Welcome!
This March, the Charlotte Symphony invites you to experience both its rich history and dynamic future.
Music Director Kwamé Ryan returns to lead Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 — a masterpiece that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire with its sweeping melodies and powerful emotion. We’re delighted to have pianist Louis Schwizgebel join us as soloist.
We then turn to a different kind of storytelling with How to Train Your Dragon in Concert on March 14 and 15, where a beloved film score that has captivated new generations comes to life through the power of live orchestral music.
On March 21 and 22, we welcome back former Music Director Christof Perick for a program of orchestral highlights from Wagner’s operas — music that has shaped the symphonic tradition for over a century. And on March 28, our Spring Gala brings us back to the newly restored Carolina Theatre — the site of the Charlotte Symphony’s very first concert in March 1932 — for a special evening featuring the incomparable Renée Fleming.
With every performance, we honor where we’ve been while looking ahead to a vibrant future. Now, we invite you to explore what’s next! Our 2025–26 season has just been announced, and we can’t wait for you to experience everything in store. Be sure to visit charlottesymphony.org to explore the full season lineup.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Your presence ensures that the Charlotte Symphony continues to thrive, building on its legacy while shaping the future.
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
Christof Perick conducts Wagner
Christof Perick, conductor
Friday, March 21, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Belk Theater at Blumenthal Arts
RICHARD WAGNER (1813-1883)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868)
Prelude to Act I
Prelude to Act III
Lohengrin (1850)
Prelude to Act I
Prelude to Act III
-
INTERMISSION
-
The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure (arr. Henk de Vlieger)
I. Prelude
II. The Rheingold
III. Nibelheim
IV. Valhalla
V. The Valkyries
VI. Magic Fire Music
VII. Forest Murmurs
VIII. Siegfried’s Heroic Deeds
IX. Brünnhilde’s Awakening
X. Siegfried and Brünnhilde
XI. Siegfried’s Rhine Journey
XII. Siegfried’s Death
XIII. Funeral March
XIV. Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene
CONCERT DURATION: Approximately 2 hours, with one 20-minute intermission.
Christof Perick guest conductor
Christof Perick is the former Chief Conductor of the Beethoven Orchester Bonn. He was Music Director of Germany’s Nuremberg Philharmonic and Opera from 2006 through 2011 and Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony from 2001 through 2010. Perick completed his post as Principal Guest Conductor of the Dresden Semper Opera at the close of the 2007–08 season. Other former positions include Music Director posts with the Niedersaechsisches Staatsorchester and Staatsoper in Hannover, Germany from 1993–96; the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra from 1992–95; the Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Germany from 1977–86; and the State Orchestra and Opera Saarbrucken, Germany from 1974–77.
In recent seasons, Perick’s engagements have included productions with the Dresden Semper Oper and the Hamburg Staatsoper, and engagements in North America with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Washington’s National Symphony, and the Symphonies of Boston, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Houston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle, Milwaukee, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Montreal, and Toronto; summer Festivals that include the Mostly Mozart Festival at New York’s Lincoln Center and the Grant Park Music Festival of Chicago. He conducted the firstever U.S. tour of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Germany’s leading national Youth Orchestra.
At New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Christof Perick has conducted productions that include Beethoven’s Fidelio, Wagner’s Tannhäuser and Die Meistersinger, Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel. He also has led productions including Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer and Parsifal with the Lyric Opera of Chicago; and he conducted the San Francisco Opera in a production of Der fliegende Holländer. Perick also conducted the Los Angeles Music Center productions of Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and the San Diego Opera’s productions of Beethoven’s Fidelio, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and recently Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.
Abroad, recent new productions at Dresden include Puccini’s Il trittico, Weber’s Der Freischütz, Strauss’s Die schweigsame Frau, Salome, and Capriccio; Beethoven’s Fidelio; Wagner’s Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde; and a Ring Cycle at Hannover, and concerts with the Orchestre National de France and the Orchestre National de Lyon.
Future and recent-past engagements include returns to the Cincinnati Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and the Charlotte Symphony, plus conducting productions at the Cincinnati Opera ( Rosenkavalier and Der fliegende Holländer ), Britten’s War Requiem at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, the Chamber Orchestra of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and the Chautauqua Symphony. Christof Perick became a regular guest on the podium of Staatsoper Hamburg as well as Volksoper Wien.
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
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Norbert Lewandowski†
Sarah Markle
Oksana McCarthy†
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.
