Friday, March 28, 2025
A Message from the President & CEO
Tonight, we come together for an extraordinary evening: one that bridges the past and future in a setting rich with history and renewed with promise. It is an honor to be here in the newly reopened Carolina Theatre, a venue that holds deep significance for the Charlotte Symphony. Nearly a century ago, in March 1932, our Orchestra gave its inaugural performance on this very stage. Now, we return not only to celebrate that legacy but to build upon it with a reinvigorated artistic vision. Much like this beautifully restored theatre — preserving its storied past while embracing cutting-edge innovation — the Charlotte Symphony is both a steward of a rich orchestral tradition and a champion for its continued evolution. As we honor our legacy, we also embrace new ways to engage, inspire, and connect with audiences, ensuring that symphonic music remains vibrant and relevant for generations to come.
There is no more fitting way to mark this occasion than with the incomparable Renée Fleming. A true icon in the world of music, she has captivated audiences across the globe, and we are especially delighted to welcome her here tonight — she has a deep appreciation for historic theatres like this one.
As we celebrate this homecoming, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone at the Carolina Theatre for welcoming us back, and to you — our audience, patrons and supporters. Your belief in the power of music and your commitment to supporting the arts in Charlotte makes moments like this possible. We are deeply grateful for your support and look forward to many more unforgettable evenings together.
David Fisk, President & CEO
Music and Mind
Saturday, March 29 10:30 AM
Parr Center, Central Piedmont Community College
Harnessing the Power of Community for Health
Join us for an enlightening conversation exploring the connection between the arts and health, inspired by the work of soprano Renée Fleming.
Presented by Atrium Health and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Tickets: $12.53 — available at the door
Christopher James Lees, conductor
Andrea Casarrubios, cello
Charlotte Master Chorale
The CSO & Carolina Theatre
A Historic Homecoming
On March 20, 1932, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra took its first steps onto the stage of the Carolina Theatre. A group of 57 local musicians, led by founding Music Director Guillermo de Roxlo, performed for a packed house on that cloudy Palm Sunday afternoon. The program featured works by Mozart, Debussy, Wagner, and Grieg, culminating in the premiere of de Roxlo’s Symphony in F.
The Orchestra was “received with enthusiasm” according to The Charlotte Observer, and The Charlotte News declared it the beginning of a “new era of musical life in Charlotte.”
Nearly a century later, the Charlotte Symphony returns to the Carolina Theatre, now beautifully restored. What began as a dream for Maestro de Roxlo has grown into a cultural institution that has inspired and connected generations of Charlotteans. As the Symphony continues to evolve and grow, this performance is a homecoming to where it all began.
above: The inaugural membership of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in 1932
above: The historic Carolina Theatre, as it appeared in 1932
THE NINETY-THIRD SEASON
SPRING GALA & CONCERT
Renée Fleming at Carolina Theatre
Friday, March 28, 2025, at 7:30 pm
CAROLINA THEATRE AT BELK PLACE
Courtney Lewis, conductor Renée Fleming, soprano Bradley Moore, piano
PART I - Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene
The following is accompanied by a film provided by National Geographic. The audience is asked to kindly hold applause until the end of the film.
HAZEL DICKENS
G. F. HANDEL
Pretty Bird
“Care selve” from Atalanta, HWV 35
NICO MUHLY Endless Space
JOSEPH CANTELOUBE
“Baïlèro” from Chants d’Auvergne
MARIA SCHNEIDER “Our Finch Feeder” from Winter Morning Walks
BJÖRK All is Full of Love
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS
HOWARD SHORE
“Epilogo” from Floresta do Amazonas
“Twilight and Shadow” from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
KEVIN PUTS Evening
CURTIS GREEN & Red Mountains Sometimes Cry PEARCE GREEN
BURT BACHARACH
“What the World Needs Now Is Love”
ENTR’ACTE:
JACKSON BROWNE
INTERMISSION
PART II
“Before the Deluge” (recording)
Arr. Caroline Shaw, with Rhiannon Giddens, Alison Krauss, Renée Fleming, & Yannick Nézet-Séguin, piano
W. A. MOZART
G. F. HANDEL
GABRIEL FAURÉ
REYNALDO HAHN
RICHARD RODGERS
Overture to Le nozze di Figaro
“To Fleeting Pleasures” from Samson “Calm Thou, My Soul” from Alexander Balus
Overture from Masques et bergamasques “Mandoline” (arr. Carp)
“L’heure Exquise” (arr. Goldschmitz)
“Si mes vers avaient de ailes”
Waltz from Carousel (arr. Walker & Blank)
RICHARD RODGERS & “The Sound of Music” from The Sound of Music OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN (orch. Bennett)
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel
CONCERT DURATION: Approximately 2 hours, with one 20-minute intermission.
