October 9, 2024
Belk Theater
A Message from the President & CEO
It is with great excitement that I welcome you to the Charlotte Symphony’s Annual Gala, a truly spectacular evening to usher in our 93rd season! Tonight, we’re honored to welcome back our esteemed Conductor Laureate, Christopher WarrenGreen, for a performance that promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.
This evening’s concert is a celebration of exceptional artistry and the boundless possibilities of music. The Sphinx Virtuosi, alongside your Charlotte Symphony and remarkable soloists Adé Williams and Britton-René Collins, will take us on an inspirational musical journey. You’ll experience two world premieres — Daydreaming, an imaginative tribute to Scott Joplin by Levi Taylor, and Drill, a compelling work by Curtis Stewart — complemented by pieces by Bernstein, Piazzolla, Joplin, and Michael Abels, another living American composer foremost in his field.
As we celebrate tonight, we also look forward to what promises to be a truly exciting season. We are thrilled to welcome our new Music Director, Kwamé Ryan, whose visionary leadership and infectious energy will guide us as we present an incredible range of concerts. From the hits of Beyoncé and Beethoven, to the world of video game music, iconic movie scores, and timeless orchestral favorites, this season is a true reflection of our commitment
to bringing a rich diversity of musical experiences to our community.
The Charlotte Symphony exists to enrich and inspire our community through the power of music. Tonight’s program is the embodiment of this mission, blending tradition with innovation, and celebrating the diverse richness of our shared culture.
On behalf of everyone at the Charlotte Symphony, I extend my deepest gratitude to you — our audience, patrons, and supporters. Your belief in the transformative power of music makes evenings like this possible. Together, we’re building a community that values creativity, inclusivity, and the profound connections that only music can bring.
Thank you for being a part of this special night. Here’s to a memorable season ahead!
David Fisk President & CEO
Your Charlotte Symphony Experience
Whether you’re attending your first Symphony performance, or you’re a longtime subscriber, we’d like to extend to you a warm and inclusive welcome! Below is some helpful information to ensure you make the most of your Charlotte Symphony experience.
What should I wear?
The Charlotte Symphony has no specific dress code. We encourage you to be comfortable and come as yourself in a style of your choice.
When do I applaud?
Audiences applaud to welcome the concertmaster, conductor, and featured artists onstage. Some works may have several sections, or movements, separated by a brief silent pause. It is tradition to hold applause until the last movement. If you are unsure, wait for the conductor to face the audience. But if you feel truly inspired, do not be afraid to applaud!
Can I take photos?
Certainly! We welcome and encourage you to capture and share photos before and after the concert, as well as during intermission. Feel free to use your cell phone for photography without flash during the performance, but please refrain from video or audio recording.
THE NINETY-THIRD SEASON
ANNUAL GALA & CONCERT
An Evening with Sphinx Virtuosi
Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 8:00 pm
Belk Theater at Blumenthal Arts
Christopher Warren-Green, conductor laureate Sphinx Virtuosi
Adé Williams, violin Britton-René Collins, percussion
SCOTT JOPLIN Overture from Treemonisha (arr. Norpoth)
LEVI TAYLOR Daydreaming
world premier e (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin)
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide
CURTIS STEWART Drill
world premiere Britton-René Collins, percussion
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (arr. Desyatnikov) Verano Porteño (Summer)
Adé Williams, violin
MICHAEL ABELS
Delights & Dances
Rainel Joubert, violin
Oliver Kot, violin
Benjamin Geller, viola
Gabriel Cabezas, cello
Tonight’s concert will be performed without intermission. Approx. duration 60 minutes.
Christopher Warren-Green conductor laureate Conductor Bio
British conductor Christopher WarrenGreen is Principal Conductor and Music Director of the London Chamber Orchestra in the UK and Conductor Laureate of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in North Carolina following a twelve-year tenure as Music Director. Warren-Green is Chair of the Foundation for Young Musicians and in 2022 he celebrated a professional career spanning 50 years.
2024/25 season highlights include returns to Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, two visits to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, as well as to the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra. Further highlights include engagements with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall where WarrenGreen conducts Gustav Holst’s The Planets, as well as Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Barbican conducting Beethoven’s infamous Symphony No. 9.
Warren-Green has conducted eminent orchestras around the world, including The Philadelphia and Minnesota orchestras, Detroit, Houston, St Louis, Toronto, Milwaukee, Seattle and Vancouver symphony orchestras, and National Symphony Orchestra. In the UK, he has worked with Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National orchestras.
In addition to international commitments, Warren-Green has been honored
to conduct regularly for the British Royal family at events including the wedding services of H.M. King Charles III and H.M. Queen Camilla, T.R.H. The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. WarrenGreen conducted London Chamber Orchestra occasion of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday and Philharmonia Orchestra for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday concert at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as well as H.M. King Charles’s 60th birthday concert in Buckingham Palace and on other Royal occasions.
