Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
October 25 & 26
Knight Theater
Welcome Back to the Symphony!
There’s nothing quite like the experience of live music – the energy, the emotion, the connection between performers and audience. And tonight, you’re about to experience all of that and more. Whether you’re here for the brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 or the legendary sounds of The Music of Queen, you’ll hear music brought to life by our talented musicians. These aren’t just performers; they are your neighbors, teachers, and fellow community members, sharing their passion for music across our city.
This season is especially exciting as we welcome our new Music Director, Kwamé Ryan. While his highly anticipated debut conducting Brahms’s A German Requiem on November 22 and 23 is still to come, we’re already feeling the extraordinary energy he brings to this season, brimming with performances that are sure to inspire and captivate.
At the Charlotte Symphony, we believe that music is for everyone, and this season is a reflection of that belief. From the exhilarating fusion of Beethoven x Beyonce to our casual On Tap brewery series, and beloved holiday traditions like Handel’s Messiah and The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert, we offer something for every music lover. Whether you join us here in the concert hall or at one of our many community events, we want you to feel like a part of the Charlotte Symphony family.
For over 90 years, the Charlotte Symphony has been woven into the cultural fabric of our city, and tonight, you’re a part of that rich legacy. Thank you for being here to experience the power of live music. We look forward to sharing this incredible season with you.
Enjoy the concert!
David Fisk President & CEO
Your Charlotte Symphony Experience
Whether you’re attending your first Symphony performance, or you’re a longtime subscriber, we’d like to extend to you a warm and inclusive welcome! Below is some helpful information to ensure you make the most of your Charlotte Symphony experience.
What should I wear?
The Charlotte Symphony has no specific dress code. We encourage you to be comfortable and come as yourself in a style of your choice.
When do I applaud?
Audiences applaud to welcome the concertmaster, conductor, and featured artists onstage. Some works may have several sections, or movements, separated by a brief silent pause. It is tradition to hold applause until the last movement. If you are unsure, wait for the conductor to face the audience. But if you feel truly inspired, do not be afraid to applaud!
Can I take photos?
Certainly! We welcome and encourage you to capture and share photos before and after the concert, as well as during intermission. Feel free to use your cell phone for photography without flash during the performance, but please refrain from video or audio recording.
THE NINETY-THIRD SEASON
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Andrew Grams, conductor Chaeyoung Park, piano
Friday, October 25, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
ANNA CLYNE (b. 1980)
This Midnight Hour
P. I. TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso
II. Andantino semplice
III. Allegro con fuoco Chaeyoung Park, piano
- INTERMISSION -
BÉLA BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Concerto for Orchestra
I. Introduzione: Andante non troppo — Allegro vivace
II. Giuoco delle coppie: Allegretto scherzando
III. Elegia: Andante non troppo
IV. Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto
V. Finale: Pesante — Presto
CONCERT DURATION: Approximately 2 hours, with one 20-minute intermission.
Andrew Grams guest conductor
With a unique combination of intensity, enthusiasm and technical clarity, American conductor Andrew Grams has steadily built a reputation for his dynamic concerts, ability to connect with audiences, and long-term orchestra building. He’s the winner of 2015 Conductor of the Year from the Illinois Council of Orchestras and has led orchestras throughout the United States including the Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and the Houston Symphony.
Andrew Grams became music director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra after an international search in 2013 and recently concluded his tenure there after eight seasons. His charismatic conducting and easy accessibility have made him a favorite of Elgin Symphony audiences.
A frequent traveler, Mr. Grams has worked extensively with orchestras abroad, including the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, the Orchestre National de France, Hong Kong Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra London, the symphony orchestras of Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Het Residentie Orchestra in The Hague, Netherlands. He has led multiple performances of New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and the first performances of the new production of The Nutcracker for the Norwegian National Ballet in Olso.
Also an educator, Mr. Grams has worked with orchestras at institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, Roosevelt University, the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland, and the Amsterdam Conservatorium.
