RSO timing impeccable, thrilling

RSO timing impeccable, thrilling: Hometown tenor Nick Leitch sang again with big-name soloists and held his own with the pros.

By Seth Williamson | Special to The Roanoke Times March 22, 2010

Musicians know that, as important as a good entrance is, it’s not as dramatic as the unanimous release of a phrase, when everybody slams the door at the same time.

I was reminded of this dictum Sunday afternoon in Shaftman Performance Hall. The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus repeatedly crafted stupendous climaxes in the Mozart Requiem, when each of the hundred-plus musicians released their note within a microsecond of one another. The effect was thrilling.

About 725 concertgoers heard Mozart’s final (and unfinished) work, along with two pieces for strings.

The concert began with the “Dance of the Americas” by RSO double bassist Mark Bergman, a principal with the Mato Grosso Chamber Orchestra in Brazil. It is built on a four-note cell that undergoes many permutations. A percussion interlude featured the bassists tapping on their instruments.

Following this was Gustav Holst’s familiar “St. Paul’s Suite.”

Sunday’s reading of “Requiem, K. 626,” by Mozart was one of the best combinations of chorus and instrumentalists that Maestro David Stewart Wiley has conducted. The choral blend was sumptuous, diction clear, entrances and releases precise.

Hometown tenor Nick Leitch sang again with big-name soloists. Leitch held his own with the pros in the dramatic “Day of Wrath” section. His co-soloists were soprano Angela Maria Blasi, mezzo-soprano Jan Wilson and bass Charles Temkey. The Shaftman audience gave the performance a standing ovation. Wiley gave special recognition to trombonist Jay Crone, who had abundant solo passages.

Seth Williamson produces “Morning Classics” and “Back Roads & Blue Highways” on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra review: Clarinet piece was rare jewel

The following review by appeared in the January 26, 2010 edition of the Roanoke Times.

There was plenty to like in Monday night’s Roanoke Symphony Orchestra concert at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre.

But the Virginia premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s magnificent new clarinet concerto outshone everything else.

When it came to superlatives, soloist Jon Manasse’s splendid performance pretty much sucked all the oxygen out of the room, leaving little to say about the Gershwin, Dvorak and Mozart works, any of which on another night might have been the centerpiece of a program.

Yes, Maestro David Stewart Wiley presided over finely calibrated crescendi in the overture to Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro.” The Dvorak Symphony No. 8 in G Major was artfully shaped and soulfully played. And George Gershwin’s little “Lullaby for Strings” was as likeable as ever.

But when the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 110, by American composer Liebermann cruised to a breathless finish and the standing ovation and shouts of bravo were echoing through the hall, it seemed clear that we had heard a piece that will remain in the repertoire for decades to come.

But it will always take a player of Manasse’s caliber to do justice to Liebermann’s work. The occasional gifted amateur may strike out into the deep waters of the Mozart clarinet concerto. But no amateur can handle the Liebermann piece. This bravura work requires not merely a professional player, but a virtuoso.

It is lyrically gorgeous, full of ravishing tunes from the opening whole-tone scales to the perpetual motion finale. The orchestra is called upon to provide a wash of ethereal textures with high bells and delicate woodwind effects.

It’s difficult to pick out peak moments. But the entire middle slow movement, with its sinuous, long-breathed melodies that take unexpected chromatic turns, was breathtaking. Manasse’s technical mastery was obvious enough in the rapid passage work. But the pianissimo passages in the instrument’s very highest tessitura, with intonation that was dead-on perfect, were extraordinarily lovely. Manasse deserved every bit of adulation he got at the end of this piece.

