Virginia Symphony Orchestra to perform free outdoor concerts in the Historic Triangle this summer

HISTORIC TRIANGLE – Summer is the season of music in the Historic Triangle, and local residents will have numerous opportunities to enjoy free concerts by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO) this year.

The acclaimed regional orchestra is presenting a series of 12 family-friendly performances across Hampton Roads from June through September, including one in Williamsburg and one in Yorktown.

Concerts will take place at scenic outdoor venues, including Yorktown’s Riverwalk Landing, Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre in Williamsburg, Town Point Park in Norfolk and Neptune’s Park in Virginia Beach.

The Yorktown concert is hosted in partnership with Celebrate Yorktown, which provides generous financial support for the program.

Now in its 27th year, the annual VSO concert at Riverwalk Landing is a major annual highlight in Historic Yorktown.

While the event is free of charge for the community, it is only made possible through the year-round fundraising efforts of the Celebrate Yorktown Committee, an all-volunteer organization that organizes and promotes events in Historic Yorktown.

William W. Cole, chair of the Celebrate Yorktown Committee, said the organization works tirelessly to bring the beloved performance to the community every year.

“The Celebrate Yorktown Committee of the Yorktown Foundation thanks the many individuals who have financially supported our presentation of the VSO for the 27th year,” Cole said. “We could not welcome the public for free without these donations.”

Fundraising for next year’s VSO production will begin just days after this year’s concert, Cole added.

The Williamsburg concert, meanwhile, is sponsored by the College of William & Mary and the City of Williamsburg.

Kicking off the series in the region is a program titled Opera and Oz, featuring pieces like “Home” from The Wiz, “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi and selections from Wicked. The concert will be presented at the Gloucester Arts Festival on June 7 and will also be performed in Chesapeake on June 6, Virginia Beach on June 8 and Portsmouth on June 13.

Additional VSO concerts featuring the theme “Heroes, Villains, and Virtuosos” will be performed on July 10 at Neptune’s Park and July 20 at Towne Point Park, conducted by Alexander Chen.

Two Symphony by the Sea concerts will be held in Neptune Park on August 14 and 28.

The free concert series will draw to a close with Symphony Under the Stars, which will be held at Yorktown’s Riverwalk Landing on August 30 and Williamsburg’s Lake Matoaka on September 5.

For a full schedule of the 2025 summer concerts, visit virginiasymphony.org/free-summer-concerts.