Benefit Concert for Lynnhaven River Now 
featuring
Musicians of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra 

Saturday, November 15 at 4:00 PM 
Harrison Opera House 
Celebrate Our Rivers, Our Community, and the Power of Music! 

Join us for a joyful concert honoring the heroes who work to protect and restore our local waterways. This special performance celebrates Lynnhaven River Now, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting Virginia Beach waters and natural areas, ensuring clean, healthy waterways for wildlife and our community. 

Experience the beauty and inspiration of music that reflects the flow, life, and vitality of rivers and water. Featuring music performed by talented Musicians of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, this family-friendly event will uplift your spirits while highlighting the importance of preserving our natural treasures.  

Bring your friends and family, enjoy the sounds of river-inspired music, and support the mission of Lynnhaven River Now. Together, we can celebrate the environment, our community, and the joy of music!  

All proceeds go to Lynnhaven River Now.  For tickets, visit vafest.org, call 757-282-2822, or buy in-person at the Festival Ticket Office, 440 Bank St, Norfolk (Monday-Friday, 10 am-5 pm). 

Program: James Hosay—Rivers of the Chesapeake 
I. The Elizabeth 
Bedrich Smetana—Vltava (The Moldau), from Má vlast 
Traditional—"Shenandoah", arr. Morden 
George Frideric Handel—Suite No. 2 in D major, HWV 349, from Water Music 
Johann Strauss Jr.—An der schönen blauen Donau (The Blue Danube) 

About Lynnhaven River Now 
Lynnhaven River Now (LRNow) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting Virginia Beach’s waterways and natural areas since 2002. Visit www.lynnhavenriver.org to find out more information. 

About TORCH 
TORCH (Thanking our Resident Community Heroes) grew out of the COVID crisis when people were helping each other to survive financially in the midst of so many other challenges. From that experience an idea was hatched to leverage donations during good times for a greater purpose. Founding member Tom Reel notes, "Instead of giving dollars to artists in need, we could hire them - and mount a benefit concert not for ourselves but for worthy and deserving local organizations outside of the performing arts community - organizations like Lynnhaven River NOW." 

The Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Symphony have partnered with the Musicians to raise awareness and money FOR the community FROM the artists. The expectation is for TORCH's unique and visionary musical flame to burn brightly for years and years to come.  
 
About Virginia Arts Festival 
The largest performing arts organization in southeastern Virginia, Virginia Arts Festival has transformed the region's cultural scene, presenting great performers from around the world and making this historic region a cultural destination for visitors from across the United States and around the world.  Artist-led, Virginia Arts Festival places artistic excellence above all.  The Festival's artistic leadership includes Robert W. Cross, the Festival's Executive Director / Perry Artistic Director and a Grammy Award-winning percussionist; Olga Kern, the Festival's Connie and Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music and a Van Cliburn Gold Medal-awarded pianist; and Tony award-winning Broadway music director Rob Fisher is the Goode Family Director of Music Theater and American Songbook. Renowned vocal artists who have performed at the Festival include Renée Fleming, Kristin Chenoweth, Brooke Shields, Kelli O’Hara, Vienna Boys Choir, The King’s Singers, The Tallis Scholars, VOCES8, and Soweto Gospel Choir. The festival has presented numerous world premieres and new productions of classical music, dance, and theatre from some of today’s most influential composers, choreographers and playwrights. Each season, performances from the Virginia Arts Festival are broadcast nationwide on American Public Radio’s Performance Today. The festival’s arts education programs reach tens of thousands of schoolchildren each year through student matinees, in-school performances, artist residencies, master classes and demonstrations. 

VAF Media Contact: 
Alli Pereira 
apereira@vafest.org 
757-282-2804