Born in Severn, Maryland, Mr. Grams began studying the violin when he was eight years old. In 1999 he received a Bachelor of Music in
Violin Performance from The Juilliard School, and in 2003 he received a conducting degree from the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Otto-Werner Mueller. He was selected to spend the summer of 2003 studying with David Zinman, Murry Sidlin and Michael Stern at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen and returned to that program again in 2004. Mr. Grams served as Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra from 2004-2007 where he worked under the guidance of Franz Welser-Möst, and has since returned for several engagements.
As an accomplished violinist, Mr. Grams was a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra from 1998-2004, serving as acting associate principal second violin in 2002 and 2004. Additionally, he has performed with ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the New Jersey Symphony.
To learn more about Andrew Grams, visit andrewgrams.com
Conductor Andrew Grams replaces Joana Carneiro, who is unable to travel to Charlotte due to an unfortunate delay in receiving her visa.
Chaeyoung Park piano
Chaeyoung Park, First Prize Winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and Finalist in the 2023 Rubinstein Piano Competition, is celebrated for her deeply expressive playing, praised as a pianist who “does not play a single note without thought or feeling” ( New York Concert Review ). Her diverse repertoire spans from the French Baroque to contemporary works by composers like Unsuk Chin.
As a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, Park has graced prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, and Symphony Center’s Orchestra Hall in Chicago. She has also performed in live-streamed concerts presented by the Gilmore Rising Stars series, the Carlsen Center, and the Lied Center of Kansas.
Park made history as the first female Korean pianist to win the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in 2019, which led to her Carnegie Hall solo debut and a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.
An enthusiastic chamber musician, Park has participated in esteemed programs like Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Yellow Barn, Kneisel Hall, Juilliard ChamberFest, and Bravo! Vail. She has collaborated with top young artists and worked under legends such as Leon Fleisher and Gary Hoffman. Her chamber music performances have taken her to venues including WNYC/WQXR’s Greene Space and the Harvard Club in New York City.
Recent highlights include debuts at Merkin Hall and The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, and performances at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival, Rockport Music, and Hayden’s Ferry Chamber Music. Upcoming engagements include appearances at The Morgan Library & Museum’s Encore Series, Sanibel Island’s BIG ARTS, and a return to the Dame Myra Hess series.
Park, who made her orchestral debut at 14, has since performed with major orchestras across the US, including the Kansas City Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Utah Symphony. She studied at Juilliard under Robert McDonald, completing her Artist Diploma, and received the Gina Bachauer Scholarship, Kovner Fellowship, and Arthur Rubinstein Prize.
Christopher James Lees
Resident Conductor
Christopher Warren-Green Conductor Laureate
2024 · 2025 MUSICIAN ROSTER
FIRST VIOLINS
Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, Concertmaster
The Catherine & Wilton Connor Chair
Joseph Meyer,* Associate Concertmaster
Kari Giles, Acting Associate Concertmaster
Dustin Wilkes-Kim,
Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Susan Blumberg°°
Jane Hart Brendle
Cynthia Burton
Ayako Gamo
David Horak†
Lenora Leggatt
Jenny Topilow
Angela Watson†
Hanna Zhdan
SECOND VIOLINS
Oliver Kot, Principal
The Wolfgang Roth Chair
Kathleen Jarrell, Assistant Principal
The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair
Carlos Tarazona°
Monica Boboc
Martha Geissler
Sakira Harley
Tatiana Karpova
Ellyn Stuart
VIOLAS
Benjamin Geller, Principal
The Zoe Bunten Merrillt Principal Viola Chair
Kirsten Swanson†
Acting Assistant Principal
Matthew Darsey†
Ellen Ferdon
Wenlong Huang
Viara Stefanova
Ning Zhao
CELLOS
Jonathan Lewis, Principal
The Kate Whitner McKay Principal Cello Chair
Allison Drenkow, Assistant Principal
Alan Black, Principal Emeritus
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Amy Sunyoung Lee
Sarah Markle
DOUBLE BASSES
Jason McNeel, Acting Principal
Judson Baines, Assistant Principal
Justin Cheesman†
Jeffrey Ferdon
° Non-revolving position
°° Alternates between first and second violins
† Acting member of the Charlotte Symphony
‡ Funded by The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Inc.
* On leave
This roster lists the full-time members of the Charlotte Symphony. The number and seating of musicians on stage varies depending on the piece being performed.
