Richmond Symphony musicians (from left): Jeanette Jang, Stacy Matthews, Alison Hall, Hyo Joo Uh, and Susy Yim. Photo by James Loving.
“It is easy to forget that classical performances are incredibly physically demanding,” writes Peter McElhinney in the March 31 Style Weekly (Richmond, VA). “For centuries, symphony musicians have been athletes in formal wear. That changes this weekend for the Richmond Symphony, who will be wearing new outfits that, while still evoking the past, incorporate state-of-the-art fashion designs utilizing global sourcing of materials, bioengineered nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence tailoring…. [Music Director] Valentina Peleggi said … ‘The symphonic world is well known to be very traditional. We do not want to break with that, but to include innovation….’ Their new garments are still mostly black, with elegant formal lines, but enlivened with bright flashes of sapphire blue. The color evokes the James River, echoing the waveforms in the Richmond Symphony logo…. Says Peleggi, ‘whether you go to the concert or you watch it on YouTube, you can tell it is the Richmond Symphony.’… The fabric is incredibly light and hidden buttons avoid otherwise inevitable snags. Panels of stretching fabric are strategically positioned behind the arms, invisibly providing enhanced freedom of movement. … Image consultant Lauren Solomon led the project. The baseline was a similar effort by the Baltimore Symphony a decade ago.”
