Richmond Symphony

Americana
2025-09-12 18:00 - 23:30 (America/New_York) | Virginia Museum of History & Culture, 428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA, United States
Join the Richmond Symphony for a captivating night of musical heritage at our annual fundraising gala Friday, September 12th hosted at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
Americana: Telling Virginia Stories & Lifting Virginia Voices honors the rich cultural tapestry of our Commonwealth through powerful performances, heartfelt storytelling, and an unforgettable celebration of the American music that has helped shape our culture over almost 250 years. From folk roots to contemporary compositions, experience the diversity of our community through extraordinary music and immersive history, all while supporting the Symphony’s mission to inspire and enrich lives through the power of music.

Cody Fry
2025-09-13 19:30 | Altria Theater, 6 North Laurel Street, Richmond , VA, 23220, United States
For one night only, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, composer, and arranger Cody Fry brings his genre-bending, cinematic pop sound to life in a powerful collaboration with the Richmond Symphony. With music that evokes the emotional sweep of a favorite film coming to life in full color, Fry has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide through his orchestral arrangements, viral recordings, and golden-age-meets-modern musical storytelling.
From dramatic symphonic builds to intimate melodies, Fry’s music defies easy categorization—equal parts nostalgia and innovation. With a Grammy nomination, a certified Gold record, and hundreds of millions of streams, he’s become a standout voice in the modern orchestral pop movement.
Don’t miss your chance to experience Cody Fry’s soaring sound paired with the full richness of the Richmond Symphony.
Ticket vouchers not valid for this performance.

The Passion of Carmen
2025-09-20 19:30, 2025-09-21 15:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Richmond audience favorite Chia-Hsuan Lin returns to begin the new season with music by Taiwanese American composer Ke-Chia Chen. “Lyrical and delicate,” is how The Philadelphia Enquirer has defined her sound. A Lasting Bond is a galloping, soaring hymn to a vanishing native culture. The sultry passion and unforgettable melodies of Carmen beguile throughout the orchestral suites drawn from Bizet’s mesmerizing masterwork. The Concert Piece for Four Horns by Robert Schumann is one of the most unique concertos in the repertoire, and one of the most thrilling especially when performed by four of music’s top players: The American Horn Quartet. “The finest brass chamber ensemble in the world,” declares the American Record Guide.

Music at Hardywood
2025-09-25 18:30 | Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Richmond, 2408-2410 Ownby Lane, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
Enjoy beer, pizza, and orchestra music at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. These casual, intimate concerts are a whole new way to experience the Richmond Symphony. This concert takes place at the Richmond-Scott’s Addition location.

East End Music Festival
2025-09-27 12:00 - 19:00 | Chimborazo Park, 3200 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23223, United States
The RVA East End Festival is a community celebration that highlights the diverse neighborhoods and unique qualities of Richmond’s East End. Proceeds of this family-friendly event support music & cultural arts programs at Richmond Public Schools in the East End. Since 2016, the RVA East End Festival has raised over $550,000 to support music, visual arts and performing arts programs at eight elementary, middle and high schools in the East End communities of the Richmond Public Schools system. The free family event will feature performances by local professionals including members of the Richmond Symphony, as well as some of RVA’s most talented youth musicians, dancers and visual artists.
Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the music! Festival admittance is free and open to the public.

RICHMOND SYMPHONY PERFORMS AT 6PM!

RESCHEDULED TO SUN - Pocahontas State Park
2025-09-27 19:00 | VA
THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SUNDAY DUE TO WEATHER. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR CONCERT INFORMATION

NEW DATE - Pocahontas State Park
2025-09-28 19:00 | Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Rd, Chesterfield, VA, 23832, United States
Be there for a free outdoor concert! Bring a blanket, picnic basket and family and friends, and enjoy the sounds of a live orchestra at the beautiful Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA. The evening will be led by Associate Conductor, Hae Lee.
This concert is FREE and open to the public (no ticket required). A $10 parking fee applies. These concerts are popular, so we suggest arriving early.
DUE TO WEATHER, THIS CONCERT WAS RESCHEDULED FROM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 TO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28.

A Night in Vienna
2025-10-11 17:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Journey through the magic of Vienna’s dance music to the opulent ballrooms of Johann Strauss II.
This program celebrates the “King of Waltzes” on his 200th anniversary, featuring iconic waltzes,
marches, and beloved classics like The Blue Danube, Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5,
and Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute.