HARP
Andrea Mumm Trammell, Principal
The Dr. Billy Graham Chair
FLUTES
Victor Wang, Principal
The Blumenthal Foundation Chair
Amy Orsinger Whitehead
Erinn Frechette
PICCOLO
Erinn Frechette
OBOES
Timothy Swanson, Principal
The Leo B. Driehuys Chair‡
Erica Cice
Jamison Hillian†
Terry Maskin*
ENGLISH HORN
Erica Cice
CLARINETS
Taylor Marino, Principal
The Gary H. & Carolyn M. Bechtel Chair
Samuel Sparrow
Allan Rosenfeld
E ♭ CLARINET
Samuel Sparrow
BASS CLARINET
Allan Rosenfeld
BASSOONS
AJ Neubert, Principal
Joshua Hood
Nicholas Ritter
CONTRABASSOON
Nicholas Ritter
HORNS
Byron Johns, Principal
The Mr. & Mrs. William H. Van Every Chair
Andrew Fierova
Bradley Burford
The Robert E. Rydel, Jr. Third Horn Chair
Richard Goldfaden
Paige Quillen
TRUMPETS
Alex Wilborn, Principal
The Betty J. Livingstone Chair
Jonathan Kaplan*
Peter Stammer†
Gabriel Slesinger, Associate Principal
The Marcus T. Hickman Chair
TROMBONES
John Bartlett, Principal
Thomas Burge
BASS TROMBONE
Scott Hartman, Principal
TUBA
Colin Benton, Principal
The Governor James G. Martin Chair
TIMPANI
Jacob Lipham, Principal
The Robert Haywood Morrison Chair
PERCUSSION
Brice Burton, Principal
The CSO is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.
Violin
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is one of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas. As Charlotte’s most active performing arts group, the CSO presents around 150 concerts each season, reaching more than 130,000 music lovers.
The 2024-25 season marks a transformative era under the dynamic leadership of newly appointed Music Director Kwamé Ryan. With 65 full-time musicians, the Symphony performs throughout the community in a variety of venues, from the Belk and Knight theaters to parks, breweries, community centers, schools, senior care centers, and places of worship. With its new mobile stage, CSO Roadshow, the Symphony extends its reach directly into neighborhoods, bringing live music to communities across the region.
Engaging with more than 10,000 students each year, the Charlotte Symphony nurtures the next generation of musicians and music lovers through its four diverse youth orchestras, in-school education programs, instrument coaching, and Project Harmony — which offers free after-school lessons in music and life skills to over 200 students in under-resourced areas.
OUR MISSION
The Charlotte Symphony uplifts, entertains, and educates the diverse communities of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and beyond through exceptional musical experiences.
OUR VISION
Reaching out through the transformative power of live music, the Charlotte Symphony will be a civic leader, reflecting and uniting our region.
Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra continues to play a vital cultural role in the region and remains committed to the belief that music, accessible to all, enriches and unites our community. For more information, visit us online at charlottesymphony.org
Interview Get to Know Our New Board Chair, Richard Krumdieck
We recently caught up with Richard Krumdieck, the CSO’s new Board Chair, to discuss his passion for music, his journey with the Symphony, and his exciting vision for the future.
How did you begin your journey with music?
Music has always played a central role in my life. Both my parents were from Peru and loved classical music. My father had an extensive collection of classical albums, and my first experience with music was listening to those albums with him on his stereo. One that I especially loved was the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, performed by English clarinetist Jack Brymer. That inspired me to choose the clarinet, and I played in my community youth orchestras and continued studying music through college. For a time, I even considered a career as an orchestral clarinetist, but ultimately, I pursued medicine. However, I have always loved music and deeply admire those who choose to pursue a career in the arts. Even as a young adult, I made a commitment that I would support the arts in any way I could.
Do you still play the clarinet?
I do still play! I take private lessons from Taylor Marino, the CSO’s Principal Clarinetist, and perform with community orchestras and community bands. I also enjoy getting together with friends on occasion to play chamber music.
How did you first become aware of the Charlotte Symphony?
