The Virginia Symphony, Led By JoAnn Falletta, Releases REQUIEM By Hector Berlioz

Acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta leads a massive musical force of over 100 musicians, including four antiphonal off-stage brass ensembles, and a chorus of 140 singers in a new recording of Grande Messe des morts, Op. 5, Requiem by Hector Berlioz. Recorded live at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk Virginia and released on the Hampton Roads Classics label (888295651097), the disc features the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, joined by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Robert Shoup, Chorusmaster, The Choral Arts Society of Washington, Scott Tucker, Artist Director and tenor soloist Robert McPherson.

It is available on CDBaby, and for download on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.
"We are delighted that our beloved Virginia Symphony Chorus was with us to share in this musical milestone, and that they were joined by the Choral Arts.

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus Society of Washington, who brought their stellar musicianship to the Requiem, and helped fill Chrysler Hall to the rafters with the beauty and power of Berlioz' score. Robert McPherson sang from the balcony with a sweetness that cast him as an angel of tenderness in the vast emotional panoply of Berlioz' masterpiece. The experience for all of us was breathtaking, and we will treasure the memory of being in the middle of this spiritual epiphany all of our lives."

"Every conductor cherishes a 'dream list' of pieces that he or she hopes to have the privilege of performing in their lifetime. Thanks to the extraordinary vision and generosity of David and Susan Goode, and the exemplary stewardship of Rob Cross and his Virginia Arts Festival team, many of those dreams have come true for me," says Falletta. Calling Berlioz, "a passionate, irrepressible, romantic genius," she describes his masterwork as "an overwhelming personal response to the revolutionary upheavals in France during his lifetime."

JoAnn Falletta is the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center. Her discs have won two Grammy Awards and ten Grammy nominations.