2/11/09: Rising Young Violinist Comes Home To Appear with Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra March 21

Lynchburg native Elizabeth Coulter Vonderheide, a product of the city schools' string program who is now earning her place as a solo violinist as well as an orchestral player, will join the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra on March 21 for a concert of favorite Baroque era music featuring the LSO's strings section.

The concert -- which the orchestra has named "Celebrate Strings!" -- will be at 8 PM on March 21 at Heritage United Methodist Church, 582 Leesville Road in Lynchburg. Tickets must be purchased in advance for this special concert. They will not be available at the door.

Vonderheide is the daughter of Ann and William Coulter of Lynchburg. She began her violin studies at the age of 5, and participated in the Lynchburg City School system's strings program. She studied with Dr. Svend Ronning at the University of Virginia while in high school, and received her Bachelor of Music from Indiana University. She earned her master's at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Glenn Dicterow, Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. She is now associate principal second violin of the Norfolk-based Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

Music of the Baroque era is the lively, tuneful music of the 17th and 18th centuries that for many people is an introduction to the world of classical music.

Elizabeth Vonderheide will be featured in a performance of J.S. Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor. Also on the program are the Corelli Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 8, (the popular favorite "Christmas Concerto") which will bring to the front three longtime LSO members -- concertmaster Ellen Habitzruther, principal second violinist Andrea Albers, and principal cellist Peter Worford. Another Baroque-era favorite, the Pachelbel Canon in D, and a Concerto Grosso by Geminiani are on the program, along with Edvard Grieg's Holbert Suite, which was written in 1884 but pays homage to the music of the Baroque period.