Five daring performances will light up the Lancaster Elementary School Theater in Kilmarnock beginning October 18th as part of the 32nd On Stage season of the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA). The 2025-2026 season, titled “Magical Medleys,” will bring performers recognized as among the world’s best and award-winning emerging artists to the theater, located at 191 School Street.
“We are thrilled to present a dynamic mix of artists this season, so do mark your calendars,” said RFA president Jamie Tucker. “In October we host one of magic’s best loved and most innovative illusionists. He will be followed by musicians redefining the genres of blues, a cappella, and folk rock. Our season concludes with –wait for it–an ensemble from an orchestra widely considered one of the world’s greatest. Your attendance not only supports this high level of live performances but also enables us to bring live music and drama to the young people of our community. It’s a real win-win.”
On October 18th the audience won’t just be watching the Magic of Michael Grandinetti, they will be participating in it. Grandinetti will perform stage magic and sleight of hand with borrowed items and volunteers as well as recreate many of the stunning illusions from his television and stadium appearances. One of the stars of The CW’s hit series “Masters of Illusion,” he has brought his magic to over one million viewers weekly, throughout the U.S., for five years in a row.
November 15th brings in the bluesy ballads and dreamy acoustic duets of New Zealand-formed and Nashville-based South for Winter. The three award-winning multi-instrumentalists and songwriters combine elements such as classically trained cello, percussive guitar, mandolin, suitcase stomp, poetic lyricism, and haunting melodies into a genre-bending sound described by American Songwriter as “impeccable.” The band has been selling out shows across Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Poland, New Zealand, and the United States.
On December 13th, the GRAMMY-nominated a cappella group Kings Return will defy the constraints of any single genre to sing carols and pop with a myriad of sonic shades and textures. The Dallas-based quartet is redefining a cappella music with their brand of R&B entwined with moments of jazz, bursts of gospel, and touches of pop. Since performing at a college recital in 2016, the classically trained vocalists have captured the hearts of millions of fans in person and online. They released their first full-length holiday LP, titled We 4 Kings, in November 2023. Reviews consistently praise their dynamic harmonies, full sound, and ability to move audiences.
On February 28th, prepare for a barn burner rock concert, when the four members of Scythian (sith-ee-yin) bring their rousing interpretations of roots music from Celtic, Eastern European and Appalachian traditions. Scythian plays with thunderous energy, technical prowess, and storytelling songwriting. The band has toured extensively on the East Coast, and from Wisconsin to Florida. Based in Front Royal, Virginia, Scythian has “reinvented folk rock in America,” according to iHeart Radio's Arroe Collins.
An ensemble formed by members of Amsterdam’s famed Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO), aptly named Camerata RCO, will present a concert at 4pm on Sunday, May 3rd, to close RFA’s 2025-2026 On Stage season. Camerata RCO performs chamber music with a special focus on the Classical and Romantic repertoire for winds and strings, and active relationships with living composers. The ensemble has enjoyed tremendous success in the Netherlands and abroad and performs around 50 concerts a season in music capitals such as Amsterdam, Vienna, Tokyo, Seoul, Madrid, Rome and New York. Their ever-expanding discography on Gutman Records includes recordings of works by Corelli, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Mahler, and Ravel.
Purchase a season subscription package with reserved seats by July 11th for $175 (only $35 a show) by calling Donna McGrath, RFA office administrator, at 804-438-5555. The price will increase to $190 after July 11th, so get your order in soon for the discount! Single tickets can be purchased online beginning in August for $45 a show at rappahannockfoundation.org or by calling the RFA office.