Musician Spotlight
Jamison Hillian
Oboe
This is Jamison’s first season performing with the CSO
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, South Carolina
Fun Facts
• Jamison’s first oboe teacher was Erica Cice, an oboist with the Charlotte Symphony.
• Songwriting and producing became a passion during the pandemic, leading to work on a personal album.
• Given the chance to meet any composer, Jamison would choose Beethoven to ask what happened to his infamously lost oboe concerto.
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
Richard Wagner
BORN: May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany
DIED: February 13, 1883 in Venice, Italy
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1868)
PREMIERE: June 21, 1868 at the Hoftheater in Munich, Germany
Approximate performance time for both pieces is 15 minutes.
As with any revolutionary composer, Richard Wagner encountered much critical resistance during his career. In his only successful comic opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg), Wagner lampoons his critics, but also acknowledges that youthful inspiration must be tempered by the wisdom of tradition.
Die Meistersinger takes place in Nuremberg toward the middle of the 16th century. The young knight Walther von Stolzing is in love with Eva, daughter of Veit Pogner, a member of the Nuremberg Mastersingers’ guild. In order to win Eva as his bride, Walther attempts to join the Mastersingers. But the guild members, led by the pedantic town clerk Sixtus Beckmesser (also a rival for Eva’s hand), reject the knight’s inspired but undisciplined song. Even the support of the cobbler Hans Sachs, the most respected Mastersinger, fails to aid Walther.
The next day, Sachs assists Walther in crafting a song that synthesizes the knight’s youthful eloquence with accepted musical structure and discipline. At the contest, Beckmesser attempts to present the song as his own, but humiliates himself by mangling the piece. Walther’s rendition wins the admiration of the Mastersingers. With the urging of Sachs, Walther accepts membership in the Mastersingers guild and marries Eva. Those assembled join in praising Nuremberg’s beloved Sachs.
This concert features two orchestral excerpts from the opera. The majestic orchestral Prelude to Act I opens with a grand statement of the Mastersingers’ theme. Other themes include melodies associated with Walther’s love for Eva, and the knight’s conflict with Beckmesser. Wagner manipulates (and often brilliantly combines) the various melodies, as the Prelude resolves to a final grand statement of the Mastersingers’ theme. The Prelude to Act III depicts Hans Sachs in his shop, contemplating a fracas that took place the previous night in the Nuremberg streets.
Lohengrin (1850)
PREMIERE: August 28, 1850 at the Hoftheater in Weimar, Germany
Approximate performance time for both pieces is 12 minutes.
The story of Wagner’s opera, Lohengrin, takes place in Antwerp, in the early 10th century. The maiden Elsa is falsely accused of murdering her brother, the rightful heir to the throne. A knight arrives in a swandrawn boat and agrees to defend Elsa’s honor. The knight demands that Elsa never try to determine his origin or name. Elsa consents, and the knight defeats her accuser. Elsa and the knight wed, but soon, she becomes suspicious. Finally, she asks the knight the forbidden question. The knight reveals his identity. He is Lohengrin, a Knight of the Holy Grail. Because Elsa has violated his trust, the heartbroken Lohengrin must leave her forever. Before he departs, Lohengrin prays and the swan is transformed back into Elsa’s brother.
Wagner perceived the story of Lohengrin as a metaphor for the artist’s attempt to gain understanding within society. Wagner began work on the text of Lohengrin in 1845, finally completing the score on April 28, 1848. The opera received its premiere in Weimar, under the direction of Franz Liszt, on August 28, 1850. In time, Lohengrin emerged as one of Wagner’s most beloved works.
The Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin is one of Wagner’s most sublime compositions. According to the composer, it is a depiction of the “miraculous descent of the Holy Grail, accompanied by an angelic host, and its consignment to the custody of exalted men…The infinitely delicate outline of a miraculous band of angels takes shape, floating imperceptibly down from Heaven and bearing a sacred vessel.” Finally, the orchestra majestically proclaims the appearance of the Grail, “the precious vessel out of which our Savior drank at the Last Supper with His disciples; in which his blood was caught when, for love of His brethren, He suffered upon the cross…” After entrusting the Grail to the knights, “the seraphic hosts disappear into the bright light of the celestial blue from which they first emerged.”
The brief, energetic Prelude to Act III depicts the celebrations attending the wedding of Elsa and Lohengrin.
The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure
arr. Henk de Vlieger (1991)
PREMIERE: August 13–17, 1876 at Bayreuth (complete cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen) Approximate performance time is 70 minutes.
