of this land

Best Classical Compendium
Best Contemporary Classical Composition Jaxson: Born in the Iron Grip
Best Orchestral Performance Geter: Suite from Loving v. Virginia
Best Choral Performance Wadsworth: Letter to the City
Best Classical Instrumental Solo Bates: Bound Away

LISTEN

Richmond Symphony, Richmond Symphony Chorus, and Music Director Valentina Peleggi, present this collaborative work during the 250th anniversary of the United States, a moment that calls us to reckon with the full story of this country and who gets to tell it. As Damien Geter reflects, “the longing for home lies at the heart of the story.” This album celebrates artistry and voice as a statement of who we are, where we have been, and the stories that must be heard as we shape what comes next.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is Central Virginia’s largest performing arts organization. It comprises 69 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 200 students participating in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Through concerts, broadcasts and education and community programs, the Symphony reaches more than 200,000 people each season. The Richmond Symphony is deeply committed to commissioning new music and championing the orchestra as a living art form, a commitment reflected in of this land and its works by Zachary Wadsworth, Damien Geter, Joe Jaxson and Mason Bates. 

Renowned for her dynamic artistry, Valentina Peleggi has served as Music Director of the Richmond Symphony since 2020. A passionate advocate for new music, she has launched commissioning initiatives and composer-in-residence programs that champion the voices of our time. Peleggi has appeared with orchestras around the world, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Arena di Verona and the orchestra of Teatro Colón. 

Deeply rooted in the vocal tradition, Peleggi has conducted productions at Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Opéra National de Lyon and English National Opera, among others. She previously served as Resident Conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of its chorus. Peleggi was the first Italian woman admitted to the conducting program at London’s Royal Academy of Music and is the first Italian woman to serve as Music Director of a professional orchestra in North America.