Richmond, VA—This week, actors from AMC’s TURN visited the Richmond Symphony to support music education in Central Virginia. Kevin McNally (Judge Richard Woodhull), Burn Gorman (Major Hewlett), Meegan Warner (Mary Woodhull), Seth Numrich (Ben Talmadge),Daniel Henshall (Caleb Brewster) and Samuel Roukin (Lt. John Simcoe), arrived at the Carpenter Theatre carrying several instruments to donate which they purchased for the Richmond Symphony. The Symphony receives financial contributions year round to support education and engagement initiatives.

As McNally explained, “We’ve all been in Richmond for three seasons now, and we want the arts to flourish. The Symphony is doing important work, and we’re glad to be part of it.” Gorman added that “Music education is vital. When I heard about the Symphony’s youth initiatives I told my kids ‘I’m not bringing the drum kit back to England, we’re giving it to Richmond.’”

Jamie Bell, the lead actor on TURN, also contributed towards the cast’s donations. “Kevin told me about what he was doing for the Richmond Symphony and I wanted to help. We’re proud to be part of the RVA community,” he said.

The Richmond Symphony’s education programs are varied and vital resources for thousands of families in the region. Thanks to donors, professional musicians have visited more than 75 local schools since November, and hundreds of youth orchestra students rehearse every week in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.

This March, composer Laura Elise Schwendinger will visit Virginia to rehearse her newly commissioned piece which the top ensemble, the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, will perform. And in May, local businesses, nonprofits, and government representatives will bring free community festivals to Richmond neighborhoods, anchored by Symphony performances under the new “Big Tent.” As announced last week, from May 6-8 the RVA East End Festival: The Gift of Music in Church Hill’s Chimborazo Park will raise $100,000 to purchase musical
instruments for public school students in the East End. McNally, Gorman and Jamie Bell’s gifts will join these resources to support education programs for young musicians in our region.

As Richmond Symphony’s Executive Director David Fisk explained, “We are delighted that actors from around the world are investing in our communities and inspiring our children. We are grateful to Mr. McNally, Mr. Gorman and Mr. Bell for their generous support, and the cast for their advocacy. We hope that it will motivate more locals to give.”

To make a gift to support these and other Symphony initiatives please visit RichmondSymphony.com or contact Amy Atticks at 804-788-4717 X 116. Ticket sales cover only 1/3 of operating costs. Every dollar makes a difference.

About the Music Alive Residency
The Residency of Laura Schwendinger is made possible through Music Alive: New
Partnerships, a residency program of New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras. This national program is designed to establish new relationships between composers and orchestras, and to help orchestras present new music to the public and build support for new music within their institutions. Leadership funding for Music Alive is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund.

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.

Media Contacts: Kelli Marakovits
Marketing and PR Manager
p. 804.788.4717 ext. 121
e. kmarakovits@richmondsymphony.com

Scott Dodson
Director of Advancement and Patron Communications
p. 804.788.4717 ext. 120
e. sdodson@richmondsymphony.com