As a conductor, he has recorded extensively for Sony, Philips, Virgin, EMI, Chandos, Decca, Deutsche Gramophone, and records with the London Chamber Orchestra for Signum Classics.
Warren-Green began his career at the age of seventeen, and at twenty-one, was named Concertmaster of BBC National Orchestra of Wales, followed by Philharmonia Orchestra under Ricardo Muti. At age twenty-five, Warren-Green became concertmaster of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields under Sir Neville Marriner. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, having been a professor there for eight years, and has appeared and presented numerous times on television and radio, most notably for the BBC Proms.
About Sphinx Virtuosi
The Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization — the leading non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts. Comprised of 18 Black and Latino artists who reflect the highest level of musicianship in America, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve the breadth and impact of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement. Its members serve as cultural ambassadors for audiences and communities around the United States and abroad. Since 2004, the Sphinx Virtuosi’s concerts have been presented by the leading arts organizations, including annual return visits to Carnegie Hall as an established highlight of the fall season. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Songs for Our Times , was released on Deutsche Grammophon in July 2023 and represents the rich history of the Sphinx Organization and the vibrant future of classical music by centering the artistry of extraordinary composers and artistic visionaries. Heralded for its kaleidoscopically varied repertoire and bold thematic programming, Sphinx Virtuosi concerts give prominence to historically excluded composers such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Alberto Ginastera, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Florence Price, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and George Walker.
Members of the Sphinx Virtuosi have performed as soloists with major American orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. Members also hold professional orchestral and academic positions. The Sphinx Virtuosi’s community engagement initiatives regularly extend beyond masterclasses and workshops to members leading community empowerment initiatives within arts organizations and connecting with other Sphinx programming to further the mission of achieving excellence through inclusive programming. As a bilingual ensemble, these artist-citizens frequently break down existing barriers empowering the artform to connect with the broader community.
The Sphinx Virtuosi has collaborated with major artists such as Terence Blanchard, Denyce Graves, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Damien Sneed, Will Liverman, J’Nai Bridges, Abel Selaocoe, and Davóne Tines, among others. Outside of the classical realm, its musicians have also worked with leading international artists such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and made high profile appearances including on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the broadcast of the 2022 Grammy Awards. Their 2024-25 season includes performances presented by the Charlotte Symphony, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Carnegie Hall, among others.
VIOLIN 1
Alex Gonzalez, Concertmaster
Clayton Penrose-Whitmore
Patricia Quintero Garcia
Annelle K. Gregory
VIOLIN 2
Meredith Riley, Principal
Maïthéna Girault
Rainel Joubert
Caitlin Edwards
VIOLA
Celia Hatton, Principal
Robert Alvarado Switala
Kayla Cabrera
Harper Randolph
CELLO
Tommy Mesa, Principal
Eri Snowden-Rodriguez
Lindsey Sharpe
Diana Flores
BASS
Jonathan Colbert, Principal
Christopher Johnson
TOUR MANAGERS
Ally Price
Aaron Vaughn
Adé Williams violin
Violinist Adé Williams is a two-time Sphinx Competition laureate (1st place, Junior Division, 2012; 2nd place, Senior Division, 2019). She has won numerous other competitions in the US and Europe, beginning at age eight, and has placed in several chamber music competitions.
Adé has enjoyed a thrilling solo career, from her debut with the Chicago Sinfonietta at age six to her concerts with over 50 orchestras including the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras, the Detroit, Pittsburgh, New World, Indianapolis, and Nashville Symphonies, and Buffalo and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonics (South Africa) by age 18. Most recently, she made her debut with the Chineke! Orchestra at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (2021). In 2017, Adé premiered Guardian
of the Horizon: Concerto Grosso for Violin, Cello, and Strings by Jimmy Lopez, a work commissioned by Carnegie Hall and New World Symphony. The NY Concert Review praised her as “an absolute winning champion of the work.” Adé made her White House debut in 2015 and Carnegie Hall debut in 2013 where she has since returned five times. She has attended the Pacific Music Festival (Japan), the Astona International Music Festival (Switzerland), Cambridge International String Academy (England), and the Chautauqua Institution (US).
She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she served as concertmaster of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and studied with Ida Kavafian. Prior to Curtis, Adé studied with Almita and Roland Vamos, Marko Dreher, and Rachel Barton Pine.
Delights & Dances Quartet
Britton-René Collins percussion
Hailed as an “Astounding Virtuoso” and “exhilarating” performer, percussionist
Britton-René Collins is a winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, receiving the Ambassador Prize for her exceptional musicianship and demonstrated passion for creating social change in her endeavors as both an educator and performer.
Britton-René has performed hundreds of concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada, and Europe, in venues including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and the Mondavi Center. She has soloed with over a dozen orchestras, including the GRAMMY® Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Her current season includes performances alongside the Battle Creek Symphony, the Greenwich Village Orchestra, the Central Oregon Symphony, the Lincoln Symphony, the Johns Creek Symphony, and the Sphinx Virtuosi. In addition to her active solo career, BrittonRené enjoys life as a chamber musician and co-director with her New York Citybased groups Excelsis Percussion Quartet and Vision Duo. Her upcoming chamber collaborations include touring with the Sphinx Virtuosi on a new concerto for drum set by Curtis Stewart.
