Kwamé Ryan, conductor Ran Dank, piano Jan 30 – Feb 1 KNIGHT THEATER
A Message from the President & CEO
As we welcome the new year and look with anticipation towards the rest of our 2025–26 season, I’m reminded that there is no single way to experience the Charlotte Symphony.
An orchestra is a shapeshifter, able to surprise, delight, and move us in ways both large and small — as comfortable performing Strauss’s sweeping “Blue Danube” as it is grooving with the Music of Motown, or presenting lighthearted, family-friendly performances like The Orchestra Games.
That versatility is made possible by the remarkable talent you see on stage — musicians who call Charlotte home and bring that spirit and dedication to everything they perform. Our first concerts in the new year put Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu in the spotlight, showcasing his virtuosity in works by Chausson and Ravel.
Later this month, we welcome back our Music Director, Kwamé Ryan, who returns after a month-long engagement with the Metropolitan Opera to lead the CSO in Prokofiev and Schumann — a highlight of the season. His recent Grammy nomination and successful debut in New York are moments of shared pride for all of us here in Charlotte, and his leadership continues to shape an Orchestra that is expressive, curious, and inventive.
At its heart, the Orchestra is a starting point — where the music takes you is yours to discover. Thank you for joining us, and I hope you find your own musical adventure with the Charlotte Symphony this month.
David Fisk President & CEO
Your Charlotte Symphony Experience
Whether this is your first concert or you’ve been enjoying the Symphony for years, we’re glad you’re here. Below are a few things to know to help you feel right at home.
Food & Drink
A full bar, beverages, and snacks are available both before the concert and during intermission in the lobby.
Photography
We welcome and encourage you to capture and share photos before and after the concert or during intermission. Feel free to use your cell phone for photography without flash during the performance, but please refrain from video or audio recording.
Applause
You’ll notice that audiences applaud to welcome the concertmaster, conductor, and featured artists on stage. Some works may have several sections, or movements, separated by brief silent pauses. It is tradition to hold applause until after the last movement. If you are unsure, wait for the conductor to face the audience. But if you feel truly inspired, don’t be afraid to show your appreciation.
Need help or have questions?
Our ushers and staff are happy to assist — just ask!
Concert Program
THE NINETY-FOURTH SEASON
Friday, January 30, 2026, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 3:00 pm
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
Kwamé Ryan, conductor (Jan 30 & 31)
Christopher James Lees, conductor (Feb 1)
Ran Dank, piano
CHARLES IVES (1874–1954)
SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891–1953)
The Unanswered Question [~6’]
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
I. Andante - Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Allegro ma non troppo
Ran Dank, piano [~28’]
INTERMISSION
Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856) [~38’]
I. Sostenuto assai - Allegro ma non troppo
II. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
III. Adagio expressivo
IV. Allegro molto vivace
CONCERT DURATION: approx. 100 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.
Kwamé Ryan music director
Kwamé Ryan is a Grammy-nominated conductor, currently in his second season as Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Ryan formerly held the position of General Music Director of Freiburg Opera from 1999–2003 and served as Musical and Artistic Director of the Orchestre National BordeauxAquitaine from 2007–13. As a guest conductor in Germany, he has led the Radio Orchestras of Stuttgart and Bavaria, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Staatsoper Saarbrücken, and Staatsoper Stuttgart. While in France, he worked with Opéra de la Bastille, Opéra de Lyon, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Work in the US and the UK has taken him to the Symphony Orchestras of Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Boston Lyric Opera, English National Opera, and the London Philharmonia.
Ryan has been a regular guest of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Proms, and Dutch National Opera, at which he has worked with the Residence Orchestra, The Hague, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic. In 2024, he returned to La Monnaie, Brussels for the revival of Kris De Foort’s The Time of our Singing, his 2021 premiere of which earned the International Opera Award for World Premiere of the Year.
The 2025–26 season sees returns to the Washington National Opera and the New York Philharmonic as well as his debut at the Metropolitan Opera.
© Valentin Behringer
Ran Dank piano
Technically dazzling and intellectually probing artistry exemplify Ran Dank‘s pianism and musicality — captivating audiences and critics alike.