As a final gift to the audience, the RSO performed the Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 to yet more shouts of approval.

by Seth Williamson

Roanoke Symphony Counters National Audience Trends

For Immediate Release

 Roanoke, Virginia — The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, David Stewart Wiley, music director, is enjoying increases in sales and attendance recently despite reports of dwindling audience sizes nationally. The new information, released in full today by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), combined with an earlier report conducted by the League of American Orchestras (LAO), outlines declines in participation rates for orchestras, other performing arts, cinema, as well as live sporting events and other activities during the period of 2002 to 2008. According to previous national studies, classical music audience sizes grew over 20 years, from 21.8 million in 1982, up to 24.6 million in 2002. In the past 6 years, the size dropped down to 21.3 million. For the RSO, the past few years have yielded an upturn in sales, with its sights already set on study recommendations – thinking creatively about its role in a culture of changing expectations.

 During the past few years, the RSO has anticipated and focused on practices that show promise in countering these trends. Exploring ticket pricing, venues, programming, touring, education, new media and social networking services, are all part of the RSO’s strategic plan. The RSO’s progress indicators now include an astounding 316% increase in subscribers between 2004 and 2008 for it’s Picnic at the Pops Series, presenting renowned pops artists and symphony orchestra in concert together, and a 37% increase in the number of Symphony-to-the-Max subscribers [all subscription concerts] during the same period. The RSO has further broadened its programming to provide more “entry points” for diverse audiences to find and enjoy quality performances of classical music – at the heart of its mission. This includes new and unique programs in collaboration with rock musicians and visual performers, as well as corporate leadership training events created and led by music director David Stewart Wiley.

Today’s NEA study, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, along with the LAO’s Audience Demographic Research Review also reveal some encouraging news to the RSO and orchestras across the country. There is a high level of interest in classical music online and through electronic media, pointing to the enduring strength and vitality of symphony orchestras. The RSO recently launched the web page it calls “RSO 2.0″ – a reference to “Web 2.0″ interactive and networking technology – to promote its use of such services. A link to the page can be found at the RSO’s web site at www.rso.com. Last fall, the RSO introduced an online audio podcast series called Inside the Music in which maestro Wiley explores the classical repertoire from the RSO’s Masterworks Series of concerts. With these online services and features, the RSO feels it is on the right track with a hot trail to follow, especially in continuing to develop new relationships with younger listeners. The reports also indicate a significant increase in the percentage of people playing classical music, supporting an increasing sense of the importance in the art and education of classical music. For more information about the NEA study, visit www.nea.gov.

Final program of 2009

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with David Stewart Wiley conductor present their final concert of 2009 on Friday, December 11th at 7 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center. Part of the Picnic at the Pops Series, Friday evening’s Holiday Pops Spectacular is a collaboration of over 250 musicians from the RSO and Chorus, Salem Choral Society, Mill Mountain (handbell) Ringers, Roanoke College Children’s Choir, and tenor soloist George Dyer. A great event for the whole family, tickets for the concert start at $20 each with discount tickets available for groups and children 12 and under. Information is available from the RSO box office at (540) 343-9127 and online at www.rso.com, as well as the Salem Civic Center box office.

Touring performances

Special versions of the Holiday Pops program will be presented in 3 neighboring communities. The New River Valley Friends of the RSO will present Holiday Pops on December 12th at the Covington Center at Radford University – information at rso.com/nrv. The Piedmont Arts Association will present Holiday Pops on December 13th at Martinsville High School – information at piedmontarts.org. The Alleghany Arts Council will present Holiday Pops at Covington High School on December 14th – information at alleghanyarts4all.com. These touring performances involve the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra with David Stewart Wiley, conductor, and tenor soloist George Dyer.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra celebrates its mission to enrich lives, to educate, and to entertain diverse audiences in western Virginia with the highest quality instrumental and choral music.

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Date: 10 December, 2009

Contact: Rodney Overstreet,

Marketing Director, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra

540.343.6221 ext.227 or rodney.overstreet@rso.com

RSO’s ‘Messiah’ a feast of detail and grandeur

by Seth Williamson

The following review appears in the December 7, 2009 edition of The Roanoke Times

When they arrived for Sunday’s performance of “Messiah” by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Shaftman Performance Hall concertgoers may have wondered why most of the orchestra was late.