As an advocate for new music, BrittonRené’s current projects involve generating new solo and chamber works for multi-
percussion and marimba. Most recently, she became the first percussionist to ever be awarded the prestigious Princeton University Mary Mackall Gwinn Hodder Fellowship (2024-2025). During her fellowship year, she will conduct research and commission new works by underrepresented composers as part of her 10-month appointment, which will culminate with her debut performance installation, “Sphygmology — Cultural Exchange for Solo Percussion,” at the Lewis Center for the Arts, centered on desegregating Western Classical Music spaces through utilizing percussion as a medium for celebrating Black identity.
Born in the United States, Britton-René discovered percussion at eight years old when she became intrigued by the drum set. She quickly fell in love with playing rock, jazz, and pop music on the drum set, which ignited her enthusiasm to explore various percussion instruments and styles of music. She received her B.M. from the University of Toronto, and her M.M. from the University of Michigan.
As an Artist Endorser, Britton-René proudly performs using Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, Marimba One instruments, and Remo drumheads.
Christopher James Lees
Resident Conductor
Christopher Warren-Green Conductor Laureate
2024 · 2025 MUSICIAN ROSTER
FIRST VIOLINS
Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, Concertmaster
The Catherine & Wilton Connor Chair
Joseph Meyer,* Associate Concertmaster
Kari Giles, Acting Associate Concertmaster
Dustin Wilkes-Kim, Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Susan Blumberg°°
Jane Hart Brendle
Cynthia Burton
Ayako Gamo
David Horak†
Lenora Leggatt
Jenny Topilow
Angela Watson†
Hanna Zhdan
SECOND VIOLINS
Oliver Kot, Principal
The Wolfgang Roth Chair
Kathleen Jarrell, Assistant Principal
The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair
Carlos Tarazona°
Monica Boboc
Martha Geissler
Sakira Harley
Tatiana Karpova
Ellyn Stuart
VIOLAS
Benjamin Geller, Principal
The Zoe Bunten Merrillt Principal Viola Chair
Kirsten Swanson†
Acting Assistant Principal
Matthew Darsey†
Ellen Ferdon
Wenlong Huang
Viara Stefanova
Ning Zhao
CELLOS
Jonathan Lewis, Principal
The Kate Whitner McKay Principal Cello Chair
Allison Drenkow, Assistant Principal
Alan Black, Principal Emeritus
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Amy Sunyoung Lee
Sarah Markle
DOUBLE BASSES
Jason McNeel, Acting Principal
Judson Baines, Assistant Principal
Justin Cheesman†
Jeffrey Ferdon
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 130,000 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
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Atrium Health
PLATINUM
Novant Health
GOLD
Margarita & Nick Clements
SILVER
Bank of America · Domtar · Karen Fox · Marand Builders
Richard J. Osborne · Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan
Dr. Richard Krumdieck & Sally Gregory
The Symphony Guild of Charlotte · Truist
BRONZE
Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr. · Robin & Bill Branstrom
Catherine & Wilton Connor · Denise & Peter DeMaio
Linda & Bill Farthing · DeDe & Alex McKinnon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge · Vincent Phillips & Paul Pope
Ylida & Bert Scott · Melinda & David Snyder
New Systems Ethic · Jill & Kevin Walker · Ellen E. Zinn
BENEFACTOR GALA TICKET
Laurie & Barry Guy · Michelle Richards Engineering
Lutherina Walk · Ken & Tara Walker · Dr. Shanté P. Williams
GALA TICKET
Susan Cybulski · Amy & Sidney Fletcher · Ralph S. Grier
William & Patricia Gorelick Family Foundation
Johnson C. Smith University · Susan & Loy McKeithen
Eva Nove · Debbie & Pat Phillips · Conrad R. Pogorzelski
Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli
Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado · Joye Blount · Emanuel Clark
Linda Farthing · Lucia Zapata Griffith · Grace Nystrum
Ylida Scott · Melinda Snyder
Scott Joplin
(1868–1917)
Overture to Treemonisha (1911)
Approximate performance time is 7 minutes.
Scott Joplin was born near Marshall, Texas on November 24, 1868, and died in New York on April 1, 1917. The first performance of Treemonisha took place at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 27, 1972, with Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The Overture to Treemonisha is scored for clarinet, trumpet, snare drum, bass drum, maracas, woodblock, and strings.
Scott Joplin’s opera, Treemonisha, with libretto and music by the composer, takes place in September, 1884, on a former slave plantation near the Arkansas Red River. Treemonisha, an educated freedwoman, urges her people to choose self-reliance and education over the superstitions peddled by charlatans. The furious charlatans kidnap Treemonisha, and are ready to throw her into a wasp nest. Treemonisha’s friend Remus, disguised as the devil, arrives, and the charlatans flee in terror. Treemonisha is elected the community’s leader.
