Richmond Symphony Renews Valentina Peleggi's Contract through 2027-2028 Season

The Richmond Symphony and Valentina Peleggi are very pleased to announce her four-year contract extension as the Symphony’s Music Director and Conductor.  Peleggi has been with the orchestra since the 2020-2021 season and this renewal continues through the 2027-2028 season.

“In her first four seasons with the Richmond Symphony, Valentina has transformed the orchestra’s artistic profile, has re-energized our concert-going experience, and has attracted scores of  new audiences with her creative and provocative programming,” said Lacey Huszcza, Executive Director of the Richmond Symphony.

“Valentina is especially passionate about drawing the emerging generation of music lovers into the Symphony hall, and has worked to build community partnerships, take concert programming to unexpected locations, and built out impactful conducting seminars and training programs,” said Elisabeth Muhlenfeld Wollan, Board Chair of the Richmond Symphony. “We are absolutely delighted that Valentina’s remarkable talents as a musician and her powerful presence on the podium will continue to captivate audiences in Richmond and beyond well into our future.”

While focusing on developing the unique sound of the Richmond Symphony, Peleggi has made significant contributions to the region’s classical music landscape by launching new concert formats, building on music as a living art form by spearheading commissioning projects, launching a composer-in-residence program with Damien Geter, and championing Virginia stories and Virginia voices. In addition, she sat on the jury of the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021, an international competition to recognize the world’s most exceptional young violinists, and continues to bring young, exceptional talent to the stage in Richmond. She regularly champions the work of the Education team at the Symphony, speaking with honors students, engaging Youth Orchestra members in open rehearsals and more.

“I am incredibly excited to continue our journey with my beloved Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Chorus,” said Peleggi. “It is impressive and empowering to see how much we have been able to build in such a short period of time, more than half of which was during Covid. This is thanks to a wonderful sense of team within the artistic groups, the management, the Board and the city overall that really makes Richmond a very, very special place. I value and treasure it immensely. The artistic level of the orchestra, their passion, their commitment, and their will to grow is a joy to witness and a huge responsibility that I accept with even more enthusiasm. I am deeply glad to keep working side by side with such a bright and visionary Executive Director like Lacey Huszcza, and I can't wait to keep expanding our musical, educational, and community programs in the Richmond area and beyond."

A renowned conductor worldwide, Valentina Peleggi has recently guest conducted the Chicago, Dallas, Baltimore and Kansas City symphonies and many orchestras across Europe, Canada and South America including the Royal Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, Polish Radio, BBC Wales, Nürnberger Symphoniker. In May 2024 she makes her debut at Seattle Opera conducting Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville’, and has previously conducted at English National Opera, Teatro Verdi Trieste and Opera de Lyon among others. 

She gained a Masters in Conducting in Rome and pursued post-graduate conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She held a Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship 2015-2017 and went on to be Resident Conductor of the Sao Paulo Symphony and Music Director of their professional chorus, with whom she has released a CD for Naxos. 

“The orchestra, the chorus, the Board of Directors, and the staff at the Richmond Symphony think so highly of Valentina,” Huszcza concluded. “It’s an honor and pleasure to collaborate with her, and we all look forward to the bold and broad range of programming that she has envisioned for our Symphony and our audiences from now through 2028.”

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About the Richmond Symphony

The Richmond Symphony is dedicated to putting music at the center of its community, creating joy, connection, expression, and collaborations. Each season, the Richmond Symphony offers more than 200 public performances for approximately 250,000 patrons through concerts and educational programs and collaborates with other organizations, such as Morgan Avery McCoy, Inc., for special projects. The Symphony maintains an active touring schedule that brings live symphonic performances to rural communities. Founded in 1957, the Symphony includes 70 professional Orchestra Musicians and a 150-voice volunteer Chorus. Demonstrating a dedication to music education, the Richmond Symphony School of Music (RSSoM) was founded in 2020 and includes a 120 strong Youth Orchestra Program of all skill levels as well as online enrichment and instruction for both school-aged and adult learners. Learn more at richmondsymphony.com.