I was aware of the Charlotte Symphony before I even moved to the area in the late 1990s. A friend of mine sang in what was then called the Oratorio Singers — now the Charlotte Master Chorale — and invited me to a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. I was very impressed with the level of artistry; that was my first exposure to the CSO. After moving to Charlotte, I became a regular concertgoer and began supporting the Symphony with philanthropic gifts. I was later invited to become a trustee, which deepened my connection to the organization. I became more aware not only of the high level or artistry but also of the organization’s values, which align closely with many of my own.
Is there a particular initiative or program at the CSO that resonates with you personally?
Yes, there are several! Two that are particularly important to me involve increasing access to classical music performances, such as moving concerts outside of the traditional concert hall and directly into the community using non-traditional venues like breweries or our new mobile stage, CSO Roadshow. The initiative that is most important to me, however, is providing music education for our youth. I was extraordinarily privileged to have a music education, and I believe every child should have the opportunity to learn music and play an instrument if they desire. The skills learned through music — such as practice, perseverance, listening, compromise, and collaboration — are invaluable, whether or not one pursues a career in the arts. The skills I learned from music have served me very well in my career in medicine.
How do you envision the CSO evolving over the next few years?
I believe the CSO is at a very positive inflection point. Under Christopher Warren-Green, the Orchestra achieved significant artistic growth, and I’m eager to see this continue under the direction of new Music Director Kwamé Ryan. I also envision the Charlotte Symphony becoming a more integral part of the Charlotte community and for us to communicate more effectively about the essential role we play in enriching the cultural landscape here.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role as Chair?
I am excited to foster a spirit of collaboration within the CSO and help realize our shared artistic vision. I am also eager to be a strong advocate for the Symphony in our community.
Is there a message you hope to convey to the community through your work with the CSO?
I want to emphasize the essential role that the CSO plays in Charlotte. By providing quality live classical performances, bridging communities through collaboration with other arts organizations like the Charlotte Ballet and Opera Carolina, and our commitment to music education, we’re not just an orchestra — we’re a cornerstone of the community! The CSO helps makes Charlotte a vibrant place to live and work, which attracts new businesses to the area.
Anna Clyne
BORN: March 9, 1980 in London, England
This Midnight Hour Cette
heure minuit (2015)
PREMIERE: November 13, 2015 at the Théâtre Espace Coluche in Plaisir, France
Approximate performance time is 12 minutes.
The opening to This Midnight Hour is inspired by the character and power of the lower strings of L’Orchestre national d’Île de France. From here, it draws inspiration from two poems — one by Charles Baudelaire and another by Juan Ramón Jiménez. Whilst it is not intended to depict a specific narrative, my intention is that it will evoke a visual journey for the listener.
Jiménez’s poem is very short and concise: LA MUSICA - by Juan Ramón Jiménez (translated by Robert Bly)
iLa musica; -mujer desnuda, corriendo loca por la noche pura! -
Music–a naked woman running mad through the pure night!
This immediately struck me as a strong image and one that I chose to interpret with outbursts of frenetic energy — for example, dividing the strings into subgroups that play fortissimo staggered descending cascade figures from left to right in stereo effect. This stems from my early explorations of electroacoustic music.
Program Notes
There is also a lot of evocative sensory imagery in Baudelaire’s Harmonie du Soir , the first stanza of which reads as follows: The season is at hand when swaying on its stem Every flower exhales perfume like a censer; Sounds and perfumes turn in the evening air; Melancholy waltz and languid vertigo!
(translated by William Aggeler)
I riffed on the idea of the melancholic waltz about halfway into This Midnight Hour — I split the viola section in two and have one half playing at written pitch and the other half playing 1/4 tone sharp to emulate the sonority of an accordion playing a Parisian-esque waltz.
– Anna Clyne
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
BORN: May 7, 1840 in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia
DIED: November 6, 1893 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Opus 23 (1875)
PREMIERE: October 25, 1875 in Boston, Massachusetts
Approximate performance time is 33 minutes.