Recent seasons have included performances with the Pasadena Symphony and Keitaro Harada, Monterey Symphony, and Westchester Philharmonic with Jayce Ogren. Dank’s past performances have included recitals at the San Francisco Performances Series, Gilmore, Ravinia, Carnegie Hall’s Zankel and Weill Halls, Steinway Hall, Gardner Museum, Kennedy Center, Town Hall, Yale School of Music, Philips Collection, Morgan Library, Pro Musica in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Portland Ovations, and have garnered critical acclaim from The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Dank has performed as a soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Sydney, St. Luke’s, Portland, Eugene, Toledo, Hawaii, Kansas City, Vermont, Charleston, Jerusalem, Valencia, Phoenix, Hilton Head, among others, working under the batons of Michael Stern, Jahja Ling, Michael Christie, Kirill Karabits, Jun Märkl, Pinchas Zukerman, Jorge Mester, Jaime Laredo, and Ken-David Masur. His performance of the monumental set of variations “The People United Will Never Be Defeated!” at the University of Chicago was selected as one of the top ten performances of 2017 by Chicago Classical Review.
Dank is an ardent advocate for contemporary music and has recently performed Kevin Puts’s piano concerto “Night,” Tobias Picker’s “Keys to the City,” Frederic Rzewski’s “The People United Will Never Be Defeated,” William Bolcom’s Pulitzer-winning set of “Twelve New Etudes,” and has given, alongside pianist and wife, Soyeon Kate Lee, the world premieres of Frederic Rzewski’s “Four Hands,” and Alexander Goehr’s “Seven Impromptus.” Dank and Soyeon KateLee also gave the world premiere of the multiple Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin’s “Tango” for piano four-hands. The recipient of numerous honors, Dank won a coveted place on the Young Concert Artists roster in 2009 and subsequently made his New York recital debut. He was a laureate of the Cleveland International Competition, the Naumburg Piano Competition, the Sydney International Piano Competition, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.
Dank serves as an Associate Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY. His mentors and teachers include Emanuel Ax, Richard Goode, Joseph Kalichstein, Julian Martin, Robert McDonald, and Ursula Oppens.
Christopher James Lees conductor
(Feb. 1 performance)
Emerging American conductor Christopher James Lees brings passionate and nuanced orchestral performances to the stage, a fierce commitment to contemporary music, and a natural charisma to audiences all around the world.
Lees has served as Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra since 2018 and was Principal Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra through 2024. In addition to the more than 70 concert appearances with the CSO per season, he has annually stepped in to conduct Subscription Classical performances, including two Gala concerts with legendary artists and Grammy Awardwinners Branford Marsalis and Rhiannon Giddens, respectively.
An active guest conductor, Lees has conducted or returned for performances with the New York, Los Angeles, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the Houston, Detroit, New World, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Fort Worth, North Carolina, Portland, Flint, Toledo, and Winston Salem symphonies. Additional engagements have taken him to the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra de Chambre de Paris, Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the Music in the Mountains Festival and Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil.
Only the second American to be named a Gustavo Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lees made his debut with the orchestra in April 2013 and returned for concerts in February 2015.
With the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis and Atlanta symphonies, among others, Lees has served as an assistant conductor for the world’s leading conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Paavo Järvi, Herbert Blomstedt, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Robert Spano, Marin Alsop, Pablo Heras-Casado, Stéphane Denève, Susanna Mälkki, and Nicholas McGegan.
Additionally, Lees was named Music Director of the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
A dedicated advocate for music of our time, Lees has premiered more than 150 works by a diverse range of composers, and collaborated closely with Pulitzer Prize winners John Adams, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Jennifer Higdon, Joseph Schwantner, Steven Stucky, Caroline Shaw, Roger Reynolds, and Julia Wolfe.
When not performing, Lees can be found riding roller coasters with his ten-year-old son, reading through the stack of books by his nightstand, or training for his next World Majors marathon.