Joplin published a piano-vocal score of Treemonisha in 1911. In 1915, Joplin, leading from the piano, gave a concert reading of his opera at Harlem’s Lincoln Theater. The possibility exists that there may have been further such performances during
Joplin’s lifetime. However, after Joplin’s passing in 1917, the score of Treemonisha was lost, only to be rediscovered in 1970. Following the first performance in Atlanta, subsequent productions throughout the United States established Treemonisha’s importance in the history of American opera. A 1972 Pulitzer Prize served as a posthumous recognition of Joplin’s achievements.
Joplin’s Treemonisha embraces a captivating blend of European operatic tradition with a wide range of popular genres. The lively Overture presents tunes that appear throughout the work.
- Ken Meltzer
Levi Taylor
Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin) (2024)
Approximate performance time is 5 minutes.
For Daydreaming (A Fantasy On Scott Joplin) I had the wonderful task to put to music my adoration and curiosities of Joplin and his music, while still maintaining freedom of expression and exploration on my own sonic musings. This is where the piece derives its title, as I enjoyed ruminating on Joplin and then letting my imagination soar from the inspiration.
Right away the listener will notice a few nods towards Joplin’s music: The opening brings us in with a glimpse of “The Entertainer,” followed by light rhythmic movements inspired by Joplin’s fun and syncopated rhythms. Included are also a few “odd” notes here and there along with energetic countermelodies that aim to bring the listener closer to Joplin’s style.
From there the piece begins to unfold more into my own personal musings on how Joplin’s music inspires me, while occasionally dipping back to remind the listener where the inspiration comes from. Different sections evoke different general feelings around Joplin’s music. One moment the piece will reflect on the exquisite and playful sound of some of Joplin’s music, while in the next it will explore some of the more intimate and
robust qualities I’ve enjoyed especially in pieces such as his opera, Treemonisha. Throughout all of the various moments of “daydreaming” in this piece, there remained one consistent ambition: To embody the bold, ambitious, and authentic expression that I find in all of Joplin’s music.
- Levi Taylor
*Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin) was commissioned with a gift from the Keith and Renata Ward Emerging Composer Fund
Leonard Bernstein
(1918–1990)
Overture to Candide (1956)
Approximate performance time is 5 minutes.
Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on August 25, 1918, and died in New York on October 14, 1990. The first performance of Candide took place at the Colonial Theater in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 29, 1956. The Overture to Candide is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, E-flat clarinet, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, xylophone, cymbals, glockenspiel, tenor drum, harp, and strings.
It was perhaps as early as 1950 that American author Lillian Hellman suggested to Leonard Bernstein that the two collaborate on a musical adaptation of Voltaire’s Candide (1759). Hellman first conceived of Candide as a play with incidental music. But over time, the project grew into a piece of lyric theater, much more in the style of a musical or operetta. It wasn’t until 1954 that Hellman and Bernstein began work on Candide. Even then, various other projects and responsibilities intervened, including Bernstein’s film score for On the Waterfront and the Broadway musical, West Side Story. By 1956, Hellman and Bernstein were still in the process of
creating Candide. Richard Wilbur, a young American poet, assisted Hellman and Bernstein with Candide’s lyrics.
Bernstein’s Candide is a work of remarkable energy, lyricism, humor, and, at its conclusion, emotional impact. In her comments on Voltaire’s Candide, Lillian Hellman hailed “the roaring-river quality that was the mark of the genius who wrote it.” Her words might well apply with equal force to Leonard Bernstein’s magical score.
The brief, rollicking Overture to Candide, based upon melodies from the work, has enjoyed an independent life as one of the most popular concert pieces of the second half of the 20th century. - Ken Meltzer
Curtis Stewart
(b. 1986)
Drill for Prepared Drumset & Strings (2024)
Approximate performance time is 6 minutes.
The roar of burnt tire.
The heat — much better than stale apartment air.
We sit pointedly in new outside dining, waiting for the next bang, the next explosion, the squads.
Pop Smoke revelation. Inwood. Washington heights. Memories drilled into personality.
Wait.
During the pandemic, the phenomenon of outside dining swept New York. Being outside was much respite from being stuck in our crowded Inwood apartment. We would sit on Broadway, and let the chaos of the outside world soothe our restless souls, including the muscular roars of passing motorcycles and the wide cadence of “Drill music” up and down Broadway. I associate this music with outside, with release, despite its intricate, violent and chaotic outer layer.
This work for prepared drumset and strings is my “summer music,” my “hunter’s call,” my “field recording.”
What happens when we bring that outside music, inside — into our concert halls and onto our stages. When the outside becomes the inside, how will it ring in our walls?
- Curtis Stewart
Astor Piazzolla
(1921–1992)
The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (1965-70)
Approximate performance time is 7 minutes.