Tchaikovsky composed his First Piano Concerto in the span of approximately seven weeks, completing it on January 2, 1875. Three days after putting the finishing touches on the work, Tchaikovsky played his new concerto for Nikolai Rubinstein — head of the Moscow Conservatory, and a superb concert pianist. Tchaikovsky, then a professor at the Conservatory, hoped that Rubinstein would agree to be the soloist in the Concerto’s premiere.
But Rubinstein dismissed Tchaikovsky’s concerto as “worthless” and “unplayable.” According to Tchaikovsky, Rubinstein said that “if by suchand-such a date I would revise the concerto in accordance with his demands, then he would bestow upon me the honour of playing my piece in a concert of his.” Tchaikovsky responded: “I won’t change a single note, and I’ll publish it just as it is now!”
It was the distinguished German conductor and pianist, Hans von Bülow, who had the honor of being the soloist in the first performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1. Tchaikovsky had long maintained tremendous admiration for Bülow and dedicated the concerto to him. Hans von Bülow gave the work’s premiere while on an American concert tour. And so, on October 25, 1875, one of the most beloved Russian piano concertos received its first performance, not in Tchaikovsky’s homeland, but in Boston, Massachusetts.
The American audiences immediately responded with tremendous enthusiasm for a work that remains one of the most beloved in the repertoire. As Tchaikovsky reported: “Each time Bülow was obliged to repeat the whole finale of my concerto! Nothing like that happens in our country.”
Tchaikovsky ultimately did pen some revisions to the concerto for the score’s publication in 1879. In time, Nikolai Rubinstein reversed his scathing opinion of Tchaikovsky’s concerto, and even became one of its greatest interpreters.
The Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 is in three movements. The first — by far the longest of the three — opens with one of the most beloved episodes in all of concert music (Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso). This famous sequence is, in fact, the introduction to the central portion of the opening movement (Allegro con spirito), whose first theme is based upon a Ukrainian folk melody. Muted pizzicato strings accompany the solo flute’s dolcissimo introduction of the slowtempo (Andantino semplice) second movement’s principal melody. The whirlwind finale (Allegro con fuoco) is again based upon a Ukrainian folk tune. A more graceful melody makes a glorious reappearance at the work’s conclusion, capped by the soloist and orchestra’s breathless race to the finish.
Conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow, who first performed the Piano Concerto
Béla Bartók
BORN: March 25, 1881 in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary
DIED: September 26, 1945 in New York, New York
Concerto for Orchestra (1943)
PREMIERE: December 1, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts
Approximate performance time is 35 minutes.
Béla Bartók composed his Concerto for Orchestra during a period of overwhelming adversity and despair. In October of 1940, Bartók and his wife left Hungary to escape the Nazis. During the journey to the United States, the composer wrote, “this voyage is...like plunging into the unknown from what is known but unbearable...God only knows how and for how long I’ll be able to work over there.”
Bartók’s fortunes continued to decline when he settled in New York. Commissions for new musical works were scarce during this turbulent period in world history. Bartók, his health rapidly deteriorating, was often unable to fulfill those few assignments he received. “Our situation grows worse from day to day,” Bartók wrote in 1941 to his friend, the conductor Paul Sacher. Bartók continued:
All I can say is that in the whole of my working life, that is to say for the past twenty years, I have never found myself faced with such a terrible situation as that into which I shall be plunged in the near future...I am becoming rather pessimistic; I have lost all my faith in men and nations, everything...
The bleakness of Bartók’s predicament was further exacerbated by his declining health. In 1943, Serge Koussevitsky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, paid Bartók a surprise visit at his New York hospital room. Koussevitsky offered Bartók a commission to write a new orchestral work. Koussevitsky’s visit seemed to rejuvenate the gravely-ill composer. Bartók worked on his Concerto for Orchestra “practically night and day” during a period from August 15 to October 8, 1943, while staying at a private sanatorium in Lake Saranac, New York. Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra presented
Program Notes
the triumphant world premiere of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra at Symphony Hall on December 1, 1944.
Illness finally overcame Bartók’s great spirit, and the composer died in New York on September 26, 1945, less than a year after the Concerto for Orchestra’s stunning premiere. The popularity of the Concerto for Orchestra, one of Bartók’s most optimistic and brilliant works, continues unabated.
