BROKEN WORLDS

Music to Heal or to Divide

ROBERT SHOUP

In a world that seems to be defined by conflict and seemingly endless divisions, music continues to function as a steady thread through our individual and shared experiences. While music’s capacity to heal is well-known, is it possible we unwittingly contribute to the climate of divisiveness by the ways we listen, sing, or play? From political and religious animosities to racial and cultural contentions, music has long had a role in both binding and opening of wounds. In environments as varied and perhaps surprising as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Norfolk Street Choir Project, Robert Shoup has long sought to deploy music as a vehicle for meaningful human connection.

Thursday, March 2 | 7-8 PM

BLOCKER HALL AUDITORIUM

In addition to the many choirs he has led and the numerous international orchestras he has conducted, Robert Shoup has been Chorus Master and Staff Conductor for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra since 1997, serving as a leader in commercial recording projects, international tours, and multiple collaborations with Virginia Arts Festival. In 2016 he founded the Norfolk Street Choir to engage individuals experiencing homelessness. He is a founding board member of the National Alliance for Music in Vulnerable Communities, and Music Director for Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk.