Concertmaster Akemi Takayama. Photos courtesy of Kim Kiely Photography unless otherwise noted.
There’s no way to predict where a good idea may lead. When a group of friends from Williamsburg wanted to bring free classical music concerts to children, they likely couldn’t imagine how the concept would develop, but with that initial goal, the Williamsburg Symphonia was formed in 1984. Over 35 years, the idea grew to produce a professional symphony orchestra with an internationally acclaimed reputation.
With the name changed to Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), today’s orchestra is the pride of its members and the pride of the community. The musicians come from different places around the area. Many of them trained at the finest conservatories in the country and play for major orchestras in Virginia and neighboring states. With a dedicated following, most concerts are sold out.
The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra with conductor Janna Hymes.
Every year, five main Masterworks concerts are offered in the autumn-to-spring season, each performed on two consecutive nights. “We perform other concerts as well, including four Holiday Pops concerts in December and a Cabaret and Cocktails concert in January,” says Carolyn Keurajian, executive director of the symphony. “We’d also like to feature musicians outside the concert hall, perhaps at a brewery or pub as a ‘pop-up’ concert, bringing classical music out of the concert hall and into unexpected places.”
Much of the orchestra’s present success is credited to Janna Hymes, the music director for the past 15 years. “When I came to Williamsburg, I had a vision artistically,” says Hymes, “and I know we got there. The orchestra is now at a completely different level. The musicians are more committed to their work of making great art. We’ve expanded the educational concerts, and we made our first international presentation with a concert in Bermuda.”
That concert was sparked by the director’s desire to put a bit of history to music. Hymes asked composer Michael Williamson to write a piece about an English ship that had been wrecked in Bermuda in 1609. The crew was able to build two smaller ships and sailed them on to Jamestown. The concert was a gift to Bermuda, marking the connection between the two colonies.
Internationally acclaimed violinist Jennifer Koh performs with the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra.
After the final concert this year, Hymes will leave the orchestra. “I think I’m a builder,” she says. “I made goals for the orchestra and I accomplished them. I’m proud of that, and I think the musicians are proud of where they’ve come. Leaving is always bittersweet, but it’s a great orchestra, and I want to see it flourish.”
Concertmaster Akemi Takayama noted another aspect of the orchestra’s time under Hymes. “In every program, there was always one piece that we had never heard of — I don’t know where she found them. Also, each program has something famous and something fun. It makes it interesting and challenging for us and keeps us in shape!” It’s easy to imagine that from the perspective of the audience, such a mix of familiar and new is a treat at every concert. “The audience involvement in Williamsburg is wonderful,” says Takayama. “Many of the retired people who now live here came from New York, Chicago, and other large cities. They have seen top orchestras, and they seem to appreciate us. We feel so lucky.”
Separate from, but very connected to, the WSO are the Williamsburg Youth Orchestras (WYO). Established in 1995, this organization — which includes a full symphony orchestra, two string ensembles, and a brass ensemble — gives talented young musicians a remarkable way to develop their full potential. While auditions are the path to acceptance in any group, the age span for musicians is roughly from grades five through 12. Dr. David Grandis is the music director and conductor of the full youth orchestra, Rebecca Nixon is the string ensembles’ director, and Jordan Stehle is the junior wind and brass ensemble director.
The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra and the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra in a Side-by-Side concert.
The WYO does three main concerts each year, plus extra performances by smaller groups like trios or quintets. Every two years, the WSO and the WYO present a Side-by-Side concert. “This would be the last concert of the season in spring. The two conductors choose the repertoire, which is all adult-caliber music,” says WYO Executive Director Tanya Song. “The musicians from both orchestras work together in pairs by instrument, so each position has a WSO musician seated next to a WYO musician. It’s a great opportunity for the young people to rehearse with and perform with the professionals. All the concerts give students the confidence that can only come with live performances.”
The WSO sponsors master classes which are taught by internationally recognized artists. Students have what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play for a person who is a true icon in their field and thus receive individual advice and encouragement. As an associate professor of violin at Shenandoah University and also concertmaster for the Roanoke Symphony, WSO’s concertmaster, Takayama, teaches master classes in Williamsburg and elsewhere. “I teach anywhere there’s an opportunity to work with young musicians. It is part of our work; I love the encounters, because I may give the students a different angle or approach.”
Keurajian also notes that the orchestra offers instructional coaching for students in local school districts. “A teacher can request assistance with the specific need, and the orchestra funds the lessons. When I get a request from a teacher, I’ll do whatever I can to accommodate it. It’s not that we expect all of the children to become professional musicians, but it’s been proven that music contributes to learning in so many ways — math, focus, reading, collaboration, and more.”
Instruments for Kids is a special project also funded by WSO. Through community donations, aspiring musicians who cannot purchase their own instruments have access to instruments on loan from the WSO for as long as they play their instruments.
Principal cellist Neal Cary.
To help with the finances for all these programs, the orchestra is fortunate to have the support of the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra League (WSOL). The league exists to raise money for the orchestra and provide volunteer support, and though the WSO has its share of grants and sponsors, a majority of its resources actually come from individual donations, a notable comment on the community and proof of its appreciation for the orchestra.
For its part, the league has its own ideas of innovation. In addition to more traditional means for raising money, the league arranges eight to ten events each year called Encore Affairs. Last year’s included a specialty restaurant, dinner on a Hampton cruise boat, and a “wizard of arts” tea party for parents and children. An event might also be held at a private home, perhaps as a waterfront picnic or an outdoor concert. A set number of tickets are sold for each event, and the profits from these sales go to the orchestra.
“The Encore Affairs are fundraisers, but they’re also social events,” says Ken Mitchell, president of WSOL. “Anyone can purchase tickets — it’s not necessary to be an orchestra subscriber. Often, people who are not even familiar with the orchestra will come to an event after reading an announcement describing it, so these can serve as a good introduction, particularly for newcomers to the area. The orchestra is a community treasure here in Williamsburg.”
Like all nonprofits, WSOL relies on the support of its volunteers. In addition to the typical needs for varied office work, orchestra volunteers handle ticket sales, ushering, help at rehearsals, plus host services like picking up an arriving guest artist at the airport and returning them after the concert. Volunteers put in a total of 4,000 hours annually. Since 2000, the WSOL has contributed over $640,000 to the orchestra, a record amount for an organization of its size.
Williamsburg has watched the orchestra’s status come from home-town to world-class. It may seem a challenge for the WSO to top that, but if history is any indication, there is most certainly more to come.
The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra conductor Janna Hymes. Photo courtesy of Chris Bucher Photographs.
In July of 2018, the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra began the process of choosing a new music director. The initial posting for the position produced nearly 200 replies, literally from around the world. “The level of talent was amazing,” said Executive Director Carolyn Keurajian, “giving us strong confirmation of the orchestra’s high-quality reputation.”
The search committee is made up of board members, musicians, and members of the community, and together they spent 7,000 hours narrowing the list of responders to five finalists. The next step will take place during the next concert season from autumn of 2019 to spring of 2020, when each of the five candidates will conduct one concert. Each candidate will submit three programs for consideration, and the WSO Artistic Review Committee will select the final programs for the five Masterworks concerts.
After the last concert, the committee will be polling board members, musicians, and audiences who will all rate the candidates. In the spring of 2020, the new music director will be named for his or her first full season of 2020-2021.