For the 1944 premiere, Bartók offered the following overview:
The title of this symphony-like orchestral work is explained by its tendency to treat the single instruments or instrument groups in a “concertant” or soloistic manner. The “virtuoso” treatment appears, for instance, in the fugato section of the first movement (brass instruments), or in the “perpetuum mobile”-like passage of the principal theme in the last movement (strings), and, especially, in the second movement, in which pairs of instruments consecutively appear with brilliant passages.
The Concerto for Orchestra is in five movements. The first opens with a brooding Introduction (Andante non troppo), leading to the energetic principal Allegro vivace. The second movement, Giuoco delle coppie (Allegro scherzando), a sprightly “game of pairs,” features a series of passages for groups of two instruments. The third movement, Elegy (Andante, non troppo) is, according to the composer, a “lugubrious death-song.” The fourth-movement Intermezzo interrotto (Interrupted Intermezzo) includes the unwelcome appearance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony (1941), which Bartók detested. Bartók both parodies and obliterates the “Leningrad” before resuming the Intermezzo. The Concerto for Orchestra concludes with a whirlwind Finale (Pesante; Presto).
BENEFACTOR CIRCLE
$100,000+
Jacqueline B. Mars
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received between July 1, 2023 through October 1, 2024. * The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative
$25,000 – $49,999 Jane & Hugh McColl*
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& Alex Miles
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$50,000 – $99,999 Janet M. Haack Ginger Kelly Elizabeth & Jay Monge
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In Loving Memory of Bernadette Zirkuli Biddlecome
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$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous
Marcia Adams
Barbara & Dan Austell
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Phillip J. Bischoff & Dawn Beatty-Batten
Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri
Brent Clevenger
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Judith Greene
Angela M. & Michael D. Helms
Maureen & Daniel Haggstrom
Martha D. Jones
Helen & Gene Katz
Ginger Kemp
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith
Anna Marriott
Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins
Janet & Peter Nixon
Caroline Olzinski
Helen & Arvind Patil
Jeanine & Naeem Qasim
Dr. John & Susan Rae
Anne & Mark Riechmann
Audrey & Donald Schmidt
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Jane Perry Shoemaker
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
Maxine & Robert Stein
Patricia & Morris Spearman
Tillie S. Tice
James H. Trexler & Kelly Zellars
Vera Watson
Grant Webb
Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Pam West
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Elizabeth & Stephan Willen
Deems Wilson
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
Barbara Yarbrough
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous(5)
Michele & Ross Annable
Dianne & Brian Bailey
Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln A. Baxter
Katie & Morgan Beggs
Katherine & John Beltz
Shirley W. Benfield
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein Family Foundation
Ethan Blumenthal & Sara Kidd
Cristina & James Bolling
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
Khary Brown
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Jane & Larry Cain
Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
John Colton
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Ann F. Copeland
Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Larry J. Dagenhart
Gwin Dalton
Cheryl DeMaio
Judy & Bob Erb
Heather & Thomas Finke
Annual Fund Supporters (continued)
Melisa
Carol
Mariam
Joyce
Susan
Sally
Debbie
Gwen
Wilma
Lucy
Marjorie
Marsha
Alice
Libby
Sarah
Linda
Anonymous(4)
& Doug Abel
Atchison
A. Bechtler Cathy & Bob Becker
Bell
John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Nancy & Sam Bernstein Nicholas Bonevac
James Broadstone
Aram & Scott Bryan
Angie & Howard Bush
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Barbara F. Caine
Catherine P. Carstarphen
Amanda & Kevin Chheda
Dr. W. Gerald Cochran & Mr. Timothy D. Gudger
Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Cook
Jack Cook
Margie & Alpo Crane
Ellen M. Crowley
Todd Croy Libby and David Currier
Diane & Doug Doak
Kris & Thomas Duffy
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Jean & Stephen Geller
Walter H. Goodwin, Esq.
