About The Program

Steven Spielberg’s OSCAR®-winning adventure. See it on a giant screen as John Williams’ soaring score is performed live by the Richmond Symphony. You’ve never seen it this big, never heard it so thrilling, never been so enraptured by raptors!

About The Program

“The symphony must embrace the world,” said Gustav Mahler. And in his tender Symphony Number Four, he reveals his world through the innocent eyes of a child. Valentina Peleggi conducts Mahler’s heart-rending Fourth Symphony, and the first of Mozart’s miraculous final set of symphonies, the ebullient “Haffner.”

Plus, a new work by Virginia’s own Joe Jaxson (Staunton, VA), “Born In The Iron Grip” a piece inspired by Richmond native Arthur Ashe & his history making 1975 Wimbledon win. Jaxson’s bright, joyful sounds will enliven the program.

Free pre-concert talk prior to the concert.

Michael Butterman, Music Director 

Travel to distant worlds in a unique celebration of our solar system! In honor of the 150th anniversary of his birth, we present Holst’s symphonic masterpiece with a huge orchestra and stunning video footage from NASA. Complementing this perennial favorite is a brand-new work by John Heins inspired by the moons of Saturn, Jupiter, and Neptune. Join us for a concert that transcends time and space!

Program:

John Heins, Moons Of The Giants

Gustav Holst, The Planets

PRE-CONCERT TALK

6:30-7:00PM

March 14 & 15

March 14, 2025, at 7:30pm

March 15, 2025, at 7:30pm

Program

Lili Boulanger Of a Spring Morning
Lili Boulanger Of a Sad Evening
Joel Thompson Seven Last Words of the Unarmed
Gabriel Fauré Requiem, Op. 48

About The Program

“Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” is inspired by the final words of seven unarmed black men: Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., Trayvon Martin, Amadou Diallo, Michael Brown Jr., Oscar Grant III, John Crawford III, and Eric Garner. Bookending the piece are two contrasting works by Lili Boulanger and Fauré’s expressive and beautiful Requiem.

February 25, 26 & 27

February 25, 2025, at 11:30am (sensory-friendly performance)

February 26, 2025, at 11:30am

February 27, 2025, at 11:30am

Program

Brush away those winter blues and celebrate spring early with BUGS!! In this fun interactive concert, the Philharmonic and Dayton Ballet School Ensemble mimic the wiggle, flutter, and leap of crawly insects, butterflies, beetles, and even grasshoppers! Selections include Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Grieg’s “Morning” from Peer Gynt, and music from Spider-Man (Elfman).

Program

Grab some popcorn and enjoy the sounds of the Philharmonic as they present selections of the most majestic and beautiful music written for some of the world’s greatest films! Experience the thrill of blockbuster movie themes from “Gone with the Wind,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Dr. Zhivago,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “James Bond,” “The Pink Panther,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Dances with Wolves,” “Ben-Hur,” and many more! The DPO is the star of this memorable evening of iconic and beloved film music classics!

February 15 & 16

February 15, 2025, at 7:30pm

February 16, 2025, at 3:00pm

Program

George Rochberg - Symphony No. 5
Maurice Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
     Mark Markham, piano
Leonard Bernstein - Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

February 1 & 2

February 1, 2025, at 8:00pm

February 2, 2025, at 3:00pm

Program

Robert Treviño, conductor
Karen Gomyo, violin

ZHOU TIAN Metropolis
PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1
RAVEL Alborada del gracioso
RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole
RAVEL Pavane pour une infante défunte
RAVEL La Valse, poème chorégraphique pour orchestre

About The Program

It is the composer’s masterpiece of intrigue and betrayal, of obsession and deception. For her first opera with the Richmond Symphony, Valentina Peleggi
conducts Puccini’s Tosca. Starring the wildly acclaimed Jennifer Rowley in the title role. “Rowley molded her fiery passion to suit Tosca’s changing mood,” reported Operawire, “using it at one moment to warm and in the next to burn…”

Opera in concert, in Italian with English subtitles

With Richmond Symphony Chorus and Greater Richmond Children’s Choir

Free Pre-Concert Talk 1 Hour Before.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor

About The Program

Experience the sound of human emotion in all its glory as the Southwest Florida Symphony, conducted by Maestro Stilian Kirov, joins the Fort Myers Mastersingers and Opera Naples to perform one of Beethoven’s most powerful pieces. After more than a decade, the Southwest Florida Symphony is thrilled to bring Symphony No. 9 back to the concert halls of Lee and Charlotte Counties. As a prelude to Ode to Joy, the Symphony is honored to partner with a preeminent student string orchestra in Lee County for a side-by-side with the professional musicians of the Southwest Florida Symphony, demonstrating the exceptional level of talent, both youth and professional, our community is graced with.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor

