
More Joy, More Choice
MORE MUSIC!
Welcome to the VSO’s 2022/23 Season Announcement!
I LOVE telling stories through music – it’s the most meaningful and joyful existence I can imagine. One of my favorite composers, Antonin Dvořák was a great storyteller and songwriter. Next season, we’ll explore Dvořák, who when he traveled to America in 1892, came here with an unusual spirit of openness and was changed by what he saw and especially, what he heard.
Hearing American traditions like folk and negro spirituals, Dvořák saw and embraced “American music” as its own new language, with its African American roots, rather than leaving it to reside in the shadows of European music. That is what I find so inspiring – that he was mid-career and successful and yet remained open and willing to find a new way…always growing and evolving.
That openness to new experiences and relationships that change us for the better is also a theme next season. You’ll hear many of the traditional composers we all love, but with so many guest artists I’m especially close to – I can’t wait to share the wonderful talents with our musicians, the Hampton Roads community, and you – the audience!
I am especially excited that my friend and mentor Yo-Yo Ma will join the Virginia Symphony for the first time in more than 20 years. Yo-Yo is not only the world’s greatest cellist but an amazing human being. I have had the honor of being a part of the Silk Road Ensemble (created by Yo-Yo) for several years and knowing and working closely with him for the past two decades has truly shaped who I am as both a musician and a human today. I am thrilled and honored that he will perform with the musicians of the VSO once again.
Our Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins joins us for two outstanding programs that are uniquely his – please check out the info on the following pages. We are also thrilled to welcome back JoAnn Falletta to conduct not just the orchestra but our beloved VSO Chorus. Other concerts you will want to look at include our traditional holiday programming, and our “Peanut Butter and Jam” family shows. I am incredibly proud of all our offerings next season which truly include something for everyone! I can’t wait to see you!!
Eric Jacobsen
Music Director
Questions? Reach out to our expert customer service team at (757) 892-6366 or marketing@virginiasymphony.org

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Click below to watch an exciting season launch video from Eric Jacobsen!
Browse through our 2022-23 season brochure below!
Subscriber Benefits
THE BEST SEATS AT THE BEST PRICES
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get my same seat?
Current subscribers will have priority seating based on their current seating location.
All seating requests will be honored based on the date of your 2022/23 subscription renewal and the number of concerts in your package. Seating information will be provided to subscribers in May 2022
Can I still exchange my tickets?
Of course! As a subscriber, you have ultimate flexibility to exchange seats any time prior to 48 hours before a concert.
I haven’t been to a concert yet. What are your safety guidelines?
Your safety is our top priority! You can find our current safety requirements here.
We are closely monitoring CDC, state, and venue guidelines and will continue to adhere to all regulations for your comfort and safety. As advice from officials evolves – we’ll keep you informed as to any changes in health/safety measures required for attending performances. You can buy with confidence knowing that if schedules change (yours or ours) we’ll honor your tickets, provide options for credits, convert them to tax-deductible contributions, or provide a no-hassle refund.
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
2022-23 Upcoming Concerts

Symphony on the Lawn | 6/7

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 | 7:45 pm | Cavalier Great Lawn, Virginia Beach
Spend an unforgettable summer evening with music from the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Grab a spot on the Cavalier Great Lawn and enjoy champagne, crafted cocktails, small bites, and great company. Lawn seating is open to the public. VIP seating is available with ticket only through the Cavalier Hotel.
Please contact the Cavalier for information regarding VIP tickets.

Symphony Under the Stars • 6/11

Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 8:00PM | Main Street, Gloucester
We welcome you to join us for the Symphony under the Stars FREE Family Concert
Corner of Main and Walter Reed Way

Symphony by the Sea | 7/14

Thursday, July 14, 2022 | 7:30 pm | Neptune’s Park, 31st Street, Virginia Beach
Neptune Festival’s Symphony by the Sea Concert Series, presented by The Breeden Company, makes its grand return in 2022 for the 11th Season of concerts!
Located in 31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, all concerts are a FREE musical offering to residents and visitors. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as the concerts are well-attended and will fill the park.

