November 15 at 3:00 p.m. Current WVSO subscribers will receive complimentary access to the stream as a thank you for their loyal support.

Tickets for access to the stream are available for $15 for single tickets and $25 for family tickets and can be purchased through wvsymphony.org. As a thank you for your loyal support, all subscribers to the 20-21 season will receive complimentary access to the live stream. This access is available to subscribers regardless if they have received a refund or made a donation for the cancelled concerts in 20-21. For more information or questions regarding access, please contact Amanda McDonald, amcdonald@wvsymphony.org or 304-957-9880.

Thanks to a partnership with WV Public Broadcasting, the November 15 stream will be broadcast on WV Public Television on Friday, November 27 at 8:30 p.m.

The all-strings orchestra will kick off the November concert with a performance of Elgar’s Serenade. Following, Music Director Lawrence Loh will lead the Symphony in performing George Walker’s Lyric for Strings. Walker wrote Lyric for Strings when he was only 24 years old. Walker, who passed at the age of 96 in 2018, was the first Black composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. The show will conclude with an arrangement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, featuring return soloist Orion Weiss on the piano.

The concert is made possible through the generous support of the Elliot Foundation, Encova Insurance, and Suttle and Stalnaker. The WVSO thanks its loyal patrons for their continued support and engagement during this time.

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is West Virginia’s premier performing arts organization, presenting classical, pops, and chamber-music concerts annually throughout the Mountain State. Currently entering its 82nd season, the WVSO is a proud member of the community and enriches the region by providing affordable, high-quality concerts, collaborations with West Virginia arts organizations and a nationally award-winning education program.

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