BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Richmond Symphony - ECPv6.15.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Richmond Symphony REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/North_Dakota/Center BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T190000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20250315T204445Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T200455Z UID:33477-1777748400-1777748400@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Batman™ 1989 in Concert DESCRIPTION:The Bat-Signal is lighting up Richmond! Don’t miss this once in a lifetime chance to watch Batman™ ‘89 in the theater with a huge screen\, the Richmond Symphony\, and the iconic Danny Elfman score! \n \n\n \n \n Danny Elfman’s Iconic Batman Score \n \n\n \n \n \n Danny Elfman’s orchestral score for Batman (1989) became one of the most recognizable superhero themes of all time. Remarkably\, Elfman composed much of the now-famous Batman theme while flying on an airplane\, repeatedly retreating to the restroom to jot down musical ideas before inspiration faded. Despite initial skepticism from producers\, the score was so powerful that it was released as a standalone album—an uncommon honor for film scores in the 1980s. Elfman’s dark\, gothic motif went on to influence future Batman media\, including Batman: The Animated Series\, and cemented his long‑standing reputation as a master of cinematic storytelling through music. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Tim Burton’s Vision for Gotham City \n \n\n \n \n \n Director Tim Burton brought a bold\, gothic reinvention of Batman to the big screen\, consciously moving away from the campy tone of the 1960s television series. Influenced by darker comic books such as The Dark Knight Returns\, Burton shaped Gotham City into a shadowy\, expressionist world that felt as psychologically complex as its characters. His success with Beetlejuice (1988) helped secure confidence in his creative vision\, and his collaboration with Elfman\, beginning with Batman\, would evolve into one of the most enduring director‑composer partnerships in film history. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Prince’s Pop Counterpart to the Score \n \n\n \n \n \n In a unique cross‑genre experiment\, Prince created an entirely separate pop‑funk soundtrack inspired by Batman\, released just days before the film premiered. Rather than simply contributing a song or two\, Prince produced a full concept album written from the perspectives of different characters\, including the Joker and Bruce Wayne. The album’s lead single\, “Batdance\,” topped the Billboard Hot 100\, while the album itself spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. Although only portions of Prince’s music appear in the film\, the soundtrack became a global smash and remains a defining example of late‑1980s film‑music synergy. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/batman-1989-in-concert/ LOCATION:Altria Theater\, 6 North Laurel Street\, Richmond \, VA\, 23220\, United States CATEGORIES:Concerts & Events,Pops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1920x1080endslide.png ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T193000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20250714T004100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260423T180716Z UID:33983-1778355000-1778355000@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Stars\, Strings & Stravinsky DESCRIPTION:Sparkling orchestral colors and rhythmic vitality fill the hall as the Richmond Symphony returns to St. Christopher’s School. Associate Conductor Hae Lee leads a program that opens with Mozart’s witty Overture to The Impresario\, followed by Viet Cuong’s evocative Constellations. Barber’s Adagio for Strings offers a moment of profound reflection\, its timeless lyricism unfolding with quiet intensity. Stravinsky’s spirited Suite from Pulcinella closes the evening with playful elegance. \nThe Richmond Symphony is excited to welcome Peleggi Lab Composition Competition winner Apollonio Maiello to Richmond this May! \nIn collaboration with the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole (Firenze\, Italia) Composition Department\, this international initiative highlights emerging compositional voices and fosters artistic exchange across borders. \nMaiello will travel from Italy to attend rehearsals of his winning work\, We All Had Big Gardens\, culminating in its performance by the Richmond Symphony on May 9. \nJoin us in celebrating new music\, global collaboration\, and the next generation of composers \nPictured: Composer Apollonio Maiello; Photo by Dovile Sermokas URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/stars-strings-stravinsky/ LOCATION:St. Christopher’s School\, 6010 Fergusson Rd\, Richmond\, VA\, 23226\, United States CATEGORIES:Concerts & Events,Metro Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Maiello-Stars-Strings-Stravinsky-Web-Featured-Image-2226-x-1252.png ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T193000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20250222T233037Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T013759Z