The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA continues its 2023/24 season on November 4 and 5 with guest conductor Maestra Sarah Ioannides and award-winning violinist Philippe Quint performing the haunting theme from The Red Violin. The program also includes Ottorino Respighi’s timeless masterwork Pines of Rome alongside beloved works by Vaughan Williams, Ravel, and Debussy.

The 2023/24 symphonic series is presented thanks to the generous sponsorship of United Grain Corporation.

Maestra Ioannides is returning to conduct the VSO for the first time since January 2021 during a fully virtual season, due to COVID-19 closures. The program included a performance of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings which was dedicated to people affected by the virus and featured on PBS News Hour. She is the Music Director and Conductor for Symphony Tacoma and has been a guest conductor for many ensembles including Tonkünstler and Seattle Symphony. Phillipe Quint, joining the VSO for the first time, is a multi-GRAMMY Award nominee, and is considered one of America’s preeminent violinists. He has performed as a soloist with such prestigious ensembles as the London Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony.

Vaughan Williams “The Wasps” Overture
Corigliano “The Red Violin” Chaconne for Violin*
Ravel Tzigane*
Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Respighi Pines of Rome
*Philippe Quint, violin

One hour prior to the program’s start on both performance days, a pre-concert talk on the history of the works on the program will be held in Skyview Concert Hall for all ticket holders.

What: Pines of Rome

When: Saturday, November 4 at 7:00 pm, Sunday, November 5 at 3:00 pm

Where: 1300 NW 139th St, Vancouver, WA 98685  

Media available

The Saturday performance will begin at 7:00pm, with the return of the celebrated VSO pre-concert show Da Capo, hosted by VSO Podcast host Ashley Johnson and VSO trombonist Greg Scholl, airing only on the live stream at 6:30pm. During intermission the live stream will feature special video programming. The Sunday performance will begin at 3:00pm, with the virtual live stream programming beginning at 2:30.

All ticket holders will receive a secure email link in order to access the live stream performances.

Our tech support team will be on standby to assist you if you have any issues logging in during the performances.

About Sarah Ioannides

Internationally, Ioannides has conducted on six continents with orchestras including the Tonkünstler, the Royal Philharmonic, Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, the Flemish Radio, Bilbao Symphony, and some of the world’s greatest National Youth Orchestras, including the South African National Youth Orchestra, Andalusian Youth Orchestra and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. The 22/23 Season includes conducting debuts with the Sarasota Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, the Hamilton Philharmonic, Santa Fe Pro Music and the Vermont Symphony.
Appointed as the first woman to a full-time conducting position with the Cincinnati Symphony, she has since conducted extensively in the United States including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Hawai’i Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Tulsa and the Toledo Symphony.

Sarah has conducted and curated over 60 World, North American and European orchestral premiers, recorded world premieres with Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Malmö Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She has produced many original videos for live orchestral multimedia performances and digital productions and was previously an assistant, production coordination with composer/conductor Tan Dun.

As Music Director her orchestras have received prestigious awards including ArtWorks grants for community projects, commissioning music and films spotlighting current issues. Equally at home with opera and choral repertoire, she has led many opera productions and conducted at festivals worldwide, including the European premiere of Paulus’ The Woodlanders, and Australian & Greek prmieres of Tan Dun’s Water Passion after St. Matthew.

Founding Artistic Director of Cascade Conducting & Composing, now in its 6th year, Ioannides supports diversity on the podium through generous scholarships. Ioannides continues to conduct high-level students at Yale University, the Jacobs School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. Appearing as guest speaker and on numerous advisory boards, she has served as NEA Panelist for the US Government.

Born in Australia, of Greek and Scottish descent, she was raised in England, studied at Oxford University, the Guildhall School and The Juilliard School, earning two Master’s degrees. Ioannides came to the USA as a Fulbright Scholar and graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music, a protégé of the late Otto-Werner Mueller. Married to Scott Hartman, renowned trombonist, they have three children, including twins, Elsa and Karl, and Audrey. An avid long-distance runner Sarah won first place overall woman in the 30k The Defiance in 2021 and in 2022 qualifying for the Boston Marathon with an average pace of 8:19.

About Philippe Quint

One of the most versatile and imaginative artists on the concert stage today, multiple Grammy Award-nominated American violinist Philippe Quint is internationally recognized for his unique approach to classical core repertoire, championing new music, rediscovering neglected works and creating a new format of docu-concert experience; multimedia journeys about lives of Astor Piazzolla and Charlie Chaplin. “Truly phenomenal” is how BBC Music Magazine recently described him, also adding that “Quint’s tonal opulence, generously inflected with subtle portamentos, sounds like a throwback to the glory days of Fritz Kreisler.”

With an award winning discography of 17 commercial releases that can be found on Warner Classics, Naxos and Avanti Classics, Philippe Quint regularly appears with major orchestras and conductors worldwide at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York, while making frequent guest appearances at the most prestigious festivals including Verbier, Aspen, Colmar, Hollywood Bowl and Dresden Festspiele.

Quint’s appearances in recent seasons have taken him to the London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Weimar Staatskapelle, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, China National Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Komische Oper Orchestra, Leipzig’s MDR performing under the batons of such renowned conductors such as the late Kurt Masur, Edo De Waart, Andrew Litton, Tugan Sokhiev, Ludovic Morlot, James Gaffigan, Carl St. Clair, Michael Stern, Vladimir Spivakov, Cristian Macelaru, Kristian Jarvi, Krzysztof Urbanski, Jorge Mester, Jahja Ling, Krzysztof Urbanski, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Tugan Sokhiev, Tito Munoz, Steven Sloane and Bramwell Tovey.
Philippe Quint plays the magnificent 1708 "Ruby" Antonio Stradivari violin on loan to him through the generous efforts of The Stradivari Society®.

About The VSO

The VSO, now in its 45th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington's arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community. For more information, please visit vancouversymphony.org.

About our Sponsors

The VSO is generously supported by individual donors, The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Realvest Corporation, United Grain Corporation, The Kuni Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, the AC Hotel Mariott, The Columbian, Columbia Credit Union, Gravitate, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, All Classical Portland, Dick Hannah, Michelle’s Piano Co., Steinway & Sons, Pacific Office Automation, and The VIC.