As the downbeat neared, it became obvious that music director and conductor David Stewart Wiley had decided to go with a much smaller complement of players than is heard in most professional performances of Handel’s great oratorio. Onstage before a nearly sold-out house was a string quintet, plus two flutes, two trumpets, a bassoon, a harpsichord and a timpani.  Could such a small chamber ensemble match the voices of the 70-odd symphony chorus members, which included members of the Liberty University Chamber   Singers?

They did better than I thought they could. In fact, even though this performance of Parts I and III was not authentically scaled to pass muster from early-performance experts, it rose at moments to unmistakable grandeur.  It didn’t hurt to have a full set of good vocal soloists. Soprano Adelaide Muir Trombetta, alto Tara Bouknight, tenor John Hugo (who is the RSO’s chorus master) and bass Wayne Kompelien (who directs the Liberty University Chamber Singers) were evenly matched and sang beautifully together.

   Trombetta and Bouknight were better than good. Trombetta, who was stunning in a red gown, had a sweet purity of tone and a cleanness and accuracy to her vocal ornamentation that was a delight to hear. Bouknight, who lives in Franklin County, did a richly detailed and gorgeous job every time she opened her mouth, especially with the lovely “He Shall Feed His Flock.”   Hugo and Kompelien were not as distinctive but turned in satisfactory performances.  

The big star in any performance of “Messiah” is and should be the chorus. The RSO’s chorus and Kompelien’s Liberty University singers did not disappoint.  They displayed a light touch with contrapuntal sections such as “For Unto Us a Child is Born.” Even better, their choral diction was close to perfect and easily understandable to the back of the hall. Hugo and Kompelien deserve congratulations for training such a fine group of singers.

Wiley’s tempos for the choruses were mostly lively. His light touch with the choruses made it easier to believe there was a full orchestra out front.  In fact, the final “Amen” of the final chorus “Worthy is the Lamb” was among the most noble and gravely beautiful performances in recent memory from these players and singers.

After that dramatic fi nale, the Shaftman Hall crowd responded with shouts of bravo and a standing ovation.

Seth Williamson produces “Morning Classics” and “Back Roads & Blue Highways” on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.

LI Philharmonic Celebrates with 30th Birthday Concert

Review of 11/14/09 LI Philharmonic concert, David Stewart Wiley, conductor

with LI Philharmonic Chorus and Seymour Lipkin, pianist

The Tilles Center, Brookvale

by Bruce Von Bryan, special to The LI Press

There was anticipation and electricity in the air for several thousand concertgoers at the Tilles Center on Saturday evening, as the Long Island Philharmonic & Chorus performed a program by Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven exactly thirty years to the day of the first concert in 1979.  The chorus filled the back of the stage and joined the orchestra as Music Director & Conductor David Stewart Wiley energetically led the musicians in Wiley’s own full orchestration of the Star Spangled Banner.  Mozart’s piano concerto in A Major K. 488 comprised the rest of the first half, featuring pianist Seymour Lipkin.  Lipkin, no stranger to Tilles audiences, has been a visible figure in orchestral music on Long Island, having been conductor of the Huntington Symphony until 1979.  Lipkin brought an elegant pianistic touch to the Mozart, although a few memory slips were in evidence.  Wiley and his players provided a sympathetic and stylistic accompaniment, with beautiful woodwind solos in abundance.  The final allegro brought the audience to grateful applause.

After intermission and a recognition of the orchestra’s founding members, Wiley and the musicians presented the so-called “Unfinished” Symphony in B Minor by Franz Schubert.  The performance demonstrated beautiful phrasing, dramatic and compelling silences, and wide dynamic contrasts.  Particularly notable were principal oboe Diane Lesser’s oboe solos and Pascal Archer’s clarinet playing.  Wiley, conducting without a score, chose a moderate allegro tempo for the first movement which allowed the second theme to shine, and the flow of the second movement andante seemed to unify the two movements convincingly as one.  This performance demonstrated that the LI Philharmonic has grown artistically into an impressive regional orchestra under Wiley’s leadership, and deserves continued support and attendance. The full Tilles Center audience expressed its appreciation with sustained applause.

