Ways to Give

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is a cultural cornerstone of Hampton Roads. We have served our community for nearly a century, and we are proud to call the Tidewater region home. We believe that music matters–and that everyone in our community deserves access to the very best in classical music and music education.

We rely on the support of friends like you to bring world-class music to your city, reach more than 45,000 children and lifelong learners each year through engaging and impactful educational programs. Ticket sales account for only one-third of the cost of our concert series and educational outreach programs, and our corporate sponsors and individual donors help us provide a full roster of free community performances at venues in everyone’s backyard.

You can join the Virginia Symphony Orchestra donor family and be a part of thousands of friends from across Hampton Roads who know that music makes a difference in our lives. Voice your support with a gift and help the VSO continue to inspire, educate, and connect audiences of all ages!

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra appreciates all tax-deductible gifts in support of our artistic and cultural mission to inspire, education, and connect audiences of all ages in Hampton Roads.

Want to make one gift and spread it into monthly installments? Become a VSO Champion today and get an additional benefit in recognition for your generosity. Your card will be charged on the 15th of each month, after the initial installment, and each January you will receive a summary of your previous calendar year donations.

PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to give for a set period of time other than monthly or break up your gift into a series of limited installments, please call Annual Fund Manager Meredith Arndt at 757-213-1412 to set up your gift. For information about gifts of stock or other securities or for estate planning, please contact Vice President of Development Shannon Kelly at skelly@virginiasymphony.org or by phone at 757-213-1417.

Thank you for GIVING OUTSTANDING MUSIC AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO HAMPTON rOADS!

Corporate Support

Foundation and Government Support

Your gifts make a difference.

Make a Gift Online

If you’d prefer, you can give us a call at 757.213.1412 or mail your contribution to us at this address:

Virginia Symphony Orchestra
150 Boush Street, Suite 201
Norfolk, VA 23510

Questions may be directed to 757.213.1412

Membership Benefits

VSO Complete Donor Listing

Vision Forward

Celebrating 100 years of community service and creativity, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra celebrates the largest campaign in its history – Vision Forward. Click here to learn more.

Sustainer Society

Looking for an easy way to make a difference all year long? Become a VSO Champion and you’ll help the VSO continue to inspire, educate, and connect audiences of all ages. And, you’ll gain access to special benefits – to learn more click here!

Matching Gifts

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra gladly accepts gifts from matching gift programs from most companies in Hampton Roads. Increase your support of the VSO by checking with your human resource department about your company’s program.

For assistance, please contact Shannon Kelly, Vice President of Development, at 747-213-1417.

Click here to review a list of some local employees who offer matching gift opportunities.

Legacy Society

Planned giving strategies can help you build a meaningful legacy that will honor your lifelong love of music. The VSO Development staff would be honored to work with you and your financial advisor to find the right option for you. If you have generously named the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in your will or estate plans, we would like to have the opportunity to welcome you to our Legacy Society. Please contact Shannon Kelly, Vice President of Development, at 757-213-1417 for more information.

Gift of Securities

Please contact Sammy Serafine at Wells Fargo Advisors to make a gift of securities to the VSO.

Sammy Serafine
Wells Fargo Advisors
999 Waterside Drive Suite 1800
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number Direct: 757-640-5935

sammy.serafine@wellsfargoadvisors.com

DTC: 0141
Account: 80530500

Donor Advised Funds

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

The CFC campaign runs from September 1 through December 15 each year.

If you are federal or military personnel, designate the Virginia Symphony as the beneficiary of your contribution by entering our five-digit code #46038 and the amount you wish to pledge on your CFC pledge form.

To determine which local campaign you belong to visit the Combined Federal Campaign website.

Amazon Smile

The CFC campaign runs from September 1 through December 15 each year.

To determine which local campaign you belong to visit the Combined Federal Campaign website.

Virginia Symphony Foundation

The Virginia Symphony Foundation provides financial support to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra through investment of donors gifts to the VSF endowment fund.

To learn more about the Virginia Symphony Foundation, please click here.

To make a gift to VSF, please contact Shannon Kelly, Vice President of Development, at skelly@virginiasymphony.org or at 757-213-1417.

CHAMPIONS

2023-2024 SEASON

Virginia Symphony Champions support the VSO year-round with a monthly donation automatically charged to a credit card. In gratitude for the support of our Champions, the Virginia Symphony is pleased to offer additional benefits.

*Subject to availability. Restrictions apply.
¹Email required.
These donor benefits are offered as of July 1, 2023. Additional benefits may be added throughout the season.

