ANNOUNCEMENT
Welcome to The Richmond Symphony School of Music
FOUNDED IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, the Richmond Symphony School of Music (RSSoM) is now in operation as a virtual music school open to the public. Together, we aspire to provide a broad range of programming to Central Virginia, the Commonwealth, and beyond, and to establish the foundation upon which a brick-and-mortar community music school will be established in the future.
During our first year, over 400 students attended more than a dozen offerings: digital ensemble classes based on our pre-COVID youth orchestras; precollege chamber music, music theory, and composition classes; and evening classes for adults — with a vision for more in the future. As a virtual music school, we utilize videoconferencing software and an array of both digital and traditional resources to supplement instruction and exploration, and to facilitate real-time lessons and classes.
A diverse and dedicated team of musicians, students, teachers, parents, administrators, and music education professionals representing our region’s leaders in the field continue to develop our plans for growth in 2021 and beyond.
Our sincere hope and dream is that RSSoM will grow to take its place among Richmond’s many fine institutions as a hub of a spectrum of activities, where music education is accessible to all and where all styles and traditions of music are valued, respected, and pursued with dedication, passion, and love: "changing lives through the power of music."
This Friday, October 11 at 4:00 pm, Youth Community Strings will present their first community performance of the year! Join us at the Children’s Museum of Richmond’s downtown location (2626 West Broad Street) to hear pieces such as Kangaroo in the Pouch, Sleepytime for Baby Gibbons, and more. 🎻 🎉 💫
Admission is required to enter the museum and free parking is available in CMoR’s parking deck. Bring your young future musician and explore the museum with them following the performance. We can’t wait to see you there!
Thank you to our partners at The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church, A to B Kid Shuttle, and the Children’s Museum of Richmond. For more information on Friday’s performance, check the link in our bio.
Photos from our students’ first performance in October 2023 by James H Loving Photography (@jamesloving).
@rvasymphony @childrensmuseumofrichmond @myspbc @spbc_imagination #musiceducation #performingarts #rvatakesthestage #orchestra#elementarymusic #rvafamily #rvafamilyfun
Welcome back to the Richmond Symphony School of Music for our 2024–25 season! A new year of music making kicks off today with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO) and Youth Community Strings. In the coming weeks, we’ll be joined by our remaining four Youth Orchestra Program ensembles, our brand-new Young Composers Seminar, the next cohort of the Future Music Educators Symposium, and more. Happy music-making, and welcome back to RSSoM for a great new year! 🎻🎉
@rvasymphony #youthorchestra #musiceducation #performingarts #rvatakesthestage #orchestra
It’s not too late to join String Sinfonietta, our entry-level strings ensemble! If you’re a beginner-level string musician, Sinfonietta is the ensemble for you! 🎻🎶
Sinfonietta is open to any violinist, violist, cellist, or double bassist who has played their instrument for at least one year. In this ensemble, students learn the basics of playing in an orchestra. They learn about their section within the orchestra, and their role within the section. Students learn to watch and follow a conductor, and how to listen to other sections in the orchestra. Above all, the young musicians in Sinfonietta learn the joy of making music with others.
To register and learn more about recommended fundamentals, visit the link in our bio and fill out the inquiry form. Registration for Sinfonietta is open until the ensemble is full and some sections may close before others.
@rvasymphony #youthorchestra #musiceducation #performingarts #rvatakesthestage #orchestra #rvafamily #rvafamilyfun #rvamoms #rvadads #rvakids
Our favorite part about each season at the Richmond Symphony School of Music? The new friends we make along the way 🫶🎶 Swipe to see some of our favorite moments from the previous year while we wait excitedly for the 2024–25 season to begin!
Tuesday, August 20 marks this season’s start of Youth Community Strings and one of our Youth Orchestra Program ensembles. See you soon!
@rvasymphony #youthorchestra #musiceducation #performingarts #rvatakesthestage #orchestra #band #elementarymusic
Our RSSoM family is having a blast making music this summer! From concert hall visits to new repertoire, summer festivals, and more, swipe to see how YOP students Alyssa, Aubrey, and Hayley have been spending their summer 🎶☀️
RSSoM students, it’s not too late to send in your story! Visit the link in our bio to tell us all about the music you’ve been making during your summer vacation.
@rvasymphony #youthorchestra #violin #viola #cello #musiceducation
Are you passionate about the arts? Do you enjoy a vibrant, fast-paced environment? The Richmond Symphony and the Richmond Symphony School of Music are hiring! Apply to join a highly accomplished team in a city dedicated to growing arts and culture in the role of Assistant Director of Education and Community Engagement. Visit the link in our bio for more information.
Passionate about music education or elementary education? Be part of it and assist with Youth Community Strings next season! 🎻✨ We are seeking volunteers with experience in education to assist during program hours. Previous music experience is not required to make an impact. Students may receive volunteer hours in exchange for assisting. Email Program Manager Caitlin Barry at cbarry@richmondsymphony.com for more information.