The final work on the concert was Beethoven’s early experiment with the “Ode to Joy” theme — the Fantasy for chorus, orchestra, and piano.  Lipkin provided the opening cadenza and launched into the variations with orchestra with great energy.  The 120-member LI Philharmonic Chorus, expertly prepared by Frances Roberts, demonstrated clear diction and powerful choral sonority, led by a well-blended sextet of soloists positioned in the center.  Wiley and his ensemble seemed to be relishing every moment, communicating the raw power of Beethoven’s music.  It was an exciting way to conclude this birthday celebration event, and the audience responded with an immediate and sustained standing ovation.  The satisfied crowd was rewarded by Maestro Wiley and his musicians with an encore performance of the finale of the Beethoven. 

The LI Philharmonic and Broadway star Franc D’Ambrosia will perform with the LIP this coming Friday at the patchogue Theater.  www.liphilharmonic.org

Thanksgiving For The Arts: an editorial

The following editorial appears in the November 8, 2009 edition of The Roanoke Times

By David Stewart Wiley

As we move closer to Thanksgiving, I want to express my sincere thanks to our region for supporting the Roanoke Symphony (and all of the arts) during these challenging economic times. It is important for all of us to celebrate good news where it exists, and the symphony is a true success story.

The good news is the Roanoke Symphony continues to experience record ticket sales in both our classical and pops series, with 1,625 tickets sold for our opening masterworks concert and a few thousand for our upcoming pops concert with superstar Natalie Cole. While ticket sales are so important to the vitality of the RSO, even in record years they do not cover the cost of these programs. So please know that every contribution and sponsorship is needed and truly appreciated — especially now.

Every citizen in our region should take great pride in the remarkable success of their professional orchestra and chorus — particularly that we are operating with a balanced budget year after year.

Did you know the RSO alone invests close to a quarter-million dollars in taxes and fees annually for the Roanoke Valley region and Virginia? The RSO is the region’s very own artistic stimulus package.

In a time of budget strain for local schools where our dedicated teachers have to do more with less, the symphony — and all arts education programs — are more needed now than ever before.

We all recognize that support comes in many ways, from volunteer time to monetary contributions, and it is the spirit of community that drives us all to success. With that in mind, special thanks are due to The Roanoke Times for reviewing important regional musical events and artists. Stories about our recent U.S. debut of a young, rising star violinist gives us all a glimpse into a bright future for the arts. It’s inspiring and exciting. And, did you hear about the RSO’s recent encore involving electric guitar? What a wonderful illustration of how the arts transcend age and genre.

Remember the first time you heard an orchestra or a particular song or pianist? What was it that spoke to you, made you connect?

The arts have incredible power to touch us. This is the journey that we share together, for through the arts we are invited to live our lives more fully, more sensitively and with vigor.

I am grateful to serve with an amazing team of professional musicians, supported by a great executive staff, board, donors and volunteers who share in our vision and commitment. We remain a stable, strong and vital pillar in our region particularly when we take the long view, the generational view.

The marketplace puts a short-term price on everything, but the arts place not simply a price but a long-term value on those things that matter. Education, community, connections, partnerships with schools, businesses and other civic organizations: These things matter now more than ever. With your attendance and support, your orchestra will remain vital, an artistic business model of excellence that generates not only excitement but is a vital part of the region’s economic engine.

Consider this a personal invitation from me, and your entire RSO team, to share in our successful 56th symphony season. Please support all the arts — we need you and we welcome you all.

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Concert Review: Violin Soloist Wins Bravos From Audience

By Seth Williamson, Special to The Roanoke Times (10/7/2009)

A lot of American symphony orchestras would have loved to be in the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra’s collective shoes Monday night.