The City of Music

A Night in Vienna
Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 5:00 PM
If you pay a visit to Vienna’s Central Cemetery, you’ll find a “Musicians’ Corner” where some of the iconic figures of Western classical music are laid to rest: Beethoven, Schubert, Johann Strauss II, and Brahms all lie buried within close proximity. It’s a reminder that this city was more than just their home. It was a creative magnet that drew composers from all over.
“All of these composers were drawn to Vienna or already living there,” says Music Director Valentina Peleggi. “A Night in Vienna traces a journey that starts off with a variety of dance forms suggesting the ethnic diversity of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It then celebrates how these influences came together and evolved into something new – the waltz – which became a symbol of Vienna itself as a cosmopolitan capital.”
(C)2025 Thomas May

A Mosaic of Influences

The first half of the program thus presents an eclectic mix of styles and influences, from reworkings of regional folk idioms to evocations of Hungarian and Turkish music. These pieces show how composers engaged with the multicultural mosaic
they encountered, both inside the Empire and beyond.
Our snapshot of this shifting musical landscape begins with a bright, festive march Mozart composed shortly after relocating to Vienna in the 1780s, likely for a public or semi-public celebration. Following it is an orchestral arrangement of the famous “Turkish” rondo finale he originally wrote as part of a solo piano sonata—a rhythmically infectious piece that reflects how Europeans perceived the military music of the Ottoman Empire, a style that was then very much in vogue in Vienna.
(C)2025 Thomas May

From Mozart to Schubert

Marche militaire by Franz Schubert, who was born and raised in Vienna, also started out as music for piano (actually, piano four hands). It was written while on a music teaching stint for an aristocratic family in a Hungarian corner of the Empire. For all its mock martial grandeur, the piece sways with a rhythmic lilt that’s hard to resist.
(C)2025 Thomas May

Beethoven’s Contradances

A generation older than Schubert, Beethoven paid tribute to the popular social dances of the day with a set of contradances – group dances of French and English origin – written not long after his move to Vienna to study with Haydn. The tune he used for No. 7 proved to have remarkable staying power: it later appeared in his ballet The Creatures of Prometheus and ultimately found immortal form as the theme for the finale of his revolutionary Eroica Symphony.
(C)2025 Thomas May

Hungarian Fire and Operetta Flair

That Hungarian thread continues with Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5, the most famous of a set he originally composed for piano four hands in the late 1860s. The piece pulses with the rhythmic drive and fiery flair of Romani-influenced dance music – the kind of melodies that once spilled from café orchestras across the city.
Like Dvořák, Franz von Suppé emerged from outside the dominant Germanic tradition within the multiethnic Habsburg Empire. He became famous for his effervescent contributions to Viennese operetta, such as 1866 work Light Cavalry. The galloping rhythms and theatrical flair of its overture have made the piece a concert hall favorite. We hear the overture’s rousing finale to close the first half of our program.
(C)2025 Thomas May

The Waltz King

Vienna’s famous City Park holds a gilded statue of Johann Strauss II, who is shown merrily playing his violin. Long one of the most photographed landmarks in this city of music, the monument is drawing even greater attention as the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of Strauss’s birth later this month.
The Overture to Die Fledermaus is a dazzling distillation of everything audiences adore about Strauss: irresistible melody, rhythmic vitality, and a flair for drama laced with humor. The title – which means “The Bat” – refers to a costume worn at a lavish masquerade ball, where mistaken identities and fizzy intrigue unfold to a deliriously charming score now inseparable from Vienna’s New Year’s celebrations.
(C)2025 Thomas May

Waltzes, Polkas, and Beyond

Johann Strauss II was born into a remarkable musical dynasty. His father had laid the foundation for the family’s association with the Viennese waltz, transforming a popular folk dance into a sophisticated form of entertainment. But it was Johann Junior who ultimately eclipsed not only Papa Strauss but also his composer brothers, Josef and Eduard, in both popularity and artistic Influence.
Strauss’s naturally flowing melodies have a way of transporting listeners straight into the heart of Vienna: savor the lyrical grace and elegance of Voices of Spring and Roses from the South. Though best known for his waltzes, the prolific Strauss additionally composed dozens of polkas, galops, and quadrilles – lively dance forms that were staples of the Viennese ballroom. He captures the cheeky bustle of Viennese gossip in the Tritsch-Tratsch (“chit-chat”) Polka and conjures up atmospheric spectacle in the thunderously brilliant Unter Donner und Blitz. As for the waltz itself, Strauss expanded it into something grander and more symphonic by adding richly orchestrated introductions, sweeping melodies, and dramatically contrasting interludes. His concert waltzes often weave together several distinct dance sections, creating a seamless sequence that elevates the form from ballroom diversion to miniature tone poem.
(C)2025 Thomas May