Kwamé Ryan · Music Director
Christopher James Lees, Resident Conductor Christopher Warren-Green, Conductor Laureate
MUSICIAN ROSTER
FIRST VIOLINS
Calin Ovidiu Lupanu Concertmaster
The Catherine & Wilton Connor Chair
Joseph Meyer* Associate Concertmaster
Kari Giles
Acting Associate Concertmaster
Hanna Zhdan
Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Susan Blumberg°°
Jane Hart Brendle
Cynthia Burton
Fengwan Chen†
Ayako Gamo
David Horak†
Oliver Kot°°
Lenora Leggatt
Jenny Topilow
Dustin Wilkes-Kim*
SECOND VIOLINS
Kathleen Jarrell, Acting Principal
The Wolfgang Roth Chair
Carlos Tarazona°
Acting Assistant Principal
The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair
Monica Boboc
Martha Geissler
Sakira Harley
Laura Herrera†
Tatiana Karpova
Ellyn Stuart
VIOLAS
Benjamin Geller, Principal
The Zoe Bunten Merrillt Principal Viola Chair
Pin-Hao Liao
Assistant Principal
Ellen Ferdon
Wenlong Huang
Pedro Mendez
Viara Stefanova
Ning Zhao
CELLOS
Jon Lewis, Principal
The Kate Whitner McKay Principal Cello Chair
Allison Drenkow
Assistant Principal
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Sarah Markle
Nicco Mazziotto
David Olson
DOUBLE BASSES
Jason McNeel, Acting Principal
Judson Baines, Assistant Principal
Jeffrey Ferdon
Eric Thompson†
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†
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
Christopher Caudill†
The Robert E. Rydel, Jr. Third Horn Chair (acting)
Richard Goldfaden
Paige Quillen
TRUMPETS
Alex Wilborn, Principal
The Betty J. Livingstone Chair
Jesdelson Vasquez†
Gianluca Farina†
Acting Associate Principal
The Marcus T. Hickman Chair
Gabriel Slesinger*
TROMBONES
John Bartlett, Principal
Thomas Burge
BASS TROMBONE
Scott Hartman, Principal
TUBA
Colin Benton, Principal
The Governor James G. Martin Chair
TIMPANI
Denis Petrunin, Acting 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 2025–26 season marks the next chapter in the Charlotte Symphony’s artistic evolution under Music Director Kwamé Ryan. Framed by a season-long exploration of home — reflecting on belonging, identity, and place through a wide range of musical voices — the season offers bold new works, symphonic masterworks, and creative collaborations across the Classical, Pops, Movie, and Family series. Highlights include the debut of the CSO Spotlight Series, an everexpanding look at the work of this season’s CSO Spotlight Artist, Gabriel Kahane; performances of audience favorites like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Ravel’s Boléro; and more events that showcase the Orchestra’s breadth, from the music of Dolly Parton to Black Panther in Concert. Engaging with more than 15,000 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 afterschool lessons in music and life skills to over 200 students in under-resourced areas. With its new mobile stage, CSO Roadshow, the Symphony extends its reach directly into neighborhoods, bringing live music to communities across the 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.
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
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Nicco Mazziotto
CELLO
CSO Member since September 2025
HOMETOWN: Long Island, NY
Fun Facts
• Nicco has been studying cello since the age of fourteen
• He has performed at top festivals like Tanglewood and Music Academy of the West
• Outside of music, Nicco enjoys playing chess, watching movies, keeping up with the NBA, and staying active
Charles Ives
BORN: October 20, 1874 in Danbury, Connecticut
DIED: May 19, 1954 in New York City
The Unanswered Question
(1906)
PREMIERE: May 11, 1946 at Columbia University in New York
Approximate performance time is 6 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
In 1906, Charles Ives composed two brief orchestral works, which he entitled: Two Contemplations: A Contemplation of a Serious Matter or The Unanswered Perennial Question and A Contemplation of Nothing Serious or Central Park in the Dark in “The Good Old Summer Time.” Typical of Ives’s pathbreaking, iconoclastic compositions, The Unanswered Question premiered years after its creation. The first performance took place at Columbia University in New York on May 11, 1946, part of an all-Ives concert, held during the Second Annual Festival of Contemporary Music.
