Over four decades, the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra has educated and entertained audiences with performances, partnerships with schools and spirited programming. In September, the organization will kick off its 40th anniversary season featuring a slew of guest artists and an orchestra of over 70 musicians.
Professional musicians Carl and Elnore Andersen, Marian Harding, Mary Selby and Rebecca “Ruby” Siegel founded The Williamsburg Symphonia to offer free concerts to children who may find classical music inaccessible. Its inaugural performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” was hosted by the Williamsburg Regional Library in May 1984. The orchestra has since grown in popularity and size.
This season’s program includes the Marcus Roberts Trio: bandoneón player Richard Scofano, Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark and flutist R. Carlos Nakai. WSO will also perform three specialty concerts including Holiday Pops during Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination featuring Broadway performer Tiffany Haas; a collaboration with the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra; and a February show with Broadway performers LaKisha Jones, Chloe Lowery and Dan Domenech.
Music director Michael Butterman, who joined WSO in 2022, said that he is “delighted to be here for this landmark season.” WSO President and CEO Carolyn Keurajian attributed much of the orchestra’s recent success to Butterman.
“In the 11 years that I’ve been here, it’s quite amazing how we’ve rebranded the entire orchestra, we renamed the orchestra, we got a new music director, we moved into a new hall. It’s just one thing after another,” Keurajian said.
Butterman is especially excited about including audience favorites this season. On Nov. 2, WSO will perform music from composer John Williams, covering tracks from famous movie franchises such as “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars.” In March, the orchestra will celebrate the 150th birthday of English composer Gustav Holst by performing his full orchestral suite “The Planets.” The performance will be accompanied by video footage from NASA.
“We try to consider a whole range of approaches,” Butterman said. “We try to mix and match in a way that provides just the right balance of familiar, new things that will be very welcoming to newcomers.”
Akemi Takayama, who serves as concertmaster, the highest leadership position among the musicians, has been with WSO since 2008. She’s also the concertmaster for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Takayama said that even as a professional violinist, she is still challenged by Butterman.
“Performing for the Symphony Orchestra for so many years, a lot of things come under my hand, so I don’t have to spend too much time studying anymore. But then he throws in these new things, at least one piece for each concert, to keep me on top of it,” she said. “You cannot become lazy; you have to know how the part fits, how the music fits.”
WSO will pay homage to its first performances by performing “Peter and the Wolf” at every Williamsburg elementary school. The children’s story features a narrator and musical instruments representing each character. WSO also loans instruments to students who might not have access to them otherwise.
“Not only are we providing beautiful music for the community, but we’re also providing inspiration, we hope, for some young, upcoming musicians,” Keurajian said.
Tickets for this season’s performances are on sale at williamsburgsymphony.org/concerts.
