Celebrate the 4th of July at the Virginia Zoo! Our splash fountains will be on for kids to play in, the African Village Restaurant and Beastro will be serving ice cold drinks and treats, and if you’re one of the first 250 guests to arrive, you’ll get a free Coca-Cola summer can cooler!
You’ll also have the chance to get a mystery Whodoption! Typically only available during special events, Whodoptions will be available at our Membership Gazebo.
Swearingen & Kelli, band
Fire & Rain is a beautiful collection of classics by James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, America, Jim Croce, Fleetwood Mac, and more. Duo Swearingen & Kelli join the VSO for a stellar performance of your favorite ’70s tunes.
With siren-like vocals and prolific songwriting, Swearingen & Kelli have carved out their own space in the Americana landscape, earning praise from Red Line Roots as artists “others would do well to emulate.”Their earlier albums, The Marrying Kind and Cold-Hearted Truth, drew critical acclaim from Gretsch Guitars, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, and NY Country Swag. With a sound steeped in the soul of ‘60s and ‘70s songwriters, they’ve shared the stage with legends like Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, and folk heroes Tom Rush and David Bromberg.
Tickets to individual concerts go on sale Thursday, August 1. Secure your seats now by becoming a subscriber today! Click here for more info.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Jan Vogler, cello
Samuel Barber: Overture to The School for Scandal
Anna Clyne: DANCE, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5*
The first of three amazing fifth symphonies kicks off our celebration of five seasons with Music Director Eric Jacobsen. Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony takes the listener on a transformative journey from struggle to triumph while showcasing the artistry of the VSO musicians. World renowned cellist and prolific recording artist Jan Vogler joins us to perform one of the most acclaimed cello concertos of the 21st century.
Eric Jacobsen serves as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s twelfth Music Director, a position he’s held since 2021. He is also artistic director and co-founder of The Knights, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra, and Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic. In addition to conducting, Eric is a dedicated chamber musician (cello) and is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.
Cellist Jan Vogler’s distinguished career has brought him together with renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed orchestras around the world, such as New York Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and London Philharmonic Orchestra. In partnership with Sony Classical, he has recorded over 20 albums including an award-winning recording of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.
Anna Clyne is one of the most performed composers alive today. NPR called her “a radical melodist with a painter’s eye,” and her GRAMMY®-nominated works have been commissioned and presented by arts institutions like the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, MoMA, Philharmonie de Paris, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet, and the Sydney Opera House.
As we approach the nationwide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026, the Orchestra has planned a season featuring many beloved American composers. Our season kicks off with the striking sounds of Samuel Barber’s dramatic and energetic Overture to The School for Scandal. Barber composed the work, his first for full orchestra, at the age of 21 while he was completing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music.
If you want to experience the best Beatles tribute ever, you won’t want to miss The Fab Four- The Ultimate Tribute. The 2025 tour brings their all-new show to the stage, celebrating The Beatles’ second film, HELP!, with performances from the movie soundtrack, as well as the Beatles’ greatest hits of every era.
The Emmy Award-winning Fab Four is elevated far above every other Beatles Tribute due to their precise attention to detail. With uncanny, note-for-note live renditions of Beatles’ classics such as “Help!,” “Yesterday,” “A Day In The Life,” “Twist And Shout,” “Here Comes The Sun,” and “Hey Jude”, the Fab Four will make you think you are watching the real thing.
Then this is for the show for you! Get ready to embrace your immature side with The Dirty Comedy Show. We’ve assembled Push Comedy Theater’s funniest comedians for a Saturday Night Live-style show… only with a lot more dick and fart jokes. It’s a night of comedy that is sure to make your grandmother blush. Definitely not for those with delicate sensibilities.
Did you know 97% of Atlantic Sturgeon spawn in the exact same river they were born in? Would you also be surprised to find out that they navigate their way back to their home rivers by using their sense of smell! Come join us here at Nauticus for “Smell Like A Sturgeon”, an interactive floor program that tests your sense of smell to see if you have what it takes to sniff your way home like the Atlantic Sturgeon.
Smell Like A Sturgeon activity is included in general admission.
Do you have what it takes to survive on the open ocean when your ship goes down? Join us for our interactive floor program as we discuss tools and methods that will help you survive adrift on the ocean.
This daily program is included in Nauticus’ general admission.
Do you have what it takes to survive on the open ocean when your ship goes down? Join us for our interactive floor program as we discuss tools and methods that will help you survive adrift on the ocean.
This daily program is included in Nauticus’ general admission.
Exploring Fossils: Chesapecten Jeffersonius
Did you know Virginia’s state fossil is the Chesapecten Jeffersonius? In this program you will hold real fossils excavated by one of our educators, learn about the fossilization process, and how fossils help us understand ecosystems and change over time—you will even create your own imprint and take home your own DIY recipe for creating fossils at home!
Program included in general admission!
