Rappahannock Pops Orchestra
Performing ArtsVirginia, United States2-10 Employees
The Rappahannock Pops Orchestra is a small nonprofit performing arts group based in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Formed in 1999, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization that assembles more than 100 musicians across professional, semi-professional, amateur, and student ranks to present a varied program. The ensemble aims to make music accessible in the Rappahannock region, offering classical orchestral favorites, Broadway music, movie themes, contemporary popular tunes, and chamber works, along with educational programs for adults and students. It has grown its reach and operations over time, reaching about 75,000 audience members and supporting local music education through scholarships for roughly 30 high school students and grants to local schools. The orchestra typically presents six concerts per year, two of which are free to the public and all are free to students under 18, supported by volunteers and a small board. In its upcoming 16th season, under newly appointed Music Director James Ford, the group will perform four full-orchestra concerts and two small-group performances at venues around Fredericksburg, including James Monroe High School, Riverbend High School, the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, and Mary Washington Hospital.