October 10 &
11
KNIGHT THEATER
Kwamé Ryan, conductor
Joshua Roman, cello
A Message from the President & CEO
Welcome to the opening of our 2025–26 Classical Series! There’s no better way to begin than with an evening led by Music Director Kwamé Ryan. Tonight we’ll experience the power and intensity of Shostakovich and the inventive energy of Mason Bates, including the world premiere of the Charlotte Symphony’s Sonic Logo.
This season, we’re exploring the meaning of “home” through music that welcomes us back to beloved classics while also introducing us to new voices and ideas. Sometimes home is a place of comfort; other times we allow curiosity to lead us somewhere unexpected.
Even in this first month, you’ll experience the full breadth of what your Charlotte Symphony offers. First, we enjoy the enduring charm of Dolly Parton’s songs, followed by the whimsical storytelling of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, perfect for families discovering the Orchestra together. Our On Tap series then takes you to NoDa Brewery for a more relaxed concert experience. The month concludes with a powerful finale, featuring our Spotlight Artist, composer and multiinstrumentalist Gabriel Kahane, alongside Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony.
Our entire season is designed to spark curiosity and invite discovery — whether you’re returning to music you know and love, or encountering something entirely new. However you choose to engage, I hope you’ll find a sense of home here with your Charlotte Symphony — through connection, inspiration, and the experience of sharing live music with others. Thank you for joining us tonight! We’re thrilled to share this new season with you.
David Fisk President & CEO
The 2025-26 Season
Threads
Music that connects — across time, place, and experience.
Woven through our season are questions of who we are, where we come from, and what binds us together.
These threads explore the meaning of home, the shaping of American identity, and the stories we share.
America @ 250
Reflect on our nation’s musical identity through works by American voices past and present, including Amy Beach, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and George Walker.
Soyeon Kate Lee plays pioneering composer Amy Beach's Piano Concerto, October 24–26
Perspectives on Home
Explore how composers from around the world wrestle with what it means to belong — from Dvořák’s longing for home in the “New World” Symphony to Anna Clyne’s response to pandemic isolation in The Years, receiving its U.S. Premiere.
The Charlotte Master Chorale debuts The Years alongside Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, Apr 10 & 11
The 2025-26 Season (continued)
Iconic Fifths
Revel in three of the most iconic Fifth Symphonies — Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky — timeless works that explore strength, struggle, and triumph.
Kwamé Ryan leads the CSO in Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, Feb 13 & 14
Spotlight: Gabriel Kahane
Take a closer look at composer, singersongwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Kahane in a season-long exploration of his poignant musical stories, culminating in the powerful finale, emergency shelter intake form.
Kahane performs in Pattern of the Rail, Feb 13 & 14 and emergency shelter intake form, May 15 & 16
…and discover what awaits this season.
For more information, visit us at
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, October 10, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
Kwamé Ryan, conductor
Joshua Roman, cello
MASON BATES (b. 1977)
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E♭ major, Op. 107
I. Allegretto
II. Moderato
III. Cadenza
IV. Allegro con moto
Joshua Roman, cello
INTERMISSION
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Largo
IV. Allegro non troppo
APPROX. DURATION: 2 hours, including one 20-minute intermission.
Kwamé Ryan music director
Kwamé Ryan was born in Canada and grew up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, where he received his early musical education. He completed his studies in the UK and Hungary, reading Musicology at Cambridge University.
Currently in his second season as Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Ryan held the position of General Music Director of Freiburg Opera from 1999–2003, and served as Musical and Artistic Director of the National Orchestra of Bordeaux Aquitaine 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 at Opéra de la Bastille, Opéra de Lyon, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Work
in the US and 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.
Joshua Roman cello
Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (The New York Times). His genre-bending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics” (The Seattle Times).
Committed to bringing classical music to new audiences, Roman opened the acclaimed 2017 TED Conference — and his performance of the complete Bach Cello Suites after the 2016 U.S. presidential election was the most-viewed event in the history of TED’s social channels, with nearly a million live viewers. Roman has collaborated with world-class artists across genres and disciplines, including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony winner/ MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammywinning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith.
As a soloist, Roman has performed with leading orchestras around the United States and the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, Toronto Symphony, BBC Scottish, and Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra, and he was principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony.
Roman released the ambitious and deeply personal Immunity in October 2024 on Bright Shiny Things. The album — his first as a solo artist — is an intimate musical
exploration of Roman’s life-altering experience of ongoing Long COVID, with music ranging from J.S. Bach to George Crumb to Caroline Shaw, as well as Roman’s own compositions. Since the album’s release, he has continued raising awareness of the condition and the importance of finding strength in vulnerability through performances and speaking engagements in the U.S. and abroad. These engagements have included residencies at Stanford University and Yale University; participation in the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum; and well-being concerts at Carnegie Hall. Roman is set to launch a second musical project in spring 2026, building on the success and impact of Immunity.