At a time when many big-name orchestras are wondering how to keep the doors open, the RSO had its biggest opening night ever.  A capacity and record crowd of about 1,600 concert-goers showed up at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre for a program that spotlighted a beautiful young violin soloist whose genealogy includes the great Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Monday night’s performance also illustrated the dictum that live music doesn’t have to be flawless to be moving. In the great “Brahms D Major Violin Concerto,” there was some uncharacteristically sloppy playing: out-of-tune woodwinds, bungled entrances by strings, and even a few horn clams.

But Natasha Korsakova played with authority beyond her years, handing in a performance that was by turns urgent and powerful and rhapsodic. In an era when there is no shortage of young performers with technique to spare but nothing to say, Korsakova played with mature insight and eloquent lyricism.

She played with a warm, sumptuous tone and in the difficult passages filled with double stops, she played precisely and with great clarity.

Korsakova got an immediate standing ovation and was returned to the stage several times by an audience that was whistling and shouting bravos. RSO members shuffled their feet and stamped their approval, and Korsakova returned the gratitude with an encore of the “Giga” movement from Bach’s “E Major Partita for Solo Violin.”

Swaggering fanfares from the brass marked the opening of Franz von Suppe’s beloved warhorse, the “Light Cavalry” Overture, with its familiar galloping “horsey” music that followed the fanfares.

The rich orchestra tapestry of Richard Strauss’ “Don Juan” got a vivid rendering by Maestro David Stewart Wiley and his players. This was followed by what I believe was the first Roanoke performance of Arturo Marquez’s “Danzon No. 2.”

Barely 15 years old, this sensual Latin dance has been a hit in concert halls the world over, and the RSO showed us why. It was a bravura performance with star turns from several orchestra wind soloists.

Maestro Wiley rewarded the raucous applause with two encores: the familiar “Pizzicato Polka,” and a rip-roaring version of the disco hit “A Fifth of Beethoven,” which featured a blazing electric guitar solo.

All in all, this performance was a promising omen for the new season.

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A Night at Woodstock – The Magic, The Moment, The Music

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra with David Stewart Wiley, Music Director, announces a special concert event, A Night at Woodstock – The Magic, The Moment, The Music.  The RSO and Maestro Wiley are accompanied by an all-star lineup of rock & roll instrumentalists and vocalists from Jeans ‘n Classics.  Devoted to a defining moment in music history [the Woodstock Festival at White Lake, New York in August 1969], the event takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia.  Tickets go on sale November 6, 2009.  The concert is sponsored by Allstate. 

A Night at Woodstock will include music by Crosby Stills & Nash, The Who, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, The Band, Jefferson Airplane, and many more, in special music arrangements for Jeans ‘n Classics instrumentalists, vocalists and full symphony orchestra.  Previous collaborations between the RSO and Jeans ‘n Classics talent include the recent Motown celebration at the RSO’s “Rock, Symphony, Cirque” in May of this year.  This time, the RSO jumps in headfirst with a classic Rock program start to finish, reliving the excitement of Woodstock.   

A Night at Woodstock will adhere to the RSO’s popular “Picnic at the Pops” concert format, taking place at the Salem Civic Center with audience seating offered at tables and in stadium sections.  Concertgoers with table seating may enjoy food and fun with friends and family prior to the concert.  The doors open at 6:30 p.m.  The music begins at 8 p.m.  Tickets go on sale November 6th – the day after the RSO’s first Pops Series concert of the 2009-2010 season – prices will range from $20 to $65 each.  Contact the RSO box office for tickets and information. Call (540) 343-9127, or visit www.rso.com.  

For concert sponsorship opportunities, contact the RSO’s Development Director, Caroline Hammond at (540) 343-6221 ext. 225.  

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra celebrates its mission to enrich lives, to educate, and to entertain diverse audiences in western Virginia with the highest quality instrumental and choral music.

