The Shadow
Roanoke, VA —May 8, 2026 — The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (RSO) today announced that Music Director and Conductor David Stewart Wiley will extend his contract with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra for one additional year to coincide with the celebration of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the RSO.
He will conclude his remarkable tenure on July 1, 2028 as the longest serving Music Director in the history of the RSO. This transition will mark three decades of extraordinary artistic leadership, innovation, and community engagement. In recognition of his profound and enduring impact, the RSO Board of Directors has voted unanimously to name him Music Director Emeritus upon the conclusion of his tenure in 2028. Mike Maxey, Chair of the RSO Board of Directors stated: “David Stewart Wiley’s artistic vision and deep connection to our region have shaped the artistic identity and warm accessibility of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
Our Maestro has been a tireless musical ambassador, and his legacy will continue to resonate through the generations of audiences he has inspired. Our Board is pleased that Maestro Wiley accepted our request that he remain with the RSO for our 75th anniversary. We are excited to celebrate his 30th year with the RSO in the 2026-27 season, and will culminate his leadership with the Golden Jubilee Anniversary in our 2027-28 season.”
Under Wiley’s direction since 1996, he has guided the RSO through significant artistic milestones and community achievements that have garnered both regional and national recognition.
The successful Pops Series was created at the Salem Coliseum early in his tenure, and the epic Holiday Pops and its tour has become the largest program of its kind in the Commonwealth. The RSO began recording for national distribution & film, began more outreach and touring, opened the renovated Shaftman Hall and began Elmwood Park’s Symphony Under the Stars, created a successful classical Destination series, and commissioned award-winning American compositions. Highlights include a deep collaboration with WVTF Public Radio, and a Distinguished Music Educator Award from Yale University for innovative partnership with the Roanoke City Schools.
Maestro Wiley’s commitment to arts education and bringing music to youth in underserved communities, earned him recognition from the NAACP as Citizen of the Year in the Arts, as well as Roanoke’s Citizen of the Year award by unanimous vote of city council for his community service well beyond the podium. All but a few of the current RSO professional musicians were hired during his tenure, including Concertmaster Akemi Takayama and Chorus Master John Hugo. Wiley was part of the leadership team representing Roanoke in its historic seventh “All-American City” award and, alongside his wife Leah, was honored by the National MS Society for civic leadership at its “Dinner of Champions.” His 25th season was commemorated by a joint bipartisan resolution of the Virginia House and Senate recognizing his cultural and civic contributions to the Commonwealth.
Beyond his transformative work in Roanoke, Wiley’s distinguished international career as conductor, pianist, and composer has included performances with many of America’s most prestigious orchestras, from Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, and San Francisco to Minnesota, Saint Louis, and Utah, as well as numerous concerts internationally. Wiley continues as Music Director in New York of Orchestra Long Island and Artistic Director of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Music Festival in Floyd, VA. His recordings with the RSO and other orchestras, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral”, French Cello Concerti with Zuill Bailey, and American Piano Concertos, have received critical acclaim. Reflecting on his announcement, Wiley shared: “My heart is full for what we have accomplished together. After 30 amazing years, it feels like the right time to pass the baton to a new artistic
leader, and I wanted to allow the RSO time to plan for this significant transition. The RSO will surely find the right person who can bring a new artistic vision to Virginia’s Blue Ridge and to our wonderful orchestra and chorus – just as it did after Gibson, and then Jack, and my predecessor Victoria Bond. Now, let us celebrate together as we keep our RSO artistically and fiscally strong and vibrant for the next 75 years.
I will remain one of the RSO’s biggest boosters, along with my beloved wife Leah and our family.” The RSO Board of Directors announces that an international search for the orchestra’s next Music Director will begin during the 2027–28 season. The process will be guided by a Search
Committee of RSO & community stakeholders, to determine guest conductors to be invited to lead concerts as part of the search process.
“While it’s difficult to imagine the RSO without David at the podium, we are excited to begin a thoughtful and inclusive search that will honor his remarkable legacy while charting the orchestra’s next chapter,” said RSO Executive Director David Crane. Concertmaster Akemi Takayama said: “the musicians and I are so thankful for his years of inspiring leadership, for so many memorable concerts and recordings — and our deep community connections.” The upcoming 2026–27 season will celebrate Maestro Wiley’s 30th year of service as Music Director and his enduring contributions with special programs and community events highlighting his artistry, tireless leadership, and impact on the cultural life of the region. Other details about the search and future of the RSO will be shared throughout the following anniversary seasons.
About the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra See www.rso.com. Founded in 1953, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra is the largest professional orchestra &
chorus in western Virginia, dedicated to enriching lives through the power of live music. The RSO presents exciting Masterworks, Pops, Summer Parks and other diverse concerts each season. The RSO offers extensive educational and outreach programs serving thousands of students across the wide region of Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