Roman’s 2025–26 season features the continuation of his Immunity project, both on tour and with Long COVID clinics throughout the East Coast in December 2025; as well as ongoing trio performances with violinist Tessa Lark and double bassist Edgar Meyer in festivals and recital halls across the U.S. Additional highlights of the 2025–26 season include concerto appearances with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony, Heartland Festival Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Bellingham Symphony Orchestra.
Roman plays an 1830 Giovanni Francesco Pressenda on a generous loan through The Stradivari Society of Chicago.
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
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
INON BARNATAN
JANAI
GABRIEL KAHANE
KWAMÉ RYAN
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
VIOLA Pedro Mendez
CSO Member since September 2025
HOMETOWN: Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Fun Facts
• Pedro discovered his love of music through his father, who taught him basic chords on the guitar and cuatro
• He studied in the internationally acclaimed EL SISTEMA and performed under Gustavo Dudamel at the age of 13
• A passionate educator, Pedro has mentored young musicians in both South America and the United States
Mason Bates
BORN: January 23, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attack Decay Sustain Release (2013)
PREMIERE: May 19, 2014 in San Francisco
Approximate performance time is 5 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
American composer Mason Bates has enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding association with the San Francisco Symphony. Bates composed his fanfare for orchestra, Attack Decay Sustain Release for a 2014 tribute concert for John Goldman, former San Francisco Symphony president.
THE COMPOSER SPEAKS
Bates describes Attack Decay Sustain Release as “(a) quick and energetic opener filled with lopsided grooves and coy asides.”
©
Todd Rosenberg
Dmitri Shostakovich
BORN: September 25, 1906 in Saint Petersburg, Russia
DIED: August 9, 1975 in Moscow, Russia
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E ♭ major Opus 107 (1959)
PREMIERE: October 4, 1959 in Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Approximate performance time is 30 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 was written for the legendary Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, inspired by his distinctive sound and virtuosity. Completed in the summer of 1959, the score reached Rostropovich in Leningrad, and remarkably, within four days he had memorized the entire work and performed it for the composer. Shortly thereafter, Shostakovich dedicated his First Cello Concerto to Rostropovich.
Mstislav Rostropovich was the soloist in the triumphant world premiere of the Concerto, which took place in Leningrad in 1959. The composer’s longtime friend and champion, Evgeny Mravinsky, conducted the Leningrad Philharmonic.
The concerto is marked by its sardonic humor, intense lyricism, and dramatic contrasts — qualities that both defined Shostakovich’s music and often challenged Soviet authorities.
WHILE YOU LISTEN
• Shostakovich described the first of the work’s four movements as “in the style of a jocular march”
• The concluding three movements are played without pause. The second opens in somber, introspective fashion, but later becomes increasingly agitated
• The third movement is a Cadenza, an unaccompanied passage for the soloist, with echoes of the previous movements
• In the whirlwind, virtuoso finale, the opening march theme makes a prominent return, as the Concerto proceeds to an emphatic resolution
Mstislav Rostropovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Opus 47 (1937)
PREMIERE: November 21, 1937 in Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Approximate performance time is 46 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
In 1936, after Joseph Stalin walked out of a Bolshoi performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s “tragedy-satire” opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, an article appeared in the official Communist newspaper Pravda entitled, “Muddle Instead of Music.” The author dismissed the work as a “stream of deliberately discordant sounds…Lady Macbeth enjoys great success with the bourgeois audience abroad.”
In the spring of 1937, Shostakovich turned his attention to the Fifth Symphony, which he composed between April 1 and July 30, 1937. The premiere of the Fifth Symphony took place in Leningrad in November of that year as part of a festival celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Republic. A seemingly penitent Shostakovich offered the following subtitle for the work: “A Soviet Artist’s Practical Creative Reply to Just Criticism.” Shostakovich also provided the following analysis of the Symphony in an article entitled “My Artist’s Reply,” which appeared just a few days before the Moscow premiere on January 29, 1938:
The theme of my symphony is the development of the individual. I saw man with all his sufferings as the central idea of the work…the finale resolves the tragedy and tension of the earlier movements on a joyous, optimistic note.
The 1937 premiere, conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky, was a resounding success.
