Virginia Consort to Perform Mozart's 'Requiem' at Darden School

Oct. 31, 2006 -- Generally reserved for the likes of present and future corporate executives, the Abbott Center Auditorium at the Darden School of Business will be host to a very different type of guest this fall.

Charlottesville's highly acclaimed Virginia Consort,  joined by guest soloists and orchestra, will perform the Mozart Requiem on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.

"Many  classical music lovers feel there is no more eloquent work by this 18th century genius than this," said Judith Gary, director of the Virginia Consort, "and the Requiem is Mozart's last (and sadly, unfinished)  masterpiece."

A champagne and hors d'oeuvres reception will follow the performance.

This unique musical event is the result of a  partnership between the Virginia Consort's Development Fund Campaign and  Darden's 50th Anniversary. All proceeds will benefit the Virginia Consort, helping to ensure that glorious choral music will continue to be heard in  Charlottesville.

"Delivering music that moves your heart and captivates  your mind requires a deep pool of artistic and financial resources," said Jane  Maddux, member of the Virginia Consort Development Board. "This year, when we  began planning our fall fundraising concert, we decided to offer area music  lovers something special and different. So when the opportunity to sing in the  beautiful Abbott Center Auditorium presented itself and we realized that we  could also help Darden celebrate its 50th anniversary, everyone involved knew  this was a win-win opportunity."

Tickets for the Mozart Requiem performance and champagne reception are $75 per person, and a portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. There is limited seating for the event. Groups and individuals  interested in ticket information can call (434) 244-8444 or e-mail Consort2@aol.com.

"The  event will be a celebration," said Ken White, vice president for communication  and marketing at Darden. "We're celebrating both the 250th anniversary of  Mozart's birth and the 50th anniversary of the Darden School. We hope our  alumni, students, and faculty will join the community for the concert and  festivities that follow."

Founded and directed by Judith Gary, the Virginia  Consort is a 35-voice chamber choir dedicated to the study and performance of  choral music. The Virginia Consort is based in Charlottesville and also offers  music opportunities to children ages 8-18 through its three Youth Chorale  choruses. The Virginia Consort has performed at the White House and the Youth  Chorale has performed at the White House and National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York  City.

"We're pleased to host the Consort," White said. "We've  had a couple of concerts in here over the past decade but nothing quite like  this. The acoustics in the Abbott Center Auditorium are absolutely fantastic.  Anyone who attends the Consort's performance is in for a real  treat."

To download a Virginia Consort performance clip in mp3 or Real Audio formats, select the following link: http://www.virginiaconsort.org/audio.html .

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