Happy New Year!
As we step confidently into 2025, we are energized by the many incredible events and opportunities that lie ahead at the Charlotte Symphony. From immersive performances to milestone celebrations, and the exciting culmination of the Symphony’s $50M comprehensive campaign that will play a pivotal role in shaping our future, 2025 promises to be a year of growth and inspiration.
One of the most anticipated events this February 28 and March 1 is Become Ocean , a 360-degree immersive audio experience at Blumenthal Arts’s new venue, Blume Studios. With its spatial audio and immersive lighting, you’ll be surrounded by John Luther Adams’s captivating soundscape, inspired by the waters of the Pacific Northwest. It promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience.
Looking ahead, Music Director Kwamé Ryan returns March 7 & 8 to lead Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Louis Schwizgebel. Later in the month, we’re delighted to welcome back former Music Director Christoph Perick to conduct orchestral highlights from Wagner’s most beloved operas on March 21 & 22.
As always, thank you for your continued support of the Charlotte Symphony. We can’t wait to share these extraordinary moments with you.
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.
Concert Program
THE NINETY-THIRD SEASON
Bach & Mozart
Jeri Lynne Johnson, conductor
Orion Weiss, piano
January 10 – 12, 2025
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068
I. Overture
II. Air
III. Gavotte I and II
IV. Bourrée
V. Gigue
IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Concerto for Piano & Wind Instruments
I. Lento - Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
Orion Weiss, piano
- INTERMISSION -
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Keyboard Concerto No. 6 in F Major, BWV 1057
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro assai
Orion Weiss, piano
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)
Symphony No. 25 in G Minor, K. 183
I. Allegro con brio
II. Andante
III. Menuetto
IV. Allegro
CONCERT DURATION: Approximately 2 hours, with one 20-minute intermission.
Jeri Lynne Johnson guest conductor
In 2005, Jeri Lynne Johnson made history as the first Black woman to win an international conducting prize when she was awarded the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. Since then, she has continued to break barriers in Europe and the United States as the first woman or first African-American woman on the podium for many orchestras and opera companies, including the Bournemouth Symphony (UK) and the Weimar Staatskapelle. Recent conducting engagements include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Sao Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra, and Santa Fe Opera. Jeri was also selected to conduct the Pulitzer Prize-winning composition Stride by Tania Leon as part of the composer’s tribute for the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors performance.
Lauded by the Los Angeles Times as “a stunning, rhythmically vital conductor,” Johnson is a versatile artist who is comfortable with a variety of genres and styles. She has developed a reputation for offering masterful and compelling performances of contemporary repertoire and has led numerous world premieres. In the 2022–23 season, Johnson performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, and Santa Fe Opera, and Cincinnati Symphony. Johnson made appearances in the 2023–24 season with Oakland Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the National Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, Tulsa Symphony, and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
Johnson is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra — a model for the 21st-century American orchestra. Established in 2008, Black Pearl combines artistic excellence and cultural diversity and has been recognized nationally and internationally as a leading innovator in meaningful community engagement. Her innovative performance projects have won multiple
awards, and in January 2021, she and Black Pearl had the honor of being the only orchestra in North America invited to participate in a virtual collaborative concert as part of the World Economic Forum at Davos. This inspiring event, called See Me! A Global Concert, involved filmmakers, visual artists, choirs, orchestras, and musicians from around the world.
Johnson is also civically engaged and has served on prestigious grant panels and Boards of Directors of a number of organizations including Einstein Health Network, the National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (the “ GRAMMYS ”), the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and the Philadelphia Award.
When she is not on the podium, she enjoys playing golf, traveling and spending time with her daughter, Evelyn.
Orion Weiss piano
One of the most sought-after soloists and chamber music collaborators of his generation, Orion Weiss is widely regarded as a “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) with “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post). He has dazzled audiences with his passionate, lush sound and performed with dozens of orchestras in North America including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic.