About The Program

Experience the sound of human emotion in all its glory as the Southwest Florida Symphony, conducted by Maestro Stilian Kirov, joins the Fort Myers Mastersingers and Opera Naples to perform one of Beethoven’s most powerful pieces. After more than a decade, the Southwest Florida Symphony is thrilled to bring Symphony No. 9 back to the concert halls of Lee and Charlotte Counties. As a prelude to Ode to Joy, the Symphony is honored to partner with a preeminent student string orchestra in Lee County for a side-by-side with the professional musicians of the Southwest Florida Symphony, demonstrating the exceptional level of talent, both youth and professional, our community is graced with.

January 10 & 11

January 10, 2025, at 7:30pm

January 11, 2025, at 7:30pm

Program

Elena Ruehr “Sky Above Clouds” from O’Keeffe Images
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, “Emperor”
Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90

Robert Shoup, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Kathryn Whitbeck, vocalist
Angela and Valerie Zhang, pianists

Program

Join us for the must-see holiday tradition of the season – Holiday POPS! There’s no better way to lift your spirits than with seasonal songs and traditional carols delivered in full sound and spectacle by the Virginia Symphony and special guests. Holiday POPS will have all the magical elements you’ve come to expect and more – high energy, familiar carols, and lots of holiday warmth! And we’ll even throw in a surprise or two! We can’t wait to celebrate the 2024 holiday season together!

Program

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to come to the Norfolk Academy’s Johnson Theater for a festive program featuring holiday and winter themed works by Bach and Vivaldi alongside selections from Tchaikovsky’s captivating music for The Nutcracker.

About The Program

It’s Richmond’s favorite holiday musical tradition.  Celebrate the season with family and friends with your Richmond Symphony at the Carpenter Theatre on Thanksgiving Weekend. Carols, classics, seasonal favorites and the sparkling vocals of American Idol golden ticket recipient and Chesterfield native Carrie Brockwell.  Featuring the Hallelujah Chorus.

About The Program

This captivating concert celebrates the music of legendary composer John Williams, who has created some of the most memorable and beloved soundtracks in cinematic history. From the heroic themes of Star Wars to the enchanting melodies of Harry Potter, the concert showcases the wide range of musical styles that have made John Williams the world’s most performed living composer. With the stirring sounds of a live orchestra, "The Magic of John Williams" promises an unforgettable experience for fans of film music and orchestral magic.

Program

Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Aoife O’Donovan, vocalist
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Virginia Children’s Chorus

Aoife O’Donovan: Red & White & Blue & Gold
Aoife O’Donovan: Magic Hour
Aoife O’Donovan: America, Come
Aoife O’Donovan: Someone to Follow
Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
Christina Courtin: Story of Stone for Chorus and Orchestra (World Premiere)
Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring

November 8 & 9

November 8, 2024, at 7:30pm

November 9, 2024, at 7:30pm

Program

Malcolm Singer London Landscapes (world premiere)
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 2, “A London Symphony”

About The Program

Take a trip to London courtesy of two British composers: Malcolm Singer and Ralph Vaughan Williams. In a world premiere, Singer presents a contemporary look at the city, bustling with commerce, culture, and politics, while Vaughan Williams shares a more historical and romantic account. In between the two works is Beethoven’s bold and beautiful First Piano Concerto, intended to be a showpiece for the composer himself.

Program

Ready for a night of YOUR favorite Broadway hits? That’s right; in this performance, YOU vote for your most loved Broadway music or song, and Neal Gittleman, the DPO, and Broadway stars perform them live on stage! Hear selections from A Chorus Line, West Side Story, and Phantom of the Opera. Or maybe you’ll choose “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables or “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady. Grab a ticket and cast your vote!

Program

Learn how music, opera, and dance come together to tell a story and evoke memories, emotion, and more. You’ll explore drama and comedy with Mozart’s Don Giovanni and take a musical trip down the flowing Moldau River with conductor Neal Gittleman. The Dayton Opera Artists-In-Residence and Dayton Ballet School Ensemble are your tour guides, accompanied by the 2024 Young Artists Concerto Competition Winner and the Dayton Philharmonic.

Program

Kids and grown-ups! Dress up in your favorite Halloween costume and join the VSO for a ghoulish afternoon of monstrous fun! The VSO and the Governor’s School for the Arts Symphony Orchestra will perform music from some of the spookiest music ever written. But don’t be afraid – this concert is more TREAT than TRICK!