Want to Make a Donation, but Need More Flexibility? become a champion today!

IN ADDITION TO REGULARLY TIERED BENEFITS, All Sustainers receive:

Group recognition from the stage and individual recognition in a program book insert at the final Classics concert of the season
Special lapel pin (mailed at the beginning of the year) designating you as a member of the
VSO Champions.

Donor Benefits

Gifts made to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra throughout the year determine your donor level. Donor listings–including those in our Program Books—reflect your overall support through gifts made directly to the Annual Fund or gifts made for a specific purpose, including our education and community engagement programs. Also included in your personal listing are any matching gifts received from your employer.

Benefits are based on cumulative giving from the 2022-2023 season or giving during 2023-2024, whichever amount is higher. If you would like to know your current donor level, please call Meredith Arndt, Annual Fund Manager, at 757.213.1412.

Donate Now

Friends Circle: Up to $239 ($10/month or higher)

Up to $239

Up to six eNewsletter with exclusive content for VSO supporters
Recognition as a VSO supporter in the VSO’s online Donor Register
Pre-sale access to purchase tickets to VSO performances before the general public

Orchestra Circle: $240-$499 ($20/month and higher)

$250–$499

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Two passes to one Open Rehearsal during the 2022-23 season
Recognition in all VSO program books for the 2022-23 season

Concertmaster Circle: $500-$999 ($50/month and higher)

$500–$999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Exclusive invitation to our Orchestra Insider Event
Two passes to two Open Rehearsals during the 2022-23 season
Access to the VSO Donor Concierge Service for specialized assistance

Soloist Circle: $1,000-$1,999

$1,000–$1,999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Recognition as a supporter in VSO pre-concert PowerPoint slides for the 2022-23 season
Exclusive invitation to our annual Toast to the Season reception

Conductor’s Circle: $2,000-$2,999

$2,000–$2,999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Ticket access to our invite-only Chamber Music Party
Exclusive updates directly from Music Director Eric Jacobsen about special events, programming in upcoming seasons and other exclusive VSO news

Treble Society: $3,000-$4,999

$3,000–$4,999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Access to two tickets to the annual Treble Society Event in Spring 2023
Invitation for you and one guest to attend invitation-only intermission receptions at select VSO concerts, as available

Symphony Society: $5,000-$9,999

$5,000–$9,999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Two tickets to sit onstage during one Open Rehearsal during the 2022-2023 season, as available
Ability to purchase subscriptions and single tickets a week before they go on sale to the general public before both on-sale dates

JoAnn Falletta Society: $10,000-$14,999

$10,000–$14,999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Two tickets to sit onstage during two Open Rehearsals during the 2022-2023 season, as available
Access to tickets to our invite-only Falletta Society Dinner
Gifts of $10,000 or more are meaningful statements of support for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. To learn more about a customized package of curated experiences, please call JP Paul, Director of Development, at 757-213-1417 or email at jpaul@virginiasymphony.org.

Crescendo Society: $15,000-$24,999

$15,000–$24,999

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Opportunity to meet guest artists and collaborators before or after performances, as available
Exclusive opportunity to meet Music Director Eric Jacobsen before or after a performance, as
available
Gifts of $15,000 or more are meaningful statements of support for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. To learn more about a customized package of curated experiences, please call JP Paul, Director of Development, at 757-213-1417 or email at jpaul@virginiasymphony.org.

Stradivarius Society: $25,000 and above

$25,000 and above

Previous level’s benefits, plus:

Exclusive opportunity to have Music Director Eric Jacobsen dine with you at a location of your
choosing, as available
Gifts of $25,000 or more are meaningful statements of support for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. To learn more about a customized package of curated experiences, please call JP Paul, Director of Development, at 757-213-1417 or email at jpaul@virginiasymphony.org.

*On-stage seating is assigned on a first-come, first served basis.
**Subject to availability.
†Ticket purchase required.

These donor benefits are offered as of July 1, 2022. Additional benefits may be added throughout the season.

Eric Jacobsen

Hailed by the New York Times as “an interpretive dynamo,” conductor and cellist Eric Jacobsen has built a reputation for engaging audiences with innovative and collaborative programming. He is the newly-named Music Director of the Virginia Symphony, becoming the 12th music director in the orchestra’s 100-year history, and will assume that post on July 1.

