The Richmond Symphony School of Music’s Honors Program, open to members of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO), originally piloted in fall 2021. Designed to immerse students within the world of classical music, the program originally featured weekly lectures on music history and theory, conducting, arts administration, and more, even including a chamber music component in some years. This season, due to strong interest from students and families, the Honors Program was re-developed to fully focus on the chamber music component.
Chamber music is defined as instrumental music for a small ensemble ranging from two to ten musicians. No two musicians play the same part, and whether students are assigned to the melody or the harmony, all parts are equally important. As Isaac Wilson, a violinist and freshman at Veritas, describes it, “chamber music is like a car. Without one person, you lose a part of the car, so you can’t drive.”
As an additional challenge, chamber music is played conductorless; all cues come from the participants themselves. To be a good chamber musician requires special attention to detail, a thorough understanding of the music, and excellent leadership—all skills honed through Honors.
When registering to participate in YOP this season, eligible students filled out an additional form designating their interest in the Honors program. At the start of the season, interested students were sorted into four chamber groups, including three string quartets and one string trio. Throughout the fall semester, each chamber group met on a weekly basis, alternating coachings with two separate teachers: Richmond Symphony Associate Concertmaster Adrian Pintea and Dana McComb, cello professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.
An avid performer, teacher, and administrator, McComb has worked with the Richmond Symphony School of Music’s Honors program since its inception in 2021. Upon hearing that chamber music would return to Honors this season, McComb was delighted.
“Helping more advanced students navigate the intricacies of chamber music playing is thrilling! There’s always something new to discover in the music,” McComb said. “Sharing it with students and helping them find connections and their own voice is extraordinarily satisfying.”
Throughout the course of the semester, coaches McComb and Pintea both forged a close bond with their students.
“Each ensemble had its own personality,” McComb said. “While they put in a tremendous amount of work [at each rehearsal], we also laughed a lot, which made the whole experience both joyful and memorable.”
The students felt equally fondly about their coaches.
“It was really fun getting to work one-on-one with [McComb],” said Claire Adcock, a violinist and junior at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies. “She’s super knowledgeable about music.”
Violinist Samantha Flottman, a junior homeschool student, praised Pintea’s attention to fine detail during coachings. After the first few weeks of coaching—when the students had learned every technical element of their pieces—Pintea focused on the finer details, such as musicality and phrasing.
“We might think that [the piece] was complete, but then [Pintea] will come in and give us insights that we didn’t really think about,” Flottman said. “That was really cool.”
Equally importantly, the students were able to learn from each other, developing their skills as both classical musicians and future leaders.
“With chamber music, you get to hear everyone’s ideas,” said Samantha Flottman, a violinist and junior homeschool student.
After weeks of coachings and hard work, each chamber group performed in a special recital for their families, friends, and special guests of the Richmond Symphony.
November’s recital was particularly memorable for violinist Ezekiel Boyd, who had played his very first performance with RSYO’s string orchestra just days prior. “The performance was really, really fun,” said Boyd, a seventh grader and homeschool student. “I thought it would be.”
“It was super fun to see improvement from the first rehearsal to [the recital],” Jordan Mays, a violinist and junior at Cosby High School’s Governor’s Health Science Academy. “Now, we can play [our piece] really well, and I’m proud of us for it.”
The November recital was just as memorable for the coaches as it was for the students.
“Hearing each group achieve their unique goals in the performance was very special,” McComb said.
Though their official coachings and capstone performance were complete, many of the chamber groups were later able to revisit their pieces in special performances around the community, including a Richmond Symphony Family Concert, an event at the Library of Virginia advocating for educational reform, and the Valentine’s annual Winter Wander.
Violinist Fielding Teague, a senior at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, enjoyed playing at the Symphony’s Carnival of the Animals Family Concert in February.
“I used to come to [Family Concerts] when I was little,” Teague said, describing this particular performance as a “full-circle” moment.
Elizabeth Mackie, a violist and senior at Midlothian High School, agreed. “Little kids were [watching us play],” Mackie said. “It was so fun, they were so interested in it.”
For violinist Thomas Do, a sophomore at Midlothian High School, one of the most memorable parts of the year was his chamber group’s performance at the Library of Virginia. To his excitement, a number of Virginia government officials and policymakers watched their performance.
“Ghazala Hashmi, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, actually stopped and watched us play,” said Do with excitement.
Starting this fall, the Honors program will transition into a full-year experience—the first time Honors has spanned more than one semester since its founding. A number of students have already inquired about returning next season—and many have even asked to play in the same chamber group again.
“I really think [chamber music] gave [us] a sense of a smaller community,” said Elizabeth Shaw, a cellist and junior at Glen Allen High School. “That’s kind of the great part about chamber music—you can make a lot of new friends, too.”
“The more you [talk to your fellow musicians], the more you can connect and the more you can unlock your full potential,” said Do.
Though each student came in already able to play their instrument at a high level, each had different takeaways from their semester in Honors.
“I’ve become a better solo player, because [in chamber music] there’s moments where you kind of really have to shine and come out,” Mackie said. “[Chamber music] pushes you to do that.”
“Listening and watching other people [and] knowing what they’re doing as well helps a lot,” cellist Luke Ashton, a junior and homeschool student said.
Adcock agreed with Ashton’s statement. “I learned how to play with a critical ear and not only make sure my own part is played correctly, but also [listen to] everyone else’s part and help the group stay together,” she said.
Notably, several students stated that their experiences playing chamber music had made them better orchestral musicians.
“As a first violinist in our chamber group, [Honors] really helped me to build leadership skills when I’m playing with other people,” said Katelyn Luu, a violinist and junior at Cosby High School. “I’ve translated that to our school orchestra and leading my section at school.”
“I feel like [chamber music] made me a better ensemble player,” Teague added.
When if they’d recommend the Honors program to future RSYO students, our students had this to share:
“I would say you should do it because it’s a fun experience and it’s a new way to look at [music] and play with others,” said cellist Olivia Chen, an eighth grader at Tuckahoe Middle School.
“I would say do it and you’ll have fun,” said Boyd. “Lots of fun, [even] more fun than you think you would!”
