Downtown
Richmond Symphony brings Nashville Hit Makers to the Carpenter Theatre tonight with Carrie Brockwell
Hall of Fame songwriters Victoria Shaw and Gary Burr tell the stories behind their hits, with Virginia-born country singer Carrie Brockwell as the featured artist.
The Richmond Symphony presents Nashville Hit Makers tonight, Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center, 612 E. Grace St. The Pops concert pairs Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members Victoria Shaw and Gary Burr with Carrie Brockwell, the Virginia-born country singer the symphony calls “Richmond’s own.” Jessica Altarriba conducts.
The symphony describes the night as “an intimate evening of music and storytelling,” with the songwriters walking the audience through the stories behind their hits while the orchestra plays them.
The songwriters behind the songs
Two Hall of Famers and a rising Virginia artist share the stage.
Shaw’s No. 1 songs include “The River” and “She’s Every Woman,” both recorded by Garth Brooks, and “I Love the Way You Love Me,” a hit for John Michael Montgomery. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. Burr has written 14 No. 1 hits, starting with Juice Newton’s “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me,” and is also a member of the Hall of Fame.
The evening is hosted and executive produced by Bernard Porter, a Virginia native and music industry veteran who helped launch Jason Aldean’s career. Porter will introduce Brockwell as the featured recording artist.
Brockwell, an American Idol alum and the 2025 Josie Awards Country Vocalist of the Year, released her version of “Sweet Virginia Breeze” on Oct. 2. Her sophomore album, “That’s Real,” came out in May, and she opened for Josh Turner on his 2026 This Country Music Thing Tour.
City hall puts a spotlight on Richmond music
The concert anchors a weekend of Virginia music events.
Mayor Danny Avula is scheduled to hold a press conference this afternoon at Dominion Energy Center to highlight Richmond’s role in American music history, joined by Porter and Brockwell.
The weekend continues Saturday, Oct. 10, when Porter hosts Steve Bassett: 60 Years in Music at the Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education in Chester. Brockwell will perform “Sweet Virginia Breeze” there for Bassett, who co-wrote the song with Robbin Thompson in 1978.
Tickets for Nashville Hit Makers and more information are available at RichmondSymphony.com.
