On Saturday, September 19th the RSO launched its 70th Anniversary with their concert, “The Homecoming.” The evening was nothing short of a fantastic celebration of RSO’s place in Richmond. Richmond native, Matthew Vaughn, was brought back as our guest trombone soloist. Vaughn performed Ferdinand David’s “Concierto for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4” which he performed when he was a student participating in RSO’s Orchestra Within an Orchestra.
Matthew Vaughn had this to say about his return:
“I feel fortunate to have grown up in a city that afforded me such great opportunities to grow as a person and as a musician. A regular audience member at Richmond Symphony Orchestra concerts, I eventually got the opportunity to play side-by-side on stage and then won the concerto competition and performed the Concerto for Trombone by Ferdinand David. These were seminal experiences that led to my long career in The Philadelphia Orchestra. It’s truly a full-circle moment to return to Richmond to play the David again with the Orchestra and help celebrate this milestone 70th season.”
The concert ended with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, which was performed at the RSO’s first concert 70 years ago. Drawing a crowd of over 650, the RSO’s 70th season is off to a great start with many more exciting concerts to come.
Their next performance is October 11th which is titled, The Family Adventure. This concert is geared towards families and patrons that are new to the symphony. The RSO will be performing “The Composer Is Dead” by Lemony Snicket as a fun “whodunit” which through narration and music highlights sections of the orchestra. Maestro Andrés Lopera had this to say regarding the goal of the 70th season:
“The Richmond Symphony’s 70th Anniversary Season reflects a journey from its founding roots to a bold artistic future. Each program honors the orchestra’s history while expanding its voice into new artistic and community-centered directions. This season is designed not only as a celebration, but as a statement of identity for Richmond today.”
You can find more about the RSO’s upcoming concerts on our website.