In 2024, Weiss will release Arc III , the final album in his Arc recital trilogy (First Hand Records). His live performance schedule includes engagements with violinist James Ehnes, who joins Weiss for his return to London’s Wigmore Hall as well as for performances in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Seattle, Bloomington, Indiana, and Bergen, Norway. Among numerous engagements with U.S. orchestras, Weiss makes his David Geffen Hall debut with the American Symphony Orchestra. He is featured in recitals at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Italy’s Teatro Marrucino Biglietteria, and Washington University in St. Louis, as well as on a tour with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and an appearance at La Musica Chamber Music Festival in Sarasota, Florida. Over the last year, he made his return to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Michael Tilson Thomas; debuted with the National Symphony; gave multiple performances in the United States, Canada, and Asia with violinist Augustin Hadelich; and appeared at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall.
Known for his affinity for chamber music, Weiss performs regularly with violinists Augustin Hadelich, William Hagen, and James Ehnes; pianists Michael Brown and Shai Wosner; cellist Julie Albers; and the Ariel, Parker, and Pacifica Quartets. In recent seasons, he has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
A native of Ohio, Weiss attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and made his Cleveland Orchestra debut performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1999. That same year, with less than 24 hours’ notice, Weiss stepped in to replace André Watts for a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Weiss’s awards include the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year, Gilmore Young Artist Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and more. His teachers include Paul Schenly, Jerome Lowenthal, and Sergei Babayan. In 2004, he graduated from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Emanuel Ax. Learn more at orionweiss.com .
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
Jon 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.
Jan 31 & Feb 1
Knight Theater
Akiko Fujimoto, conductor
Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, violin
Phillip Bush, piano
FARRENC
Overture No. 2
MENDELSSOHN
Concerto for Violin & Piano
R. SCHUMANN
Symphony No. 1 (“Spring”)
Friday, January 24, 2025 7:30 PM
CHRIST CHURCH CHARLOTTE 1412 PROVIDENCE RD, CHARLOTTE, NC WITH PHILIP BIEDENBENDER, PIANO TANJA BECHTLER, CELLO KENNEY POTTER, CONDUCTOR
Experience the mesmerizing beauty of Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil, a poignant composition that weaves together voices and instruments to explore the depths of love, loss, and the enduring power of the human spirit, performed by the Charlotte Master Chorale Chamber Singers. Buy Tickets
TICKETS: $30 GENERAL ADMISSION | STUDENTS: $10 WITH ID charlottemasterchorale.org/sacredveil
Cynthia Burton
Musician Spotlight Violin
Member of the CSO since Sept. 2024 · Received tenure Oct. 2024
HOMETOWN: Banner Elk, North Carolina
Fun Facts
• Cynthia nearly went to school for engineering, but chose music instead.
• A native of Western NC, she enjoys hiking and exploring new trails wherever she travels.
• If she could meet any composer, it would be Haydn, to see if his personality matches the humor in his music.
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
Johann Sebastian Bach
BORN: March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany
DIED: July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, Germany
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major
BWV 1068 (ca. 1717-1723)
Approximate performance time is 20 minutes.
Bach’s Four Orchestral Suites date from his seven-year tenure as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold in the German town of Cöthen, northwest of Leipzig. Prince Leopold was a talented musician (Bach described him as “a gracious prince, a lover and connoisseur of music”). The Prince hoped to duplicate in Cöthen the superb court music establishments he encountered during his studies throughout Europe. Thanks to the patronage of Prince Leopold, Bach was able to compose for several of Europe’s finest instrumentalists.
The orchestral suite, an extremely popular form of instrumental ensemble music in the 17th and 18th centuries, comprises an overture and several dance movements. Because of the preeminence of the introductory movement, the full works were known as “overtures.” 19th-century scholars later applied the term “suite” to the multi-movement overture. These works showcase the talents of the instrumentalists, and Bach certainly allows for moments of thrilling display. The Third Orchestral Suite prominently features oboes, trumpets, and timpani in the generally festive piece. However, as with virtually all of Bach’s works, the Third Suite also contains moments of unrivaled poignancy and eloquence, notably in the second movement (the famous “Air on a G string”).
