About

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Charlottesville Ballet and Opera on the James will present America250: Voices of Virginia in Lynchburg. This sweeping multidisciplinary performance traces the arc of the American story-from its founding to the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, to today-through dance, opera, theater, poetry, and music created by Virginia artists.

Audiences will experience:

Early American compositions and contemporary works, reflecting the evolution of American music across centuries

Poetry by American literary greats Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, alongside the powerful voice of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer

Multimedia pieces and historical visuals, including a piece honoring our military veterans, plus collaborations with filmmaker Phil Spinner and Lynchburg’s Pierce Street Gateway

Four singers from Opera on the James’ Tyler Young Artist Program with guest musicians, all performing alongside Charlottesville Ballet’s professional company

America250: Voices of Virginia is more than a performance-it’s a celebration of who we are, how we got here, and where we’re headed together. Don’t miss this inspiring experience of history in motion.