CHARLES IVES DESCRIBES THE UNANSWERED QUESTION
The strings play ppp throughout with no change in tempo. They are to represent “The Silences of the Druids — who Know, See, and Hear Nothing.” The trumpet intones “The Perennial Question of Existence,” and states it in the same tone of voice each time. But the hunt for “The Invisible Answer” undertaken by the flutes and other human beings becomes gradually more active, faster, and louder through an animando to a con fuoco… “The Fighting Answerers,” as the time goes on, and after a “secret conference,” seem to realize a futility, and begin to mock “The Question” — the strife is over for the moment. After they disappear, “The Question” is asked for the last time, and the “Silences” are heard beyond in “Undisturbed solitude."
- CHARLES IVES
Sergei Prokofiev
BORN: April 23, 1891 in Sontsovka, Russia
DIED: March 5, 1953 in Moscow, Russia
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major Opus 26 (1921)
PREMIERE: December 16, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois
Approximate performance time is 28 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
From 1918–33, Sergei Prokofiev resided in the West, where he was acclaimed both as a composer and piano virtuoso. Prokofiev was the soloist in the world premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 3, which took place with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on December 16, 1921. On December 30 in Chicago, Prokofiev conducted the first performance of his opera, The Love for Three Oranges.
WHILE YOU LISTEN
• The Concerto is in three movements of approximately equal duration. The first opens with a brief slow-tempo introduction and a haunting melody sung by the clarinet. The ensuing principal quick-tempo section is based on two principal themes.
• The second movement opens with the presentation of a march tune, the basis for a series of five variations. The soloist and orchestra reprise the melody at the movement’s close.
• The finale contrasts energetic music with a more subdued episode, leading to the stirring, virtuosic conclusion.
A HISTORICAL TREASURE
Prokofiev is the soloist in a 1932 EMI recording of his Third Piano Concerto, with Piero Coppola conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.
Robert Schumann
BORN: June 8, 1810 in Zwickau, Germany
DIED: July 29, 1856 in Endenich, Germany
Symphony No. 2 in C Major
Opus 61 (1846)
PREMIERE: November 5, 1846 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus
Approximate performance time is 38 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 was the product of a challenging period in the composer’s life. In January of 1844, Schumann and his wife — the famed pianist Clara Wieck Schumann — departed their home in Leipzig for a tour of Russia. The Schumanns returned to Leipzig toward the end of May. Shortly thereafter, Robert Schumann suffered a physical breakdown. The composer experienced severe trembling, various phobias, and auditory hallucinations (this episode foreshadowed Schumann’s tragic final illness, which resulted in an attempted suicide in 1854, and death in an asylum two years later). Clara recalled: “Robert did not sleep a single night. His imagination painted the most terrible pictures. In the early morning, I generally found him bathed in tears. He gave himself up completely.”
Schumann’s health was slow in returning. As he wrote to Felix Mendelssohn in October of 1845:
Unfortunately, I have not recovered my usual strength. Any sort of disturbance of the simple order of my life throws me off my balance and into a nervous, irritable state… Wherever there is fun and enjoyment, I must still keep out of the way. The only thing to be done is hope, hope — and so I will.
Schumann’s condition improved sufficiently to allow him to resume composition. He authored several keyboard works in 1845, including the final two movements of his Piano Concerto in A minor, which he completed in July. A few months later, Schumann wrote to Mendelssohn: “For a few days now my mind has been throbbing to the sound of trumpets and drums. I wonder what it will lead to.”
The answer was his Symphony No. 2, which Schumann sketched between December 12 and 18, 1845. Additional physical problems — this time in the form of tinnitus — delayed Schumann’s orchestration of the Symphony, which was completed on October 19, 1846. Felix Mendelssohn conducted the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig in the premiere on November 5.
WHILE YOU LISTEN
• Symphony No. 2 is in four movements. The first opens with a slow-tempo introduction, featuring the simultaneous presentation of two themes, a brass fanfare motif and flowing string melody. Both themes play significant roles throughout the work.