Astor Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on March 11, 1921, and died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 4, 1992. The Desyatnikov arrangement of Four Seasons in Buenos Aires is scored for solo violin and strings.
Astor Piazzolla’s Las Cuatro Estacíones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) is a superb example of the Argentine composer’s “Tango Nuevo” (“New Tango”), a masterful synthesis of tango, jazz, and classical elements. In 1965, Piazzolla composed Verano Porteño (Buenos Aires Summer) as part of music for a play by Alberto Rodríguez Muñoz, entitled Melenita de oro. Piazzolla wrote Buenos Aires Summer for his Quinteto Nuevo Tango, an ensemble of bandoneon, violin, electric guitar, piano, and string bass. Over the next several years, Piazzolla composed the three remaining seasons, scored for the same ensemble. Piazzolla also fashioned other instrumental arrangements of The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.
After Piazzolla’s death, violinist Gidon Kremer commissioned Russian composer Leonid Desyatnikov to create a version of Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires for solo violin and string orchestra. Kremer paired Desyatnikov’s arrangement of Piazzolla’s work with Antonio Vivaldi’s masterpiece, Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons, c. 1725), scored for the same combination of instruments. And indeed, the Desyatnikov arrangement includes several delightful allusions to the Vivaldi (here, it should be noted that seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are the opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere).
As in the case of its famous Baroque counterpart, the Desyatnikov arrangement of Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires is a vibrant and thrilling virtuoso tour-de-force.
I. Verano Porteño (Buenos Aires Summer)
- Ken Meltzer
Michael Abels
(b. 1962)
Delights & Dances (2007)
Approximate performance time is 14 minutes.
Michael Abels was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 8, 1962. The first performance of Delights & Dances took place at Carnegie Hall in New York on September 25, 2007. Chelsea Tipton II conducted the Harlem Quartet and Sphinx Virtuosi. Delights & Dances is scored for solo string quartet and string orchestra. Abels grew up on a farm in South Dakota and studied at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and the California Institute for the Arts. His compositions for the cinema and concert hall have received enthusiastic critical and audience acclaim. Film scores include the Jordan Peele movies Get Out, Us, and Nope. Among Abels’s numerous concert works are the opera Omar, co-composed with Rhiannon Giddens, the choral song cycle At War With Ourselves, composed for the Kronos Quartet, and Isolation Variations, for violinist Hilary Hahn. Abels is the co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, a group advocating for composers of color in film, gaming, and streaming media.
Delights & Dances, scored for solo string quartet and string orchestra, was commissioned by the Sphinx Organization. The composer describes Delights & Dances as “a kind of diptych of American musical genres, one regarded as ‘black’ and the other ‘white’…It’s a piece that celebrates musicians playing together.”
Delights & Dances opens with hushed solo cello, soon joined by the viola, and finally, the entire quartet. A blues episode features “a series of solos that are designed to sound improvised, although they are actually notated.” The work concludes with “a rousing bluegrass hoedown.”
- Ken Meltzer
Annual Fund Supporters
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through September 1, 2024.
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
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman
Judith & Mark Brodsky
Roberta H. Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor*
Jean & Dick Cornwell
Susan Cybulski
J. Porter & Victoria Durham
Linda & Bill Farthing
Karen Fox
Maria & John Huson
Richard Krumdieck & Sally Gregory
Patricia & Thrus Morton
Patrick J. O’Leary
Richard J. Osborne
Debbie & Pat Phillips
Kathy & Paul Reichs
Pat Rodgers
Carolyn Shaw
Andrea & Sean Smith
$15,000 – $24,999
Anonymous (2)
Melissa & Daren Anderson
Nicola & Emanuel Clark
Denise & Peter DeMaio
Ralph S. Grier
Mary & Michael Lamach
Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee
Mrs. Sandra Levine
Tanya & Steve Makris
DeDe & Alex McKinnon
Ulrike & Alex Miles
Keith Oberkfell & Mica Post Oberkfell
Judy & Derek Raghavan
Sienne & Adam Taylor
Ken & Tara Walker
$10,000 – $14,999
Anonymous (3)
Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado
Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr.