The Blue Danube and a Triumphant Finale

The Blue Danube – a hit at the 1867 Paris Exposition – has become the quintessential Strauss waltz. It begins with a dreamy, choral-style introduction (whose original version in fact included a chorus) before unfolding into a sequence of five elegant waltz themes, each with its own character, yet artfully linked together. The Blue Danube has become virtually synonymous with Vienna itself, though its modern fame owes much to Stanley Kubrick’s inspired decision to use Strauss’s graceful dance rhythms to accompany scenes of orbiting spacecraft in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
But Papa Strauss gets the final say. His Radetzky March from 1848 – written to honor a victorious general – has long outlived its military origins to become a rollicking New Year’s tradition, complete with audience clapping and unflagging good cheer. It’s a rousing finale from the original Strauss in the waltz hall of fame.
(C)2025 Thomas May

The City of Music

A Night in Vienna
Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 5:00 PM
If you pay a visit to Vienna’s Central Cemetery, you’ll find a “Musicians’ Corner” where some of the iconic figures of Western classical music are laid to rest: Beethoven, Schubert, Johann Strauss II, and Brahms all lie buried within close proximity. It’s a reminder that this city was more than just their home. It was a creative magnet that drew composers from all over.
“All of these composers were drawn to Vienna or already living there,” says Music Director Valentina Peleggi. “A Night in Vienna traces a journey that starts off with a variety of dance forms suggesting the ethnic diversity of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It then celebrates how these influences came together and evolved into something new – the waltz – which became a symbol of Vienna itself as a cosmopolitan capital.”
(C)2025 Thomas May

A Mosaic of Influences

The first half of the program thus presents an eclectic mix of styles and influences, from reworkings of regional folk idioms to evocations of Hungarian and Turkish music. These pieces show how composers engaged with the multicultural mosaic
they encountered, both inside the Empire and beyond.
Our snapshot of this shifting musical landscape begins with a bright, festive march Mozart composed shortly after relocating to Vienna in the 1780s, likely for a public or semi-public celebration. Following it is an orchestral arrangement of the famous “Turkish” rondo finale he originally wrote as part of a solo piano sonata—a rhythmically infectious piece that reflects how Europeans perceived the military music of the Ottoman Empire, a style that was then very much in vogue in Vienna.
(C)2025 Thomas May

From Mozart to Schubert

Marche militaire by Franz Schubert, who was born and raised in Vienna, also started out as music for piano (actually, piano four hands). It was written while on a music teaching stint for an aristocratic family in a Hungarian corner of the Empire. For all its mock martial grandeur, the piece sways with a rhythmic lilt that’s hard to resist.
(C)2025 Thomas May

Beethoven’s Contradances

A generation older than Schubert, Beethoven paid tribute to the popular social dances of the day with a set of contradances – group dances of French and English origin – written not long after his move to Vienna to study with Haydn. The tune he used for No. 7 proved to have remarkable staying power: it later appeared in his ballet The Creatures of Prometheus and ultimately found immortal form as the theme for the finale of his revolutionary Eroica Symphony.
(C)2025 Thomas May

Hungarian Fire and Operetta Flair

That Hungarian thread continues with Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5, the most famous of a set he originally composed for piano four hands in the late 1860s. The piece pulses with the rhythmic drive and fiery flair of Romani-influenced dance music – the kind of melodies that once spilled from café orchestras across the city.
Like Dvořák, Franz von Suppé emerged from outside the dominant Germanic tradition within the multiethnic Habsburg Empire. He became famous for his effervescent contributions to Viennese operetta, such as 1866 work Light Cavalry. The galloping rhythms and theatrical flair of its overture have made the piece a concert hall favorite. We hear the overture’s rousing finale to close the first half of our program.
(C)2025 Thomas May