About The Program

Find out just what it is they do in the Department of Mysteries when Harry and his friends flee from school to the Ministry of Magic to save Sirius Black™! CineConcerts presents Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ in Concert. Experience the magic of Harry Potter™ soaring across the big screen in high-definition.

WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR.

About The Program

More than a century has passed since its violent, scandalous premiere. And still, The Rite of Spring continues to surprise and provoke, excite and enthrall.
Valentina Peleggi conducts Stravinsky’s savage masterpiece. Plus, two masterworks of French Impressionism: Debussy’s sensuous La Mer and Ravel’s jazz-inspired Piano Concerto in G with young Clayton Stephenson. “Not just a remarkable virtuoso,” raves Gramophone, “but a poet, a dramatist and a master story-teller.”

Free pre-concert talk 1 hour before.

About The Program

Introducing FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH Orchestra World Tour, an electrifying new concert based entirely on the groundbreaking game from SQUARE ENIX. Experience all-new symphonic arrangements of the music of FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, performed by the Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Chorus and led by renowned conductor Eric Roth.

With stunning, high-definition video scenes created exclusively for this production by SQUARE ENIX, immerse yourself in the world of one of the most visionary games of all time with this sensational multimedia concert experience!

Program

Kabalevsky Overture to Colas Breugnon, Op. 24
Prokofiev Lieutenant Kije
Mahler Symphony No.5 in C-sharp minor

About The Program

Join us for an evening of classical mastery during the Opening Night of the 2024-25 Season as we present an enchanting orchestral showcase featuring Tchaikovsky's evocative Capriccio italien, Op. 45, a vibrant celebration of Italian folk melodies infused with the composer's signature flair. Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije takes center stage, captivating the audience with its witty and charming narrative, transporting listeners into the whimsical world of Russian storytelling. The grand finale brings Gustav Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor, a symphonic journey that explores the depths of human emotion, from the lone trumpet statement of the opening bars to its triumphant finale. 

Program

Gershwin - Lullaby for Strings
Gershwin - An American in Paris
Gershwin - Piano Concerto in F

About The Program

Gershwin’s piano concerto is “re-imagined” by the Marcus Roberts Trio featuring legendary pianist Marcus Roberts, drummer Jason Marsalis, and bassist Rodney Jordan. Hailed as “the genius of the modern piano,” Roberts is known worldwide for his commitment to integrating jazz and classical idioms—much as Gershwin himself did 100 years ago. This fabulous night also features the beautiful Lullaby and the ever-popular musical travelogue An American in Paris.

September 21 & 22

September 21, 2024, at 7:30pm

September 22, 2024, at 2:30pm

Program

Presented in collaboration with Wright State University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts.

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, South Pacific, Dayton Opera and Wright State University present this award-winning classic. A favorite among opera and musical theatre fans alike, South Pacific features Dayton Opera artists alongside an ensemble from Wright State, with the Philharmonic performing its lush and beautiful score. Don’t miss beloved tunes such as “Bali Ha’i,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and many more!

September 13 & 14

September 13, 2024, at 7:30pm
September 14, 2024, at 7:30pm

Program

Antonín Dvořák Carnival Overture, Op. 92
Igor Stravinsky Violin Concerto in D
Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

About The Program

Acclaimed worldwide for his exceptional talent and magnificent tone, Chad Hoopes has wowed DPO audiences since he was 15. He returns to perform Igor Stravinsky’s joyful Violin Concerto in D—a spectacular start to Neal Gittleman’s 30th anniversary season! Dvořák’s bold and brilliant Carnival Overture opens the concert, while Brahms’s melodic Symphony No. 4 adds energy and passion.

About The Program

Get ready for an unforgettable night as the electrifying world of Drum Corps International (DCI) takes center stage in the concert hall. This enchanting evening celebrates the camaraderie, passion, and unforgettable moments that define the marching band experience. Immerse yourselves in a world of rhythm and melody as the Richmond Symphony brings the electrifying spirit of Drum Corps International to the concert hall. From the hilarious to the heartfelt, this concert is a love letter to the music that unites us. Let the music be your soundtrack as you create unforgettable memories with your special someone.

About The Program

A Symphony of DCI Classics, where the exhilarating world of Drum Corps International (DCI) marches to Sweet Briar College. Every piece is a nod to the unforgettable performances that have defined DCI's history. A mesmerizing fusion of sound, motion, and passion. Tickets sold by Sweet Briar College This concert is produced by Sweet Briar College.