Symphony by the Sea | 7/28

Thursday, July 28, 2022 | 7:30 pm | Neptune’s Park, 31st Street, Virginia Beach
Neptune Festival’s Symphony by the Sea Concert Series, presented by The Breeden Company, makes its grand return in 2022 for the 11th Season of concerts!
Located in 31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, all concerts are a FREE musical offering to residents and visitors. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as the concerts are well-attended and will fill the park.

Symphony by the Sea | 8/18

Thursday, August 18, 2022 | 7:30 pm | Neptune’s Park, 31st Street, Virginia Beach
Neptune Festival’s Symphony by the Sea Concert Series, presented by The Breeden Company, makes its grand return in 2022 for the 11th Season of concerts!
Located in 31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, all concerts are a FREE musical offering to residents and visitors. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as the concerts are well-attended and will fill the park.

Symphony by the Sea | 9/8

Thursday, September 8, 2022 | 7:30 pm | Neptune’s Park, 31st Street, Virginia Beach
Neptune Festival’s Symphony by the Sea Concert Series, presented by The Breeden Company, makes its grand return in 2022 for the 11th Season of concerts!
Located in 31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, all concerts are a FREE musical offering to residents and visitors. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as the concerts are well-attended and will fill the park.

Dr. Seuss at the Symphony | 9/18

Sun., Sept. 18, 2022 |3:00PM | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
Books and music, a perfect combination. Your favorite Dr. Seuss stories will be sung in selections from “Seussical, The Musical.” “The Sneetches” is turned into a symphonic poem that addresses diversity, friendship and discrimination in Dr. Seuss’ unique style. Find out what great music is inspired by John Lithgow’s book “Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo.”
Pre-concert activities start at 2:00PM
Helen Martell, conductor

Rhythm and Respighi | 9/23-9/25

Fri., Sept. 23, 2022 | 7:30PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sun., Sept. 25, 2022 |2:30PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
The musicians of the VSO collaborate for the first time with Norfolk’s own Rhythm Project All Stars to bring special local flavor to Louis Gottschalk’s iconic Creole- inspired favorite. For the Bruch, VSO Music Director Eric Jacobsen says, “Simone Porter is an incredible violinist whose depth of artistry makes musical communication immediate and visceral.” Rounding out this upbeat program, Respighi’s Pines of Rome is as explosive as live music gets!
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Rhythm Project All Stars
Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Symphony No. 1 Festa Criolla from “A Night in the Tropics”
Max Bruch: Scottish Fantasy
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome

“Never Break the Chain” – The Music of Fleetwood Mac | 10/13-10/15

Thursday, October 13, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Saturday, October 15, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk

Power and Promise | 10/21-10/23

Fri., Oct. 21, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Oct. 22, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Sun., Oct. 23, 2022 |2:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Written by the acclaimed Andre Previn for Kathleen Battle with words by Nobel laureate and poet Toni Morrison, the song cycle “Honey and Rue” takes its inspiration from jazz, blues, and American spirituals. VSO Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins pairs this evocative piece with Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s “The Inextinguishable,” written during WWI, which features a “battle” between two timpani and radiates the elemental will to live.
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Katherine Jolly, soprano
Hector Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture
Andre Previn: Honey and Rue
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 4 “The Inextinguishable”

Hogwarts Hullabaloo: The Magical Music of Harry Potter | 10/28

Fri., Oct. 28, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach

Halloween Spooktacular | 10/29

Sat., Oct. 29, 2022 | 3:00 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Kids and grown-ups! Dress up in your favorite Halloween costume and join the VSO for a ghoulish afternoon of monstrous fun! The Orchestra will perform some of the spookiest music ever written. But don’t be afraid – this concert is more
Pre-concert activities start at 2:00PM TREAT than TRICK!