UID:33236-1778959800-1778959800@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:The Planets & Star Wars DESCRIPTION:Majestic in its scope. Dazzling in its sound. There is nothing to match the experience of hearing\, live in concert\, The Planets. Be there for the ultimate trip through the galaxy as Richmond Symphony and Valentina Peleggi perform Gustav Holst’s sonic celestial showpiece. Plus\, the suite from John Williams’ Star Wars. Also featured on this final concert of a season\, exploring 250 years of American music and history\, is the world premiere OF Grace and Grit from composer and storyteller Stacy Garrop\, commissioned from her by the Richmond Symphony. \n  \nPLEASE NOTE\, FOR THIS PERFORMANCE\, FREE CHILD TICKETS ARE LIMITED TO FOUR PER HOUSEHOLD. URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/the-planets-star-wars/ LOCATION:Carpenter Theatre\, 612 East Grace Street\, Richmond \, VA\, 23219\, United States CATEGORIES:Concerts & Events,Symphony Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RS_ThePlanetsWeb.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com GEO:37.5415432;-77.43695 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Carpenter Theatre 612 East Grace Street Richmond VA 23219 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=612 East Grace Street:geo:-77.43695,37.5415432 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T150000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20250222T233037Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260115T192047Z UID:33245-1779030000-1779030000@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:The Planets & Star Wars DESCRIPTION:Majestic in its scope. Dazzling in its sound. There is nothing to match the experience of hearing\, live in concert\, The Planets. Be there for the ultimate trip through the galaxy as Richmond Symphony and Valentina Peleggi perform Gustav Holst’s sonic celestial showpiece. Plus\, the suite from John Williams’ Star Wars. Also featured on this final concert of a season\, exploring 250 years of American music and history\, is the world premiere OF Grace and Grit from composer and storyteller Stacy Garrop\, commissioned from her by the Richmond Symphony. \n  \nPLEASE NOTE\, FOR THIS PERFORMANCE\, FREE CHILD TICKETS ARE LIMITED TO FOUR PER HOUSEHOLD. URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/the-planets-star-wars-2026-05-17/2026-05-17/ LOCATION:Carpenter Theatre\, 612 East Grace Street\, Richmond \, VA\, 23219\, United States CATEGORIES:Concerts & Events,Symphony Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RS_ThePlanetsWeb.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com GEO:37.5415432;-77.43695 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Carpenter Theatre 612 East Grace Street Richmond VA 23219 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=612 East Grace Street:geo:-77.43695,37.5415432 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T190000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20251024T184033Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T192556Z UID:34687-1779044400-1779044400@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Spring Youth Orchestra Program DESCRIPTION:String Sinfonietta\, Camerata Strings\, and Youth Concert Orchestra present their final concert of the year\, featuring over 100 students in string and full orchestra ensembles. \n\nString Sinfonietta\, conducted by Matt Wilson\nCamerata Strings\, conducted by Melissa Jones\nYouth Concert Orchestra\, conducted by Dr. Sandy Goldie URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/string-sinfonietta-camerata-strings-and-youth-concert-orchestra/ LOCATION:Dominion Energy Center\, 600 E Grace St\, Richmond\, VA\, 23219\, United States CATEGORIES:Education & Community,Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5.17-concert-photo-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/North_Dakota/Center:20260518T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/North_Dakota/Center:20260518T190000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20251024T184848Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T192822Z UID:34689-1779130800-1779130800@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra | Percussion Ensemble DESCRIPTION:The 2025–26 Youth Orchestra season closes with a performance by Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO)\, our advanced full orchestra\, conducted by Hae Lee and featuring the winner of the 2025–26 RSYO Concerto Competition. Dr. Justin Alexander will also direct our five-person Percussion Ensemble through various chamber works. URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/spring-youth-orchestra-program-performance-part-two/ LOCATION:Dominion Energy Center\, 600 E Grace St\, Richmond\, VA\, 23219\, United States CATEGORIES:Education & Community,Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5.18-concert-photo-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T173000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20260421T201216Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T141206Z