The Waltz King

Vienna’s famous City Park holds a gilded statue of Johann Strauss II, who is shown merrily playing his violin. Long one of the most photographed landmarks in this city of music, the monument is drawing even greater attention as the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of Strauss’s birth later this month.
The Overture to Die Fledermaus is a dazzling distillation of everything audiences adore about Strauss: irresistible melody, rhythmic vitality, and a flair for drama laced with humor. The title – which means “The Bat” – refers to a costume worn at a lavish masquerade ball, where mistaken identities and fizzy intrigue unfold to a deliriously charming score now inseparable from Vienna’s New Year’s celebrations.
(C)2025 Thomas May

Waltzes, Polkas, and Beyond

Johann Strauss II was born into a remarkable musical dynasty. His father had laid the foundation for the family’s association with the Viennese waltz, transforming a popular folk dance into a sophisticated form of entertainment. But it was Johann Junior who ultimately eclipsed not only Papa Strauss but also his composer brothers, Josef and Eduard, in both popularity and artistic Influence.
Strauss’s naturally flowing melodies have a way of transporting listeners straight into the heart of Vienna: savor the lyrical grace and elegance of Voices of Spring and Roses from the South. Though best known for his waltzes, the prolific Strauss additionally composed dozens of polkas, galops, and quadrilles – lively dance forms that were staples of the Viennese ballroom. He captures the cheeky bustle of Viennese gossip in the Tritsch-Tratsch (“chit-chat”) Polka and conjures up atmospheric spectacle in the thunderously brilliant Unter Donner und Blitz. As for the waltz itself, Strauss expanded it into something grander and more symphonic by adding richly orchestrated introductions, sweeping melodies, and dramatically contrasting interludes. His concert waltzes often weave together several distinct dance sections, creating a seamless sequence that elevates the form from ballroom diversion to miniature tone poem.
(C)2025 Thomas May

The Blue Danube and a Triumphant Finale

The Blue Danube – a hit at the 1867 Paris Exposition – has become the quintessential Strauss waltz. It begins with a dreamy, choral-style introduction (whose original version in fact included a chorus) before unfolding into a sequence of five elegant waltz themes, each with its own character, yet artfully linked together. The Blue Danube has become virtually synonymous with Vienna itself, though its modern fame owes much to Stanley Kubrick’s inspired decision to use Strauss’s graceful dance rhythms to accompany scenes of orbiting spacecraft in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
But Papa Strauss gets the final say. His Radetzky March from 1848 – written to honor a victorious general – has long outlived its military origins to become a rollicking New Year’s tradition, complete with audience clapping and unflagging good cheer. It’s a rousing finale from the original Strauss in the waltz hall of fame.
(C)2025 Thomas May

InLight Festival
2025-10-17 19:00 | Abner Clay Park, Brook Rd & W Clay St, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
Experience the Richmond Symphony under the Big Tent as part of 1708 Gallery’s InLight, featuring the world premiere of Super!Giant!Jump!Star! by artist George Ferrandi. Enjoy an evening of live music, light, and ceremony in the heart of Jackson Ward, culminating in a cosmic celebration of sound and community.
Learn more at 1708inlight.org

Wagner and Haydn
2025-10-19 15:00 | Randolph-Macon College
The Richmond Symphony returns to Randolph-Macon College for an afternoon of bold and expressive music. Led by Associate Conductor Hae Lee, the program opens with Beethoven’s dramatic Overture to Coriolan, followed by Saint-Georges’ elegant Sarabande et Riguadon. Wagner’s serene Siegfried Idyll offers moments of tender beauty before Haydn’s lively Symphony No. 87 brings the concert to a spirited close.

Minsoo Sohn Plays Chopin
2025-10-25 19:30, 2025-10-26 15:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
It was a young, desperate love that inspired the young Frederic Chopin. Too shy to declare his feelings, he wrote: “I say to my piano what I would like to be saying to you…” The masterful Minsoo Sohn performs Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto. Sohn is described by the New York Times as “a genuine artist, with a thoughtful and poetic interpretation,” and by the Boston Globe as “born to play the piano.” This concert of great romantics also features Rachmaninoff’s ravishing Second Symphony.
Click here to learn more about Minsoo Sohn.

*Please note the guest artist for this performance was updated on 10/16/25

The Rocky Horror Show
2025-10-31 19:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Parental Advisory
This performance embraces the wild, weird, and wonderfully risqué world of Rocky Horror. It includes mature content and is best suited for audiences 17 and older. Please contact Patron Services at patronservices@richmondsymphony.com or 804.788.1212 x2 for more information.

