The Odyssey to Staunton

Last weekend, we had our second Altria Masterworks concert, Rachmaninoff & Stravinsky. In case you didn't already know, the Richmond Symphony also performs in various concerts around Virginia. So last Friday afternoon, the Richmond Symphony musicians, Operations staff, and Music Director Steven Smith were heading for such a concert in Staunton, Virginia. Here is where the mayhem begins...

"En route, we found that I-64 West was a parking lot as we approached Charlottesville. The buses rerouted around Charlottesville as a lot of the rest of us made it about 2 miles in about 2 hours while others, including Steven, tried to reroute themselves (I take responsibility for making Steven drive about 2 hours out of his way). The buses arrived in Staunton about 10 minutes before the show which was slated to begin at 7:30 pm. I arrived at the school around 7:35 pm. On entering the school, the Ops team were setting the stage and on the phone consulting with musicians still en route. At about 7:40 pm, I walked on stage to begin a pre-concert (the concert was supposed to have already started!). At about 8 pm, I was told that some of our musicians were ready to give an impromptu chamber concert in the lobby. I announced this to the audience and they went into the lobby. In the meantime, we consulted with the rest of the musicians who were present and decided to perform the Debussy Sarabande unconducted. After about 15 – 20 minutes, we were able to get those present on stage and play the Debussy. Then the Brass players agreed to play the Fanfare sans conductor. As they began, Steven walked in the door. In three minutes, Steven gathered himself, grabbed his score and walked on stage to perform a shortened version of Firebird.

We then took a break to reset the stage and allow Steven to change into concert attire and were able to perform the entire Rachmaninoff piano concerto (while the victorious Robert E. Lee football team returned and took over the locker rooms just outside the stage). At the end, there was a standing ovation and only one disgruntled patron (that I know of)."

~Laura Adams, Director of Orchestral Operations