Virginia Arts Festival announces Pink Martini – the “little orchestra” from Portland, Oregon – March 22 at 7:30 pm at Hilton Norfolk The Main in the fourth-floor ballroom. Pink Martini has been combining classical, jazz, and timeless pop into a unique, international sound since 1994. Founded by pianist Thomas Lauderdale, the band achieved worldwide fame with their hit “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)”.
Tickets go on sale Friday, September 25 at 10 am and will be available at vafest.org,
757-282-2822, or in person at the Virginia Arts Festival Box Office at 440 Bank Street in Norfolk.
Today, Pink Martini tours the world with a dozen musicians and songs in over 25 languages – from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Albert Hall, from the Sydney Opera House to the Hollywood Bowl. Over 3 million albums sold, collaborations with stars like Saori Yuki, Rufus Wainwright, and the von Trapps, and acclaimed performances with more than 70 orchestras have made the group a global cultural phenomenon.
“This is rich, hugely approachable music, utterly cosmopolitan yet utterly unpretentious. And it seems to speak to just about everybody … from grade-schoolers to grandmothers to the young and hip and beautiful.” –The Washington Post
About Virginia Arts Festival
The Virginia Arts Festival celebrates its 29th Anniversary in 2026. The largest performing arts organization in southeastern Virginia, Virginia Arts Festival has transformed the region’s cultural scene, presenting great performers from around the world and making this historic region a cultural destination for visitors from across the United States and around the world. In 2025, the Festival welcomed visitors from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and 9 foreign countries. Each season, the Festival presents over 250 performances, including free community events, student matinees, and workshops, with an annual attendance of over 110,000. Millions more are reached through international broadcasts of Festival performances on American Public Radio’s Performance Today, nationally on PBS TV, and regionally on WHRO TV. Over 32% of ticket sales come from outside the region, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to local museums and attractions and filling regional hotels and restaurants. Estimated annual economic impact of the Festival exceeds $25 million.