Charlottesville Symphony presents SCHEHERAZADE
Schedule
Sat Apr 18 2026 at 07:30 pm to 09:15 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Old Cabell Hall, UVA | Charlottesville, VA
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The Charlottesville Symphony invites audiences to experience an evening of vivid storytelling and sweeping orchestral color with its April performances of Scheherazade, conducted by Benjamin Rous. Concerts will take place on Saturday, April 18 at 7:30 PM in Old Cabell Hall at the University of Virginia, and Sunday, April 19 at 3:30 PM at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center.The program features an exciting lineup of music that spans folklore, national identity, and timeless legend. Guest concertmaster Daniel Sender, appearing through the generous support of the Angus Macaulay Visiting Artists Fund, will be featured as the violin soloist in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
The concert opens with Sofia Gubaidulina’s Fairytale Poem, a whimsical and imaginative work based on the children’s story by Czech writer Miloš Macourek title “The Little Piece of Chalk.” Through delicate orchestration, the piece brings to life the story of a piece of chalk that dreams of drawing beautiful and imaginative images, instead of geometric symbols and boring numbers on a chalkboard. In the end a child finds the chalk and brings its dreams to live as the child draws fantastical castles, gardens, and the sea.
Next is Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia, one of the most beloved symphonic poems in the repertoire. Written in 1899 as a protest against Russian censorship, the work has become a powerful symbol of Finnish national identity. Sibelius wrote “We fought 600 years for our freedom, and I am part of the generation that achieved it. Freedom! My Finlandia is the story of this fight. It is the song of our battle, our hymn of victory.”
Following intermission, the orchestra presents Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a dazzling orchestral suite inspired by the tales The Thousand and One Nights. With lush textures and exotic melodies, the work tells the story of the cunning Sultana Scheherazade, who spins captivating tales night after night to save her life. The solo violin represents Scheherazade’s voice, weaving through the orchestra with elegance and virtuosity.
Conductor: Benjamin Rous
Violin Soloist: Daniel Sender
Program:
Sofia Gubaidulina – Fairytale Poem
Jean Sibelius – Finlandia
Intermission
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
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Where is it happening?
Old Cabell Hall, UVA, 30 South Lawn, Charlottesville, VA 22903-31ND, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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