Pride in Black Voices
Building a Loving Community
Join Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony for a special musical narrative covering Civil rights history from 1954 to 1967. This roughly 60-minute program will include excerpts from the upcoming world premiere of Loving v. Virginia (coming April/May 2025).
Loving v. Virginia will be an operatic retelling of the groundbreaking United States Supreme Court case centered around the interracial marriage of Mildred and Richard Loving. In 1958, they were sentenced to prison for marrying each other, which was illegal in Virginia due to its Racial Integrity Act of 1924. The couple continued to appeal their case until they reached the United States Supreme Court, which overturned their conviction by unanimous decision in 1967. That theirs is also such a personal journey, with uncertainties and triumphs, makes the Loving’s story truly operatic, and the Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony look forward to presenting it soon on stages across Virginia.
For more information regarding this program, contact education@vaopera.org.