By Hannah Serrano
Spring arrives in Coastal Virginia with a musical lineup that spans centuries and genres—from operatic spectacle and symphonic touchstones to jazz intimacy, soul-bearing pop, and Y2K nostalgia. Whether you’re settling into a velvet seat at the Harrison Opera House or screaming along to early-2000s hits at the Hampton Coliseum, these seven shows are a reminder that live music still delivers something no playlist can.
John Legend
Show: An Evening of Songs & Stories, April 9, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach
Tickets: sandlercenter.org/events/detail/johnlegend
John Legend brings one of the spring season’s most anticipated crossover events to Virginia Beach with An Evening of Songs & Stories. The pared-back format favors intimacy over immensity, pairing live performances with reflections on the moments and music that shaped his career.
An EGOT winner whose catalog spans pop, R&B, soul, and socially conscious collaborations, Legend has built a reputation on emotional accessibility—songs that feel deeply personal while resonating widely. In this setting, expect familiar hits alongside deeper cuts, framed by candid storytelling and insight into his songwriting process.
At the Sandler Center—a venue designed to give every audience member an up-close experience—the evening promises a rare chance to glimpse Legend not just as a performer, but as a narrator of his own creative journey, offering a quieter but no less powerful take on his body of work.
Virginia Opera
Shows: Aida, March 13 and 15, Harrison Opera House, Norfolk
Tickets: ticketing.vaopera.org/overview/aida-2026
Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida returns to Norfolk for the first time in 15 years. Last staged locally in 2011, the opera was scheduled to return in 2020 before being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Known for its grand scale—monumental choruses, dramatic arias, and rich orchestration—Aida pairs high drama with an intimate story of love, loyalty, and sacrifice. Its return follows renewed national attention on the opera, including the Metropolitan Opera’s debut of a newly modernized production in 2025, underscoring the work’s continued relevance. For Norfolk, the revival at the Harrison Opera House marks one of the season’s most significant arts events.
Anaïs Reno
Show:March 14, Attucks Jazz Club in the Attucks Theatre, Norfolk
Tickets: vafest.org/tickets/2526/attucks-jazz/anais-reno-vocalist
At just 22, Anaïs Reno brings a level of focus and intentionality that feels well beyond her years. Though jazz has been part of her musical orbit since childhood, her commitment to it deepened gradually rather than arriving in a single, defining moment.
“I don’t know that there was one specific moment,” Reno said. “But as I was gigging more, my relationship to the music became more high stakes. I realized this was a big part of my life, and I didn’t really have any intention of stopping.”
What drew her in wasn’t just the sound of jazz, but the way its elements—harmony, melody, and lyrics—demand attention and care. “There’s very little that’s nonchalant about it,” she said. “I like to be intentional about things, and jazz really grounds me in an environment that allows me to be that way.”
Reno approaches standards with respect for their origins, learning the original melody and emotional framework before adapting a song to her own voice. “I want to know what the song was meant to be before I start messing with it,” she said.
Her influences include Frank Sinatra, Bill Henderson, and Carmen McRae, as well as musicians who prioritize performance as a fully realized experience. That perspective shapes how she thinks about live shows—not as genre exercises, but as emotional narratives built on contrast, clarity, and intention.
At the Attucks Jazz Club, located on the second floor of the Attucks Theatre, Reno hopes audiences experience a whole gamut of emotions throughout the evening and leave with a clear sense of why each song was chosen and what it was meant to convey.
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Shows:Dvořák’s New World Symphony: March 13, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk; March 14, Diamonstein Concert Hall, CNU’S Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News
Tickets: tickets.virginiasymphony.org/dvorak9/chrysler; tickets.virginiasymphony.org/dvorak9/ferguson
Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, remains one of classical music’s most emotionally immediate works. Written during the composer’s time in the United States, the symphony blends European tradition with influences drawn from American spirituals and folk melodies.
Performed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the work’s sweeping contrasts—from the haunting Largo to the triumphant finale—make it a rewarding experience for longtime classical fans and newcomers alike.
Show: Coffee Concert: Beethoven’s Fifth, March 27, Harrison Opera House, Norfolk
Tickets: tickets.virginiasymphony.org/coffbeethoven5/harrison
Few works of any genre or time period are as instantly recognizable as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Built around its iconic four-note motif, the symphony charts a dramatic journey from tension to triumph.
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Coffee Concert series offers a relaxed, daytime setting—an accessible way to experience a masterwork while still delivering the emotional payoff that has made the piece endure for centuries.
Nicholas Cole
Show: April 4, Attucks Theatre, Norfolk
Tickets: sevenvenues.com/events/detail/nicholas-cole
Jazz pianist Nicholas Cole represents a modern generation of artists committed to expanding the language of jazz without losing its conversational core. Equally grounded in tradition and experimentation, Cole blends technical precision with rhythmic intuition and a clear sense of narrative flow.
His performances move fluidly between standards and original material, often reshaping familiar forms through subtle harmonic shifts and a strong groove-oriented sensibility. Rather than spotlighting virtuosity for its own sake, Cole emphasizes interaction—between musicians onstage and with the audience itself.
At the Attucks Theatre, his set promises an immersive experience that reflects jazz as a living, evolving art form. Expect improvisation, interplay, and moments of spontaneity that make each performance feel distinct, thoughtful, and firmly rooted in the present.
B2K & Bow Wow
Show: Boys 4 Life Tour, April 19, Hampton Coliseum
Tickets: hamptoncoliseum.org/events/detail/boys-4-life-tour
The Boys 4 Life Tour brings early-2000s nostalgia to full volume as B2K and Bow Wow reunite with the hits that defined an era. Get ready for high-energy performances, audience-wide sing-alongs, and a reminder that pop eras never really disappear—they just wait for the right moment to return. As the tour name suggests, the night offers a brief return to a time when things felt simpler and anything seemed possible—a reminder of what a great concert can still do.
Hannah Serrano
Hannah Serrano is director of sales & marketing at the TASTE Family of Businesses and former marketing director at O'Connor Brewing Co. Hannah is a passionate foodie and beer nerd. Her advocacy for local culture developed as an arts editor at Port Folio Weekly, culture contributor at WVEC-13, owner of AltDaily.com, and co-organizer of Norfolk's NEON District.
