Richmond Symphony
Changing lives through the power of music #rvasymphony
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Richmond Symphony - Performances
Each season the Richmond Symphony offers more than 200 public performances for approximately 250,000 patrons through concerts and educational programs. The mainstage programming includes the Masterworks Series, Symphony Pops, LolliPops at the Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Energy Center. Additionally, the Symphony presents the Metro Series at Randolph-Macon College and the Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education. The Music at Hardywood series is very popular, mixing classical music with a contemporary setting.
The Symphony also maintains an active touring schedule that brings live symphonic performances to rural communities. Through community festivals, the Symphony makes a significant impact on participating neighborhoods by combining the power of music with community investment. These community festivals allow for free outdoor musical experiences and serve thousands of people each year. Each year, the Symphony joins with Virginia Opera and Richmond Ballet for presentations each season
Educational Programming
In 2020, the Richmond Symphony inaugurated the Richmond Symphony School of Music (RSSoM). RSSoM encompasses well-established and much-loved programs, such as the Youth Orchestra Program (YOP), which has been the premier orchestral training program of central Virginia since its founding in 1962. Students participate in weekly rehearsals, coaching and classes conducted by Richmond Symphony musicians. The four ensembles of the Youth Orchestra Program include: Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra; Youth Concert Orchestra; Camerada Strings; String Sinfonietta. RSSoM reaches 55,000 Richmond-area students and educators each year, and now includes access to a newly created digital library containing more than 45 hours of enriching digital content as an added tool for teachers and home-school parents. Courses in music theory, appreciation, and history are offered to adult learners.
Where we work
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
The Richmond Symphony performs, teaches, and champions music to inspire and unite our communities. We believe in music for everyone, and our music performances and educational programs are offered to listeners, aged 0 to advanced age. Music bonds the primary caregiver and infant child, and LolliPops engages this group, as well as toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary school students. The Youth Orchestra Program has classes and performance opportunities for students in grades 3-12. Online or hybrid classes in music history, theory, and appreciation are available to adult learners, ages 18 to advanced age. Tickets to performances start at $10 so that music can be accessible to everyone.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Richmond Symphony
Board of directorsas of 03/16/2022
Mrs. Elizabeth Cabell Jennings
Truist
Term: 2022 - 2024
Joshua Bennett
Dominion Energy
Phil Bennett
KPMG LLP
Stuart Blain
Middleburg Financial
John Bock
Wells Fargo
John Braymer
Branch Museum of Architecture and Design (retired)
Priscilla Burbank
Retired Attorney
Sandra Chase
Markel Corporation
Angel Clarke
Bank of America
Alison Eckis
Richmond Symphony League
Gary Flowers
Gary Flowers & Associates,LLC
James Hartough
The Brink's Co. (retired)
Cheryl Goddard
Goddard LLC
Rebecca Horner
Community Volunteer
Lacey Huszcza
Executive Director of the Richmond Symphony
Elizabeth Jennings
Chair of the Richmond Symphony Board; SunTrust Bank
D. Keene
McGuire Woods LLP
Christopher Lindbloom
Janney Montgomery Scott
J. Linhart
The Linhart Company
George Mahoney
Media General, Inc. (retired)
William (Bill) Mears, Jr.
Retired
Patrick Murtaugh
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Roger Neathawk
NDP
Kamran Raika
River Hills Wealth Management
Leon Roday
Retired
John (Rick) Sample
Rainbow Station Group
Maura Scott
Runners Corporation
Richard Szucs
Commonwealth Radiology, PC
Brandon Taylor
Taylor Hoffman
Marcia Thalheimer
John Walker
Williams Mullen, PC
Ludi Webber
Retired
Mark Wickersham
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Mark Wolfram
M&T Bank
Elizabeth (Betsy) Wollan
American Civil War Museum
Bucci Zeugner
Davenport & Co., LLC
Bucci Zeugner
James Hartough
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/17/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.