Courtney Lewis conductor Conductor Bio
Anchored in the belief that music holds the power to transform lives, Courtney Lewis is currently in his tenth season as Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony, where he has designed an ambitious mission to enrich the surrounding community with innovative symphonic programming, creating the highest quality of art possible, accessible to all.
Deeply committed to new music, Lewis has worked with many of today’s leading composers. In Jacksonville, recent and upcoming commissions include works by Carlos Simon, Sean Shepherd, Tarik O’Regan, Courtney Bryan, and Conrad Tao. In May 2023, Lewis made his debut at the Opéra National de Paris Ballet, conducting Thomas Adès’s Dante.
In recent seasons, Lewis has made debuts with the Nürnberger Symphoniker, Hallé, San Diego Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, led the Australian Youth Orchestra on tour and the Minnesota Opera in their revival production and Naxos’s recording of Silent Night, composed by Kevin Puts, and made his debut at the Hollywood Bowl. Upcoming engagements include debuts with the Charlotte Symphony, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Orchestre National de l’Île de France, and Georges Enescu Philharmonic in Bucarest, as well
as a return to the Springfield Symphony where he appeared this season gaining an immediate re-invitation.
Lewis has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, among many other high-profile orchestras. He served as Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, and Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 2008 to 2014, Lewis was also the Music Director of Boston’s acclaimed Discovery Ensemble, a chamber orchestra dedicated to giving concerts of contemporary and established repertoire at the highest level of musical excellence, while also bringing live music into the underprivileged parts of Boston through workshops in local schools.
Guest Artist Bios
Renée Fleming soprano
Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. A 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree, and winner of five GRAMMY® Awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Super Bowl. In 2023, the World Health Organization appointed her as Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health, and this year at Davos, she became an inaugural member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Arts and Culture Council.
Renée received the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo for her album Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene. She is currently touring with a concert program inspired by the album, with a special film created for the performance by the National Geographic Society. Last May at the Metropolitan Opera, Renée starred in The Hours, an opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and awardwinning film. Her voice is featured on the soundtracks of Best Picture Oscar winners The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings.
Renée’s anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, was published in April 2024. A prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience, Renée launched the first ongoing collaboration
between the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and America’s largest health research institute, the National Institutes of Health. She has created her own program called Music and the Mind, which she has presented in more than 60 cities around the world. She is now a founding advisor for major initiatives in the field, including the Sound Health Network at UC San Francisco and the NeuroArts Blueprint with Johns Hopkins University and The Aspen Institute.
Advisor for Special Projects at LA Opera, Renée is also Co-Artistic Director of the Aspen Opera Center and VocalArts at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and Artist Development Advisor at Wolf Trap Opera. Her other awards include Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, the Polar Music Prize, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, and honorary doctorates from ten leading universities.
Bradley Moore piano
Bradley Moore has appeared in recital with Susan Graham, Renée Fleming, Jamie Barton, Christine Goerke, Angela Meade, Eric Owens, and Eric Cutler, among others. His discography includes Ricky Ian Gordon’s The House Without A Christmas Tree and a recital with Melody Moore for Pentatone, a recital with Mr. Cutler for EMI Classics, a recital with clarinetist Julian Bliss on Signum Classics, and a recital of songs by Daron Hagen on Arsis Audio.
Moore conducted the world premieres of Gordon’s The House Without a Christmas Tree and Laura Kaminsky’s Some Light Emerges at the Houston Grand Opera and led the company’s revival of Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince, as well as performances of Puccini’s Tosca, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. He conducted Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and Ward’s The Crucible at the Miami Music Festival and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Castleton Festival. He has been Associate Music Director at the Houston Grand Opera, and assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Opéra National de Paris, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Los Angeles Opera.
Moore has been a piano soloist with orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic. He performed the Martinů Harpsichord Concerto with the San Francisco Ballet for the world premiere of Mark Morris’s Beaux, and has also been heard as a recitative accompanist and continuo player with the Met Orchestra, the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Met Chamber Ensemble.
Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene
When I was 14, the film Soylent Green was released, a sci-fi thriller about a dystopian future of worldwide pollution, dying oceans, depleted resources, and rampant starvation. The story was set in the year 2022.
The movie has faded from memory, but one scene left a profound impression. An aged researcher, unable to go on, has chosen assisted suicide at a government clinic. To ease his last moments of life, he is shown videos of a world that no longer exists: flowers and savannahs, flocks and herds, unpolluted skies and waters, all set to a soundtrack of classical music by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Grieg.
This scene captured my imagination in a terrifying way. The impact increased when I later learned that the actor playing the researcher, Edward G. Robinson, was terminally ill at the time it was filmed.
