VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2017-2018 PB&J FAMILY CONCERT SEASON

HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA (April 20, 2017) – The Virginia Symphony Orchestra announced its programming for the 2017-2018 Peanut Butter & Jam Family Concert Series at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach. 

Under the direction of Resident Conductor Benjamin Rous, the PB&J series is perfect for ages 3 to 12 and offers the unique opportunity to experience the beauty and excitement of live symphonic music in a more relaxed, informal setting with child-centric activities and programming.

“The Peanut Butter and Jam concerts are probably the most fun concerts we do,” Rous said.  “It’s a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy the awesome Virginia Symphony Orchestra playing lively, engaging music, and this year we’ve got some surprises in store that will be memorable for kids big and small.”

Audiences can have a rousing good time even before show time! Starting one hour prior to concert, the Sandler Center lobby comes alive with music, crafts, and activities to enhance the concert for both the young and the young-at-heart. A few examples include: the chance to see instruments up close at the instrument “petting zoo,” listening to young musicians from Hampton Roads perform, creating crafts, interacting with local organizations such as WHRO, city libraries, and the Zoo, playing games, and much more. It’s an afternoon of interactive musical fun!

All performances are at 3 p.m., with pre-concert activities beginning at 2 p.m.  The line-up for the 2017-18 season includes 4 spectacular concerts.

Come celebrate Halloween with the ghoulish music of the Halloween Spooktacular on October 29, 2017! Dress up in your favorite Halloween costume and join Benjamin Rous and the VSO for an afternoon of monstrous fun! The Orchestra will perform some of the spookiest music ever written. But don’t be afraid–this concert is more TREAT than TRICK! 

Just in time for the holiday season, Santa Claus is coming to town for the ever-popular Jingle Bell Jam on December 10, 2017! Celebrate the magic of the season with an afternoon of the holiday musical cheer performed by the best talent in Hampton Roads. You won’t want to miss this holly jolly concert! Get your tickets early–this family favorite is sure to sell out!

Put on your super suit and join us on an epic adventure with Super Heroes! on January 27, 2018. Performing side-by-side with the Bay Youth Symphony Orchestra, VSO will perform music from your favorite superhero movies like Superman, Batman, Spiderman and more! This high-energy concert will have you flying high!

The season closes with a great mystery that only you can solve with Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead on May 20, 2018. Where is the culprit lurking? In the strings? The lower brass? The woodwinds? Young music-loving sleuths can unravel the mystery in a concert of wit, wonder and whimsy! Experience how all the instruments of the symphony combine to bring the story to life!

Season subscriptions are available at $46 for children and $63 for adults. Subscriptions can be purchased online at virginiasymphony.org, by phone at 757.892.6366 or by visiting the Virginia Symphony Box Office at 150 Boush Street, Suite 201, Norfolk, VA 23510 from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday.

Single tickets are $11 for children and $16 for adults, and go on sale in July 2017. For groups of 10 or more, call 757.213.1436.  The PB&J Family Concert Series is presented by Capital Group Company. Partial support for this concert has been provided by the Business Consortium for Arts Support, the City of Virginia Beach, the Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Under the leadership of GRAMMY-winning music director JoAnn Falletta, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra is Virginia’s preeminent professional symphony orchestra with a mission of inspiring, educating and connecting audiences of all ages.

Founded in 1921, it is ranked in the top ten percent of professional orchestras nationwide and serves the entire Southeastern Virginia region with Classics, Pops and Family concert series in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Williamsburg as well as performances in outlying Virginia and North Carolina communities, reaching nearly 150,000 concert-goers every year. Additionally, the orchestra annually reaches 45,000 children, students and lifelong learners with its education and community programs. The Virginia Symphony has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and is the cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.

Admired for his dynamism on the podium, Benjamin Rous began his tenure with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in 2010 and quickly became a favorite among audiences throughout the Hampton Roads region. In 2013, he was promoted to Resident Conductor and took on an expanded role in the VSO’s calendar. He performs on every VSO series including Classics, Regional Classics, Pops, Young People’s concerts, PB&J Family concerts and multiple series in outdoor venues. In the summers, he serves as faculty conductor at Greenwood Music Camp in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.

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2017‒18 Virginia Symphony Orchestra PBJ Family Season at a Glance

Programs, artists, venues, and dates are subject to change.

Halloween Spooktacular
Sunday, October 29, 2017 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 3PM

Jingle Bell Jam
Sunday, December 10, 2017 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 3PM

Super Heroes!
Saturday, January 27, 2018 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 3PM

Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead
Saturday, May 20, 2018 | Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach | 3PM