Virginia Symphony Orchestra Upcoming Events & Tickets
Event Details
Virginia Symphony Orchestra 2025-26 Season Info
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its 105th year with a season titled “American Spirit and Symphonic Brilliance,” honoring the United States’ 250th anniversary by spotlighting iconic works by American masters such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Samuel Barber, alongside contemporary voices including Jennifer Higdon, Curtis Stewart, Nathalie Joachim, and Adolphus Hailstork, crafted to mark Music Director Eric Jacobsen’s fifth year at the helm.
Eric Jacobsen captures the sense of occasion: “We’re bringing you some of the most iconic ‘Fifths’ in classical music: Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Beethoven. We’re honored to explore the richness of our nation’s art with a season of world premieres and classic works by iconic American composers. It will be a season of excitement, celebration, and unity — one that honors the past while embracing the future of this great community”.
The season opens September 12–14 with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony featuring cellist Jan Vogler, paired with Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal and Anna Clyne’s DANCE, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, performed at venues across Hampton Roads. Among a new lineup, the inaugural VSO Up Close series, curated by Concertmaster Grace Park, debuts on September 13 with Schubert’s Cello Quintet, where Jacobsen steps in as the featured cello alongside Jan Vogler in an intimate chamber concert.
Family-friendly programming returns with the PB&J series extending to Newport News in addition to Virginia Beach; PB&J: Finding America features Dvořák’s New World Symphony, conducted by Jacobsen with Staff Conductor and Director of Education Helen Martell .
The season also includes acclaimed special events such as Yo‑Yo Ma & Kayhan Kalhor: One Night Only, Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Copland’s Rodeo, Dvořák’s New World Symphony featuring Gil & Orli Shaham, and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, presented throughout the region through May.
In alignment with its commitment to education and community, the VSO is proud to welcome three new Fellows — Alyssa Estrella (clarinet), Carlos Lozano (viola), and Jalayne Mitchell (cello) — to its Professional Development Fellowship for Early-Career, Underrepresented Musicians. The fellows will perform across Hampton Roads, lead residencies in schools, deliver chamber music programs, and contribute to mentorship and education efforts in partnership with Old Dominion University.
This season promises a rich tapestry of experiences that weave together orchestral grandeur, chamber intimacy, American heritage, contemporary innovation, and meaningful community outreach.
Virginia Symphony Orchestra 2025-26 Tickets Info
Tickets for Virginia Symphony Orchestra 2025-26 live performances are available now through EventsChaser, with NO hidden service fees. Prices generally range from $70 to $165 for most classical and pops performances, depending on the venue, seat location, featured repertoire, and performance day. Events with prominent guest artists or film scores accompanied by live orchestra can reach $225 or more for prime seating. Many concerts offer mid-range options between $85 and $130, which provide strong acoustics and comfortable views across venues like Chrysler Hall, the Sandler Center, and the Ferguson Center. While a few performances may introduce lower entry points, the season overall presents a wide span of price levels designed to match a variety of audience preferences.
About Virginia Symphony Orchestra
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO), based in Norfolk, is the only full-time professional symphony in southeastern Virginia, serving a broad nine‑city, seven‑county region. With a roster of approximately 76 musicians supported by a volunteer chorus of over 100 members, it regularly collaborates with esteemed institutions such as Virginia Opera, the Virginia Arts Festival, and Richmond Ballet. The orchestra performs in several prominent venues across Hampton Roads, including Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach, and the Ferguson Center in Newport News.
Founded in 1920 as the Norfolk Civic Symphony Orchestra, the VSO delivered its inaugural concert in April 1921 and stood as the only American orchestra between Baltimore and Atlanta at that time. Throughout the decades, it evolved through strategic mergers: first joining with the Civic Chorus in 1949, later uniting regional ensembles to form the Virginia Orchestra Group in 1979, and ultimately adopting the name Virginia Symphony Orchestra in 1990. This lineage underscores the VSO’s strength as a regional arts leader grounded in community unity and collaboration.
Driven by a mission to ignite a love for orchestral music, the VSO embraces artistry, inclusivity, and community engagement as its core values. It presents over 150 performances and educational events annually, through which it serves more than 100,000 residents and visitors. Its outreach extends beyond traditional concerts to include programs like sensory‑friendly performances, therapeutic experiences for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and immersive educational partnerships—ensuring music remains a transformative presence across southeastern Virginia.