• The second movement alternates the main Scherzo with two contrasting Trio sections that are related to the opening movement’s string melody. At the conclusion of the movement, the brass fanfare returns.
• Schumann confessed that he wrote portions of the beautiful third movement “with particular pleasure.”
• The triumphant finale reprises themes from the preceding movements.
SCHUMANN MEETS WAGNER
When the Schumanns were living in Dresden, the city was also home to the revolutionary opera composer, Richard Wagner. Although these two giants of the Romantic era did have the opportunity to meet, Schumann and Wagner did not make a particularly favorable impression upon one another. Schumann commented that Wagner “has the most amazing gift of the gab, and is always chock full of his own ideas; one cannot listen to him for long.” Wagner felt that Schumann “was too conservative to benefit from my views.”
Robert & Clara Schumann
Richard Wagner
Annual Fund
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through December 31, 2025.
BENEFACTOR CIRCLE
$100,000+
Anonymous Jacqueline B. Mars Douglas Young
$50,000 – $99,999
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$25,000 – $49,999
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Melinda & David Snyder
* The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.
For more information, please contact Mary Nell Johnson at 704.714.5137
Annual Fund Supporters
$10,000 – $14,999
Kristen & Paul Anderson
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$5,000 – $9,999
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The Charlotte Assembly
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Juliet & Brian Hirsch
Linda & Paul Ibsen
Jennie & Don Johnson
Lea & Stuart Johnson
Priscilla & Michael Johnson
Vickie & Eugene Johnson
Dr. Valerie Kinloch & Mr. Thomas A’Hearn
Joan Kirschner
Marilyn Kroll
Holly & Christopher Maurer
Anna & John McCoy
Arrington Mixon
Sue Lin Tan & Rama Narayanan
Eleanor W. Neal
Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley
Caroline Olzinski
Patricia & James Petillo
Catherine Philpott
Dr. William G. Porter
Susanne & Mark Rascio Family
Joan Rasmussen & Morry Alter
Annual Fund Supporters
Jennifer & Manley Roberts
Rita & Thomas Robinson
Sally Robinson
Linda Rosenfeld & Fred Krosner
Elizabeth & Robert Rostan
Anjan Shah
Sandra Shuster
Birte & Roman Streitberger
Scott Smith
Tamara & Cassiel Smith
Jennifer & Philip Stafford
Alice & Al Sudduth
Ann & Wellford Tabor
Annette & Eric Telljohann
Catherine Thompson
Libby & Vint Tilson
Tim Timson
Sarah S. Tull
Maureen Turner
Emily & Jeff Vaughan
Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang
Rebecca Waters
Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Jennie & Ry Winston
Lauren Wooden
Velva W. Woollen
Alanna & Richard Worrell
Sandy & John Yakob
$500 – $999
Anonymous (2)
Lynda & Doug Abel
Daphne A. Banks
Cathy & Bob Becker
Natasha A. Bechtler
Dr. John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Mrs. Christine Bieri
Jeffrey Boghosian
James Broadstone
Nelle & Ken Brown
Aram Kim Bryan
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Nan & Brooks Carey
Janelle & Todd Collins
Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Jack Cook
Dedee & Irv Cygler
In Loving Memory of Ruth Jernigan
Gaither & Robert Deaton
Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko
Margaret & George Dewey
Diane & Doug Doak
Dr. Kathleen A. Doman
C. Thomas Fennimore & Gail H. Fennimore
Lucinda & Harvey Gantt
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Dr. & Mrs. Richard Gellar
Stacy & Pete Gherardi
Cyndy & Larry Goodgame
Linda & Dan Gordon
Cynthia Greenlee
Gloria Gunst
Johanne & Patrick Hawk
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Maria Felisa San Andres & Stefan Heinzelmann
Ms. Yvonne DeBeauville & Mr. Roger Hill
Susan Keeble
John J. Kelly, Jr.
