Welcome to The Richmond Symphony School of Music
Founded in the summer of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Richmond Symphony School of Music (RSSoM) launched as a virtual platform to bring music learning and community connection to students across Central Virginia and beyond. Today, RSSoM has grown into the central hub for all educational and community programming under the Richmond Symphony.
Although not a traditional brick-and-mortar institution, RSSoM represents the Symphony’s commitment to providing accessible, inclusive, and meaningful music education. Its wide-ranging programs span performance, learning, and exposure for all ages and income levels—from our flagship Youth Orchestra Program and in-school Educational Ensembles, to adult enrichment opportunities and free community events. The School of Music also maintains one fully virtual offering, the Companion Course, designed to foster deep listening and engagement through guided online exploration.
Each year, RSSoM reaches thousands of students through school-based performances, Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery concerts, and after-school programs, while also supporting emerging musicians through chamber music, masterclasses, and mentorship. From second graders picking up an instrument for the first time to high schoolers preparing for conservatory auditions, RSSoM reflects our vision for a vibrant, music-connected region.
Led by a dedicated team of musicians, educators, administrators, and community partners, RSSoM is helping redefine what a community music school can be: not confined to one building, but embedded in the life of a city—changing lives through the power of music.
Guests to the Richmond Symphony’s Annual Meeting at Hardywood this week were treated to a performance by our very own tubist Isaiah Coles, a 2025 graduate of our Youth Orchestra Program! Isaiah performed a J.S. Bach minuet for solo cello arranged for tuba and participated in a brief Q&A session with Dr. Julie Bemis, our Vice President of Education and Community Engagement, for an audience of Richmond Symphony staff, musicians, Board members, and Foundation members.
Before his recent graduation from New Kent High School, Isaiah was a valued member of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra for three years, performing works such as Saint-Saëns’s Danse bacchanale, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, and Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture. Isaiah also participated in our Honors seminar and was selected as the only tuba player in the All-Virginia Orchestra multiple times—meaning he is the number one ranked tuba in the state! This fall, he’ll be attending Virginia Commonwealth University for a degree in music performance, studying with Jeff Hudson. Thank you for your beautiful performance this week and for a great three years in YOP, Isaiah—you will be greatly missed next season! 💫🎶
@rvasymphony @vcuartsmusic @virginiamusiceducators #RichmondSymphony #YouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestra #Tuba #Brass #RichmondVA #RVA #Graduate #MusicEducation #ClassicalMusic
Concert day fit check: ❌❌❌
Theme and variations on concert black: ✅✅✅
Needless to say, we keep our concert attire stylish here at the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program! Here’s to a great year of music-making across our five YOP ensembles—we can’t wait for next season!
@rvasymphony @hae.conductor #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation #Tchaikovsky #Tchaikovsky5 #Symphony #Flute #Oboe #Clarinet #Bassoon #Horn #FrenchHorn #Trumpet #Trombone #Harp #Violin #Viola #Cello #DoubleBass #Orchestra #YouthOrchestra
Today’s the day! If you’re auditioning in person for our Youth Orchestra Program, we’ll see you soon at the James W. Black Music Center on campus at VCU. Break a leg, everyone!
#RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #Flute #Oboe #Clarinet #Bassoon #Horn #FrenchHorn #Trumpet #Trombone #Tuba #Percussion #Violin #Viola #Cello #Bass #DoubleBass #Woodwinds #Brass #Strings #YouthMusic #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation
TONIGHT (Sunday, June 1) is your LAST CHANCE to audition for the next season of our Youth Orchestra Program! All virtual audition materials are due by 11:59 PM tonight. If you still haven’t registered for your virtual audition, it’s not too late—upon completing the registration form, you will receive an automated email with the link to submit your virtual audition materials. Visit the link in our bio to register and submit your audition before the evening ends!
Auditions are not required for our entry-level string ensemble, String Sinfonietta. Sinfonietta registration will remain open this summer until all seats are filled. For more information, visit the interest form linked in our bio.
