HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA [January 18, 2023] – In collaboration with Carnegie Hall, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra is participating in Link Up: The Orchestra Sings, a music education program provided by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI), during the 2022-2023 season.
The nearly 30,000 students participating in the Link Up curriculum will attend culminating concerts across Hampton Roads, where they sing and play the recorder with the orchestra from their seats. This experience often serves as a students’ first concert and provides them with the opportunity to apply the musical concepts they have studied.
Participating school districts include Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg, Hampton, Southampton, Franklin, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Chesapeake, as well as private schools and homeschooling groups across the region.
Date | First Concert | Second Concert | Venue | District |
February 14, 15, 16 (T,W,TH) | 10:15-11:15 | 11:45-12:45 | Sandler Center | Virginia Beach |
February 21, 2023 (T) | 10:30-11:30 |
| Chrysler Hall | Norfolk, CC, St Mathews |
February 28, 2023 (T) | 10:15-11:15 | 11:45-12:45 | Ferguson Center | Newport News |
March 2, 2023 (TH) | 10-11 | 11:30-12:30 | Ferguson Center | Hampton, + |
March 3, 2023 (Fr) | 10-11 | 11:30-12:30 | Southampton High School | Southampton/Franklin |
March 14, 2023 (T) | 10-11 | 11:30-12:30 | I.C. Norcom High School | Portsmouth |
March 15, 2023 (W) | 10-11 | 11:30-12:30 | I.C. Norcom High School | Portsmouth |
March 17, 2023 (Fr) | 10:30-11:30 | 12:00-1:00 | Kings Fork Middle School | Suffolk |
March 29, 2023 (W) | 10-11 | 11:30-12:30 | Sandler Center | Chesapeake |
March 30, 2023 (TH) | 10-11 |
| Sandler Center | Chesapeake |
March 30, 2023 (TH) |
| 11:30-12:30 | Sandler Center | Homeschools/private schools/ Norfolk 2nd date |
For more than 35 years, Link Up has paired orchestras with students in grades 3–5 at schools in their local communities to explore orchestral repertoire and fundamental musical skills, including creative work and composition, through a hands-on music curriculum. Link Up addresses the urgent need for music instruction and resources by providing a free, high quality, year-long curriculum that teachers can implement, along with classroom materials, online video and audio resources, and the professional development and support necessary to make the program an engaging experience for students. The curricular resources have been digitally enhanced and made available for both in-person and remote teaching settings, to best support educators as they adapt to the extraordinary conditions of the coronavirus pandemic.
The VSO is one of over 100 national and international organizations chosen for this program. Since 2003, Carnegie Hall has partnered with professional, community, and university orchestras across the US and around the world to support their existing education programs and strengthen their partnerships with local schools. In 2022-2023, Link Up will partner with sites in the US, as well as in China, Canada, Colombia, Spain, Kenya, New Zealand, Poland, and Japan, to serve approximately 450,000 students and teachers globally. Visit carnegiehall.org/LinkUp for a complete list of participants and further details.
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About the VSO
As the region’s most celebrated musical, educational and entrepreneurial arts organization, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra continues to challenge expectations and push the boundaries of what an American orchestra can be. Innovation and excellence are at the heart of the VSO’s narrative.
The VSO has received national attention for its unique mission serving a home area of 1.7 million across the diverse communities of southeastern Virginia. Through appearances at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and commitment to adventurous programming, the VSO and its musicians have been highlighted in the media including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and BBC Worldwide News.
As the largest performing arts organization in southeastern Virginia, the VSO and VSO Chorus present more than 150 concerts and events annually for more than 100,000 residents and visitors. Recent innovations include health and wellness programs, including interactive therapeutic experiences for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and adopting welcoming concert environments for those who are neurodiverse. Since 2019, the VSO has been recognized nationally for striving to reflect the region’s ethnic and racial diversity in its members, its programming, and its leadership.
The selection of the young and dynamic conductor Eric Jacobsen as music director in 2021 was another bold step forward for the VSO, further expanding its vision to attract wider and larger audiences with engaging concert experiences and creative and relevant programming. Rounding out the artistic leadership team is Norfolk native Thomas Wilkins in the role of Principal Guest Conductor, reflecting the VSO’s commitment to tell its community’s stories and advance the important conversations that will promote understanding and belonging among all residents.
About Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute
Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute produces an extraordinary range of music education and social impact programs each season that extend far outside the physical walls of the concert halls. These programs will reach over half a million people in New York City, across the US, and around the globe during the 2021-2022 season.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2022
Contact: Megan Garnache, Marketing Manager
Phone: 757.213.1413
Email: mgarnache@virginiasymphony.org
Twitter: @VASymphony
Facebook: facebook.com/virginiasymphony