“THE REJOICING IS FORCED”
In 1979, four years after the composer’s death, Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich, stunned the music world. For the Shostakovich of Testimony (as relayed to and edited by Solomon Volkov), the Fifth Symphony was hardly a paean to Communism:
I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth. The rejoicing is forced, created under threat…It’s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, “Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing,” and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, “Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.”
The authenticity of Volkov’s Testimony remains a source of heated controversy. For what it’s worth, Mstislav Rostropovich and composer Rodion Shchedrin, both friends and confidants of the composer, told this writer they firmly believe the book reflects Shostakovich’s thoughts.
The German poet Heinrich Heine wrote: “Where words leave off, music begins.” As with any great work of art, Shostakovich’s Fifth affords each of us the opportunity to explore its content and meaning.
WHILE YOU LISTEN
• Symphony No. 5 is in four movements. The first is based upon two themes introduced in quick succession right at the outset. In the central part of the movement, Shostakovich transforms the lyrical second theme (first played by the violins) into an ominous figure, ultimately exploding into a battle march.
• The second movement has a brevity and playful charm, in sharp contrast to the mood of the opening movement
• The slow-tempo third movement is constructed as a massive arch, inexorably building to a shattering climax before returning to the repose of the opening measures
• The finale, a whirlwind of activity and arresting conflict, finally resolves to the blazing (and controversial) D-major conclusion
THE COMPOSER SPEAKS
“Real music is always revolutionary, for it cements the ranks of the people; it arouses them and leads them onward.”
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Opus 47
I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Largo
IV. Allegro non troppo
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Annual Fund Supporters
Annual Fund
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through August 1, 2025.
BENEFACTOR CIRCLE
$100,000+
The Fox Family Jane & Hugh McColl* Douglas Young Anonymous Jacqueline B. Mars
$50,000 – $99,999
$25,000 – $49,999
Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman Philanthropic Fund
Judith & Mark Brodsky
Margarita & Nick Clements
Roberta H. Cochran
Jean & Dick Cornwell
Susan Cybulski
Linda & Bill Farthing
Ralph S. Grier
Maria & John Huson
Ginger Kelly
Sally Gregory & Richard Krumdieck
Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee
Patrick J. O’Leary
Sandra Levine
Richard J. Osborne*
Pat Rodgers
Carolyn Shaw
Susan & John Shimp
Andrea & Sean Smith
Tara & Ken Walker
$15,000 – $24,999
Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr.
Nicola & Emanuel Clark
Catherine & Wilton Connor*
Denise & Peter DeMaio
Robin & Christoph Feddersen
Laurie & Barry Guy
Fran & Greg Hyde
Tanya & Steve Makris
DeDe & Alex McKinnon
Ulrike & Alex Miles
Mica Post Oberkfell & Keith Oberkfell
Debbie & Pat Phillips*
Juliette & Walter Pryor
Judy & Derek Raghavan
Cameron & Stuart Sherrill
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 Shayne Doty at 704.714.5104.
Annual Fund Supporters (continued)
$10,000 – $14,999
Kristen & Paul Anderson
Katharine & Frank Bragg
Betsy & Alfred Brand
Lynne & Colby Cathey
Jeanie & Tom Cottingham
Peter De Arcangelis
Donna & Alvaro de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa & Carlos Evans
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Dr. Robert A. Gaines & Toni S. Burke
Caren & Charles Gale
Andrea & Todd Griffith
In Loving Memory of Zaydee & Antonio
Lopez-Ibanez from Lina & Enrique Lopez-Ibanez
Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Robert Norville
Ann & Fritz Rehkopf
Kathy & Paul Reichs
Rosalind S. Richardson
Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli
Lindsay & Frank Schall
Sherry & Thomas Skains
Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan
Ann & Michael Tarwater
Kelly & Neal Taub
Jill & Kevin Walker
Michael Waterford
John Drew Witherington
Lisa & Richard Worf
VIRTUOSO CIRCLE
$5,000 – $9,999
Debbie & Wedge Abels
Carol B. McPhee & Howard P. Adams
The Charlotte Assembly
Si & Michael Blake
Krisha & Andy Blanchard
Mary & Charles Bowman
Barbara & Twig Branch
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Shirley & Mike Butterworth
Dr. William J. Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Morgan & Brian Cromwell
Elizabeth & Christopher Daly
Mary Anne Dickson
Anne O’Byrne & David J.L. Fisk
Amy & Sidney Fletcher
Joan & Parker Foley
Carol & Ron Follmer
Carrie & Jay Galloway
Sarah & Frank Gentry
Laura & Marshall Gilchrist
William & Patricia Gorelick Family Foundation
Lucia Zapata Griffith & Michael Griffith
Janet M. Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Vivian & Robert Lamb
Anna & Laszlo Littmann
Stacie McGinn
Susanne & Bill McGuire
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Susan & Loy McKeithen*
Marcy Thailer & Chuck Miller
Courtney Reichs Mixon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Torsten Pilz
Emily & Nima Pirzadeh
Kelli & Michael Richardson
Anne Robinson
Nancy & Charlie Robson
Laura A. & Michael J. Schulte
Ylida & Bert Scott
Mr. & Mrs. Harley F. Shuford, Jr.
