HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 790 Offered January 19, 2007 Commending the Richmond Symphony on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. ----------
Patrons-- McClellan, Cox, Dance, Hall, Hargrove, Ingram, Janis, Jones, D.C., McEachin, Nixon, O'Bannon, Peace, Reid, Waddell, Ware, O. and Ware, R.L.
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WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony was founded in 1957 by a small, dedicated group of citizens, who desired to provide Central Virginia with a professional orchestra; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony conducted its first auditions in the Richmond Public Library and made its glorious debut on October 28, 1957, at what is now the Landmark Theater, formerly known as the Mosque, for the enjoyment of more than 4,000 enthusiastic patrons; and

WHEREAS, today, the Richmond Symphony makes more than 200 public appearances each year, employing 36 core full-time and more than 40 part-time musicians, performing for approximately 25,000 patrons each season, and reaching thousands more music lovers through educational outreach programs and weekly radio broadcasts on WCVE-FM; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony is a nonprofit organization supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and generous and appreciative patrons and symphony enthusiasts across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony has established a praiseworthy reputation nationally and internationally and is frequently recognized for its extraordinary accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony plays a significant and invaluable role in educating children in Central Virginia, conducting programs that reach more than 35,000 children; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony has nurtured talented area artists and has served as a springboard, propelling them to acclaimed and distinguished careers in a variety of musical endeavors; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony is an integral part of the business community, playing an enormous role in attracting new industries, new jobs, and numerous other talented artists to Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Symphony is dedicated to achieving excellence in both contemporary and traditional symphonic music and incorporates classical, gospel, jazz, and popular genres into its repertoire, hoping to make performances interesting and accessible to all of the citizens of the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate the Richmond Symphony on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Richmond Symphony as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for its members' commitment to the arts and the orchestra's wonderful gift of music for all of the citizens of the Commonwealth to enjoy.