Because You Said Yes, the Music Went Further Than Ever

When the final note of our holiday match sounded on December 31, 2025, it did not fade away. Instead reminded us of something powerful. When our community comes together, the impact multiplies.

Thanks to you, every generous gift made during the match period was doubled, unlocking new opportunities for music to reach farther, inspire more deeply, and serve more people across Hampton Roads. The result was one of the most successful matching campaigns in Virginia Symphony Orchestra history. And its effects are already being felt on stages, in classrooms, and throughout our region.

Because of your support, Young People’s Concerts reached 19,007 students this year, including 9,124 students from Title-I schools. These performances brought live symphonic music to 191 schools and 20 homeschool groups, with 92 Title-I schools served. For many students, this was their very first experience hearing an orchestra live. For all of them, it was an invitation to imagine, create, and belong.

Across all VSO education programs, we served 29,397 students in 14 school districts throughout Hampton Roads. These numbers represent curiosity sparked, confidence built, and futures widened. None of it happens without donors like you choosing to invest in young people.

Most important of all, your gift sent a message. It told students that their creativity matters. It told families that great music belongs to everyone. It told our musicians that their work is valued and needed.

From all of us at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, thank you. Thank you for believing in the power of music. Thank you for stepping forward during the match. And thank you for making this extraordinary impact possible.

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra will host a free public lecture series called Black Religious Music and the American Experience before each of its performances of Gershwin’s an American in Paris & Copland’s Rodeo on January 16th and 17th. This public discussion is funded by a grant from WHRO Public Media and The Virginia Humanities.

In alignment with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s core values of artistic excellence, inclusion, and purposeful community engagement, this dynamic pre-concert panel discussion will enrich the world premiere of a new orchestral work by Curtis Stewart. This new work, I wouldn’t stop there: in the words of a KING, is grounded in the Black American experience and features the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and vocalists from Norfolk State University.

“This work depicts a struggle to feel ownership of our moment in history,” Stewart says. “It explores a will to resist the impulse to fast forward, to pause, or to be stuck looking to the past for relief; the music provides moments to breathe, alongside dreamlike atmospheres—akin to nightmares, the energy of running in what feels like a quicksand of forward motion.”

Stewart has been commissioned to compose new solo, chamber, and orchestral works by the Seattle Symphony, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall’s Play/USA, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and members of the New York Philharmonic, The Knights, La Jolla Music Society, Sybarite5, the New York Festival of Song, Newport Classical Festival, the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Eastman Cello Institute, Orlando Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and more. In 2022, he was named Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, a national organization dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by diverse and innovative American composers.

The discussion will trace the evolution and impact of Black religious music from slavery to the modern day, celebrating it not only as a profound artistic tradition, but also as an oral history and vital expression of resilience, identity, belonging, and community. This series is FREE, however tickets are required for entry and can be attended separately from Gershwin’s an American in Paris & Copland’s Rodeo.

To read more about this exciting project, click here.

 THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS:

The second concert will be held on January 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth. Also conducted by Jacobsen with performances by Earl Bynum & The Mount choir, this FREE event celebrates Dr. King’s legacy with music that reflects his spirit of equality and community. Registration is encouraged and the event is supported by the City of Portsmouth. Read more about the FREE event in Portsmouth here.

Both concerts invite our community to gather in reflection and celebration, honoring Dr. King’s enduring principles of justice, unity, and hope through powerful musical expression. These free performances are meaningful opportunities to connect with one another and experience the shared joy of music.

Made possible through the generosity of our civic partners and supporters like you, these concerts reflect your commitment to keeping transformative musical experiences accessible to all. Thank you for helping the Virginia Symphony Orchestra serve our community and carry forward Dr. King’s legacy through the power of music.