UID:35636-1779289200-1779298200@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Conducting Workshop Concert DESCRIPTION:The Richmond Symphony will host an intensive three-day conducting seminar led by Music Director Valentina Peleggi\, offering selected participants the rare opportunity to work directly with and conduct the orchestra in performance. \nThe seminar will culminate in a free public concert featuring workshop participants conducting the Richmond Symphony in a vibrant program that includes Mendelssohn’s exuberant Symphony No. 4\, Price’s lyrical Andante for Strings\, and Beethoven’s emergent Symphony No. 1. URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/conducting-workshop-concert/ LOCATION:Carpenter Theatre\, 612 East Grace Street\, Richmond \, VA\, 23219\, United States CATEGORIES:Concerts & Events,Education & Community ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Education-Conductor-Concert-2226x1252-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com GEO:37.5415432;-77.43695 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Carpenter Theatre 612 East Grace Street Richmond VA 23219 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=612 East Grace Street:geo:-77.43695,37.5415432 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T183000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20250714T040606Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T161601Z UID:33995-1779388200-1779388200@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Music at Hardywood DESCRIPTION: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. \n  \nTicket price does not include food\, beverages\, or gratuity. URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/music-at-hardywood-9-2025-09-27/ LOCATION:Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Richmond\, 2408-2410 Ownby Lane\, Richmond\, VA\, 23220\, United States CATEGORIES:Currents,Hardywood ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hardywood.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T150000 DTSTAMP:20260616T185104 CREATED:20250315T210752Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260526T193656Z UID:33480-1780153200-1780153200@www.richmondsymphony.com SUMMARY:Stars & Stripes Forever DESCRIPTION:As America approaches its 250th anniversary\, the Richmond Symphony celebrates the spirit\, spectacle\, and sound of a nation through an afternoon of orchestral favorites and patriotic classics. Led by Hae Lee\, this vibrant program journeys from the sweeping drama of Giuseppe Verdi and Gioachino Rossini to the colorful energy of Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances. At the center of the program is a joyous tribute to America’s legendary “March King\,” John Philip Sousa. Featuring beloved marches including The Washington Post\, Hands Across the Sea\, The Thunderer\, and the iconic Stars and Stripes Forever\, this concert honors the enduring traditions\, optimism\, and grandeur of American music. \n \n\n \n \n Program Notes by Thomas May \n \n\n \n \n \n John Philip Sousa (1854–1932)\, the son of a Spanish-born father of Portuguese heritage and Bavarian mother\, grew up in a lively blend of immigrant traditions — a background that helped shape the broad\, inclusive musical outlook of the composer who now seems to pulse through the American musical bloodstream.  \nHis marches have become part of the national soundscape — woven into parades\, celebrations\, halftime shows\, and the enormous marching-band tradition that thrives in schools and communities across the country.   \n“Sousa is a truly important component of the American sound\,” says Music Director Valentina Peleggi. “The Richmond Symphony’s Sousa program is part of our celebration in 2026 of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.” This concert pays tribute not only to Sousa the composer\, but to Sousa the touring conductor. The first half presents popular orchestral pieces he loved to include\, while after intermission we hear music by Sousa himself — all presented in arrangements for symphony orchestra.  \nA Sousa concert in its prime was a curated whirlwind: grand opera to fire the imagination\, orchestral blockbusters to show off the ensemble\, a star soloist to wow the crowd\, and then a parade of marches to send everyone home humming. He knew exactly how to shape a program — no surprise from the man who became known as the “March King.”  \nSousa knew how effective it was to kick off with operatic overtures\, often presented in band arrangements on his own tours. Verdi’s irresistible Overture to La Forza del Destino\, composed in 1869 for a revised version of his sweeping tragic saga\, fits the bill perfectly. The fateful opening motif\, lyrical middle section\, and electrifying finale condense an entire world of operatic drama into a tightly crafted curtain-raiser. Many listeners in Sousa’s day knew Verdi’s tunes by heart; hearing them delivered with orchestral sweep set the tone for a night of high spirits.  \nSousa also understood the appeal of transporting audiences somewhere beyond their everyday surroundings: hence the Polovtsian Dances from Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor. Drawn from one of the great landmarks of 19th-century Russian opera\, the dances — with their sinuous melodies and rhythmic swagger — satisfied an era’s appetite for exotic color.   \nAnother hallmark of Sousa’s concerts was the star instrumentalist. His bands featured dazzling cornet players\, and the great Herbert L. Clarke — still a legend to brass players — made theme-and-variations showpieces his calling card. That tradition is represented by The Carnival of Venice\, a cornet showcase that takes an old Neapolitan folk song and launches it into increasingly hair-raising feats of technique — part virtuosity\, part theater.  \nThough outside Sousa’s historical period\, Harlequin (2004) by the British composer Philip Sparke nods to the modern tradition of brilliant solo writing for brass and winds — a tradition Sousa helped propel. Named for the mischievous trickster of old Italian stage comedy\, Harlequin flips easily from lyricism to nimble playfulness.  \nAs for orchestral blockbusters\, few overtures deliver the high-voltage charge of Rossini’s William Tell Overture (1829). Its atmospheric opening for a group of solo cellos\, followed by pastoral calm\, stormy frenzy\, and a famously galloping finale\, made it a 19th-century sensation long before Hollywood turned it into shorthand for heroics. Sousa loved pieces that told a story in sound. Rossini’s overture is pure musical theater — providing a guaranteed jolt of energy just before intermission.  \nNext\, we enter the sound world that made Sousa a household name: the buoyant\, brassy\, rhythmically infectious realm of his own marches. Each one has its own personality\, and hearing them with full symphonic heft reveals just how artful — and how varied — these pieces can be. The Washington Post March\, written in 1889 for an awards ceremony commissioned by the newspaper\, became an overnight hit and helped popularize the two-step; its upbeat elegance still makes it one of Sousa’s breeziest creations.   \nBy contrast\, Hands Across the Sea carries a broader\, more outward-looking message. Composed in 1899\, in the wake of the Spanish-American War\, the march reflects a moment when Americans were newly aware of their country’s presence on the international stage. Sousa introduced the score with a line about “eternal friendship\,” and the music itself feels both confident and welcoming —  patriotic in spirit\, yet tinged with a sense of goodwill that reaches beyond national borders.  \nIf you want Sousa at his most bold\, The Thunderer (1889) delivers with swagger\, its crisp rhythms and triumphant phrases leaving no doubt about its title’s intent. El Capitan\, drawn from Sousa’s 1896 operetta of the same name\, shows a lighter\, more extroverted side\, full of catchy tunes and dramatic flair. The earlier march The Gladiator takes a more formal approach. Published in 1886\, it was one of Sousa’s first breakout hits and helped codify the musical vocabulary we now instantly recognize as “Sousa style.”  \nAudience members of a certain generation may instantly think of British comedy rather than American patriotism when they hear the elegant strains of The Liberty Bell March — Monty Python famously adopted it as their theme — but its charm predates that comedic afterlife. The piece is one of Sousa’s most melodic\, teeming with warm\, ringing sonorities.   \nA different kind of surprise awaits in Humoresque on Gershwin’s “Swanee\,” a playful miniature in which the March King tips his cap to George Gershwin’s early hit song. Strictly speaking\, this isn’t a march at all but one of Sousa’s later comic character pieces\, delighting with its sly twists and rhythmic bounce. Written in 1921 — long after his early parade-ground classics — it shows a composer who relished cleverness when the occasion allowed.  \nTo conclude\, we hear Sousa’s crown jewel. The Stars and Stripes Forever is more than a march; it’s a cultural touchstone. From its stirring opening to the piccolo’s high-flying obbligato — practically a rite of passage for flutists — this march has become a musical shorthand for celebration\, optimism\, and national pride. As we look toward the nation’s 250th anniversary\, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting finale. \nProgram notes (c) 2026 Thomas May  URL:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/stars-stripes-forever/ LOCATION:Carpenter Theatre\, 612 East Grace Street\, Richmond \, VA\, 23219\, United States CATEGORIES:Concerts & Events,Pops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10-Stars-and-Stripes-Forever-Sousa.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Symphony":MAILTO:patronservices@richmondsymphony.com GEO:37.5415432;-77.43695 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Carpenter Theatre 612 East Grace Street Richmond VA 23219 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=612 East Grace Street:geo:-77.43695,37.5415432 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR