“As she celebrates her 25th anniversary with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, music director JoAnn Falletta has agreed to stay on another five years,” writes Rashod Ollison on Saturday (9/19) in the Virginian Pilot (Norfolk, Va.). “The VSO announced Friday that Falletta has extended her contract and will remain with the orchestra through the 2020-21 season. ‘Her passion for music is matched by her perseverance for artistic quality,’ VSO board Chairman Steve Test said in a news release. In her years in Norfolk, Falletta, a graduate of The Juilliard School and an accomplished guitarist, has helped expand the presence of classical music in Hampton Roads. She revitalized the VSO’s recording program, releasing a flurry of albums, has taken the orchestra to Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and has collaborated with the Virginia Arts Festival, Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company and Richmond Ballet…. In addition to her position with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Falletta, a resident of downtown Norfolk, also serves as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and is a regular guest conductor in Asia, Europe and Africa.”
Posted September 23, 2015