@rvasymphony #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #Flute #Oboe #Clarinet #Bassoon #Horn #FrenchHorn #Trumpet #Trombone #Tuba #Percussion #Violin #Viola #Cello #DoubleBass #Richmond #RichmondVA #RVA #RVAFamily #RVAFamilyFun #RVAThingsToDo #Orchestra #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation
POV: You and your teacher just finished playing together on stage in our first Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra side-by-side since February 2020—and for an audience of over two thousand! 🌟
At the Richmond Symphony’s Big Tent concert this past weekend, RSYO students took the stage with Symphony musicians for a 45-minute set featuring selections by Tchaikovsky, Tate, and Forsyth. Students of every section played alongside Richmond Symphony musicians, including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Some students even sat alongside their current teachers! Following the first half of the performance, RSYO returned to the audience to enjoy the rest of the evening.
If you haven’t already heard, we have great news: We are thrilled to announce that in February 2026, RSYO and the Richmond Symphony will come together for a full side-by-side in Carpenter Theatre! This performance will feature full orchestral masterworks played by students and professionals, presented on stage at the Dominion Energy Center—the very theatre where the Richmond Symphony performs on a regular basis.
As the 2025–26 season approaches, we still have space for you to join us on stage! If you still haven’t signed up for your RSYO audition, it’s not too late—visit the link in our bio to submit your virtual audition by the end of the day on Sunday, June 1.
📸 Photos submitted by RSYO double bassist Peter Y., Richmond Symphony double bassist Matt Gold, and @rso_musicians
@rvasymphony @rvaparksandrec #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestra #YouthOrchestraProgram #ClassicalMusic #ChimborazoPark #Richmond #RichmondVA #RVA #RVAFamily #Tchaikovsky #Tchaik5 #DoubleBass #ChimborazoPark
For many of our students, Youth Concert Orchestra—one of our two intermediate ensembles—is their very first experience playing in a full orchestra with strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion! Listen to our resident oboists, violinists, and cellists tell you why they love playing in YCO 🎤🎶
If you’re interested in joining the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program, this June is your chance to audition for our intermediate string orchestra, our two full orchestras, and our Percussion Ensemble! In-person audition registration is now closed, but virtual audition registration will remain open until the end of the day on Sunday, June 1, when all submissions are due. Visit the link in our bio to sign up for your audition today! Auditions are not required for our entry-level string ensemble, String Sinfonietta; for more information, visit the interest form linked in our bio.
@rvasymphony #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #Flute #Oboe #Clarinet #Bassoon #Horn #FrenchHorn #Trumpet #Trombone #Tuba #Violin #Viola #Cello #DoubleBass #Richmond #RichmondVA #RVA #RVAFamily #RVAFamilyFun #RVAThingsToDo #Orchestra #StringOrchestra #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation
Spring concert photo dump 📸🎶 Congratulations to all YOP students who performed in our end-of-season concerts at Carpenter Theatre! Highlights included the world premiere of a work by Richmond Symphony Composer-in-Residence Damien Geter, two concertos performed, a guest performance by Youth Community Strings, 27 graduating seniors honored, and nearly 200 student performers!
We’re gearing up for an exciting 2025–26 season, and we want YOU to be part of it! Whether you’re team strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion, there’s a space for you among our five ensembles! 🎻🎺🥁🎶
This June is your chance to audition for our intermediate string orchestra, our two full orchestras, and our Percussion Ensemble. In-person audition registration is now closed, but virtual audition registration will remain open until the end of the day on Sunday, June 1, when all submissions are due. Visit the link in our bio to sign up for your audition today! Auditions are not required for our entry-level string ensemble, String Sinfonietta; for more information, visit the interest form linked in our bio.
@rvasymphony @rsyop.percussion #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestra #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #Tchaikovsky #Beethoven #Mozart #Flute #Oboe #Clarinet #Bassoon #FrenchHorn #Horn #Trumpet #Trombone #Tuba #Harp #Violin #Viola #Cello #DoubleBass #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation #YouthOrchestra #RVA #Richmond #RichmondVA #RVAFamily
Beautiful repertoire, amazing new friends, and opportunities to learn even more about your instrument—what’s not to love about Camerata Strings?! 🤩🎻✨
If you’re interested in joining the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program, this June is your chance to audition for our intermediate string orchestra, our two full orchestras, and our Percussion Ensemble! In-person audition registration is now closed, but virtual audition registration will remain open until the end of the day on Sunday, June 1, when all submissions are due. Visit the link in our bio to sign up for your audition today! Auditions are not required for our entry-level string ensemble, String Sinfonietta; for more information, visit the interest form linked in our bio.