Jacobsen is Artistic Director and conductor of The Knights, and serves as the Music Director for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Jacobsen founded the adventurous orchestra The Knights with his brother, violinist Colin Jacobsen, to foster the intimacy and camaraderie of chamber music on the orchestral stage. As conductor, Jacobsen has led the “consistently inventive, infectiously engaged indie ensemble” (New York Times) at Central Park’s Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, (Le) Poisson Rouge, the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center; at major summer festivals such as Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Ojai; and on tour nationally and internationally, including at the Cologne Philharmonie, Düsseldorf Tonhalle, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Salzburg Großes Festspielhaus, Vienna Musikverein, National Gallery of Dublin, and the Dresden Musikfestspiele. Recent collaborators include violinists Itzhak Perlman and Gil Shaham, singers Dawn Upshaw, Susan Graham, and Nicholas Phan, and pianists Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Also in demand as a guest conductor, Jacobsen has led the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Detroit, the New World, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck and the Tonkunstler Orchestra, with whom Jacobsen appeared at Vienna’s legendary Musikverein.

In the coming season, Eric Jacobsen returns to the Detroit Symphony for the world premiere of James Lee III’s “Amer’ican,” a contemporary response to Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony which also features on the program. He also makes his La Jolla Summerfest debut, conducting three concerts featuring Summerfest Artistic Director Inon Barnaton and other artists. He appears twice with the Virginia Symphony, with guest artist Branford Marsalis and also performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and travels to Bilkent, Turkey, to appear with the orchestra there. With The Knights, he returns to the Tanglewood and Caramoor Festivals and to Central Park’s Naumburg Bandshell, and appears at Wolf Trap in a new piece by Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan. In the spring, Jacobsen and The Knights close their season with a multi-city US tour featuring pianist Aaron Diehl.

The 21-22 Orlando Philharmonic season sees the return of the “Resonate” festival, a unique blend of old and new orchestral and chamber works, performed in standard and more intimate concert formats. This season’s edition features Artist-in-Residence Stewart Goodyear performing the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven as well as orchestral repertoire. The Orlando season will close with a semi-staged production of Orff’s “Carmina burana,” with staging by Alison Moritz and choreography by John Heginbotham.

In recent seasons, Eric Jacobsen and The Knights performed a fully-staged centennial production of Bernstein’s Candide directed by Alison Moritz at the Ravinia Festival, and toured Florida with Gil Shaham. With mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital, Jacobsen and The Knights undertook a 15-concert European tour, including performances at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and Vienna’s Musikverein. In New York, Jacobsen and The Knights performed at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall; with groundbreaking countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo at National Sawdust in music of Handel and Philip Glass; and at the Park Avenue Armory, where they helped create the music for William Kentridge’s The Head and the Load. With the Bridgeport Symphony, Jacobsen performed with his brother Colin, with whom he recorded a video of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending that was featured on London’s Classic FM and The Violin Channel.

At the close of a successful sixth season with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacobsen has continued to pioneer the orchestra’s programming and community engagement in new and exciting directions. During the 20-21 season, the Orlando Philharmonic was one of the few orchestras internationally that was able to perform live concerts, including with renowned pianist Yuja Wang, and they closed their season with “America, Come,” an Orlando Philharmonic commission from Aoife O’Donovan honoring the centennial of the 19th Amendment. Previous seasons included Inside the Score, in which Jacobsen led the audience on a guided exploration of Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique; appearances by multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón as composer-in-residence; and guest appearances by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens and internationally acclaimed cello virtuoso Jan Vogler.

Under Jacobsen’s baton, The Knights have developed an extensive recording collection, which includes the critically acclaimed albums Azul, with longtime collaborator Yo-Yo Ma, as well as the Prokofiev Concerto in the Grammy-nominated Gil Shaham album 1930s Violin Concertos. Their most recent release, featuring Gil Shaham in performances of the Beethoven and Brahms Violin Concertos, was met with critical acclaim upon its release in Spring 2020. The Knights issued three albums for Sony Classical including Jan Vogler and The Knights Experience: Live from New York; New Worlds, and an all-Beethoven album, as well as the “smartly programmed” (National Public Radio) A Second in Silence on the Ancalagon label. Jacobsen’s first release on Warner Classics was the ground beneath our feet. We Are The Knights, a documentary film produced by Thirteen/WNET, premiered in September 2011.

In December 2012, Jacobsen and his brother Colin were selected from among the nation’s top visual, performing, media, and literary artists to receive a prestigious United States Artists Fellowship. Eric splits his time between New York and Orlando with his wife, singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan, and their daughter.

VSO Guest Artist: Andrew von Oeyen

Hailed worldwide for his elegant and insightful interpretations, balanced artistry and brilliant technique, Andrew von Oeyen has established himself as one of the most captivating pianists of his generation.

