Richmond Symphony School of Music News

Apply to Compete in the Richmond Symphony League’s 55th Annual Concerto Competition

Nov 5 2025

Competition

Richmond Symphony League Presents 55th Annual Student Concerto Competition

Our friends at the Richmond Symphony League will be hosting their 55th annual Student Concerto Competition on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The League’s concerto competition is open to any classically trained instrumentalist ...
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Nov 4 2025

Concert

Upcoming Youth Orchestra Concert Will Feature Nearly 200 Student Performers

All five Youth Orchestra ensembles will come together in concert in the Carpenter Theatre this November, from our youngest violinists in String Sinfonietta to our pre-professional young musicians in the Richmond Symphony ...
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Nov 3 2025

Future Music Educators Symposium

Nomination Form Open for 6th Annual Future Music Educators Symposium

Virginia high school music educators: Do you know a junior or senior who would make an excellent music educator one day? If you teach a student who’s got that spark, now is ...
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Nov 2 2025

Concert

Science Museum of Virginia Presents Pre-Show Demonstration At Upcoming Family Concert

Listen up! We’re exploring the science behind sound waves. We’ll blow your mind—but not your eardrums—with the power of sound. If you’re attending this weekend’s Family Concert, The Science of Sound, come ...
NCS Concert Photo

Oct 31 2025

Spotlight Series

Spotlight Series: YOP Graduate Emma Cary Wins Cello Position at North Carolina Symphony

Cellist Emma Cary, a Glen Allen native and daughter of two Richmond Symphony musicians, recently won a position with the North Carolina Symphony’s cello section. Her career has taken her across the ...
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Sep 30 2025

Concert

Explore How Music and Physics Connect at Richmond Symphony Family Concert: The Science of Sound

Explore how music and physics connect at our first Family Concert of the year: The Science of Sound! Presented in collaboration with the Science Museum of Virginia, guests will discover how orchestral ...
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Sep 29 2025

Companion Courses

Richmond Symphony Companion Courses Now Free and Open to the Public

Take your Richmond Symphony listening experience above and beyond with our Companion Course series, which we are excited to share are now FREE and open to the public! Join Dr. Julie Bemis, ...
Rva End Music Festival

Sep 29 2025

Community Performance

Richmond East End Festival Raises Funds for Educational Arts Programming

Support the future of the visual, performing, and cultural arts in Richmond Public Schools at the East End Festival! Since its inception in 2016, the festival has raised over a half million ...
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Sep 29 2025

Community Performance

Richmond Symphony Returns to Pocahontas State Park for Pocahontas Premieres Series

The Richmond Symphony returns to Pocahontas State Park for the next installment of their Pocahontas Premieres series on Sunday, September 28! Enjoy the last of the warm weather at Virginia’s most visited state ...
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Sep 28 2025

Spotlight Series

Spotlight Series: RSYO Students Participate in Selective Summer Residential Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts

“Every summer, rising juniors and seniors from high schools across Virginia apply to and are selected for the Summer Residential Governor’s Schools: seven state- and locally sponsored residential programs offering students advanced ...
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Sep 27 2025

Youth Orchestra Program

Mid-season Auditions Now Open for Youth Orchestra Program

Don't miss out on your chance to make music with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program! This October, we’re holding mid-season auditions to fill vacancies in our YOP ensembles. Auditions are open ...
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Sep 24 2025

Spotlight Series

Spotlight Series: RSYO Students Participate in Selective Summer Residential Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts

Every summer, rising juniors and seniors from high schools across Virginia apply to and are selected for the Summer Residential Governor’s Schools: seven state- and locally sponsored residential programs offering students advanced ...
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Jul 8 2025

Youth Orchestra Program

Registration for String Sinfonietta Open Today!

Take your first steps into the world of symphonic music! String Sinfonietta, our entry-level ensemble in our Youth Orchestra Program, is now accepting applications for our 2025–26 season. String Sinfonietta is suited ...
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Jul 7 2025

Youth Orchestra Program

Your Sneak Peek at Our 2025–26 Season

We’ve got an amazing lineup of ensembles, classes, and events for our 2025–26 season! Our five Youth Orchestra Program ensembles begin rehearsals in August for a combined full-program performance in November—the first ...
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Jul 6 2025

Youth Orchestra Program

Educational Highlights from Our 2024–25 Season

Thank you to all those who joined us for an amazing 2024–25 season! From our Youth Orchestra Program to Youth Community Strings, our Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery Concerts, and more, we were honored to ...
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Jul 1 2025

Community Performance

Celebrate July 4th with the Richmond Symphony and Henrico Recreation & Parks at Red, White, & Lights!