@rvasymphony #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #Violin #Viola #Cello #DoubleBass #Richmond #RichmondVA #RVA #RVAFamily #RVAFamilyFun #RVAThingsToDo #Orchestra #StringOrchestra #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation
Celebrate Memorial Day with Camerata Strings, the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the full Richmond Symphony as part of our annual Big Tent performance! 🎪🎶🌈🎻🎺
First, Camerata Strings and conductor Melissa Jones take the stage, performing a commissioned work by Richmond Symphony Conductor-in-Residence Damien Geter. Then, the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO) and the Richmond Symphony come together for a side-by-side performance conducted by Hae Lee, performing works by Tate, Tchaikovsky, and more! We will also feature violist Joe Legutko, winner of the 2024–25 RSYO Concerto Competition, who will perform the first movement of Forsyth’s Viola Concerto in G minor.
Big Tent
Saturday, May 24, 2025 | 6:00 pm
Chimborazo Park
3215 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23223
@rvasymphony @rso_musicians #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #ClassicalMusic #Strings #Woodwinds #Brass #Percussion #Viola #CecilForsyth #Tchaikovsky #Tchaikovsky5 #RVAFamilies #RVA #RichmondVA #Richmond #VisitRichmond #TheRichmondExperience
In our most recent adventures with our mini mic, listen to ten String Sinfonietta students tell us why they love being a member of YOP, and why they think you should join us next season in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program! 🎤🌟
Great news: If you’re interested in joining String Sinfonietta, no audition is required—all you have to do is complete the Sinfonietta interest form, found at the link in our bio!
If you’re interested in joining another one of our five ensembles, this June is your chance to audition for our intermediate string orchestra, our two full orchestras, or our Percussion Ensemble. Any young musician ages 8 to 21 in the central Virginia region is eligible to audition either online or in person on Saturday, June 7. In-person audition sign-ups are due by Sunday, May 25 and virtual auditions are due by Sunday, June 1. Visit the link in our bio to sign up for your audition today!
@rvasymphony #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestra #Violin #Viola #Cello #DoubleBass #YouthMusic #ClassicalMusic #MusicEducation #RVAFamily #Richmond #RichmondVA #RVA
Calling all harp fans! Graduating senior Sylvie Dow will perform Grandjany’s Aria in Classic Style with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra at our end-of-season concert TONIGHT on Sunday, May 18 at 7:00pm. 🌟 RSYO will also perform Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and the first movement of Forsyth’s Viola Concerto in G minor, with junior Joe Legutko as soloist.
Sunday, May 18 at 7:00pm
Carpenter Theatre at the Dominion Energy Center
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble
Admission is free; no ticket required
This June is your chance to audition for our five YOP ensembles—our two string orchestras, our two full orchestras, and our Percussion Ensemble. Auditions for students ages 8–21 will take place in person or virtually in early June. For more information and to sign up for your audition, visit the link in our bio today!
Photo by Dave Parrish (@rvaphotog).
@rvasymphony @trinity_rva @trinityorchestra #RichmondSymphony #YouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestra #Harp #Grandjany #Orchestra #Tchaikovsky #ClassicalMusic #MusicStudent #Concerto
This year, we’re honored to welcome violist Joe Legutko as the winner of our 2024–25 RSYO Concerto Competition! 🌟🎻 Joe, a junior at the Collegiate School in Richmond, will perform the first movement of Forsyth’s Viola Concerto in G minor, accompanied by the full Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Sunday, May 18 at 7:00pm | Carpenter Theatre at the Dominion Energy Center | Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble | Admission is free; no ticket required
Members of RSYO have the opportunity to participate in our yearly Concerto Competition and perform solo on stage at the Carpenter Theatre! Students ages 12 to 21 are eligible to audition for RSYO, and students ages 8 through 18 are eligible to join our other four ensembles. Auditions for the next year of YOP will take place in person or virtually in early June. For more information and your chance to perform on stage with a full orchestra, visit the link in our bio today.
@rvasymphony #RichmondSymphony #RichmondSymphonyYouthOrchestraProgram #YouthOrchestraProgram #Viola #Concerto #CecilForsyth #Orchestra #Symphony #Tchaikovsky #Tchaik5
RICHMOND SYMPHONY VISION STATEMENT:
We change lives through the power of music.
RICHMOND SYMPHONY MISSION STATEMENT:
The Richmond Symphony performs,
teaches, and champions music to inspire and
unite our communities.
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