Mary & Steven Kesselman
Nancy H. Kiser
Michael Kitchen & Associates, LLC
Constance C. & George W. Knight
Linda & Norman Kramer
Maria Kurtz
Jonathan Lamb
Barbara & Jerome Levin
John J. Locke
Katherine & Mark Love
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
Allison Malter
Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins
Paula Goolkasian & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
Jill Maxwell
Rob Roy McGregor
Constance & Kiran Mehta
Amanda & Matthew Molbert
Sally Staub Moore
Kimbrel & Tripp Morris
Jennifer & Michael Neurohr
Mary Newsom
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Nitsch
Nancy Olah & Bill Pace
Ynez Olshausen
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Lisa & Tom Phillips
Janet & Rick Pfeiffer
Barbara M. Pooley
Moira Quinn
Sabine & Haywood Rankin
Emily & Brian Reinicker
Joan & Albert Rodgers
Margaret Rogers & John R. Willis
Betty & Bill Seifert
Michael Silverman
Dr. & Mrs. Henry L. Smith II
Scott Smith
Julia J. Souther
Mary & Bill Staton
Kathryn Stewart, MD, MPH
Susan & Jet Taylor
Molly & Chris Tull
Melanie & James Twyne
Aishwarya & Krishna Varanasi
Debi Wayne
Signature Web Design
Lyman Welton
Peter White
Karen & Charles Wolff
Judith Wood
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†
Michele & Ross Annable
Richard & Ruth Ault
Baldwin Family Trust
Barnhardt Thomas Trust
Lincoln A. Baxter & Helen M. Fowler
Annette Bedford†
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 & George Bruns†
Jan & Bob Busch
Dr. Helen G. Cappleman, Ph.D.†
Jim Cochran† & Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Charles & Peggy Dickerson
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Linda & Bill Farthing
David J.L. Fisk & Anne P. O’Byrne
Sylvia T. Forsythe†
Dorris H. Goodyear†
Peter & Ann† Guild
William G. & Marguerite K. Huey Fund
Dr. Nish Jamgotch, Jr.†
Betty & Stanley Livingstone†
Lucille F. & Edwin L. Jones
Endowment for the Arts
Polly & Don Kellam†
Jim Martin
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Nellie McCrory†
M. Marie Mitchell†
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Joan & Richard Morgan
Francis A. Mueller†
Don C. Niehus
Eva Nove
Richard J. Osborne
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Gilbert Pirovano†
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. & Dr. Chandler† Thompson
Tim Timson
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst
For more information, please contact Shayne Doty at 704.714.5104.
Comprehensive Campaign
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Comprehensive Campaign. This list reflects gifts received through August 1, 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
The Leon Levine Foundation · Jane & Hugh McColl
$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 · Susan & Loy McKeithen · Novant Health
$500,000 - $999,999
Anonymous · Arlene & Milton Berkman · Robin & Bill Branstrom · Deloitte
Mary & Mike Lamach · Rich Osborne · Debbie & Pat Phillips · Pat Rodgers · 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 · Ed Weisiger, Jr. & Betsy Fleming
$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
Fran & Greg Hyde · Dr. Richard Krumdieck & Mrs. Sally Gregory · Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Patricia & Thruston Morton · Steelfab, Inc. · Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Andromeda & John Williams
Comprehensive Campaign
$50,000 - $99,999
Amy & Robert Brinkley · Crescent Communities · The Fox Family · Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Mariam & Robert Hayes Charitable Trust · Ulrike & Alex Miles · Dr. Ruth G. Shaw
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 · Lisa & Carlos Evans · David Fisk & Anne O’Byrne
Averill, Johanna, & Lauren Harkey · Carol & Bill Lorenz · Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Virginia & Chan Martin · DeDe & Alex McKinnon · Posey & Mark Mealy ·
Wanda & Steve Phifer · Ridgely & John Phillips · Dale & Larry Polsky
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 · Jim Worrell
$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 · Mary Claire & Dan Wall · Martha Ann & Craig Wardlaw
Corporate Partners
We are grateful for the following outstanding corporate funders: For more information, please contact Tara Spil at 704.714.5138.
We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:
Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation
Dowd Foundation, Inc.