Linda & Dan Gordon
Cynthia Greenlee
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Stefan Heinzelmann
Priscilla & Michael Johnson
Mary & Steven Kesselman
Nancy H. Kiser
Dorothy & Theodore Kramer
Scott Kupersmit
Jonathan Lamb
Barbara & Jerome Levin
Megan Levine
John J. Locke
Katherine & Mark Love
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
Allison Malter
Leigh & Bruce Marsh
Paula & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
Tammy and Steve Matula
Wood
Jill Maxwell
Constance & Kiran Mehta
Valerie
The Encore Society
The Encore Society includes individuals who have made provisions for the CSO in their estate plans. We are honored to recognize their support:
Anonymous (3)
Geraldine I. Anderson†
Richard & Ruth Ault
Baldwin Family Trust
Barnhardt Thomas Trust
Lincoln A. Baxter & Helen M. Fowler
Larry & Joyce† Bennett
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein
Mark & Louise Bernstein†
Rosemary Blanchard†
Twig & Barbara Branch
Saul Brenner
Mike & Joan Brown†
Mrs. Joan Bruns†
Jan & Bob Busch
Dr. Helen G. Cappleman, Ph.D.† Jim Cochran† Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Tom Covington
Charles & Peggy Dickerson
Mr. Martin Ericson, Jr.
David J.L. Fisk & Anne P. O’Byrne
Peter & Ann† Guild
William G. &
Marguerite K. Huey Fund†
Dr. Nish Jamgotch, Jr.
Betty & Stanley Livingstone†
Lucille & Edwin Jones
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Nellie McCrory† M. Marie Mitchell†
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Joan & Richard Morgan
Don C. Niehus Eva Nove
Richard J. Osborne
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
James Y. Preston†
Mrs. Clayton (Dusty) Pritchett
Ann & Fritz Rehkopf
Elizabeth Waring Reinhard
Nancy W. Rutledge
Mike Rutledge
Harriet Seabrook
Mr. & Mrs. William Seifert
Morris & Patricia Spearman
Bob & Maxine Stein
Dr. Ben C. Taylor III
Mr. & Mrs. Hans Teich
Cordelia G. Thompson
Tim Timson
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst
† Deceased
We
Government & Foundations
We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:
The Trexler Foundation
Dowd Foundation, Inc.
The Dickson Foundation Cole Foundation
The Jack H. and Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
Blumenthal Foundation
2024 · 2025 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Subscribe today for the best seats, the best prices, and great benefits!
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
October 25 & 26, 2024 Knight Theater
Brahms' A German Requiem
November 22 & 23, 2024 Belk Theater
Debussy’s La Mer
April 25 & 26, 2025 Belk Theater ...AND MORE!
The Music of Queen
November 1 & 2, 2024 Belk Theater
Disco Fever
January 17 & 18, 2025 Knight Theater
Havana Nights
February 21 & 22, 2025 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
LEMONY SNICKET’S The Composer is Dead
November 16, 2024 Knight Theater
Holiday Pops! FAMILY MATINEE
December 7, 2024 Knight Theater
CLASSICAL KIDS LIVE: Gershwin's Magic Key
January 18, 2025 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
The Muppet Christmas Carol IN CONCERT
November 29 & 30, 2024 Ovens Auditorium
How to Train Your Dragon IN CONCERT
March 14 & 15, 2025 Belk Theater
Pirates of the Caribbean IN CONCERT
June 6 & 7, 2025 Belk Theater ...AND MORE!
Comprehensive Campaign
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Comprehensive Campaign. This list reflects gifts received through August 20, 2024.
