M E D I A  A D V I S O R Y

November 23, 2016 – Richmond, Virginia You are invited to join the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program (YOP) for a free concert on Sunday, December 4 at 7pm at the Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Arts Center. Student musicians will perform pieces by some of the most renowned classical composers including Sibelius, Brahms and Mozart. Three out of four YOP ensembles totaling 176 students will be featured at the concert including Youth Concert Orchestra led by Christopher Moseley, Camerata Strings led by Rebecca Jilcott and String Sinfonietta led by Christie-Jo Adams. This will be the group’s first concert since they began practicing together at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in September.

Concerts presented by the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program highlight some of the region’s top young student musicians in grades 2 to 12. The education program consists of four youth orchestras, ranging from beginner to advanced. Students participate in weekly rehearsals, coachings and masterclasses by Richmond Symphony musicians, chamber music performances, mentoring and other musical and social activities.

Admission is FREE! (no ticket required).

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History of Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program was created in the spring of 1962 and is the oldest youth orchestra in Virginia. Leaders of the newly formed Richmond Symphony partnered with Richmond Public Schools to offer music students the opportunity to participate in a full orchestra experience and provide an exemplary orchestral experience for young musicians.

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program (YOP) provides quality musical opportunities for student musicians. More than 250 school-aged musicians within a 100-mile radius of Richmond rehearse weekly with one of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program’s four ensembles. YOP is recognized as central Virginia’s premier orchestral training program and is in the forefront of the local arts community with a busy concert schedule that includes fall, winter and spring concerts for all of its ensembles.

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program is committed to training young musicians, nurturing future performers and developing new audiences. We encourage and welcome everyone, whether a first-time listener or a seasoned concert-goer, to experience the magic of our talented young musicians performing together. YOP alumni can be found in major orchestras around the world including the Richmond Symphony!  Many of our alumni become professional musicians, many become music teachers, while others pursue careers unrelated to the arts and aspire to major leadership roles in their communities.

About the Richmond Symphony

Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 260 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season, more than 200,000 members of the community enjoy concerts, radio broadcasts, and educational outreach programs. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.