EDITORIAL: Heroic.(Editorial)

Mar. 31--During 2007-08, the Richmond Symphony will look backward and forward, to the future and to the past. The season marks the orchestra's 50th anniversary. The programs will include masterpieces from the permanent repertoire, as well as works suggesting serious music is alive and well -- and new. Music Director Mark Russell Smith will lead the ensemble; former Music Directors Jacques Houtmann and George Manahan will return as guest conductors. The Houtmann performances will feature Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony, whose name is apt for the Richmond Symphony and all other groups dedicated to artistic excellence. It takes heroic effort indeed to prosper in a culture beset …