The Doo Wop Project | 11/10-11/11

Thurs., Nov. 10, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Fri., Nov. 11, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Harrison Opera House, Norfolk

Neighbors and Friends | 11/17-11/19

Thur., Nov. 17, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Nov. 19, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Composer Jessie Montgomery, one of the greatest new voices of our time, wrote this nostalgic and beautiful piece for our soloist with whom she grew up on the lower East Side of Manhattan. Then hear Antonin Dvořák’s music composed at the beginning of what would become known as his American period. Though separated by 100 years, Dvořák and Montgomery lived about 10 blocks away from each other.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Masumi Per Rostad, viola
Jessie Montgomery: Viola Concerto
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No 8

Holiday POPS! | 12/8-12/11

Thurs., Dec. 8, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Fri., Dec. 9, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Sun., Dec. 11, 2022 | 7:00 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach

Jingle Bell Jam | 12/11

Sun., Dec. 11, 2022 | 3:00 PM | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
Santa Claus is stopping by to be a part of the VSO’s ever-popular Jingle Bell Jam! Celebrate the magic of the season with an afternoon that showcases the music of the holidays performed by the best talent in Hampton Roads. Get your tickets early – this family favorite is sure to sell out!
Pre-concert activities start at 2:00PM

The Messiah | 12/16-12/17

Fri., Dec. 16, 2022 | 7:30 PM | First Baptist Church, Newport News
Sat., Dec. 17, 2022 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk

Holiday Brass | 12/14

Wed., Dec. 14, 2022 | 7:30 PM | St. Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg
The bold sounds of the Virginia Symphony brass section ring in the holidays with a blast! Experience the festive sounds of the season in a concert filled with wit, virtuosity, and the glorious music of the holidays—featuring the VSO brass and percussion sections in an all-new program. You’ll enjoy music from a variety of styles that have made this concert a new holiday tradition!

Electric Bass Superstar Returns! | 1/20-1/22

Fri., Jan. 20, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Jan. 21, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Sun., Jan. 22, 2023 | 2:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Five-time Grammy-winner and Newport News, VA native Victor Wooten returns to the VSO – this time playing an amazing piece he’s written for himself with orchestra. William Dawson wrote only one symphony, which premiered in New York under
the baton of Leopold Stokowski in 1937 to great acclaim but was neglected in later years. Described as “emotionally charged and rigorously constructed,” its rediscovery is thrilling audiences around the world.
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Victor Wooten, electric bass
Peter Boyer: Silver Fanfare
William Dawson: Negro Symphony
Victor Wooten: La Lección Tres, for electric bass and orchestra

Shining Stars | 2/9-2/11

Thurs., Feb. 9, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Feb. 11, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
This program celebrates the musical artistry of two of the VSO’s most beloved veterans, Concertmaster Vahn Armstrong and Principal Oboe Sherie Aguirre. Concluding the program is Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 which received an ovation that lasted well over half an hour at its premier in 1937. Described by Eric Jacobsen as “grand, robust, dark, and bright all at the same time,” it’s a thrilling piece of music that is as rousing as it is memorable.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Vahn Armstrong, violin
Sherie Aguirre, oboe
Johann Sebastian Bach: Double Concerto for violin and oboe
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

Gospel According to Swing with Byron Stripling | 2/17-2/18

Fri., Feb. 17, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Feb. 18, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Experience this jubilant concert bursting with the spirit of gospel music, and bubbling with the influences of jazz and blues!

Animals at the Symphony | 2/19

Sun., Feb. 19, 2023 | 3:00 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Join Peter and his animal friends on a symphonic adventure in Sergei Prokofiev’s
beloved work, Peter and the Wolf. A lively introduction to the orchestra, each character in this musical fairy tale is represented by a different instrument. Together we experience the full spectrum of beautiful orchestral colors.
Pre-concert activities start at 2:00PM
Helen Martell, conductor

The Incomparable Yo-Yo Ma | 2/23

Thurs., Feb. 23, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Eric Jacobsen and the VSO are thrilled to welcome the world’s greatest cellist and Eric’s mentor of 20 years, Yo-Yo Ma, for his first appearance here with orchestra since 1999. Mr. Ma’s performance of Dvořák’s famous concerto will be a special highlight of this season’s tribute to the composer.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Add this to your subscription package for priority seating! This concert is ONLY available to UNLIMITED and 8-CONCERT subscribers.