The Trexler Foundation
The Dickson Foundation Cole Foundation
Maurer Family Foundation
Triad Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
The Blumenthal Foundation
The Charlotte Assembly
Minor Foundation, Inc
Music Performance Trust Fund
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
For more information, please contact Tara Spil at 704.714.5138.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2025-26 OFFICERS
Richard Krumdieck, Chair
Ulrike Miles, Vice Chair
Melinda Snyder, Vice Chair & Secretary
Denise DeMaio, Treasurer
David Fisk, President & CEO
Kwamé Ryan, Music Director
2025-26
DIRECTORS
Krisha Blanchard
Joye D. Blount
Mike Butterworth
Nick Clements
Sidney Fletcher
Craig Froelich
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Linda McFarland Farthing, Chair
Francisco & Jeannette Alvarado
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Rachel Gogal Badillo
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Paige & Steve Burgess
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III
Brian Cromwell
Susan Cybulski
Marcia & Jason Daily
Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino
Alvaro & Donna de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa Hudson Evans
Bill Farthing
Karen Fox
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Ralph S. Grier
Laurie Guy
Janet Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Mark & Whitney Jerrell
Jeff Lee
Dee & Joe Marley
Carrie Galloway
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Fran Hyde
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Juliette Pryor
Manley Roberts*
Sara Garces Roselli
Lindsay Schall
Ylida Scott
Cameron Sherrill
Matthew Spanjers
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Andrea Mumm Trammell*
Ken Walker *ex-officio
Gov. James G. Martin
Jane & Hugh McColl
Stacie McGinn
Susan & Loy McKeithen
Alex & DeDe McKinnon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Janet Preyer Nelson
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Richard Osborne
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Derek & Judy Raghavan
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily Smith
Will Sparks
Elizabeth Connor Stewart
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor
Chris & Jim Teat
Kevin & Jill Walker
Elizabeth & Steve Willen
Braxton Winston
Richard Worf
Joan Zimmerman
Albert Zue
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
EXECUTIVE
David J. L. Fisk
President & CEO
Samantha Hackett
Manager of Executive Administration & Board Relations
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Scott Freck
Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager
Erin Eady
Director of Orchestra Personnel
Laura Lindsay
Director of Orchestra Operations
Claudia Schmitz
Director of Artistic Planning
Bart Dunn
Principal Music Librarian
Emily Marsh
Assistant Music Librarian
Ana Faithe Allen
Operations Coordinator
John Jarrell
Stage Manager
Byron Johns
Senior Stage Technician
Ross Jarrell
Stage Techician
DEVELOPMENT
Shayne Doty
Vice President of Development
Richard Riedl
Associate Vice President of Development
Mary Nell Johnson
Senior Director of Individual Giving
Tara Spil
Director of Corporate & Institutional Giving
Tammy Matula
Director of Development Services
Josh Bottoms
Manager of Corporate & Institutional Giving
Jennifer Gherardi
Manager of Development Services & Events
HUMAN RESOURCES
Maribeth Baker
Human Resources Counselor
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Christian Drake
Vice President of Finance & Administration
Amy Hine
HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Kensloe Norrington
Staff Accountant
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Aram Kim Bryan
Vice President of Community Relations & Learning
Dylan Lloyd
Senior Manager of Youth Orchestras
Mark Rockwood
Senior Manager of Youth Education
Michaela Sciacca
Senior Manager of Youth Programs
Gavin Fulker
Education Programs Assistant
Bria Alexander 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 Cole
Patron Experience Manager
Garrett Whiffen
Ticketing Manager
February 20 & 21
BOOTH PLAYHOUSE
FRI & SAT @ 7:30 PM SAT MATINEE @ 2:00 PM
Gather around the Orchestra for a deep dive into the music of Mozart in this intimate, in-the-round concert. Framed by the opening and final movements of Symphony No. 41, the program moves through his early works and iconic musical moments from Don Giovanni and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, offering a rare, up-close perspective on the music and the musicians who bring it to life.
Christopher James Lees, conductor Melinda Whittington, soprano