Fast forward to the pandemic. After more than two decades of constant touring, usually to urban cultural centers, performances abruptly ceased, and I suddenly found myself at home. I sought comfort in long walks outside near my house. I needed this time outdoors to maintain my emotional equilibrium, and I was reminded that nature would always be my touchstone. At the same time, the news about climate change grew more alarming: the extinction of animals we took for granted when we were children, the knowledge that white rhinos had disappeared from the wild, and daily reports of heat, fires, and flooding. I realized that the crisis we had been warned of for so long had arrived.
I thought of the great legacy of song literature that I love, when Romanticera poets and composers reveled in imagery of nature, finding reflections of human experience in the environment. I decided to record some of this music, and to juxtapose these classics with the voices of living composers, addressing our current, troubled relationship with the natural world.
The result, in collaboration with my friend Yannick Nézet-Séguin, was the album Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene . When it received the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, I was thrilled, and I had the idea to tour music addressing this theme of nature as both our inspiration and our victim.
I was incredibly fortunate to connect with the imaginative, dedicated leadership at the National Geographic Society, the global non-profit committed to exploring, illuminating, and protecting the wonder of our world. It has been so exciting to work with this universally respected, landmark institution. I am deeply grateful for the help of President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Ulica, Chief Executive Officer Jill Tiefenthaler, and Producer/ Editor Sam Deleon, whose expertise and vision have been instrumental in creating the video you will see in the first half of tonight’s program.
Thankfully, the stunning natural world depicted in this film still exists, unlike that movie scene so upsetting to my younger self. In blending these beautiful images with music, my hope is, in some small way, to rekindle your appreciation of nature, and encourage any efforts you can make to protect the planet we share.
- RENÉE FLEMING
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
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Norbert Lewandowski†
Sarah Markle
Oksana McCarthy†
DOUBLE BASSES
Jason McNeel, Acting Principal
Judson Baines, Assistant Principal
Justin Cheesman†
Jeffrey Ferdon
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
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.
° 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
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
The CSO is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.
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 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 150,000 music lovers.
The 2024-25 season marks a transformative era under the dynamic leadership of newly appointed Music Director Kwamé Ryan. His debut season features an eclectic mix of concerts across the Classical, Pops, Movie, and Family series. Highlights include Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Brahms’s A German Requiem, The Music of Queen, Beethoven x Beyoncé, Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert, and performances by clarinetist Anthony McGill, violinist Amaryn Olmeda, and singer/songwriter Cody Fry.
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, inschool 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.
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.
OUR MISSION
The Charlotte Symphony uplifts, entertains, and educates the diverse communities of CharlotteMecklenburg 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.
For more information, visit us online at charlottesymphony.org
Gala Supporters
PLATINUM
Sandra Levine · Pat Rodgers
GOLD
Tara & Ken Walker
SILVER
Mary & Phil Delk · Reginald B. Henderson, Esq. Fran & Greg Hyde
Marand Builders · Mrs. Jacqueline B. Mars · Carolyn & Sam McMahon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge · Joye Blount & Jessie Knight
Kathy & Paul Reichs · Susan & Bob Salvin · Marjorie Moses Schwab
Drs. Jennifer & Matthew Sullivan · Chris & Jim Teat
BRONZE
Donna & Al de Molina · Dr. William J. Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Ralph S. Grier · Mark Erwin · Linda & Bill Farthing
Laurie & Barry Guy · Vincent Phillips & Paul Pope
MB Richards Engineering, PLLC · Jill & Kevin Walker
BENEFACTOR GALA TICKET
Connie & Robert Burford · Pauline & Bill Chinnis
Beth & Michael Clifton · Catherine & Wilton Connor
Elizabeth Connor Stewart & Sean Stewart · Susan Cybulski
Denise & Peter DeMaio · Karen Fox · Judith & Martyn Greene
Beth & Scott Haenni · Anna & Laszlo Littmann · Lucinda Nisbet Lucas
Leslie & Michael Marsicano · Ulrike & Alex Miles · Richard Osborne · Joe Pacetti
Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach · Joan H. Zimmerman
Cameron & Stuart Sherrill · Elizabeth & Stephan Willen
GALA TICKET
Mary Lou & Jim Babb · Cathy & Bob Becker · Shirley & Mike Butterworth
Laura Clark · Roberta H. Cochran · Mary Anne Dickson · Madine Fails
GiGi & Ion Freeman · Carrie & Jay Galloway · Lucinda & Harvey Gantt
Polly Hollis & Catherine Critz · Sandra James · Stacie McGinn
Posey & Mark Mealy · E.O. & Ann Oakley
Anne L. Robinson · Joyce & Don Rice · Lindsay Bronwen Schall
Laura A. & Michael J. Schulte · Melinda & David Snyder
Annual Fund Supporters
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through March 13, 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.
