DATE: Thursday, September 4, 1997           TAG: 9709040049

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   79 lines

VIRGINIA SYMPHONY TAKES ROAD TRIP FOR BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL

NEVER, EVER underestimate the value of scuttlebutt. Case in point:

Dan Hart, executive director of the Virginia Symphony, had been looking high and low around Williamsburg for a venue where the orchestra could open the season with a new festival.

Patrick Duffeler, owner of the Williamsburg Winery, heard about it and got on the horn.

Result: The Beethoven Festival, three evenings of Ludwig van, wine tastings and gourmet dining, begins Friday.

``We do Mozart and More on the Peninsula,'' Hart said, referring to the symphony's chamber music series, ``but we wanted to take the whole orchestra specifically to Williamsburg because of the atmosphere. We feel like the potential and interest are there.''

That feeling was crystallized last May when the symphony put on an all-Tchaikovsky program for the Virginia Waterfront International Arts Festival, Hart said. The outdoor concert at the Sunken Garden on the campus of the College of William and Mary drew an overflow crowd of 2,000-plus.

``The problem with Williamsburg has been the venue,'' he said. ``Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall (also on campus) is always busy.

``Out of the blue, we got a call from Patrick. Last spring, Virginia Opera did an afternoon of arias at the winery. It was a nice idea. I think Patrick saw that and said, `Let's take the idea one step further.' ''

Mother Nature willing, some 1,000 people will fill a tent on the winery grounds each night.

``Beethoven is fun to play,'' Hart said. ``He does present an artistic challenge because of the stylistic demands on the orchestra.''

Tongue in cheek, he added, ``Like I say, he's the most neglected composer of all time.''

Symphony Music Director JoAnn Falletta conducts Friday and Sunday; associate conductor Wes Kenney is at the podium Saturday. The programs include Symphonies Nos. 5-7, the Piano Concerto No. 1, the ``Leonore'' Overture No. 3 and Romances Nos. 1 and 2.

Among the soloists are concertmaster Vahn Armstrong and pianist Mariya Ando, a sophomore at Norfolk Collegiate School. Last year, she won first prize in the junior-high level of the Baldwin national piano competition.

``She's wonderful,'' Hart said. ``A couple of seasons ago, we did a young pianists' showcase and asked the late Hobart Langrall (a noted teacher) to come up with some students to play before more people, but not in a symphony context. We heard her name that first year.

``From that (showcase), we identified a few young musicians who would be nice to present in a more professional setting. Then, she won this huge competition. She's a quite dedicated student, just fantastic.''

Duffeler, who with his wife Peggy opened the winery in 1987, likens the festival to an ideal marriage.

``My parents dragged me to every cathedral, every palace, when I was a young boy,'' said Duffeler, a native of Brussels. ``I went to the theater every week. They made sure I got a cultural background, and it stuck. I have a deep appreciation for classical music.

``I find this festival tremendously exciting. It gives us the opportunity to marry fine food, wine and music. The sense of taste is a very personal thing.''

The menu for Saturday night's six-course dinner features marinated salmon, grilled tuna and duck mousse, antipasto, puff pastry in a seafood sauce, smoked meats, cheeses and for dessert, Williamsburg Winery Chocolate Cake, a Duffeler creation.

Wines from Italy, France, California and Virginia will be sampled each night, as will Duffeler's own selections, including a first-release 1995 merlot.

``The Department of Commerce did a study of what people look for in travel. Food, wine and leisure has become the primary objective,'' he said. ``I think it's part of a grander thing. I can remember being on a beach in the Caribbean, eating simple fare grilled over a fire, and watching crabs chasing each other on an absolutely deserted beach.

``You can eat simple fare in a 500-year-old building and it tastes wonderfully different than at the kitchen table.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

Mariya Ando...

PHILIP HOLMAN

Mariya Ando, a sophomore at Norfolk Collegiate, practices for hours

each day.

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