Katharine & Frank Bragg
Mr. & Mrs. R. Alfred Brand III
Lynne & Colby Cathey
Margarita & Nick Clements
Jeanie & Tom Cottingham
Donna & Alvaro de Molina
Lisa & Carlos Evans
Robin & Christoph Feddersen
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Janet M. Haack
Leigh & Watts Humphrey
Susan & Chris Kearney
Ginger Kelly
Ms. Nina Lesavoy
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Robert Norville
Laura & Perry Poole
Kelli & Michael Richardson
Mrs. Rosalind S. Richardson
Amanda & Corey Rogers
Marjorie Moses Schwab
Sherry & Thomas Skains
Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan
Ann & Michael Tarwater
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
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 (continued)
VIRTUOSO CIRCLE
$5,000 – $9,999
Wedge & Debbie Abels
Howard P. Adams & Carol B. McPhee
Paul & Kristen Anderson
Tiffany & Jason Bernd
Mr. James Biddlecome
In Loving Memory of Bernadette Zirkuli Biddlecome
Philipp J. Bischoff & Dawn Beatty
Katrice & Steve Boland
Mary & Charles Bowman
Barbara & Twig Branch
Nancy Brand & Bill Freeman
Robin & William Branstrom
Shirley & Michael Butterworth
The Jack H. and Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Kieth Cockrell
Morgan & Brian Cromwell
Mary Anne Dickson
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Heather & Thomas Finke
David J.L. Fisk & Anne O’Byrne
Sidney & Amy Fletcher
Joan & Parker Foley
Carol & Ron Follmer
Patty & Alex Funderburg
Dr. Robert A. Gaines & Toni Burke
Caren & Charles Gale
Sarah & Frank Gentry
Laurie & Barry Guy
Shirley & Bob Ivey
Page & Ed Kizer
The Jenny Lillian Semans Koortbojian Trust in honor of Sally Trent Harris
Vivian & Robert Lamb
Anna & Lazlo Littmann
Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Susanne & Bill McGuire
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Susan & Loy McKeithen
Chuck Miller & Marcy Thailer
Mr. & Mrs. Brian T. Moynihan
Holly & Jason Norvell
Kim & Torsten Pilz
Emily & Nima Pirzadeh
Ann & Fritz Rehkopf
Nancy & Charlie Robson
Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli
Laura & Michael Schulte
Ylida & Bert Scott
Susan & Donald Sherrill
Glenn Sherrill, Jr.
In Honor of Robin Branstom
Mr. & Mrs. Harley F. Shuford, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Pope A. Shuford
Melinda & David Snyder
Chris & Jim Teat
Brienne Tinder & Thomas Lervik
Judith & Gary Toman
Mr. & Mrs. C.L. Trenkelbach
Michael Waterford
Floyd Wisner & Glenda Colman
Sidney & Bobby Youngs
Joan Zimmerman
Abby & Albert Zue
$3,500 – $4,999
Anonymous
Si & Michael Blake
Sally & Derick Close
Mary & Phil Delk
Cheryl DeMaio
Pat English & H. Clay Furches
David S. Jacobsen
Courtney Reichs Mixon
Joan Morgan
Linda & Tony Pace
Marsha & Robert L. Stickler
Daniel Troy
Karen & Ed Whitener
$2,500 – $3,499
Anonymous
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Mrs. Harriet B. Barnhardt
Bill & Georgia Belk
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Blumenthal
Amy & Philip Blumenthal
Dr. & Mrs. O. Robert Boehm
Jan & Bob Busch
Ann Thomas Colley
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Melissa Cornwell
Deborah J. Cox & Bob Szymkiewicz
Chris & Elizabeth Daly
In Memory of Betty Haggerty
Alfred & Amy Dawson
Peter De Arcangelis
Peggy & Charles Dickerson
Timothy & Kara Gallagher
Harvey & Cindy Gantt
Mr. Billy L. Gerhart
In Memory of Judith Gerhart
Andrea & Todd Griffith
Annual Fund Supporters
Mariam Abdul Hamid
Ivan Hinrichs
Christy & Ben Hume
Fran & Greg Hyde
Jim & Peggy Hynes
James & Nina Jackson
Bruce & Martha Karsh
Mr. & Mrs. Luke Kissam
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
Mr. & Mrs. Mark W. Mealy
Dick Metzler
Debbie Miller & Tim Black
Eleanor W. Neal
Celene & Marc Oken
Dr. Reta R. Phifer
Mr. Vincent Phillips & Mr. Paul Pope
Marshelette & Milton Prime
Kathleen D. Prokay
Drew & Beth Quartapella
Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Rollins, Jr.
