THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 10, 1996 TAG: 9609100044
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 50 lines
IT'S BEEN 11 years since JoAnn Falletta's first appearance at Carnegie Hall. In 1985, she won the prestigious Stokowsky Conducting Competition - the first woman to do so - and got to conduct the American Symphony there.
She's since returned to the podium of the storied showplace; the magic, though, never wears off.
``Not only does it have some of the most glorious acoustics of any hall in the world, it's exquisite,'' Falletta said. ``And when you think of who has stood on the same podium - Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler - and the incredible musicians who have made music there, the sense of history is over-whelming.''
The Virginia Symphony will find out firsthand in the spring when Falletta takes the orchestra to New York for its Carnegie debut.
The April 15 performance, which includes the New York premiere of Adolphus Hailstork's Piano Concerto, written for the symphony in 1991, may be the highlight of a season that has begun on a palpable high note.
``I think we're ready,'' said Falletta, music director since April 1991. ``The orchestra is playing at an unparalleled level. It's something I sensed (last) week from the very first downbeat of our first rehearsal. The level of commitment has really intensified.
``They realize this is the year, that the artistic achievement we've worked so hard for for five years had led to someplace.''
Someplace and something just as significant to the orchestra's development: Falletta recently signed a three-year contract extension.
``As a conductor, the main reason to work with an orchestra is artistic equality,'' she said. ``You can deal with any trauma if, when you get on the podium, you have a beautiful instrument in front of you. This orchestra has its own voice and personality.
``The solidity of the whole organization is very encouraging. Norfolk is a very challenging and rewarding place for me to be musically.''
While Carnegie Hall is the capper, Falletta pointed to other highlights in the coming year, among them Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Vivaldi's ``The Four Seasons'' and Orff's ``Carmina Burana.'' In November, the symphony will perform the music of Prokofiev for a screening of the silent-film classic ``Alexander Nevsky.''
Also, Wes Kenney, former music director of the Oakland Youth Symphony, has been hired as associate conductor. And it's the 25th anniversary of Chrysler Hall.
``It seems like a very officious year,'' Falletta said. ``Having a strong season in place and some terrific people coming in has made it especially exciting.''
That hasn't been lost on local audiences, she added.
``People have seemed to have become aware that the Virginia Symphony is a vibrant organization,'' she said. by CNB