Arts and Entertainment

The Supervillains, JWADI at The Annex

June 26 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
The Annex 2500 Church Street, Unit A Norfolk, VA 23517 Price: Tickets $20 adv // $25 day of show
The Supervillains
JWADI

Born from the swamps of St. Cloud, Florida in 1997, The Supervillains have spent nearly three decades fusing ska, punk, and reggae into their own brand of rowdy, high-energy rock. What started as a group of misfit musicians with a rebellious streak quickly evolved into a full force touring machine, bringing their infectious sound to countless stages across North America and the Caribbean. With seven full-length albums, two EPs, and a stack of singles, The Supervillains have cemented their reputation as one of the hardest-working bands in the underground ska-punk scene. In 2007, they signed with LAW Records, the label owned by Hawaiian reggae heartthrobs Pepper, propelling their music to a broader audience and solidifying their place in the genre. Between relentless touring, the band found a second home in St. Thomas, where they escape to write new material, soaking in the island vibes and crafting the next batch of anthems for their ever loyal fanbase. Best described as a punk rock band that got kicked out of marching band, smoked too much weed, and stumbled in and out of a Reggae band, The Supervillains bring a sound that’s equal parts raw energy and laid-back groove. In Summer 2025, the band hits the road again for an ambitious USA tour, split into two legs—one covering the East Coast and another hitting the West Coast, with stops in between and, of course, Florida. Whether it’s a sweaty dive bar or a sun- soaked festival, one thing’s for sure: The Supervillains always bring a towel. Catch them on tour, crack a beer, and don’t be such a disappointment.

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Arts and Entertainment

Fire & Rain: Folk Anthems of the 70’s

April 10 2026

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 Price: Subscriptions available May 1st 2025

Swearingen & Kelli, band

Fire & Rain is a beautiful collection of classics by James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, America, Jim Croce, Fleetwood Mac, and more. Duo Swearingen & Kelli join the VSO for a stellar performance of your favorite ’70s tunes.

With siren-like vocals and prolific songwriting, Swearingen & Kelli have carved out their own space in the Americana landscape, earning praise from Red Line Roots as artists “others would do well to emulate.”Their earlier albums, The Marrying Kind and Cold-Hearted Truth, drew critical acclaim from Gretsch Guitars, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, and NY Country Swag. With a sound steeped in the soul of ‘60s and ‘70s songwriters, they’ve shared the stage with legends like Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, and folk heroes Tom Rush and David Bromberg.

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Arts and Entertainment

Finding Peace at Potsdam

May 29 2026

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 Price: Subscriptions available May 1st 2025

Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus

Copland: “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land
Bernstein: Selections from Candide
Various: Potsdam

As part of our season long observance of America 250, this concert takes a look at the role music played in one of the most tumultuous times in the history of the world. At 1945’s Potsdam Conference, works by Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Kreisler, and others were one of the only things that united the assembled Allies–represented by President Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. In this new production, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra & Chorus will incorporate storytelling to show just how powerful music can be, and how Hampton Roads played a part in this pivotal moment.

Co-presented with the Virginia Arts Festival

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Arts and Entertainment

Dvořák’s New World Symphony + Gil & Orli Shaham

March 13 2026

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 Price: Subscriptions available May 1st 2025

Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Orli Shaham, piano

Leonard Bernstein: On the Town
Reena Esmail: Concerto for Violin & Piano (World Premiere)
Jay Ungar: Ashokan Farewell
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”

Influenced by Native American folk songs, Black spirituals, and his native Bohemia, Dvořák’s “New World Symphony” whisks audiences away to the vast tapestry of Americana. World Renowned in their own right, the Shaham siblings, foremost violinist Gil and consummate pianist Orli, join the Virginia Symphony to perform a world premiere concerto composed by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail.

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Arts and Entertainment

Handel’s Messiah with Eric Jacobsen

December 19 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 Price: Available May 1st

Eric Jacobsen, conductor

George Frideric Handel: Messiah

It’s Southeastern Virginia’s grandest Messiah! Conducted this year by Music Director Eric Jacobsen, Handel’s most famous work comes to life with the full Christmas section along with selections from the second and third parts, including the iconic Hallelujah chorus! This sacred masterpiece will hearten and warm the spirit this holiday season.

Celebrating his fifth season, Eric Jacobsen serves as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s twelfth Music Director.  He is also artistic director and co-founder of The Knights, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra, and Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic. In addition to conducting, Eric is a dedicated chamber musician (cello) and is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.

The 25/26 season marks the 36th anniversary of the Virginia Symphony Chorus, and its twenty-ninth under the direction of Chorusmaster Robert Shoup.  In addition to regular appearances with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the chorus has performed to sold-out houses as far afield as Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Salzburg and closer to home at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

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Arts and Entertainment

Holiday POPs!

December 13 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 Price: Available May 1st

Robert Shoup, conductor
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Virginia Children’s Chorus
Earl Bynum & The Mount Unity Choir

The acclaimed holiday tradition continues – Holiday POPS! Showcasing the best that the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus have to offer, this concert will shine like the brightest star on top of the tree! Get cozy with classic carols and dazzle in the holiday hits of today! No Holiday POPS! is ever alike so, come embrace the sounds of the season and celebrate the 2025 holiday season with the VSO!

 

Robert Shoup serves as Chorus Master and Staff Conductor of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. His national and international conducting credits include the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, ensembles from the Prague Radio Orchestra and Czech State Philharmonic, and numerous choral ensembles. He serves as the Music Director at Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, and is the founding Artistic Director of the Norfolk Street Choir Project.

