Ravel, Janáček, and the Art of Alex Sopp

Illustrating Sound Eric Jacobsen, conductor Alex Sopp, visual artist Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 Caroline Shaw: The Mountain that Loved a Bird Leoš Janáček: Sinfonietta One of the “most beautiful creations in all of French music” (Igor Stravinsky), Ravel’s Second Suite from Daphnis and Chloe lushly depicts a love that survives against all odds. Unifying visuals with sound, “beautifully nuanced” (NY Times) artist Alex Sopp creates a stop-motion animated film to accompany Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw’s The Mountain that Loved a Bird. The orchestra is augmented by an enormous brass section for the invigorating Czech melodies and dance rhythms of Janáček’s revolutionary Sinfonietta. Co-presented with Virginia Arts Festival These performances are made possible through a generous gift from the Susan Goode Performance Fund. Eric Jacobsen serves as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s twelfth Music Director, a position he’s held since 2021. He is also artistic director and co-founder of The Knights, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra, and Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic. In addition to conducting, Eric is a dedicated chamber musician (cello) and is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Alex Sopp is a Brooklyn-based flutist and visual artist whose playing has been praised as “exquisite” by the New York Times. A member of yMusic, The Knights, and NOW Ensemble, she has collaborated with artists ranging from Paul Simon and Philip Glass to Sufjan Stevens and The National, while her distinctive artwork has been commissioned by musicians, brands, and organizations alike. The 26/27 season marks the 37th anniversary of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and its 30th under the direction of Chorusmaster Robert Shoup. In addition to regular appearances with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the chorus has performed to sold-out houses as far afield as Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Salzburg and closer to home at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.