Rocky Horror on Halloween! The Richmond Symphony is joined by actors from the Richmond Triangle Players for a production of The Rocky Horror Show – still a smash hit after 50+ years! “Dammit, Janet” you’ve got to be there!
No props please. But costumes and callbacks are encouraged!
Click here for a Callback Guide!

The Science of Sound
2025-11-02 15:00 | Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education
Join your Richmond Symphony for an exploration of The Science of Sound! Presented in collaboration with the Science Museum of Virginia, this program invites you to discover how orchestral instruments create sound and the mechanics of sound waves from outer space to the deep sea. This concert will feature Haydn’s Symphony No. 94, Gregory Smith’s VIBE, and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine and is narrated by Teddy McPherson.
Be there at 2pm as the Science Museum of Virginia gives a pre-show demonstration: Listen up! We’re exploring the science behind sound waves. We’ll blow your mind—but not your eardrums—with the power of sound.”
While designed for ages 7-13, all ages are welcome. Children 2 and under are free if seated in an adult’s lap. Seating for this concert is general admission.

Beethoven Violin Concerto
2025-11-08 19:30, 2025-11-09 15:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Francesca Dego, who thrilled Richmond audiences in her 2024 debut, returns for Beethoven’s towering Violin Concerto. Of her Beethoven, the Dallas Morning News raved: “She proved that pianissimos can be as gripping as fortissimos. Her gleaming tone was striking, with commitment, facility, and finesse. A rock-star ovation was rewarded.” Valentina Peleggi also conducts Charles Ives’s truth- searching meditation, The Unanswered Question, and Dvořák’s broodingly powerful Symphony No. 7.

Fall Youth Orchestra Program
2025-11-09 18:30 | Dominion Energy Center, 600 E Grace St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
From first notes to pre-collegiate performances, Richmond Symphony’s Youth Orchestra Program concerts celebrate the talent and dedication of young musicians across our region. Join us at the Carpenter Theatre and be inspired by all five YOP ensembles: String Sinfonietta, Camerata Strings, Youth Concert Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble, performing works by Mozart, Grieg, and more.

String Sinfonietta, conducted by Matt Wilson
Camerata Strings, conducted by Melissa Jones
Youth Concert Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Sandy Goldie
Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Justin Alexander
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, conducted by Hae Lee

One Piece Music Symphony
2025-11-15 19:00 | Altria Theater, 6 North Laurel Street, Richmond , VA, 23220, United States
The globally beloved phenomenon One Piece, known for its epic adventure and incredibly rich and detailed world, is brought to life in a stunning musical symphony that features the greatest moments from the show on screen in perfect sync.

Let It Snow!
2025-11-29 14:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
It’s Richmond’s favorite holiday musical tradition. Celebrate the season with family and friends with your Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Chorus at the Carpenter Theatre on Thanksgiving Weekend. Hae Lee conducts. Features Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus!
JUST ANNOUNCED: Laura Ann Singh joins the Richmond Symphony for Let It Snow! A multilingual singer celebrated for her captivating interpretations of música popular brasileira and Latin boleros, Singh brings global flair and soulful elegance to the stage. With performances spanning Europe, Russia, and South America, along with featured appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk and at New York City’s globalFEST, her voice has delighted audiences around the world. She lends her radiant style to timeless holiday classics in an unforgettable evening of music, joy, and winter wonder
Two chances to enjoy this holiday favorite at 2pm and 7pm!
CONCERT SPONSOR

Let It Snow!
2025-11-29 19:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
It’s Richmond’s favorite holiday musical tradition. Celebrate the season with family and friends with your Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Chorus at the Carpenter Theatre on Thanksgiving Weekend. Hae Lee conducts. Features Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus!
JUST ANNOUNCED: Laura Ann Singh joins the Richmond Symphony for Let It Snow! A multilingual singer celebrated for her captivating interpretations of música popular brasileira and Latin boleros, Singh brings global flair and soulful elegance to the stage. With performances spanning Europe, Russia, and South America, along with featured appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk and at New York City’s globalFEST, her voice has delighted audiences around the world. She lends her radiant style to timeless holiday classics in an unforgettable evening of music, joy, and winter wonder
Two chances to enjoy this holiday favorite at 2pm and 7pm!
MAKE IT A HOLIDAY WEEKEND! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE HOLIDAY BRASS AND THE 7PM LET IT SNOW: https://www.etix.com/ticket/k/29245743/

CONCERT SPONSOR

Holiday Brass
2025-11-30 15:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Your new holiday favorite moves to the Carpenter Theatre! Deck the halls – with Holiday Brass! A shimmering celebration of holiday hits for the whole family!

