Richmond Symphony School of Music

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program is thrilled to announce the newest addition to the YOP family: Christie-Jo Adams, who will conduct String Sinfonietta! Mrs. Adams previously conducted Sinfonietta, our entry-level string orchestra, for twelve years. We are beyond excited to welcome her back to the YOP community this fall! 🎻🎉

Registration for String Sinfonietta will open in early July. To fill out the Sinfonietta inquiry form, visit linktr.ee/rssom. To learn more about Mrs. Adams, read below. 🎶

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Christie-Jo Adams is a distinguished music educator with a career spanning 32 years. Currently, she serves as the Coordinator for PreK-12 Arts Education for Richmond Public Schools in Richmond, Virginia, having previously held the position of Fine Arts Instructional Specialist. Prior to her current administrative roles, Ms. Adams dedicated 21 years to teaching orchestra within the Richmond and Henrico County Public School systems. She has also served as adjunct faculty at Virginia Union University and, for twelve years previously, as the conductor of String Sinfonietta, the entry-level string orchestra in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program.

Ms. Adams was instrumental in the implementation and success of Virginia’s first Arts Integration Middle School within Richmond Public Schools and is currently spearheading the development of the district’s Richmond High School for the Arts. A dedicated violinist, she has performed as a member of the Petersburg Symphony and The Richmond Philharmonic. Her innovative approach to integrating the arts into general instruction earned her recognition as a ‘Leader to Learn From’ by Education Week magazine. Additionally, her article, “The Arts as a School Motivator,” was recently published in AASA School Administrator. In 2026 she was awarded the Lucille Brown Impact Award from Richmond Public Schools.

An active leader in the arts community, Ms. Adams serves on the Board of Directors for numerous arts organizations and is a member of the Richmond Mayor’s RVA Arts and Culture Advisory Group. She holds degrees from Longwood University and Averett University. Ms. Adams is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, an honorary international music fraternity for women, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she takes great pride in her role as a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

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Richmond Symphony

Farewell to String Sinfonietta conductor Matt Wilson, who recently celebrated his final concert with our Youth Orchestra Program. ❤️🎶

Since 2022, Mr. Wilson has taught the youngest students in our program, teaching them the fundamentals of playing in a string orchestra and supporting them as they develop their skills on the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. We will miss Mr. Wilson next season, but are grateful for the four amazing years he spent making music with us. Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for all you’ve done to help our young musicians grow! ❤️🎻🌟

Some peeks behind the scenes from our end-of-season Youth Orchestra concerts 🫶🎶 It’s not too late to audition to join YOP—virtual auditions for all instruments and ensembles are due by 11:59pm this Wednesday, June 3. Visit the link in our bio to sign up for your YOP audition today! (And if you’re interested in joining String Sinfonietta, more information on registration will come out this July!)

Congratulations to Peter Yanovitch, winner of the 2025–26 RSYO Concerto Competition! 🎶 Peter will perform the first movement of Serge Koussevitzky’s Double Bass Concerto with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 7:00pm. Read below to learn more about Peter:

Peter’s musical journey with string instruments began on the electric bass at 9 years old, when he wanted to be able to play music with his brothers. He picked up the double bass at 11 years old in middle school orchestra and never put it down.
 
Peter joined the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program in 2022, progressing from Camerata Strings to Youth Concert Orchestra to RSYO, serving as principal double bassist for many concert cycles. He was a student in the RSSoM’s Young Composers Seminar in 2025, which concluded with his piece “Cat Food” being performed by Richmond Symphony musicians. Peter also had the honor of performing at the 2025 Richmond Symphony Gala.
 
Peter was awarded a National PTA Reflections Award of Merit for Musical Composition in 2025 and received the National School Orchestra Award in 2026. He has performed in the All-Virginia Band & Orchestra three years in a row, serving as its principal bass in 2026.
 
He wishes to convey enormous gratitude to his incredible private teacher Matt Gold and his amazing school orchestra director Allison Barnes. This fall, Peter will be attending the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance.

Our grand finale is just around the corner! The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program is excited to present our final performances of the season, featuring nearly 200 students across two string orchestras, two full orchestras, and one percussion chamber ensemble.

Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 7:00pm
Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center
🎻 String Sinfonietta, conducted by Matt Wilson
🎶 Camerata Strings, conducted by Melissa Jones
🎺 Youth Concert Orchestra (YCO), conducted by Dr. Sandy Goldie

Monday, May 18, 2026 at 7:00pm
Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center
🪉 Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO), conducted by Hae Lee, Richmond Symphony Associate Conductor
🥁 Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Justin Alexander
🎼 This concert will feature double bassist Peter Yanovitch, winner of the 2025–26 RSYO Concerto Competition.

Both concerts are free and open to the public; tickets are not required. We hope to see you there! ❤️

Photos by Dave Pearson ().

“As a first violinist in our chamber group, [Honors] really helped me to build leadership skills when I’m playing with other people,” said Katelyn Luu, a violinist and junior at Cosby High School. “I’ve translated that to our school orchestra and leading my section at school.“

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This April’s Spotlight Series covered the return of chamber music to our Honors Program. Originally a single-semester program, next year, the Honors Program will run for the entirety of the school year. Our Honors Program is open to members of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO), our advanced full orchestra.
 
To read this month’s Spotlight Series, visit the link in our bio or go to linktr.ee/rssom. Our monthly Spotlight Series is written by Anna Mitchell, Education & Social Media Coordinator.

Photos by Dave Pearson ().

“As a conductor, I find immense happiness in the different challenges each week brings—whether I’m channeling the vibrant energy of our talented students or collaborating with the wonderful musicians of the great Richmond Symphony,” says Hae Lee, Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony and conductor of RSYO. “Leading the Side-by-Side performance was, without a doubt, a highlight of my time in Richmond [so far].”

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One of the highlights of the year for RSYO, our advanced full orchestra, is their annual Side-by-Side with the musicians of the Richmond Symphony. Next season’s Side-by-Side will take place in February 2027.

Audition registration for our 2026–27 season is now open! Whether you’re interested in joining RSYO or one of our other ensembles, visit the link in our bio to register for your audition today. 🎻🪈🎺🥁🪉

Photos by Christian Thesken of True North Productions ().