Item details

Date

May 8, 2026 7:30PM

Name

Elgar’s Enigma Variations & Barber’s Violin Concerto - Ferguson Center, Newport News

Description

Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Grace Park, violin

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto
Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations

Solve the hidden melody of this captivating musical cryptogram that has stumped audiences for over 125 years. “Commenced in a spirit of humour & continued in deep seriousness” by composer Edward Elgar, Enigma Variations showcases the true inspiration that friendship can bring. Concertmaster Grace Park brings the most popular American violin concerto to life in this program of treasured favorites conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins.

Thomas Wilkins is an internationally renowned conductor and Norfolk native who was named the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever Principal Guest Conductor in 2021. He is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; the Boston Symphony’s Artistic Advisor, Education and Community Engagement; and holds Indiana University’s Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting.

VSO Concertmaster Grace Park is a violinist celebrated for her artistry, passion, and virtuosity. Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as “fresh, different and exhilarating” and by Strings Magazine for her “intensely wrought and burnished” sound, she captivates audiences worldwide. A winner of the Naumburg International Violin Competition, Ms. Park is recognized both as a dynamic soloist and a devoted chamber musician.

Samuel Barber was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator. He is considered one of the most expressive representatives of the lyric and Romantic trends and is one of the most celebrated composers of the mid-20th century. His Violin Concerto exploits the vast capabilities of the instrument from beautiful lyrical movements to grand rhapsodic lines that have made it one of the most popular and beloved concertos across the country.