MAKE IT A HOLIDAY WEEKEND! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE HOLIDAY BRASS AND THE 7PM LET IT SNOW: https://www.etix.com/ticket/k/29245743/

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale
2025-12-01 00:01 - 23:59 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

Save 50% off Adult prices for select Side Orchestra seats
for all January concerts AND Band Geek Date Night.
Select the Black Fri-Cyber Mon price code when purchasing online. The discount is incorporated into the price. Limit four per concert. Valid Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1.

An African American Requiemon Sat, Jan 17 and Sun, Jan 18

Pastor Mike Jr. Symphony Praise Party on Sat, Jan 24

Conrad Tao Plays Gershwin on Sat Jan 31 and Sun, Feb 1

Band Geek Date Night, Sat April 18

RESTRICTIONS: Additional tickets may be added to the order using the normal price codes. Discount cannot be combined with other offers and cannot be used retroactively. Offer valid from Friday, November 28 through midnight, Monday, December 1. You can also call Richmond Symphony Patron Services at 804.788.1212 on Friday or Monday (9am to 5pm).

Holiday Festival of Music – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
2025-12-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 800 S Cathedral Pl, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States

Santa's Symphony Soirée
2025-12-11 18:00 - 21:00 | Virago Spirits Scott’s Addition, 1727 Rhoadmiller St., Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
Unleash your inner holiday goofball! Join the Richmond Symphony for an evening filled with over-the-top fun, tacky-lights, dazzling decor, holiday cocktails and festive chamber music. This whimsical concert benefits the Richmond Symphony’s music education programs!

Damien Geter's An African American Requiem
2026-01-17 19:30, 2026-01-18 15:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
In composing his epic, moving Requiem, Damien Geter was inspired by those composed earlier by Mozart, Berlioz, Brahms, and especially Verdi. Within the traditional Latin text, Geter’s Requiem weaves the words of victims of lynching and of those who dared speak out. “A Requiem memorializes a person,” Geter has stated. “We need to memorialize these folks in some way, to keep their names alive. And this is the way I choose to honor them.”

History, Influences, & Musical Preview

Richmond Symphony composer-in-residence Damien Geter began composing “An African-American Requiem” in 2016, commissioned by Resonance Ensemble, and premiered the work with the Oregon Symphony in 2022. As a musical response to violence against Black Americans, Geter modeled the twenty-movement composition after Verdi’s “Requiem.” He combines traditional Latin Requiem texts with civil rights declarations, poetry, and Eric Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe.”
Musical moment to listen for:
In the movement Lacrimosa (Latin for weeping or tearful), Geter writes a haunting clarinet solo echoing the Star-Spangled Banner in D minor, but something is missing. Although there are no lyrics to this solo, the memorable melody has you following them long enough to notice that he omits the promised peak note "free" from the phrase. The silence is deafening, as Geter's message is clear.
"In a concert setting, we are forced to listen to, and take in, not only the music, but the message. Music can be a conduit in that way, bridging the reluctant person’s heart to that of a broader human experience." — Damien Geter

Foreword by Aminata R. Sei for "An African American Requiem"

Damien Geter has masterfully curated this renaissance on a canvas of our consciousness and our necessary call to duty. This Requiem is as it should be-sobering and bold. A Thank You is in order, from me and from you, for his courage and vision, and for the hope it instills in our community. The work is a most salient reminder of our struggle, of where it began, how far we have come and the promise that rests in where we are headed.
Hostility and strife prevail, a seeming disregard for life and a conjuring of the pain of past atrocities. Devaluation of Black lives. This continued denigration of our culture, of black men and women, and sometimes of black children, must stop. The communal impact of generational and systemic discrimination over time is loss of confidence and a diminished will power. That is the unfortunate truth. This requiem defies that truth. It beckons from our souls a sense of fresh optimism so listen for it between the notes. Let that resonance overcome. Damien Geter presents a powerful and eclectic arrangement that reassures us of the courage of the likes of Ida B Wells. He shines a light on the truth that is the revolution of each movement. History bears witness to Beethoven’s monumental influence on symphony; the impact of emotions on classical music, and this Requiem illuminates the fire on that torch; it heightens all of ours.
Where others had stood up and spoken out, today this composer with unmatched creative genius has made his mark by gifting the world with a remarkable musical transcription. A war song. An anthem. Through moments of deep reflection you’ll come to appreciate that this Requiem is no dirge. It is a sacred call. Every chord striking a memory of all of the souls of our dearly departed from whom life was unjustly taken. A reckoning of love and hope. This work will revolutionize our path to activism. It is pacesetting classical music. Other greats have left their mark, and I am certain so will this maestro.
James Baldwin said it best, “you write to change the world…” Damien Geter was born to write this masterpiece, and it will change how we show up in the world.
— Aminata R. Sei