$10,000,000+
$5,000,000
$2,000,000 - $4,999,999
$1,000,000 - $1,999,999
$500,000
Jeannette
$250,000 - $499,999
$100,000 - $249,000
Sally Gregory · Elizabeth & Jay Monge Steelfab, Inc. Andromeda & John Williams
$50,000 - $99,999
Cresce nt Communities Karen Fox Ulrike & Alex Miles Chris & Jim Teat · Lisa & Richard Worf
$10,000 - $49,999
Anonym ous · Wedge & Debbie Abels · Mary Lou & Jim Babb · Tiffany & Jason Bernd Frank Bragg Shirley & Mike Butterworth Joye Blount & Jesse Knight, Jr. The Cato Corporation Margarita & Nick Clements Mary Delk
Caroline & Ben Dellinger III · David Fisk & Anne O’Byrne · Michael Marsicano Dede & Alex McKinnon Posey & Mark Mealy Larry & Dale Polsky
Steve & Wanda Phifer Judy & Derek Raghavan Eric & Shannon Reichard
Sara & Daniel Roselli · Melinda & David Snyder
Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora Jill & Kevin Walker
$5,000 - $9,999
Brian S. Cromwell Toni Burke & Bob Gaines Sarah & Frank Gentry
Carol & Joseph Gigler · Lucinda Nisbet Lucas · Melissa & Dennis McCrory
Cyndee Patterson William & Betty Seifert Peggy & Pope Shuford
Nancy E. Simpson Drs. Jennifer & Matthew Sullivan
2024-2025 OFFICERS
Richard Krumdieck, Chair
Ulrike Miles, Vice Chair
Melinda Snyder, Vice Chair
Linda McFarland Farthing, Immediate Past Chair
Kevin Walker, Treasurer
Manny Clark, Secretary
David Fisk, President & CEO
Kwamé Ryan, Music Director
2024-2025 DIRECTORS
Mick Ankrom
Joye D. Blount
Mike Butterworth
Nick Clements
Mary Delk*
Denise DeMaio
Sidney Fletcher
Kevin Gottehrer
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Alex McKinnon
Sara Garces Roselli
Ylida Scott
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Jenny Topilow*
Ken Walker
*ex-officio
2024-2025 TRUSTEES
Richard Osborne, Chair
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Jason & Tiffany Bernd
Andrea & Alexander Bierce
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Wilton Connor
Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III
Brian Cromwell
Susan Cybulski
Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino
Alvaro & Donna de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa Hudson Evans
Karen Fox
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Todd Gorelick
Ralph S. Grier
Laurie Guy
Janet Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Mark & Whitney Jerrell
Jeff Lee
Gov. James G. Martin
Jane & Hugh McColl
Susan & Loy McKeithen
George McLendon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Lindsay & Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor Braxton Winston
Richard Worf
Joan Zimmerman
Albert Zue
EXECUTIVE
David J. L. Fisk, President & CEO
Samantha Hackett, Executive Administrator
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Scott Freck, Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager
Carrie Graham, Senior Director of Artistic Planning
Tim Pappas, Director of Operations
Bart Dunn, Principal Music Librarian
Nixon Bustos, Senior Music Librarian
Emily Schaub, Assistant Music Librarian
Erin Eady, Senior Manager of Orchestra Personnel
Claire Beiter, Artistic Operations Manager
John Jarrell, Stage Manager
DEVELOPMENT
Shayne Doty, Vice President of Development
Mandy Vollrath, Director of Corporate & Institutional Relations
Libby Currier, Director of Individual Giving
Tammy Matula, Senior Manager of Development Operations
Jennifer Gherardi, Development Manager - Campaign & Special Events
Megan Woolbright, Annual Fund Manager
Noel Kiss, Advancement Associate
Josh Bottoms, Institutional Giving Coordinator
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Christian Drake, Vice President of Finance & Administration
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
Amy Hine, HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Channing Williams, Accounting Associate
HUMAN RESOURCES
Maribeth Baker, Human Resources Counselor
LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Aram Kim Bryan, Vice President of Learning & Community Engagement
Dylan Lloyd, Senior Manager of Youth Orchestras
Mark Rockwood, Education & Community Programs Manager
Michaela Sciacca, Project Harmony Manager
Gavin Fulker, Education & Community Programs Assistant
Lily Moore, Youth Orchestras Assistant
Bria Alexander, Learning & Community Engagement Assistant
MARKETING & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Deirdre Roddin, Director of Institutional Marketing & Communications
Nicole Glaza, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing
Laura Thomas, Senior Manager of Marketing & Audience Development
Chad Calvert, Visual Communications Manager
Meghan Starr, Patron Experience Manager
Garrett Whiffen, Ticketing Manager
November 22 & 23 7:30 pm · Belk Theater
Pēteris VASKS Musica Dolorosa
BRAHMS Ein deutsches Requiem
Kwamé Ryan, conductor
Janai Brugger, soprano
Alexander Birch Elliott, baritone
Charlotte Master Chorale