RSO Contact:  Rodney Overstreet, Marketing Director at 540.343.6221 ext.227 or rodney.overstreet@rso.com

David Stewart Wiley Named 2009 Citizen of the Year by the Roanoke, Virginia NAACP

David Stewart Wiley, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Long Island Philharmonic Music Director and Conductor has been named “2009 Citizen of the Year” in the arts category by the Roanoke branch of the NAACP.  Wiley will be honored at their awards banquet later this month.  The prestigious award is in honor of Wiley’s lasting and deep commitment to students of all ages and backgrounds through the Friends of the RSO, a prominent African-American support group for the symphony. 

During his twelve years as Music Director with the RSO, Maestro Wiley has spent countless hours coaching and accompanying many young African-American musicians.  This educational program culminates in the annual Student Musicale, held in rotating black churches and community centers in the area where the greater Roanoke community comes together to hear and support young talent.

“We are so excited that Maestro Wiley is being recognized for his compelling contributions to the African-American community,” said Herbert Chappelle Friends of the RSO President. “He has brought creative leadership to the programs that inspire participation and excellence.”

Maestro Wiley has had a lasting impact on the lives of these young musicians.  Many students begin in elementary school, and a remarkable number go on to college and continue their music when they return home to perform in the Musicale and serve as role models for the younger students.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition and am grateful for the unwavering support of the African-American community,” said Wiley.  “Most of all, I am humbled by the achievements of these talented musicians.”

With the Friends, Wiley created and hosted “The Route to the Symphony” where renowned black composers and performers meet members of the community in dialogue and fellowship as part of their musical residency with the RSO.  His “Jazz meets Classical” performances and CD were created to break down the barriers between Jazz and Classical music.  As Music Director of the RSO, Wiley has invited prominent black artists to perform with the RSO including Lou Rawls, Mercedes Ellington, Jennifer Holliday, The Pointer Sisters, Kool & the Gang, Kevin Maynor, and Ben E. King, among others. 

He will have superstars Natalie Cole and Aaron Neville perform with the RSO under his baton this season.  For his continuing activities promoting the arts and education throughout Virginia, David Stewart Wiley has received the Perry F. Kendig Award for Service to the Arts, as well as special recognition from the RSO Friends for his unwavering dedication to the African American communities of SW Virginia.

The Roanoke Branch NAACP invites the public to join in honoring Maestro Wiley on Friday, Sept. 25, for their 11th Annual Citizen of the Year Awards program. The theme is “NAACP –We are 100 – Bold Dreams – Big Victories.”  Tickets at $50.00 each include the reception, the Awards Dinner and program and may be purchased by calling 344-2424.

 David Stewart Wiley serves concurrently as Music Director & Conductor of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra as well as New York’s Long Island Philharmonic.  Active throughout the world as a guest conductor, pianist, lecturer, and composer, Dr. Wiley regularly conducts professional orchestras throughout the U.S and abroad. He has guest conducted in most U.S. states, including the symphonies of San Francisco, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Saint Louis, Atlanta, Oregon, Honolulu, Utah, and Buffalo.  David Stewart Wiley’s growing career has taken him to dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.  

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A Positive Vision for the Symphony

Letter to the Editor of the Roanoke Times published 2.27.08

by David Stewart Wiley

As the Music Director of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (RSO), it is my privilege to serve our vibrant 54-year-old organization.  There has been much in the news recently about the challenges and reinvention facing many of our region’s cultural organizations, and I feel compelled to share my perspective and vision.  I believe that our region’s arts organizations, including the RSO, remain vital now and into the future. 