Photo by James H Loving Photography (@jamesloving).
Apply to perform in our masterclass with virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman! 🎻 The Richmond Symphony School of Music is thrilled to host a masterclass with Mr. Perlman on Friday, September 13 at 2:00 pm. Violinists in grades 9–12 for the 2024–25 school year are eligible to apply. Students must also be full-time residents of central Virginia. A list of eligible cities and counties can be found on our website, along with the application.
Completed auditions and applications are due by Friday, August 2 at 5:00 pm and repertoire must be approved in advance—visit the link in our bio to start your application process today!
Photo of Itzhak Perlman © Masterclass.com.
@rvasymphony #violin #masterclass #itzhakperlman #violinist #classicalmusic
Calling all beginner-level string musicians! Registration for String Sinfonietta, our entry-level strings ensemble, is open today! 🎻🎶
Sinfonietta is open to any violinist, violist, cellist, or double bassist who has played their instrument for at least one year. In this ensemble, students learn the basics of playing in an orchestra. They learn about their section within the orchestra, and their role within the section. Students learn to watch and follow a conductor, and how to listen to other sections in the orchestra. Above all, the young musicians in Sinfonietta learn the joy of making music with others.
To register and learn more about recommended fundamentals, visit the link in our bio and fill out the inquiry form. Registration for Sinfonietta is open until the ensemble is full and some sections may close before others.
Photos from the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons by James H Loving Photography (@jamesloving).
@rvasymphony #rvatakesthestage #musiceducation #youthorchestra #violin #viola #cello #doublebass
LAST CHANCE! Don’t miss your last chance to register for the Young Composers Seminar! All applications are due by the end of the day TODAY on Friday, June 21. Visit the link in our bio or read below for more information about the program.
Introducing the Young Composers Seminar! Your Richmond Symphony and VCUarts Music are proud to announce this special opportunity for young composers! High school students interested in musical composition will join acclaimed composer Damien Geter, Richmond Symphony Composer in Residence, on the journey from inspiration to performance next season as he leads a cohort of young composers through a unique musical experience. Young composers will gather monthly, both in person and online, to share and workshop their projects with Damien and each other, culminating in a special live performance in May 2025.
Young Composers Seminar is presented in collaboration with VCUarts Music. Students will have access to VCU’s Media Lab and the contemporary tools for composition used by their composition and media scoring students, including GarageBand, Logic Pro, Finale, and a full suite of software instruments. Since the collective project of the seminar will be a performance of student work by live musicians, each participant will produce a notated score and parts as part of their final project using Finale software.
Whether you think of yourself as a composer or not, all students interested in directly participating in the process of creating new music are encouraged to apply.
To apply, complete the application form linked in our bio and submit up to three examples of your creative work via PDF file, audio file, or YouTube link. Written, traditionally notated scores and/or audio/video submissions will be considered. Formal training in composition is not required.
Photo by James H Loving Photography (@jamesloving).
@rvasymphony @vcuartsmusic #musiceducation #composer #youngcomposer #composition #rvatakesthestage
After six wonderful seasons conducting the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, Mr. Myssyk conducted his final concert with the Youth Orchestra Program on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. During his time with RSYO, Mr. Myssyk conducted 30+ works with over 150 young musicians! We are grateful for his mentorship, sense of humor, and dedication to YOP, which he has worked with since 2018.
Mr. Myssyk will continue his work as Assistant Conductor of the Richmond Symphony after this season. Swipe to see some of our favorite memories with Mr. Myssyk and comment your favorite moment below ⬇️
Photos by James H Loving Photography (@jamesloving).
@rvasymphony #richmondsymphony #musiceducation #orchestra #band #rvatakesthestage #youthorchestra
Congratulations to all students involved in our spring YOP concerts! 🎉🎶 Our concert on Tuesday, May 14 featured performances by Percussion Ensemble and the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra. This concert highlighted our percussion students from both of our full orchestras and violinist Hayley Dunn, winner of the 2023–24 RSYO Concerto Competition.
We also welcomed our partners from the Greater Richmond Youth Jazz Band to the stage. After the jazz set, RSYO and GRYJB came together onstage for a spirited performance of George Gershwin’s ‘S Wonderful.
In total, almost 200 YOP students performed in our end-of-season concerts–and that doesn’t even include our partners from GRYWE and GRYJB! Kudos to all students involved, and congrats on a memorable 2023–24 season.
Photos by James H Loving Photography (@jamesloving).
@rvasymphony @vcubands #richmondsymphony #musiceducation #orchestra #band #rvatakesthestage
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.
STAY POSTED
Get our weekly school updates, upcoming events, new semester classes, and school announcements.
A free series featuring guest artists and experts
in the music industry
Stay tuned for our next event!