Richard Wagner’s creation of his epic The Ring of the Nibelung, “A stagefestival play for three days and a preliminary evening,” spanned twentyeight years. In 1848, Wagner began the prose sketch of what ultimately became the Ring’s final opera, Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods). In August of 1876, the premiere of the complete 18-hour Ring Cycle took place at Bayreuth, in the theater Wagner specially constructed for festival performances of his masterwork.
The two principal sources for the story of Wagner’s Ring Cycle are The Poetic Edda, a collection of ancient Norse poems, and the thirteenthcentury Nibelungenlied. Wagner employed these ancient tales as a forum for his own philosophical views. In an 1854 letter to his friend August Röckel, Wagner described the meaning of his Ring:
We must learn to die, in fact, to die in the most absolute sense of the word. Fear of the end is the source of all lovelessness, and it arises only where love itself has already faded. How did it come about that mankind so lost touch with this bringer of the highest happiness to everything living that in the end everything they did, everything they undertook and established, was done solely out of fear of the end?
My poem shows how...The course of the drama thus shows the necessity of accepting and giving way to the changeability, the diversity, the multiplicity, the eternal newness of reality and of life.
The Ring is one of the most significant works in the history of lyric theater. In The Ring, Wagner attempted to move away from what he viewed as the singer-oriented excesses of French and Italian grand opera to create a Gesamtkunstwerk (“total artwork”), a fusion of text, music, and stage drama. One of the most revolutionary aspects of The Ring is Wagner’s elevation of the orchestra from its traditional role as accompanist to that of another protagonist in the drama. This, Wagner achieved not only by the deployment of an ensemble of impressive size and instrumental variety and color, but also by the ingenious use of leitmotifs, or symbolic musical phrases. These leitmotifs journey and develop throughout The Ring to illuminate the dramatic and psychological flow of the drama.
Program Notes
In 1991, Dutch composer and percussionist Henk de Vlieger (b. 1953), created The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure, a one-hour suite featuring excerpts from all four of the operas (The Rheingold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods). The excerpts, performed without pause, track the dramatic and musical flow of Wagner’s masterpiece.
The Ring begins in the River Rhine. The dwarf, Alberich, steals the Rhinemaidens’ gold before returning to his home in Nibelheim. Alberich, hoping to rule the world, forges the Rhine gold into a ring. The hero Siegfried recovers the ring. He discovers the Valkyrie warrior maiden, Brünnhilde, and the two fall in love. Alberich’s son, Hagen, murders Siegfried. Brünnhilde orders that a funeral pyre be built for her beloved. Brünnhilde rides her horse into the flames to join Siegfried. As she does, Brünnhilde returns the ring to the Rhine and the Rhinemaidens. Brünnhilde’s act of self-sacrifice removes the curse of the ring, and redeems the world.
Annual Fund
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received between July 1, 2023 through February 1, 2025.
BENEFACTOR CIRCLE
$100,000+
Mrs. Jacqueline B. Mars
$50,000 – $99,999
The Fox Family
Jane & Hugh McColl*
Douglas Young
$25,000 – $49,999
Anonymous
Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman
Philanthropic Fund
Judith & Mark Brodsky
Margarita & Nick Clements
Roberta H. Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor*
Jean & Dick Cornwell
Susan Cybulski
Linda & Bill Farthing
Ralph S. Grier
Maria & John Huson
Ginger Kelly Richard Krumdieck & Sally Gregory
Patrick J. O’Leary
Richard J. Osborne*
Debbie & Pat Phillips*
Kathy & Paul Reichs
Pat Rodgers
Carolyn Shaw
Andrea & Sean Smith
Melinda & David Snyder
Ken & Tara Walker
$15,000 – $24,999
Anonymous (2)
Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr. Nicola & Emanuel Clark
Denise & Peter DeMaio
Robin & Christoph Feddersen
Sandra Levine
Tanya & Steve Makris
DeDe & Alex McKinnon
Ulrike & Alex Miles
Keith Oberkfell & Mica Post Oberkfell
Judy & Derek Raghavan
Kelly & Neal Taub
$10,000 – $14,999
Anonymous (2)
Katharine & Frank Bragg
Mr. & Mrs. R. Alfred Brand III
Lynne & Colby Cathey
Jeanie & Tom Cottingham
Donna & Alvaro de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa & Carlos Evans
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Janet M. Haack
Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee
In Loving Memory of Lopez-Ibanez from Lina & Enrique Lopez-Ibanez
Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Robert Norville
Kelli & Michael Richardson
Rosalind S. Richardson
Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli
Sherry & Thomas Skains
Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan
Ann & Michael Tarwater
Jill & Kevin Walker
Andromeda & John Williams
Lisa & Richard Worf
* The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.