Annual Fund Supporters
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
Annual Fund Supporters
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
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
Annual Fund Supporters
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
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Larry J. Dagenhart
Gwin Dalton
Judy & Bob Erb
Heather & Thomas Finke
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Mariam Abdul Hamid & Ferd Davis
Joyce and Ed Hamilton
Johanne & Patrick Hawk
Anne J. Henderson
Jennifer & Logan Henderson
Juliet & Brian Hirsch
Barbara Holt
Priscilla & Michael Johnson
Linda & Paul Ibsen
Joan Irwin
Joan Kirschner
Marilyn Kroll
Michael Lewandowski
Lucinda Nisbet Lucas
Tammy and Steve Matula
Holly & Christopher Maurer
Anna & John McCoy
Nydia McCrohan
Arrington Mixon
Susan D. Montgomery
Sally Staub Moore
Joan Morgan
Janet Preyer Nelson
Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley
Debbie & Michael O’Hara
Nancy Olah & Bill Pace
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Patricia & James Petillo
Catherine Philpott
Wilma & John Pinter
Elizabeth & Rodney Pitts
Dr. William G. Porter
Lucy Quintilliano & Leonard Fumi
Dr. & Mrs. R. Pinkney Rankin, Jr.
Sabine & Haywood Rankin
Joan Rasmussen & Morry Alter
Rita & Thomas Robinson
Sally & Russell Robinson
William R. Rollins
Elizabeth Rostan
Susan & Bob Salvin
Betty & Bill Seifert
Peggy & Pope Shuford
Marsha & Robert L. Stickler
Alice & Al Sudduth
Ann & Wellford Tabor
Catherine Thompson
Libby & Vint Tilson
Sarah S. Tull
Emily & Jeff Vaughan
Rebecca Waters
Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Peter White
Noni Williams
John Drew Witherington
Judith Wood
Sandy & John Yakob
$500 – $999
Anonymous (5)
Lee & Michael Abbott
Larry 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
Annual Fund Supporters
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
Allison Malter
Leigh & Bruce Marsh
Paula & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
Jill Maxwell
Constance & Kiran Mehta
Valerie & Thomas McKernan
Anne & Brad Mitchell
Amanda & Matthew Molbert
Kimberly Moore-Wright
Fran & Gary Morrison
Carla & Robert Murray
Mary Newsom
Ms. Ynez Olshausen
Cookie & Jerry Parnell
Janet & Rick Pfeiffer
Hilda & Victor Pineiro
Barbara M. Pooley
Moira Quinn
Sabine & Haywood Rankin
Susanne & Mark Rascio and Family
Emily & Brian Reinicker
Shaiza Rizavi
Margaret Rogers & John R. Willis
Sandra Shuster
Michael Silverman
Stephanie & Jonathan Simon
Carol Smith
Dr. & Mrs. Henry L. Smith II
Scott Smith
Julia J. Southern
Kathryn Stewart, MD, MPH
Tim Timson
Maureen Turner
Sarah & Tim Turner
Cordelia G. Thompson In Memory of Dr. Chandler Thompson
Melanie & James Twyne
Rebecca Valenstein
Andrea & Scott Vallandingham
Mandy Vollrath & Luke Shaver
Michelle & Tom Weidman
Zelda White
For more information on how to make a gift to the CSO Annual Fund, please contact Libby Currier, Director of Individual Giving, at 704.714.5137 or lcurrier@charlottesymphony.org.
Our mission is to uplift, entertain and educate the diverse communities in Charlotte and beyond through exceptional musical experiences. Thank you for making this possible.
Raphel, conductor
Meyer, double bass
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
$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
Corporate Partners
We are grateful for the following outstanding corporate funders:
We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:
ANONYMOUS
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
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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
BOARD OF 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
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
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
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
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
HUMAN RESOURCES
Maribeth Baker
Human Resources Counselor
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Christian Drake Vice President of Finance & Administration
Amy Hine
HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
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
MA RKETING & 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
Experience the full spectrum of home in the 2025 · 2026 Season
FEATURING...
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
October 24 – 26, 2025 Knight Theater
Dvořák’s New World Symphony
March 27 – 29, 2026 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
FEATURING...
Dolly Parton’s Threads: MY SONGS IN SYMPHONY
October 17 & 18, 2025 Knight Theater
The Music of Motown
January 23 & 24, 2026 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
FEATURING...
Peter and the Wolf
October 18, 2025 Knight Theater
CLASSICAL KIDS LIVE: Beethoven Lives Upstairs
January 24, 2026 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
FEATURING...
Home Alone IN CONCERT
November 28 & 29, 2025 Belk Theater
MARVEL STUDIOS’ Black Panther IN CONCERT
June 5 & 6, 2026 Belk Theater
...AND MORE!