Pastor Mike Jr.
2026-01-24 19:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Let the church say, Amen! Pastor Mike Jr. brings his award-winning sound to the Richmond Symphony stage for a ‘Gospel Symphony Praise Party.’ Experience the power of orchestral arrangements by the masterful Dr. Henry Panion III blended with the energy of live praise & worship songs.

Pastor Mike Jr.

Pastor Mike Jr. founded Rock City Church in Birmingham, Alabama, transforming it into one of the region’s fastest-growing ministries and a vibrant hub for faith and community impact. He launched his music career officially in 2019 with the debut album Live Free, which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. Following that, his releases I Got It: Singles Ministry, Vol. 1 (2021) and Impossible (2023) consistently dominated Billboard’s Gospel rankings. Pastor Mike Jr. has earned a remarkable collection of accolades: 28 Stellar Awards, multiple GMA Dove Awards, BET Award nominations, and now, a 2026 GRAMMY nomination.
Pastor Mike Jr. shows that faith and culture aren’t in conflict, they thrive together. Through his mission-driven work, he champions families and empowers students to dream beyond limits, all while pairing these efforts with his powerful music.
Musical moment to listen for:
His powerful anthem “Amen,” dropped in January 2025, earned a 2026 GRAMMY nomination for Best Gospel Performance/Song. The track hit No. 1 on both Billboard’s Gospel Airplay and National Gospel Airplay charts. Celebrated for its authenticity and relatable grit, “Amen” bridges spiritual depth with a contemporary tone - a signature of Pastor Mike Jr.’s ministry and music mission.
Now, that mission ignites the Gospel Symphony Praise Party. Backed by the Richmond Symphony and elevated by Dr. Henry Panion’s masterful arrangements, Pastor Mike Jr.’s dynamic praise anthems will resonate like never before. It’s more than a concert; it’s a movement of faith, music, and community coming together in one unforgettable night.

Dr. Henry Panion III

Dr. Henry Panion III, PhD, serves as Professor of Music & Director of Music Technology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He brings multi-genre expertise spanning gospel, classical, R&B, hip-hop, and more. A distinguished alumnus (Alabama A&M, Ohio State), he’s earned top honors including the Congressional Black Caucus Civic & Cultural Advancement Award, induction into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and the Governor’s Arts Award.
Career highlights: then & now
Dr. Henry Panion III’s legendary partnership with Stevie Wonder spans more than three decades, defining a new era of symphonic soul. As arranger and conductor for Wonder’s acclaimed Natural Wonder tour and live album, Panion led world-class orchestras, including the Tokyo Philharmonic, in breathtaking performances of Stevie’s greatest hits. His artistry has graced stages across the globe, from the Royal Philharmonic to the Melbourne Symphony, blending orchestral grandeur with Wonder’s timeless sound. This enduring collaboration, rooted in musical excellence and cultural impact, cements Panion as one of the most influential voices in bridging classical and contemporary music.
Now, that same brilliance comes to Richmond. After decades of shaping symphonic experiences for Stevie Wonder and other music legends, Dr. Panion brings his unmatched artistry to the Gospel Symphony Praise Party. His orchestral arrangements will transform Pastor Mike Jr.’s chart-topping praise anthems into a sweeping, soul-stirring celebration where gospel energy meets symphonic grandeur in a way only Panion can deliver.

Conrad Tao Plays Gershwin
2026-01-31 19:30, 2026-02-01 15:00 | Carpenter Theatre, 612 East Grace Street, Richmond , VA, 23219, United States
Just 30, Conrad Tao, says the Detroit Free Press “owns a place among the world’s virtuosos. he blew the doors off in a performance hair-raising in its technical brilliance.” Experience his phenomenal artistry in music from the jazz-age: George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. and his mercurial homage to Gershwin, Flung Out. And rising American conductor Ben Manis leads Mozart’s great, final Symphony No. 41, the “Jupiter.”