Since his debut at age 16 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mr. von Oeyen has extended his interpretive voice to a broad spectrum of repertoire as both a soloist and recitalist. He has collaborated with such ensembles as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Mariinsky Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Grant Park Orchestra, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Utah Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Marseille, Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Spoleto USA Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic and Slovak Philharmonic. As both soloist and conductor he has led concerti and orchestral works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Kurt Weill. On July 4, 2009, he performed at the U.S. Capitol with the National Symphony in “A Capitol Fourth,” reaching millions worldwide in the multi-award winning PBS live telecast.

‍Mr. von Oeyen has appeared in recital at Wigmore Hall and Barbican Hall in London, Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Boston’s Symphony Hall, Zürich’s Tonhalle, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall, St. Petersburg’s Philharmonia, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, Royce Hall in Los Angeles, Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Sala São Paulo, Teatro Olimpico in Rome, in Mexico City, Hanoi, Macau, and in every major concert hall of Japan and South Korea. Festival appearances include Aspen, Ravinia, Grant Park, Mainly Mozart, Saratoga, Schubertiade, Spoleto, Brevard, Grand Teton, Chautauqua and the Mariinsky’s “Stars of the White Nights.”

Mr. von Oeyen has recorded for Warner Classics since 2017. His albums under that label, including works for piano and orchestra by Saint-Saëns, Ravel and Gershwin and a disc including Debussy’s Fantaisie pour Piano et Orchestre, have been met with critical acclaim. Mr. von Oeyen has also recorded award-winning recital albums of Liszt, Debussy, and Stravinsky under the Delos label.

Mr. von Oeyen, of German and Dutch origin, was born in the U.S. He began his piano studies at age 5 and made his solo orchestral debut at age 10. An alumnus of Columbia University and graduate of The Juilliard School, where his principal teachers were Herbert Stessin and Jerome Lowenthal, he also worked with Alfred Brendel and Leon Fleisher. He won the prestigious Gilmore Young Artist Award in 1999 and also took First Prize in the Léni Fé Bland Foundation National Piano Competition in 2001. Mr. von Oeyen lives in Paris and Los Angeles.

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About the VSO

About the Music

Ways to Give

Ways to Give

Thank you for GIVING OUTSTANDING MUSIC AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO HAMPTON rOADS!

Your gifts make a difference.

Vision Forward

Sustainer Society

Matching Gifts

Legacy Society

Gift of Securities

Donor Advised Funds

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

Amazon Smile

Virginia Symphony Foundation

CHAMPIONS

2023-2024 SEASON

Want to Make a Donation, but Need More Flexibility? become a champion today!

IN ADDITION TO REGULARLY TIERED BENEFITS, All Sustainers receive:

Donor Benefits

Friends Circle: Up to $239 ($10/month or higher)

Up to $239

Orchestra Circle: $240-$499 ($20/month and higher)

$250–$499

Concertmaster Circle: $500-$999 ($50/month and higher)

$500–$999

Soloist Circle: $1,000-$1,999

$1,000–$1,999

Conductor’s Circle: $2,000-$2,999

$2,000–$2,999

Treble Society: $3,000-$4,999

$3,000–$4,999

Symphony Society: $5,000-$9,999

$5,000–$9,999

JoAnn Falletta Society: $10,000-$14,999

$10,000–$14,999

Crescendo Society: $15,000-$24,999

$15,000–$24,999

Stradivarius Society: $25,000 and above

$25,000 and above

Tone Poem

What is a tone poem?

Symphony

What is a symphony?

Viola

What is a viola?

Concerto

What is a concerto?

How do you pronounce "Concerto"?

Is the soloist part of the orchestra?

How do you choose the music/soloist?

Zacherie Small

Omari Imhotep Abdul-Alim

Emmanuel Losa

Avery Robinson

Simone Paulwell

Eric Jacobsen

STAR OF BROADWAY MUSICALS THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS, THE COLOR PURPLE, THE LION KING, and RAGTIME

STAR OF BROADWAY MUSICALS SHOW BOAT, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, and THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE

STAR OF BROADWAY MUSICALS THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, EVITA, THE WOMAN IN WHITE and BOMBAY DREAMS

STAR OF BROADWAY MUSICALS THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS, THE COLOR PURPLE, THE LION KING, and RAGTIME

STAR OF BROADWAY MUSICALS THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS, THE COLOR PURPLE, THE LION KING, and RAGTIME

VSO Guest Artist: Andrew von Oeyen