The Third Orchestral Suite is in five movements. First is the Overture, stately music juxtaposed with a lively fugue. The radiantly beautiful Air is scored for strings and continuo. The third movement offers a pair of Gavottes, a dance set in duple meter and moderate tempo. Next is a Bourrée, a sprightly dance in duple meter. The Suite closes with a Gigue (Jig), a dance of moderate to quick tempo, here cast in 6/8 meter.
Keyboard Concerto No. 6 in F Major
BWV 1057 (1738)
Approximate performance time is 17 minutes.
The F-Major Keyboard Concerto is the last in a series that Bach compiled, circa 1738. Each of the six concertos, BWV 1052-57, is a transcription of an earlier work for “melody” instrument and orchestra. The F-Major Concerto, BWV 1057, is Bach’s arrangement of his Fourth Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049 (1721), originally scored for two recorder and violin soloists, continuo, and strings.
Scholarship indicates that Bach composed the six Keyboard Concertos for performance by the Leipzig Collegium Musicum, a municipal musical society, which gave weekly concerts at the Café Zimmermann. It is quite possible that Bach himself appeared as soloist in the Collegium Musicum performances of his Keyboard Concertos. If so, it must have been a thrilling experience for the Leipzig audiences. Bach was one of the finest keyboard artists of his time, although he avoided any sort of overt virtuoso display.
As Bach’s first biographer, Johann Nicolaus Forkel, described: Bach is said to have played with so easy and so small a motion of the fingers that it was hardly perceptible. Only the first joints of the fingers were in motion; the hands retained, even in the most difficult passages, its rounded form; the fingers rose very little from the keys, hardly more than in a trill, and when one was employed the others remained quietly in position. Still less did the other parts of his body take any share in his playing, as happens with many whose hand is not light enough. He rendered all of his fingers, of both hands, equally strong and serviceable, so that he was able to execute not only chords and all running passages, but also single and double trills with equal ease and delicacy.
The Concerto is in three movements. The flutes immediately present the first movement’s playful main theme. The middle section features virtuoso episodes for the piano. The Allegro concludes with a reprise of the opening section. The central Andante features a melancholy, undulating theme. The movement is notable for its constant juxtaposition of piano and forte dynamics, and solo and tutti instrumental forces. The violas and piano initiate the fugue of the fourth Brandenburg Concerto’s final movement (Allegro assai). Once again, the piano is prominently featured in dazzling passagework.
Igor Stravinsky
BORN: June 17, 1882 in Lomonosov, Russia
DIED: April 6, 1971 in New York City
Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments
(1923-24, rev. 1950)
PREMIERE: May 22, 1924 at the Théâtre de l’Opéra in Paris
Approximate performance time is 20 minutes.
Igor Stravinsky composed his Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments at the suggestion of Serge Koussevitsky (1874–1951), the Russian-born double bass virtuoso and conductor. Koussevitsky, one of the great champions of contemporary music, was responsible for the commissions and/or premieres of many of the 20th century’s enduring masterworks, including Maurice Ravel’s 1923 orchestration of Modeste Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition , Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra (1943), and Aaron Copland’s Third Symphony (1946).
Koussevitsky suggested to Stravinsky that he not only compose the Concerto, but appear as piano soloist. Stravinsky was a proficient keyboard artist, but by no means a concert virtuoso. Stravinsky overcame doubts about having sufficient time to prepare, as well as battles with stage fright, “chiefly due to fear of a lapse of memory or of some distraction, however trifling, which might have irreparable consequences.” In fact, Stravinsky did have a brief memory lapse at the Concerto’s premiere, which took place at the Paris Théâtre de l’Opéra on May 22, 1924, led by Koussevitsky:
Having finished the first part of my Concerto, just before beginning the (second movement) Largo which opens with a piano solo, I suddenly realized that I had entirely forgotten how it started. I whispered this to Koussevitsky. He glanced at the score and whispered the first notes. That was enough to restore my balance and enable me to attack the Largo.
