About the Virginia Chamber Orchestra
Former Music Director Emil de Cou leads the VCO
The quality and vitality of the Virginia Chamber Orchestras performances attract enthusiastic concert attendees from all Virginia suburbs, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Listeners appreciate the transparent, intimate sound of a chamber ensemble as well as its power, richness, and remarkable dynamic range. In the words of a
Washington Post critic, the maestro evokes energetic excitement from his players. The repertoire spans the centuries, ranging from Bach to Bartók and beyond.
The VCO is unique among Northern Virginia-based orchestras in having engaged only fully professional players since it was founded, paying them full union scale and benefits. Outreach initiatives include television broadcasts and streaming videos on the Internet, serving all area schools and very large numbers of schools nationwide, and the award-winning combination of free concert tickets and free post-concert dinners for underserved persons, Wounded Warriors and their families. The VCO is an Ensemble in Residence at George Mason University, where it performs in an annual collaborative concert with the Mason Symphony Orchestra.
History
The Virginia Chamber Orchestra (VCO) was founded in 1971 as a professional touring orchestra, traveling by bus to present performances in areas of Virginia where live orchestral concerts were not offered. In the early 1980s, the VCO was encouraged to establish its base in Northern Virginia, delighting critics and new audiences. Celebrating the fortieth anniversary season in 2010-2011 the orchestra expanded the reach of its live concerts into Washington, DC. In addition, the VCO has occupied a unique niche among all arts organizations by serving a national audience of millions with educational television broadcasts since 1998 and most recently with free streaming videos on its Web site for students of all ages. The award-winning special audience outreach has benefited the community since the 1980s.
Emil de Cou, Wolf Trap Festival Conductor, served as VCO Music Director for four seasons.
De Cou highly recommended
David Grandis, a rising star in the musical world, to
succeed him as Music Director. Maestro Grandis follows a
distinguished line of VCO
conductors. Their ability to attract highly gifted guest artists and skillfully lead the
VCOs forty outstanding professional musicians has captivated audiences with engaging
performances. Laudatory reviews from
Washington Post critics repeatedly affirm the orchestras
consistently high musical standards: A focusabove all a standard of performancethat make it one of the most interesting orchestras in the metropolitan area.
Serving residents across the national capital areas entire socioeconomic spectrum is a
major priority for the VCO. Its concerts are made accessible to low and middle-income
families through remarkably affordable ticket prices and free admission to all area school
and college students. The Virginia Chamber Orchestras popular and intimate Musicale
chamber music performances are held in the elegant homes of distinguished VCO
supporters. For years, the prestigious VCO Annual Gala and dinner/dance has attracted
leaders from government, business, and the arts.
The Virginia Chamber Orchestra is proud to have celebrated forty-six years of fine
performances and looks forward to many more years of memorable concerts. We hope
youll be joining us for concerts and special events throughout this exciting season.
Mission
The orchestras mission is to perform fine music with highest artistic integrity for the broadest possible audience and expand musical horizons.
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Nurit Bar-Josef, concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra, performs with the VCO. (photo by Lou Sica) |
Metropolitan Opera star François Loup emotes while singing a comic aria with the orchestra. (photo by Lou Sica) |
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Internationally known classical guitarist Berta Rojas performs with the VCO. (photo by Lou Sica) |
Celebrated pianist Brian Ganz and Former Music Director Emil de Cou acknowledge a standing ovation. (photo by Lou Sica) |