Dr. Mahesh Sardesai
Paulette Sherrill
Nancy E. Simpson
Emily & Zach Smith
Elizabeth Connor Stewart
Dottie Stowe
In Loving Memory of Dickson Stowe
Dr. Mark R. Swanson
Drs. Chris & Lillian Teigland
Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora
Mindy & Don Upton
Paul & Susan Vadnais
PATRON CIRCLE
$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous
Marcia Adams
Dan & Barbara Austell
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Batten
Erskine & Crandall Bowles
Mr. Brent Clevenger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Elizabeth Betty Eaton
William & Patricia Gorelick Family Foundation
Judith Greene
Angela & Michael Helms
Mr. James Howell & Mrs. Deanna Kelly
Martha D. Jones
Gene & Helen Katz
Ginger Kemp
Mr. Alan Kronovet & Ms. Cary J. Bernstein
Staci & Adam Marino
Anna Marriott
Ms. Rosemarie Marshall & Mr. Lee Wilkins
Mr. Glenn Mincey & Mrs. Macie Mincey
Caroline Olzinski
Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach
John & Susan Rae
Suzy & Robert Schulman
Jane Perry Shoemaker
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
Joseph & Aleca Stamey
Robert & Maxine Stein
Morris & Patricia Spearman
Tillie S. Tice
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Molly & Chris Tull
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
Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst
Annual Fund Supporters
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous (5)
Ross & Michele Annable
Kathleen & Richard Anderson
Mary Lou & Jim Babb
Dianne & Brian Bailey
Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln A. Baxter
Morgan & Katie Beggs
Katherine & John Beltz
Shirley W. Benfield
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein Family
Foundation
Sam & Nancy Bernstein
Andrea & Alexander Bierce
Ethan Blumenthal
Cristina & James Bolling
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
Kelly & Jackie Brown
Khary Brown
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Herbert Browne
Mr. Charles Budd
Jane & Larry Cain
Sarah & Marco Carbone
Hobart B. Cheyne
David M. Cody
John Colton
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Mr. Mark Copeland & Mrs. Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland
Ann F. Copeland
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Sarah & Larry Dagenhart
Gwin Dalton
Sarah & Joshua Daulton
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Caroline & Laurent De Mey
Thomas & Kris Duffy
Christine & David Dunn
Virginia Dulaney
Bob & Judy Erb
Dr. Ray Feaster
Stephen C. & Jean S. Geller
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Kathy Gray
Ms. Cynthia Greenlee
Katherine G. Hall
Joyce & Ed Hamilton
$1,000 - $1,499 cont.
Anne J. Henderson
Logan & Jennifer Henderson
Brian & Juliet Hirsch
Charley & Lynn Hodges
Mical Hutson
Paul & Linda Ibsen
Joan Irwin
Lea & Stuart Johnson
Joan Kirschner
Marilyn Kroll
Jonathan Lamb
Christopher James Lees
Mr. & Mrs. Howard Levine
Mr. Michael Lewandowski
Lucinda Nisbet Lucas
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith
Mrs. Allison Malter
Holly & Christopher Maurer
Ms. Nydia McCrohan
Sam & Carolyn McMahon
Arrington Mixon
Susan D. Montgomery
Janet Preyer Nelson
Peter & Janet Nixon
Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley
Michael & Debbie O’Hara
Arvind & Helen Patil
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Catherine Philpott
John & Wilma Pinter
Dale & Larry Polsky
Dr. William G. Porter
Lucy Quintilliano & Leonard Fumi
Morry Alter & Joan Rasmussen
Brendan Reen
Rita & Thomas Robinson
Sally & Russell Robinson
Ms. Margaret Rogers & Mr. John R. Willis
Elizabeth Rostan
William R. Rollins
Dr. & Mrs. Paulvalery Roulette
Ruth & Trevor Runberg
Terrence Russell & Marjorie Serralles-Russell
Mrs. Gail Salmon
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Mr. & Mrs. William Seifert
Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker
Molly & Conrad Sloan
Scott Smith
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Murray & Hazel Somerville
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Stern
Kathryn Stewart
Marsha & Robert L. Stickler
Pamela & Harding Stowe
Al & Alice Sudduth
Ann & Wellford Tabor
Richard R. Taylor
Rosalind & Joe Taylor
Catherine Thompson
Vint & Libby Tilson
Sarah S. Tull
B. Maureen Turner
Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri
Peter White
Annual Fund Supporters (continued)
Noni Williams
John Drew Witherington
Ms. Judith Wood
Eugene Woods
Gracy & Scott Wooster
Ms. Barbara Yarbrough
$500 – $999
Anonymous (4)
Michael & Lee Abbott
Doug & Linda Abel
Mr. Lester Ackerman & Mr. Layton Campbell
Larry Anderson
JWD Atchison
Bob & Cathy Becker
Emerson Bell
Dr. John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Ms. Melody Birmingham
Mr. Nicholas Bonevac
James Broadstone
Aram & Scott Bryan
Angie & Howard Bush
Greg & Mary Lou Cagle
Barbara F. Caine
Amanda & Kevin Chheda
Dr. W. Gerald Cochran & Mr. Timothy D. Gudger
Mr. Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Mrs. Jane M. Conlan
Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Cook
Jack Cook
Martin & Leslie Cooper
Mr. & Mrs. Alpo F. Crane
Ellen M. Crowley
Mr. Todd Croy
Angela & Jesse Cureton
Libby & David Currier
Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko
Doug & Diane Doak
Cheryl Drake-Bowers
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Gloria Evans
Melisa & Frank Galasso
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Donna Gibson
Sarah Goad
Mr. Walter H. Goodwin, Esq.