It appears that the audience was unaware of this brief glitch; and over the next five years, Stravinsky appeared as soloist in some 40 performances of his Concerto, collaborating with such legendary conductors as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Willem Mengelberg, Fritz Reiner, Otto Klemperer, Bruno Walter, and Eugene Goossens.
The Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments belongs to the early years of Stravinsky’s “neo-classical” period, when the composer turned to the music of the 18th century as a source of inspiration. The result was a series of works featuring an economy of structure and performing forces, couched in a modern harmonic idiom. Stravinsky always believed that the character of the music dictated the specific instrumental forces. For his Concerto, Stravinsky abandoned the traditional orchestral complement of strings, retaining only the double basses. Stravinsky observed:
The short, crisp dance character of the Toccata (the first movement), engendered by the percussion of the piano, led to the idea that a wind ensemble would suit the piano better than any other combination. In contrast to the percussiveness of the piano, the winds prolong the piano’s sound as well as providing the human element of respiration.
The Concerto is in three movements. The first opens with an extended, and somber, slow-tempo (Largo) orchestral introduction, featuring dotted rhythms and dark instrumental colors. The introduction’s hushed final measures are swept aside by the entrance of the soloist, the start of the principal Toccata (Allegro) section. The pianist initiates the Concerto’s slow-tempo movement (Largo), punctuated by two dramatic solo cadenzas. The finale (Allegro) suggests a marriage of Baroque and Jazz elements. A recollection of the first movement’s slow-tempo introduction (Lento) and a measure of silence precede the vigorous dash to the finish (Stringendo).
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
BORN: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
DIED: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Symphony No. 25 in G Minor K. 183 (1773)
COMPLETED: October 5, 1773
Approximate performance time is 24 minutes.
Mozart was only seventeen in 1773 when he completed his Symphony No. 25. The work is sometimes referred to as the “Little” G minor Symphony, to distinguish it from another work in the same key, Mozart’s “Great” 1788 Symphony No. 40, K. 550. Mozart frequently turned to the key of G minor as a favored mode of tragic expression. In addition to the two Symphonies already mentioned, other prominent G minor works include the Piano Quartet, K. 478 (1785), the String Quintet, K. 516 (1787), and Pamina’s despairing aria, “Ach, ich fühl’s,” from the opera The Magic Flute , K. 620 (1791).
The “Little” G minor is the earliest of the Mozart Symphonies to maintain a notable presence in the concert repertoire. In truth, there is nothing “little” about the Symphony in terms of its length (a performance with all repeats lasts about twenty-five minutes), instrumentation (four horns instead of the usual two), or emotional depth.
This tempestuous work marks a stunning departure from Mozart’s previous symphonic output. As a result, many scholars have attempted, unsuccessfully, to find some specific tragic incident in the young composer’s life that might have served as inspiration. But then again, one would be hard pressed to explain why Mozart composed his stormy D-minor Piano Concerto (1785) during one of the most successful and happy periods of his life, or, for that matter, the triumphant “Jupiter” Symphony (1788) during one of the most desperate.
Perhaps the inspiration was of a strictly musical nature. When Mozart completed his Symphony No. 25, he and his father had just returned from a two-and-a-half-month stay in Vienna. Mozart may have had the opportunity to hear tempestuous works by such composers as
Program Notes
Gluck, Haydn, and Vanhal that embraced the popular Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) artistic movement. Perhaps the Symphony No. 25 was the young Mozart’s response to the impassioned minor-key works of his elders.
Whatever the impetus for the “Little” G-minor Symphony, one can only marvel that a work of such technical mastery and emotional resonance is the creation of a 17-year-old composer, even one by the name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Symphony No. 25 is in four movements. The first (Allegro con brio) opens with the agitated principal theme. The first violins introduce the graceful major-key second theme. The movement concludes with a stormy coda, based upon the opening theme. The lovely second movement (Andante), in E-flat Major, features muted violins throughout. Mozart returns to the home key of G minor for the concluding movements. First is a stark Minuet (Menuetto), with a central G-Major Trio. The final movement Allegro is dominated by the opening theme, first played quietly, then forte. Major-key subsidiary themes later return in the minor as the Symphony No. 25 hurtles to a turbulent close.