Join your Richmond Symphony to celebrate July 4th at Henrico County's annual Red, White, & Lights event! With historical reenactments, over 15 visiting food trucks, and a laser light show with fireworks ...
youth community strings students

Feb 14 2025

Youth Community Strings

Youth Community Strings students celebrate Valentine’s Day by making music in their community

Youth Community Strings is celebrating February by spreading their love of music within our community! YCS students will spend Valentine’s Day with the residents at the St. Francis Manchester Assisted Living Community. ...
Hae Lee conducts the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra string orchestra

Feb 14 2025

Youth Orchestra Program

Upcoming concert features RSYO and Percussion Ensemble

Mark your calendars—our first youth orchestra concert of 2025 is coming up quickly on Sunday, February 23! Woodwinds, brass, and percussion will join the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra for a performance of ...
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Feb 14 2025

Discovery Concert

Registration open for Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery Concert Series

It's not too late to register your school group for our spring Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery Concert: Storytime with the Richmond Symphony, featuring The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss™! Held during the school day, Discovery Concerts engage ...
julie bemis and davey van beveren

Feb 14 2025

New Staff

The Richmond Symphony School of Music welcomes two new team members

The Richmond Symphony School of Music is excited to announce two new additions to the team this season: Dr. Julie Bemis, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement, and Davey Van Beveren, ...
Apply to Compete in the Richmond Symphony League’s 55th Annual Concerto Competition

Dec 8 2024

Competition

Apply to Compete in the Richmond Symphony League’s 55th Annual Concerto Competition

Calling all young performers! The Richmond Symphony League is hosting its 55th annual Student Concerto Competition on Saturday, January 4, 2025. The competition is open to classically-trained instrumental music students from Virginia who have ...
RSYO Collab with VCUarts Music and Concert in the Carpenter Theatre

Dec 5 2024

Concert

Recap: RSYO Collab with VCUarts Music and Concert in the Carpenter Theatre

Earlier this fall, RSYO string students came together with composition students from VCUarts Music for an evening of score-reading fun. On stage at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, RSYO ...
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Dec 2 2024

Discovery Concert

Registration Open for Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery Concert Series

Registration is now open for our spring Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery Concert: Storytime with the Richmond Symphony, featuring The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss™ and Kimberly Schroeder, narrator! Held during the school day, Discovery Concerts engage young ...
Dr. Angela Ammerman-Future Music Educators Symposium

Dec 2 2024

Future Music Educators Symposium

Nominations Open for our Future Music Educators Symposium

It’s time for music teachers to nominate students for our Future Music Educators Symposium (FMES)! This 8-week online program, offered in the spring semester, is designed to provide a meaningful experience for ...
Our Youth Community Strings cohort performs Sleepytime for Baby Gibbons for their families, friends, and guests at the Children's Museum of Richmond. Afterwards, the students explored the many exhibits at CMoR. Photo by Adrienne Broom

Dec 1 2024

Youth Community Strings

Recap: First Youth Community Strings Performance of the Year

Earlier this fall, Youth Community Strings presented their first community performance of the year at the Children’s Museum of Richmond! After performing pieces such as Kangaroo in the Pouch, Sleepytime for Baby Gibbons, and ...
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Oct 3 2024

Youth Orchestra Program

First Youth Orchestra Program Performance of the Year

The 2024–25 season marks the Youth Orchestra Program’s 63rd year of operations! This season will be full of performances featuring all five of our ensembles, with the first featuring the Richmond Symphony Youth ...
YCStrings performance December 2023

Sep 30 2024

Community Performance

Upcoming Community Performance for Youth Community Strings

Youth Community Strings is excited to announce their first community performance of the season at the Children’s Museum of Richmond’s downtown location (2626 West Broad Street)! On Friday, October 11 at 3:30 ...
student symphoney

Aug 7 2024

Youth Orchestra Program

Welcome back to RSSoM for the 2024–25 season!

Welcome back to the Richmond Symphony School of Music for our 2024–25 season! Classes and rehearsals begin on Tuesday, August 20 with the start of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO) and ...
YCStrings group photo 2023–24

Aug 7 2024

Youth Community Strings

Volunteer with Youth Community Strings

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. ...
Discovery concert

Aug 7 2024

Concert

Registration now open for Discovery Concerts

Concert Dates Lift Off! | October 2 and 3, 2024, at 10:30 am The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss™! | March 12 and 13, 2025, at 10:30 am The Richmond Symphony is pleased ...