VIRTUOSO CIRCLE
$5,000 – $9,999
Wedge & Debbie Abels
Howard P. Adams & Carol B. McPhee
Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado
Paul & Kristen Anderson
The Charlotte Assembly
Tiffany & Jason Bernd
Mr. James Biddlecome, In Loving Memory of Bernadette Zirkuli Biddlecome
Si & Michael Blake
Mary & Charles Bowman
Barbara & Twig Branch
Robin & William Branstrom
Shirley & Michael Butterworth
Glenda Colman & Floyd Wisner
Morgan & Brian Cromwell
Mary Anne Dickson
David J.L. Fisk & Anne O’Byrne
William & Patricia Gorelick
Family Foundation
Sidney & Amy Fletcher
Joan & Parker Foley
Carol & Ron Follmer
Dr. Robert A. Gaines & Toni Burke
Caren & Charles Gale
Sarah & Frank Gentry
Laura & Marshall Gilchrist
Laurie & Barry Guy
Leigh & Watts Humphrey
The Jenny Lillian Semans Koortbojian Trust in honor of Sally Trent Harris
Vivian & Robert Lamb
Anna & Lazlo Littmann
Susanne & Bill McGuire
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Susan & Loy McKeithen*
Carolyn & Sam McMahon
Chuck Miller & Marcy Thailer
Vincent Phillips & Paul Pope
Kim & Torsten Pilz
Emily & Nima Pirzadeh
Ann & Fritz Rehkopf
Lindsay & Frank Schall
Laura & Michael Schulte
Ylida & Bert Scott
Mr. & Mrs. Harley F. Shuford, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Pope A. Shuford
Emily & Zack Smith
Chris & Jim Teat
Brienne Tinder & Thomas Lervik
Judith & Gary Toman
Mr. Herbert Verbesey In Memory of Tess Verbesey
Michael Waterford
Joan H. Zimmerman
Abby & Albert Zue
$3,500 – $4,999
Anonymous
Phillip J. Bischoff & Dawn Beatty-Batten
Andrea & Alexander Bierce
Si and Michael Blake
Jan & Bob Busch
Mary & Phil Delk
Pat English & Clay Furches
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Dick Metzler
Linda & Tony Pace
Susan & Paul Vadnais
Karen & Edgar Whitener
$2,500 – $3,499
Anonymous
Harriet B. Barnhardt
Bill & Georgia Belk
Lee & Alan Blumenthal
Dr. & Mrs. O. Robert Boehm
Frances & Herbert Browne
The Jack H. & Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
Dr. William H. Carson
Brent Clevenger
Ann Thomas Colley
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Deborah J. Cox & Bob Szymkiewicz
Elizabeth & Christopher Daly in Memory of Betty Haggerty
Amy & Alfred Dawson
Peter De Arcangelis
Cheryl DeMaio
Peggy & Charles Dickerson
Elizabeth Betty Eaton
Kara & Timothy Gallagher
Billy L. Gerhart in memory of Judith Gerhart
Heather & Kevin Gottehrer
Andrea & Todd Griffith
Katherine G. Hall
Ivan Hinrichs
Megan & Brendan Hoffman
Christy & Ben Hume
Fran & Greg Hyde
Peggy & Jim Hynes
Shirley & Bob Ivey
David S. Jacobson
Martha & Bruce Karsh
Dr. & Mrs. Christ A. Koconis
Meghan & Luis Lluberas
James Lynch
Dottie & Jim Martin
Rob Roy McGregor
Richard I. McHenry & Cynthia L. Caldwell
Dee Dee McKay
$2,500 – $3,499 (continued)
Posey & Mark Mealy
Debbie Miller & Tim Black
Eleanor W. Neal
Holly & Jason Norvell
Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach
Dr. Reta R. Phifer
Kathleen D. Prokay
Lisa and Robert R. Rollins, Jr.
Suzy & Robert Schulman
Glenn Sherrill, Jr. In Honor of Robin Branstrom
Jane Perry Shoemaker
Nancy E. Simpson
Hazel & Murray Somerville
Patricia & Morris Spearman
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
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
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
PATRON CIRCLE
$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous
Marcia Adams
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Katie & Morgan Beggs
Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
Jean E. Davis & Robert A. Metzger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Elizabeth Betty Eaton Martin Ericson, Jr.
Melisa & Frank Galasso
Karen Geiger
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Brad Glaza & Laura Paschall
Judith Greene
Karen Gunther
Angela M. & Michael D. Helms
Maureen & Daniel Haggstrom
Martha D. Jones
Helen & Gene Katz
Ginger Kemp
Michael Lamach
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith
Anna Marriott
Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins
Louise & Gary McCrorie
Janet & Peter Nixon
Caroline Olzinski
Helen & Arvind Patil
Jeanine & Naeem Qasim
Dr. John & Susan Rae
Anne & Mark Riechmann
Brendan Reen
Audrey & Donald Schmidt
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Anjan Shah
Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Patricia & Morris Spearman
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
Bryan Wilhelm
Elizabeth & Stephan Willen Deems Wilson
Barbara Yarbrough
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous (5)
Michele & Ross Annable
Marc Aspesi & Paulette Isoldi
JWD Atchison
Dianne & Brian Bailey
Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln A. Baxter
Katherine & John Beltz
Shirley W. Benfield
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein Family Foundation
Sam Blackmon
Ethan Blumenthal & Sara Kidd
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
Jodie & Erik Bowen
Khary Brown
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Jane & Larry Cain
Amanda & Kevin Chheda
Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang
John Colton
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Ann F. Copeland
Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland
Annual Fund Supporters
Dr.
Lucinda
Dr.
Sabine
Libby & Vint Tilson
Sarah S. Tull
Emily & Jeff Vaughan
Rebecca Waters
Linda & Craig Weisbruch Peter
$500 – $999
(5)
Anderson
Natascha A. Bechtler
Cathy & Bob Becker
Emerson Bell
Dr. John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Nancy & Sam Bernstein
Nicholas Bonevac
James Broadstone Nelle & Ken Brown
Aram & Scott Bryan Angie & Howard Bush
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Barbara F. Caine
Catherine P. Carstarphen
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
Gloria Gunst
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Stefan Heinzelmann
Mary & Steven Kesselman
Nancy H. Kiser
Moira Klein
Dorothy & Theodore Kramer
Jonathan Lamb
Barbara & Jerome Levin
Megan Levine
John J. Locke
Katherine & Mark Love
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
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
We
Government & Foundations
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
For
Comprehensive Campaign
Comprehensive Campaign
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Comprehensive Campaign. This list reflects gifts received through March 14, 2025.
$10,000,000+
Bank 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
Howard C. & Margaret G. Bissell Foundation · Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.
EY · Contributions Associated with Falfurrias Capital Partners
Lynn & Brian Good · Julie & Howard Levine
Loy & Susan McKeithen · Novant Health
$500,000 - $999,99 9
Anonymous Arlene & Milton Berkman Robin & Bill Branstrom · Deloitte Mary & Mike Lamach · Rich Osborne · Debbie & Pat Phillips
M.A. Rogers · Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation · Trane
Technologies Truist Financial Corporation
$250,000 - $499,999
Cathy Bessant · The Dickson Foundation · The Gambrell Foundation
The Gorelick Family Foundation · Moore & Van Allen PLLC
Janet Preyer Nelson · The Trexler Foundation
Betsy Fleming & Ed Weisiger
Comprehensive Campaign
$100,000 - $249,000
Anonymous · Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado · Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault · NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation
Catherine & Wilton Connor · 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
Amy & Robert Brinkley · Crescent Communities · The Fox Family
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle · Mariam & Robert Hayes Charitable Trust
Ulrike & Alex Miles · Chris & Jim Teat
Rita & Bill Vandiver · Lisa & Richard Worf
$10,000 - $49,999
Anonymous · 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 · Carlos & Lisa Evans
David Fisk & Anne O’Byrne · Bill & Carol Lorenz
Leslie & Michael Marsicano · Virginia & Chan Martin
Dede & Alex McKinnon · Posey & Mark Mealy · Dale & Larry Polsky Wanda & Steve Phifer · Judy & Derek Raghavan
Shannon & Eric Reichard Sara & Daniel Roselli · Lori & Eric Sklut
Emily & Zach Smith · 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
Dee Dee & William Maxwell
Melissa & Dennis McCrory
Cyndee Patterson Betty & William Seifert Peggy & Pope Shuford
Nancy E. Simpson · Drs. Jennifer & Matthew Sullivan
Martha Ann & Craig Wardlaw
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
Carrie Galloway
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Alex McKinnon
Juliette Pryor
Sara Garces Roselli
Lindsay Schall
Ylida Scott
Cameron Sherrill
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
Stacie McGinn
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
Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Will Sparks
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Chris & Jim Teat
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
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
Amy Hine, HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
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