Nancy E. Simpson
Erin & William Sparks
Elizabeth Connor Stewart
Chris & Jim Teat
Nancy & Dick Thigpen
Brienne Tinder
Judith & Gary Toman
Annual Fund Supporters
$5,000 – $9,999 (continued)
Rocky & Curtis Trenkelbach
Daniel Troy in Loving Memory of Kathleen Troy
Susan & Paul Vadnais
In Memory of Tess Verbesey
Elizabeth & Stephan Willen
Glenda Colman & Floyd Wisner
Joan H. Zimmerman
Abby & Albert Zue
$3,500 – $4,999
Andrea & Alexander Bierce
Dawn Beatty-Batten & Philipp J. Bischoff
Jan & Bob Busch
Mary & Phil Delk
Pat English & Clay Furches
Posey & Mark Mealy
Dick Metzler
Holly & Jason Norvell
Linda & Tony Pace
Suan & Bob Salvin
Emily & Zach Smith
Dr. Mark R. Swanson
Deborah J. Cox & Bob Szymkiewicz
Karen & Edgar Whitener
$2,500 – $3,499
Harriet B. Barnhardt
Tiffany & Jason Bernd
James Biddlecome In Loving Memory of Bernadette Zirkuli Biddlecome
Lee & Alan Blumenthal
Dr. & Mrs. O. Robert Boehm
Frances & Herbert Browne
Maggie Callen
The Jack H & Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
Dr. William H. Carson
Pauline & Bill Chinnis
Brent Clevenger
Ann Thomas Colley
Amy & Alfred Dawson
Cheryl DeMaio
Peggy & Charles Dickerson
Elizabeth Betty Eaton
Lucy Quintilliano & Leonard Fumi
Kara & Timothy Gallagher
Melisa & Frank Galasso
Billy L. Gerhart, in memory of Judith Gerhart
Katherine G. Hall
Jennifer & Logan Henderson
Ivan Hinrichs
Megan & Brendan Hoffman
Christy & Ben Hume
Leigh & Watts Humphrey
Peggy Hynes
Shirley & Bob Ivey
David S. Jacobson
Christopher James Lees
Meghan & Luis Lluberas
Jim & Kathleen Lynch
Dottie & Jim Martin
Rob Roy McGregor
Cynthia L. Caldwell & Richard I. McHenry
Dee Dee McKay
Carolyn & Sam McMahon
Debbie Miller & Tim Black
Susan D. Montgomery
Laura Paschall & Brad Glaza
Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach
Dr. Reta R. Phifer
Vincent Philips & Paul Pope
Kathleen D. Prokay
Lisa & Robert R. Rollins, Jr.
Dr. & Mrs. Mahesh Sardesai
Glenn Sherrill, Jr. In Honor of Robin Branstrom
Jane Perry Shoemaker
Peggy & Pope Shuford
Hazel & Murray Somerville
Patricia & Morris Spearman
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
Maxine & Robert Stein
Dottie Stowe in loving memory of Dickson Stowe
Kelly Zellars & James H. Trexler
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Mindy & Don Upton
Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
Barbara Yarbrough
Annual Fund Supporters
PATRON CIRCLE
$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous
Marcia Adams
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Katie & Morgan Beggs
Georgia & Bill Belk
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein
Sallie & Derick Close
Jean E. Davis & Robert Metzger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Judith Greene
Karen Gunther
Maureen & Daniel Haggstrom
Angela M. & Michael D. Helms
Martha D. Jones
Helen & Gene Katz
Ginger Kemp
Mary & Michael Lamach
Lucinda Nisbet Lucas
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith
Anna Marriott
Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins
Tammy & Steve Matula
Louise & Gary McCrorie
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Janet & Peter Nixon
Helen & Arvind Patil
Catherine Philpott
Greater Golf Express
Dr. John & Susan Rae
Brendan Reen
Anne & Mark Riechmann
Donald Schmidt
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Marsha & Robert L. Stickler
Jean M. Summerville
Tillie S. Tice
Henry Ward
Grant Webb
Pam West
Bryan Wilhelm
Deems Wilson
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous
Mariam Abdul Hamid & Ferd Davis
Michele & Ross Annable
JWD Atchison
Dianne & Brian Bailey
Elsie & William Barnhardt
Ms. Helen Fowler & Mr. Lincoln A. Baxter
Emerson Bell
Katherine & John Beltz
Shirley W. Benfield
Samuel Blackmon
Sara & Ethan Blumenthal
Jodie & Erik Bowen
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Jane & Larry Cain
Amanda & Kevin Chheda
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Cook
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland
Ann F. Copeland
Larry J. Dagenhart
Anonymous
Heather & Gray Dyer
Judy & Bob Erb
Heather & Thomas Finke
Karen Geiger
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Joyce & Ed Hamilton
Anne J. Henderson
Juliet & Brian Hirsch
Linda & Paul Ibsen
Joan Irwin
Marc Aspesi & Paulette Isoldi
Lea & Stuart Johnson
Priscilla & Michael Johnson
Dr. Valerie Kinloch & Mr. Thomas A’Hearn
Joan Kirschner
Marilyn Kroll
Holly & Christopher Maurer
Arrington Mixon
Joan Morgan