Dan & Linda Gordon
Mrs. Gloria Gunst
Tara & Richard Harris
Mr. Charles Haughey
Patrick & Johanne Hawk
Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Mr. Stefan Heinzelmann
Barbara Holt
Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Horowitz
Pete & Phyllis Johnson
Vickie & Eugene Johnson
Michael & Priscilla Johnson
Joseph & Patty Kahle
Emily Kalfayan
Steven & Mary Kesselman
James King
Nancy H. Kiser
Dr. & Mrs. Jack Kramer
Theodore & Dorothy Kramer
Harry & Gloria Lerner
Jerome & Barbara Levin
Megan Levine
John J. Locke
Mark & Katherine Love
Vi Lyles
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
Bruce & Leigh Marsh
Francis & Paula Martin
Ed & Wendy Matthews
Steve & Tammy Matula
Valerie & Thomas McKernan
Mr. & Mrs. Kiran H. Mehta
Roy H. Michaux
Eric Miller
Anne & Brad Mitchell
Amanda & Matthew Molbert
Tom & Sally Moore
Gary & Fran Morrison
Robert & Carla Murray
Nancy Olah & Bill Pace
Cookie & Jerry Parnell
Janet & Rick Pfeiffer
Hilda & Victor Pineiro
Dr. & Mrs. R. Pinkney Rankin, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Rodney C. Pitts
Barbara M. Pooley
Haywood & Sabine Rankin
Shaiza Rizavi
Nancy Rutledge & Jim Rutledge
Michael Silverman
Stephanie & Jonathan Simon
Dr. & Mrs. Henry L. Smith II
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Julia J. Souther
Bill & Mary Stanton
William & Catherine Stone
Gretchen & Jean-Claude Thill
Tim Timson
Sarah & Tim Turner
James & Melanie Twyne
Rebecca Valenstein
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Vallandingham
Emily & Jeff Vaughan
Greg & Sandy Vlahos
Mandy Vollrath & Luke Shaver
Minyan & Guan Wang
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Weidman
Zelda White
Mr. & Mrs. John A. Yakob
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Comprehensive Campaign. This list reflects gifts received through August 20, 2024.
$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 Loy & Susan McKeithen Novant Health
$500,000 - $999,99 9
Anonymous Arlene & Milton Berkman Robin & Bill Branstrom
Mary & Mike Lamach Rich Osborne Debbie & Pat Phillips
Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation Truist Financial Corporation
$250,000 - $499,999
Cathy Bessant · The Dickson Foundation · The Gambrell Foundation Moore & Van Allen PLLC Janet Preyer Nelson
$100,000 - $249,000
Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado · Ruth & Richard Ault · NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation
Wilton & Catherine Connor · Joan & Mick Ankrom · 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
Crescent Communities · Karen Fox · Ulrike & Alex Miles
Chris & Jim Teat · 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 · 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
Corporate Partners
We are grateful for the following outstanding corporate funders: For more information, please contact Mandy Vollrath at mvollrath@charlottesymphony.org
We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:
The Trexler Foundation
Dowd Foundation, Inc.
The Dickson Foundation
Cole Foundation
The Jack H. and Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
Blumenthal Foundation
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
Manny Clark
Secretary
David Fisk
President & CEO
Kwamé Ryan
Music Director
2024-2025 DIRECTORS
Mick Ankrom
Joye D. Blount
Mike Butterworth
Nick Clements
Mary Delk*
Denise DeMaio
Sidney Fletcher
Kevin Gottehrer
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Alex McKinnon
Sara Garces Roselli
Ylida Scott
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Jenny Topilow*
Ken Walker *ex-officio
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Richard Osborne, Chair
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Kat Belk
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Jason & Tiffany Bernd
Andrea & Alexander Bierce
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Wilton Connor
Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III
Brian Cromwell
Susan Cybulski
Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino
Alvaro & Donna de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa Hudson Evans
Karen Fox
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Todd Gorelick
Ralph S. Grier
Laurie Guy
Janet Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Mark & Whitney Jerrell
Jeff Lee
Gov. James G. Martin
Jane & Hugh McColl
Susan & Loy McKeithen
George McLendon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Lindsay & Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor
Braxton Winston
Richard Worf
Joan Zimmerman
Albert Zue
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
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
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
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
Amy Hine
HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Channing Williams
Accounting Associate
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
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
Mical Hutson
Strategic Advisor, Marketing & Audience Development
2024 · 2025 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Subscribe today for the best seats, the best prices, and great benefits!
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
October 25 & 26, 2024 Knight Theater
Brahms' A German Requiem
November 22 & 23, 2024 Belk Theater
Debussy’s La Mer
April 25 & 26, 2025 Belk Theater ...AND MORE!
The Music of Queen
November 1 & 2, 2024 Belk Theater
Disco Fever
January 17 & 18, 2025 Knight Theater
Havana Nights
February 21 & 22, 2025 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
LEMONY SNICKET’S The Composer is Dead
November 16, 2024 Knight Theater
Holiday Pops! FAMILY MATINEE
December 7, 2024 Knight Theater
CLASSICAL KIDS LIVE: Gershwin's Magic Key
January 18, 2025 Knight Theater ...AND MORE!
The Muppet Christmas Carol IN CONCERT
November 29 & 30, 2024 Ovens Auditorium
How to Train Your Dragon IN CONCERT
March 14 & 15, 2025 Belk Theater
Pirates of the Caribbean IN CONCERT
June 6 & 7, 2025 Belk Theater ...AND MORE!