Richmond Symphony brings back Come & Play, with singers joining for the first time
The Richmond Symphony is bringing back a community music tradition after nine years, this time making room for singers alongside the instrumentalists.
Come & Play & Sing: Carmina Burana will bring participants together with Richmond Symphony musicians and the Richmond Symphony Chorus on Sunday, April 11, 2027, at VCU’s Siegel Center. Music Director Valentina Peleggi will lead the event, which welcomes musicians of all ages and experience levels.
The original Come & Play last took place in 2018, drawing more than 700 community musicians from across Virginia and beyond, according to the Symphony. The expanded format will invite community vocalists to participate for the first time.
For Peleggi, the featured work carries a personal connection. She was 13 when she performed Carmina Burana in a children’s chorus, her first experience singing onstage with a large symphonic orchestra.
“It was the first time I felt music in my blood,” Peleggi said in the announcement. “Hearing a piece is one thing; having the privilege of being part of it, feeling that wave of sound onstage and connecting with one another to create something unique, is another.”
The event is designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced musicians, with parts matched to participants’ experience levels. Registration collects information about each participant’s instrument or voice and musical experience.
Participants will rehearse from 2 to 4:30 p.m., followed by a break before a free public concert at 6 p.m. The Symphony expects the performance to last about 30 minutes. Audience members do not need to participate in the music-making to attend, and a $10 donation is suggested.
Participant registration costs $20 through March 1, 2027, increasing to $25 on March 2. Each musician or singer must complete a separate registration form.
Details and registration are available through the Richmond Symphony School of Music.