Mozart’s Requiem | 3/9-3/12

Thurs., Mar. 9, 2023 | 7:30PM |Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Fri., Mar. 10, 2023 | 7:30PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sun., Mar. 12, 2023 | 2:30PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
The Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate JoAnn Falletta returns
to direct the orchestra and VSO Chorus in Mozart’s transcendent Requiem, with
its darkly rich orchestration and otherworldly radiance. The program begins with
Richard Strauss’ tone poem that explores what lies beyond our earthly existence.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Robert Shoup, concertmaster
Richard Strauss: Death and Transfiguration
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem

Violinist Gil Shaham Returns | 3/24-3/26

Fri., Mar. 24, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Mar. 25, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Sun., Mar. 26, 2023 | 2:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Since his surprise appearance with the VSO when he was just 17 years old (a lastminute replacement for Yehudi Menuhin) Gil Shaham has been a special favorite of local audiences even as he has become one of America’s most revered and recorded instrumentalists. He performs the beautiful Dvořák Violin Concerto, a youthful piece that is virtuosic and joyous all the way through. The program also includes a selection of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, newly reimagined by composers commissioned specifically for this project.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Antonin Dvořák: Violin Concerto
Antonin Dvořák: Slavonic Dances

Broadway Rocks | 3/31-4/1

Fri., Mar. 31, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Apr. 1, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
This high energy show brings together exciting vocalists from the Broadway stage performing selections from Rock and contemporary Broadway hits. Featured in this show are selections from popular musicals including Hairspray, The Lion King, Rent, The Wiz, and Phantom of the Opera among many others.

Romantic Meltdown | 4/21-4/22

Fri., Apr. 21, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., Apr. 22, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
His Symphony No. 1 was reportedly Tchaikovsky’s own favorite piece. Like Tchaikovsky, composer Anna Clyne, an inventive collaborator once described by NPR as “fearless,” always tells a story with her music to create a very distinct sound and color. Also on the program is the piece lovingly called “Rach 2” by its legions of devotees – the ultimate piano thrill ride.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
Anna Clyne: Masquerade
Sergei Rachmaninov: Concerto No. 2
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1

The Music of Star Wars | 5/4

Thurs., May 4,2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
May the fourth be with you.

From the Silk Road to the Planets | 5/11-5/14

Thur., May 11, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Fri., May 12, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Sun., May 14, 2023 | 2:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
The VSO welcomes two members of the legendary Silk Road Ensemble: the world’s leading virtuoso on the tabla, Sandeep Das, and composer Kayhan Kalhor! Music Director Eric Jacobsen takes us all on a journey from the farthest reaches of our universe to the most joyous human dance imaginable, an accessible emotional bridge to one of the world’s most ancient cultures.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh
Sandeep Das, tabla
Karen Ouzounian, cello
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus Women
Gabriel Fauré: Pie Jesu
Kayhan Kalhor: Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur
Gustav Holst: The Planets

Chris Thile: World Premiere | 5/19-5/21

Fri., May 19, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Ferguson Center, Newport News
Sat., May 20, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Sun., May 21, 2023 | 2:30 PM | Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Join the VSO for the world premiere of mandolin master Chris Thile’s new concerto with orchestra! We are so proud that Chris has chosen the VSO for this opportunity – it’s a tribute to the orchestra and our music director’s dedication to collaboration and fostering new works at the crossroads of American music.
Made possible by the Susan S. Goode Performance Fund. Co-presented with the Virginia Arts Festival.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Chris Thile, mandolin