The 25/26 season marks the 36th anniversary of the Virginia Symphony Chorus, and its twenty-ninth under the direction of Chorusmaster Robert Shoup.  In addition to regular appearances with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the chorus has performed to sold-out houses as far afield as Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Salzburg and closer to home at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

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Arts and Entertainment

Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy & Sibelius’s Second Symphony

October 4 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 Price: Available May 1st

Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Alex Beyer, piano
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus

Michael AbelsAmplify
Franz Schubert: Hunting Song from Rosamunde
Ludwig van Beethoven: Choral Fantasy
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

Featuring pianist and Navy pilot Alex Beyer, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy is an uplifting and familiar predecessor, in both melody and message, to his Ode to Joy, uniting virtuosic piano writing with chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra. Sibelius’s heroic Second Symphony has been described as a moving depiction of Finland’s struggle for independence from Russia at the start of the 20th century. 

Thomas Wilkins is an internationally renowned conductor and Norfolk native who was named the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever Principal Guest Conductor in 2021. He is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; the Boston Symphony’s Artistic Advisor, Education and Community Engagement; and holds Indiana University’s Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting.

Alex Beyer is an acclaimed pianist and Connecticut native who now lives in Norfolk, Virginia. With degrees from Harvard University and the New England Conservatory of Music, Alex was Bronze Medalist at the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition and, since 2018, has been enlisted in the Navy, now a Lieutenant and pilot of the E-2 Hawkeye, an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft.

The 25/26 season marks the 36th anniversary of the Virginia Symphony Chorus, and its twenty-ninth under the direction of Chorusmaster Robert Shoup.  In addition to regular appearances with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the chorus has performed to sold-out houses as far afield as Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Salzburg and closer to home at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Michael Abels is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy- and GRAMMY®-nominated American composer best known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films GET OUTUS, and NOPE. He has created works for the Kronos Quartet, Hilary Hahn, and LA Opera, and had works performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and many others.

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Arts and Entertainment

Aretha: A Tribute featuring Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw

September 27 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510

Brandon Eldredge, conductor
Capathia Jenkins, vocalist
Ryan Shaw, vocalist

Broadway star Capathia Jenkins and three-time GRAMMY® Award nominee Ryan Shaw join the orchestra for a tribute to the Queen of Soul. Celebrate the legacy of Aretha Franklin with performances of iconic hits like “Respect,” “Think,” “A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Amazing Grace,” and many more.

Broadway actress Capathia Jenkins most famously starred as ‘Medda’ in the Broadway musical Newsies. She has performed both on and off-Broadway in The Civil WarGospell (2000 Revival), Caroline, Or ChangeMartin Short-Fame: Becomes Me, and (mis) Understanding Mammy-The Hattie McDaniel Story (Drama Desk Nomination). Ms. Jenkins has appeared with orchestras around the world including the Cleveland Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony (with Marvin Hamlisch), National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and more.

Three-time GRAMMY® nominated artist Ryan Shaw, has shared the stage with Van Halen, Donnie Raitt, John Legend, B.B. King and Jill Scott. He has starred as Judas in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Olivier Award-winning London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, and on London’s West End as the Soul of Michael Jackson in Thriller Live. Ryan made his Radio City Music Hall debut at the Dream Concert and has made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall.

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Opening Weekend: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony + Cellist Jan Vogler

September 13 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Chrysler Hall 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510

Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Jan Vogler, cello

Samuel Barber: Overture to The School for Scandal
Anna Clyne: DANCE, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5*

The first of three amazing fifth symphonies kicks off our celebration of five seasons with Music Director Eric Jacobsen. Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony takes the listener on a transformative journey from struggle to triumph while showcasing the artistry of the VSO musicians. World renowned cellist and prolific recording artist Jan Vogler joins us to perform one of the most acclaimed cello concertos of the 21st century.

 

Eric Jacobsen serves as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s twelfth Music Director, a position he’s held since 2021.  He is also artistic director and co-founder of The Knights, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra, and Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic. In addition to conducting, Eric is a dedicated chamber musician (cello) and is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.

Cellist Jan Vogler’s distinguished career has brought him together with renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed orchestras around the world, such as New York Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and London Philharmonic Orchestra. In partnership with Sony Classical, he has recorded over 20 albums including an award-winning recording of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

Anna Clyne is one of the most performed composers alive today. NPR called her “a radical melodist with a painter’s eye,” and her GRAMMY®-nominated works have been commissioned and presented by arts institutions like the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, MoMA, Philharmonie de Paris, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet, and the Sydney Opera House.

As we approach the nationwide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026, the Orchestra has planned a season featuring many beloved American composers. Our season kicks off with the striking sounds of Samuel Barber’s dramatic and energetic Overture to The School for Scandal. Barber composed the work, his first for full orchestra, at the age of 21 while he was completing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music.

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Arts and Entertainment

VSO Fellows: Classical Music Declassified

April 16 2025

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and show starts at 8:00 p.m.
ODU Diehn Center for the Performing Arts 1339 W 49th St, Norfolk, VA 23529 vsocapstone@gmail.com Price: Free

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra Fellows are proud to present their capstone project, Classical Music Declassified!

This FREE Concert features pieces by underrepresented composers in a chamber and solo setting. This is also a benefit concert to help collect supplies and items for the Norfolk Street Choirs Project. Help us uplift individuals, affected by homelessness, through the arts by donating essential items of the Norfolk Street Choir Project.

We are collecting:

  • Thick, white crew socks
  • Large boxes of cereal
  • Easy-to-chew cereal bars
  • Peanut butter or cheese cracker packs
  • Other essential items.

Please bring your donations to the recital or drop them off before the event at NSCP Headquarters by coordinating with NSCP Executive Director Stephanie Van Leeuwen. stephanie@norfolkstreetchoir.org

For all recital questions, email Adrian Jackson at vsocapstone@gmail.com

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