Your Support in Action

Thank you for being part of what makes the Virginia Symphony Orchestra possible. Your generosity ensures that inspiring performances and meaningful education programs continue to reach audiences and students across Southeastern Virginia. As we move through the heart of our season, we are grateful for your partnership in bringing exceptional music to our community and creating moments that stay with people long after the final note. We look forward to sharing an exciting month of music with you.

With sincere appreciation,

Hailey Schumacher
Annual Fund Manager
Virginia Symphony Orchestra

 See the Difference You Made in 2024–2025

A SEASON SHAPED BY YOUR GENEROSITY

Because of your generosity, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra made a powerful impact across Southeastern Virginia during the 2024–2025 season. Now, we invite you to see exactly how your support turned into performances, education, and community connections in our newly released 2025 Impact Report.

Inside the report, you’ll find how your partnership helped make possible:

– Inspiring performances that welcomed tens of thousands of audience members throughout the region

– Music education programs that reached students through Young People’s Concerts and in-school experiences, including the SOAR (School Orchestra Artist Residency) program

– Free community concerts that brought live orchestral music to parks, campuses, and neighborhood festivals

Expanded access to music for families who might not otherwise experience a live symphony performance

The outcomes reflect a single, powerful truth: when you invest in the VSO, you invest in people, in young musicians discovering their potential, in families sharing meaningful cultural moments, and in a stronger, more connected community.

We invite you to explore the full story of what you made possible and see how your generosity shaped the 2024–2025 season

 As we look ahead to the future, your continued support ensures that this impact not only continues, but grows. If you are considering renewing your gift or becoming a subscriber, your partnership will help carry this momentum forward for seasons to come.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE MUSIC.

Mary Goode Brooke Music for Young People Legacy Program Kickoff

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is proud to invite you to the Kickoff Celebration of the Mary Goode Brooke Music for Young People Legacy Program, an exciting new initiative dedicated to nurturing young musical talent in Southeastern Virginia. This special evening marks the launch of a program rooted in both history and hope, honoring a remarkable musician and educator while investing in the future of music education in Norfolk.

Kickoff Event
Thursday, February 12th | 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Booker T. Washington High School

The Mary Goode Brooke Music for Young People Legacy Program was created to support and celebrate the musical achievements of promising young musicians. Mary Goode Brooke dedicated her life to teaching and performing music, and her connection to Norfolk and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra runs deep. In 1940, at just 15 years old, Mary performed a solo piano selection at Maury High School as part of a Young People’s Concert by the Norfolk Symphony, the predecessor of today’s VSO. Her lifelong commitment to music education continues to inspire this new legacy.

Through a collaboration between the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Norfolk Public Schools, the program aims to strengthen music education and further develop student musicians who can benefit from additional instruction and mentorship. Professional VSO musicians will coach student string quartets from five Norfolk high schools—Booker T. Washington, Granby, Lake Taylor, Maury, and Norview—through a series of in-school chamber music coaching sessions over the course of a semester. These sessions will culminate each year in the Mary G. Brooke Recital, bringing students together to perform and share their growth with family, friends, and the community.

At the kickoff event, guests will experience the program in action. A VSO string quartet will perform for students, school quartets will meet their professional coaches for the first time, program goals will be shared, and the first reading session with a VSO coach will take place. The evening is designed to bring together students, families, educators, donors, media, and community leaders in celebration of music, mentorship, and opportunity.

We hope you will join us for this meaningful launch as we honor Mary Goode Brooke’s legacy and help shape the next generation of musicians in Hampton Roads.

This event is open to families, school administrators, media, donors, and friends of the VSO.

Maestro’s Picks

Inside the VSO’s Spotify Playlist:

What Music Director Eric Jacobsen listening

to this February! 

Happy February! Here are a few things I’m listening to this month:

Eric Jacobsen 

MUSIC DIRECTOR

THE MACON & JOAN BROCK CHAIR

Supporting the Virginia Symphony Orchestra is about more than attending a concert. It is an investment in young people, in community, and in the cultural vitality of Hampton Roads. Your support brings live music to thousands of students each year, many of whom are hearing an orchestra for the first time. It ensures that world class performances remain accessible through free community concerts and affordable ticketed events. And it strengthens our local economy by supporting jobs, attracting audiences, and enriching the quality of life across the region. When you give to the VSO, you help music educate, unite, and inspire, today and for generations to come.

A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Sandler Center on January 18th, 2026