BENEFACTOR CIRCLE
$100,000+
Jacqueline B. Mars
$50,000 – $99,999
Jane & Hugh McColl* Douglas Young
$25,000 – $49,999
Anonymous
Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault
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Philanthropic Fund
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$15,000 – $24,999
Anonymous (2)
Nicola & Emanuel Clark
Denise & Peter DeMaio
Ralph S. Grier
Sandra Levine
Tanya & Steve Makris
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received between July 1, 2023 through December 1, 2024. * The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.
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In Loving Memory of Lopez-Ibanez from Lina & Enrique Lopez-Ibanez
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In Honor of Robin Branstrom
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Patricia & Morris Spearman
Aleca & Joseph Stamey
Dottie Stowe in Loving Memory of Dickson Stowe
Dr. Mark R. Swanson
Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Mindy & Don Upton
Susan & Paul Vadnais
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
PATRON CIRCLE
$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
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Jean E. Davis & Robert A. Metzger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Elizabeth Betty Eaton
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Judith Greene
Angela M. & Michael D. Helms
Maureen & Daniel Haggstrom
Megan & Brendan Hoffman
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
Patricia & Morris Spearman
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
Maxine & Robert Stein
Jean Summerville
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
Barbara Yarbrough
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous (5)
Michele & Ross Annable
Marc Aspesi & Paulette Isoldi
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
Jodie & Erik Bowen
Khary Brown
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Jane & Larry Cain
Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang
John Colton
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Ann F. Copeland
Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Larry J. Dagenhart
Gwin Dalton
Judy & Bob Erb
Heather & Thomas Finke
Melisa
Lucy
Dr.
Sabine
Joan
Sally
Marsha
Libby
Sarah
Peter White
Bryan Wilhelm
Noni Williams
John Drew Witherington
Judith
Anonymous (5)
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 & David Currier
Margaret & George Dewey
Diane & Doug Doak
Kris & Thomas Duffy
Heather & Gray Dyer
Kate & Trae Fletcher
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Jean & Stephen Geller
Stacy & Pete Gherardi
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
Jill Maxwell
Constance
Sabine
Susanne
Michelle
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
Corporate Partners
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 Charlotte Assembly
The Jack H. & Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
Blumenthal Foundation
For
Comprehensive Campaign
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Comprehensive Campaign. This list reflects gifts received through November 1, 2024.
$10,000,000+ Ban k of America The C.D. Spangler Foundation
$5,000,000 - $9,999,999
John S. & James L. Knight Foundation
$2,000,000 - $4,999,999 Jane & Hugh McColl The Leon Levine Foundation
$1,000,000 - $1,999,999
Michele & Ross Annable Atrium Health
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. · EY · Contributions
$500,000 - $999,99 9
Anony mous · Arlene & Milton Berkman · Robin & Bill Branstrom
& Mike Lamach Rich Osborne
& Pat Phillips Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation Trane Technologies Truist Financial Corporation
$250,000 - $499,999
Bessant
$100,000 - $249,000
Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado
Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation Wilton & Catherine
Robin Cochran Denise & Peter DeMaio The Dowd Foundation Linda & Bill Farthing Dr. Richard Krumdieck & Mrs. 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
Denise DeMaio, Secretary
David Fisk, President & CEO
Kwamé Ryan, Music Director
2024-2025 DIRECTORS
Mick Ankrom
Joye D. Blount
Krisha Blanchard
Mike Butterworth
Nick Clements
Mary Delk*
Sidney Fletcher
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Alex McKinnon
Sara Garces Roselli
Lindsay Schall
Ylida Scott
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Andrea Mumm Trammell*
Ken Walker
*ex-officio
2024-2025 TRUSTEES
Richard Osborne, Chair
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Jason & Tiffany Bernd
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Catherine & 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
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
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Will Sparks
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor
Elizabeth & Steve Willen 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
Meghan 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
Frank Impelluso, Vice President of 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