 First, I want to share some great news about the RSO’s successes, and to clear up any lingering misconceptions.  There is much positive news to report at the Roanoke Symphony, and that is good news for our region. The myth that symphony orchestras are a waning institution is not true, certainly not in the Roanoke Valley. In my experience traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad to other orchestras there are many success stories, and the RSO is surely one of them.  We are pleased to report that in the last two seasons at the Roanoke Symphony we have seen a remarkable 25% increase in ticket subscriptions each year in our Pops Series.  Attendance for our traditional Masterworks series at the Civic Center is steadily growing, and our added orchestra performances at Shaftman Hall are essentially sold out.  Our Holiday Pops concert in Salem alone attracts in excess of 3200 people, and enthusiastic audiences hear this and other family-friendly RSO programs in Blacksburg, Martinsville, Staunton, and Marion to name a few.  We provide music lessons and scholarships to African-American school children through the Friends of the RSO.  We provide life changing musical experiences through the Roanoke Youth Symphony, the Junior Strings, the Harp Ensemble, in-school music ensembles, and the Summer Music Institute.  We have increased our partnership with WVTF public radio in broadcasting our events to a wider geographical audience, and our latest CD release is on the Delos International label, giving us both a national and international presence. 

During the past decade our balanced budget has grown from less than $775,000 annually to more than $1.8 million this coming year.   We had a few challenging financial years along the way but quickly returned to our pattern of success several years ago, matching new challenge grants and exceeding our goals.  When we show a budget surplus, we put those funds into our growing endowment for ensuring the future, while simultaneously increasing vital education and outreach offerings to those who can least afford it.  We work diligently to keep ticket prices low.  It is a fact that ticket sales alone account for less than half of our needed revenues, and we have tried to keep subscription prices reasonable while working to raise revenues from other sources.  We have a dedicated and experienced administrative staff, a committed board, enthusiastic volunteers, a wonderful regional Roanoke Symphony Chorus, and an orchestra of professional musicians passionate about every performance and educational endeavor.  The RSO is a fun place to work, and it has truly been a team effort to achieve this level of success.  With our success now comes a curious challenge: we need to trumpet our artistic and financial successes of the past few years without giving the incorrect impression that we do not need every dollar of support or are somehow rolling in money.  We are truly grateful for the support we have received through increased attendance and in the investment from individuals, businesses, foundations, and government.  We work hard to be prudent stewards of these valued resources.

As our society changes, the RSO has a realistic and detailed long-range plan for institutional change as well as making the arts vital and accessible to all.   We believe that great music is for everybody, and we see that live music and music education can be a life-changing experience.  Without abandoning the traditional orchestral & choral programs that our patrons cherish, we are pushing the boundaries of what a professional symphony can provide for new audiences and a younger generation.  An upcoming example of just such an experiment will be an exciting event this coming May 31 called ‘Rock Symphony Circus.” This event, to be held at the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum, together features our orchestra, a rock band, and veteran Cirque performers — with a student price of only $15.  We continue to actively collaborate with many of our regional arts groups, and are looking forward to being a part of the grand opening of the Taubman Museum this fall.  We all need to celebrate the successes of our fellow art groups, and each of us can step up our attendance at events and provide donations for those who falter and can effectively recover.  A rising tide lifts all trains, if you get my drift (and mixed metaphor)

I firmly believe that the RSO can and will be a vital part of our region’s growth for generations to come.  Imagine, for instance, the accomplished doctor who chooses to move her family to Roanoke in the coming years to teach or do research at the new medical school.  She will expect a high level of cultural and educational opportunity, and the RSO is a vital part of that fulfilled expectation.  The symphony will have a spot for her children in our youth programs, we will partner with our region’s schools to provide musical ensembles vital to a broad and creative education, we have a seat at a table for her and her colleagues at a fun and relaxing “Picnic at the Pops” event. Oh, and she might even buy that house you’ve been trying to sell, so replace those shingles that blew away during our recent wind storm.

This positive vision can and will be our future together, and all of us involved deeply in the arts are grateful for your support in making it so.   

Dr. David Stewart Wiley lives in Roanoke with his wife and children. He is Music Director & Conductor of our Roanoke Symphony and the Long Island Philharmonic in New York.

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