Eleanor W. Neal
Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley
Caroline Olzinski
Patricia & James Petillo
Dr. William G. Porter
Annual Fund Supporters (continued)
$1,000 – $1,499 (continued)
Joan Rasmussen & Morry Alter
Sally & Russell Robinson
Rita & Thomas Robinson
Anonymous
Elizabeth & Robert Rostan
Sandra Shuster
Birte & Roman Streitberger
Scott Smith
Alice & Al Sudduth
Ann & Wellford Tabor
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
Peter White
Lauren Wooden
Velva W. Woollen
Sandy & John Yakob
$500 – $999
Anonymous (2)
Lynda & Doug Abel
Cathy & Bob Becker
Beth & Carl Belk
Dr. John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Mary Ann & Timothy Beranek
Jeffrey Boghosian
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
James Broadstone
Nelle & Ken Brown
Aram Kim Bryan
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Jennifer & Daniel Callahan
Nan & Brooks Carey
Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Jack Cook
In Loving Memory of Ruth Jernigan
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Gaither & Robert Deaton
Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko
Margaret & George Dewey
Diane & Doug Doak
Kate & Trae Fletcher
Lucinda & Harvey Gantt
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Dr. & Mrs. Richard Gellar
Stacy & Pete Gherardi
Linda & Dan Gordon
Cynthia Greenlee
Gloria Gunst
Johanne & Patrick Hawk
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Stefan Heinzelmann
Ms. Yvonne DeBeauville & Mr. Roger Hill
John J. Kelly, Jr.
Mary & Steven Kesselman
Nancy H. Kiser
George W. & Constance C. Knight
Linda & Norman Kramer
Maria Kurtz
Jonathan Lamb
Barbara & Jerome Levin
Katherine & Mark Love
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
Allison Malter
Leigh & Bruce Marsh
Paula & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
Jill Maxwell
Constance & Kiran Mehta
Amanda & Matthew Molbert
Sally Staub Moore
Jennifer & Michael Neurohr
Mary Newsom
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Nitsch
Nancy Olah & Bill Pace
Ynez Olshausen
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Janet & Rick Pfeiffer
Moira Quinn
Sabine & Haywood Rankin
Susanne & Mark Rascio Family
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
Anonymous
Tara & Joseph Spil
Mary & Bill Staton
Kathryn Stewart, MD, MPH
Susan & Jet Taylor
Molly & Chris Tull
Melanie & James Twyne
Signature Web Design
Karen & Charles Wolff
Judith Wood
Planned Giving
The Encore Society includes individuals who have made provisions for the CSO in their estate plans. We are honored to recognize their support:
Anonymous (2)
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†
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
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
Jim Martin
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Nellie McCrory†
M. Marie Mitchell†
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro Joan & Richard Morgan
Don C. Niehus
Eva Nove
Richard J. Osborne
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
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. † Deceased
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 · 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
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 · Ruth 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. Park, Inc. Publix Super Markets Charities SouthState Bank
We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:
The Trexler Foundation
Dowd Foundation, Inc.
The Dickson Foundation
Cole Foundation
The Charlotte Assembly
The Jack H. & Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
Music Performance Trust 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
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Rachel Gogal Badillo
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Jason & Tiffany Bernd
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
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
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
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 & Zach 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 Schaub
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
Libby Currier
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
Noel Kiss
Manager of Individual Giving & 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 Starr
Patron Experience Manager
Garrett Whiffen
Ticketing Manager
