September 25 & 26 BELK THEATER D I G I TA L P R O G R A M B O O K
Contents
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What’s Inside Your Charlotte Symphony Experience
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Concert Program
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Artist Biographies
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About the CSO
17
2026–27 Musician Roster
18
Annual Fund Donors
20
Comprehensive Campaign
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Corporate & Foundation Sponsors
28
Board of Directors & Trustees
30
Administration
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join the musical dialogue What did you think of the performance?
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Back to the Future IN CONCERT October 2 & 3, 2026 · BELK THEATER
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas IN CONCERT November 27 & 28, 2026 · OVENS AUDITORIUM
Top Gun: Maverick IN CONCERT March 5 & 6, 2027 · BELK THEATER
Disney’s The Lion King IN CONCERT April 23 & 24, 2027 · BELK THEATER
Unforgettable cinematic experiences bring fulllength blockbuster films to life on the big screen as the Orchestra performs the scores live.
Packages of 4 on Friday evenings or Saturday matinees are available now! Subscribers enjoy priority access to the best seats at the best price, flexible exchanges, and 10% off additional tickets throughout the season.
charlottesymphony.org 704.972.2000
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 T H E N I N E T Y- F I F T H S E A S O N
Friday, September 25, 2026, at 7:30 pm Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 3:00 pm Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Starring BUGS BUNNY Hosted by GEORGE DAUGHERTY Conducted by SCOTT DUNN, Guest Conductor Created & Produced by GEORGE DAUGHERTY & DAVID KA LIK WONG Produced by AMY MINTER Also Starring ELMER FUDD DAFFY DUCK PORKY PIG WILE E. COYOTE ROAD RUNNER MICHIGAN J. FROG GIOVANNI JONES Music by CARL W. STALLING MILT FRANKLYN CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ CARL JOHNSON Based on the Works of Wagner, Rossini, von Suppé, J. Strauss II, Smetana, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Donizetti, and Ponchielli Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES FRIZ FRELENG ROBERT CLAMPETT ROBERT McKIMSON ABE LEVITOW MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN DAVID GEMMILL Voice Characterizations by MEL BLANC ARTHUR Q. BRYAN as Elmer Fudd ERIC BAUZA BOB BERGEN NICOLAI SHUTOROV as Giovanni Jones WILLIAM ROBERTS as Michigan J. Frog Produced in Association with Industrial F/X PRODUCTIONS SAN FRANCISCO & LAS VEGAS Official Website: BugsBunnyAtTheSymphony.net Original Soundtrack Recording on WATERTOWER MUSIC watertower-music.com Follow Bugs Bunny At The Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Post your own pre-concert and post-concert photos with the hashtag #BugsBunnyAtTheSymphony ALL ANIMATION available on DVD and Streaming
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Concert Program (continued)
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ACT ONE OVERTURE TO THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini THE WARNER BROS. FANFARE Music by Max Steiner "MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG" ("The Merrie Melodies Theme") Music by Charles Tobias, Murray Mencher, and Eddie Cantor, Arranged and Orchestrated by Carl W. Stalling "BATON BUNNY" Music by Milt Franklyn Based on the Overture to Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna by Franz von Suppé Story by Michael Maltese Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES and ABE LEVITOW Excerpt from "WHAT'S UP, DOC?" (Original Soundtrack) Music by Carl Stalling “Hooray for Hollywood” music by Richard A. Whiting, lyrics by Johnny Mercer Story by Warren Foster Animation Direction by ROBERT McKIMSON "A CORNY CONCERTO" Music by Carl W. Stalling Based on "Tales of the Vienna Woods" and "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II Story by Frank Tashlin Animation Direction by ROBERT CLAMPETT "LONG-HAIRED HARE" Music by Carl W. Stalling after Wagner, von Suppé, Donizetti, and Rossini Story by Michael Maltese Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES
“SKYSCRAPER SCRAP” Music by Carl Johnson Adapted from the Overture to La Gazza Ladra by Gioachino Rossini Written by Michael Ruocco, David Gemmill, Johnny Ryan, and Jacob Fleisher Executive Producer: Pete Browngard Animation Direction by DAVID GEMMILL Excerpt from “ONE FROGGY EVENING” (Original Soundtrack) Music by Milt Franklyn “Hello My Baby” music and lyrics by Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES "THE RABBIT OF SEVILLE" Music by Carl W. Stalling Based on the Overture to The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini Story by Michael Maltese Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES INTERMISSION
Concert Program (continued)
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ACT T WO “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUGS!” Music by Carl Johnson Additional Orchestration and Arrangement by Carl Stalling, Ron Goldstein, and Caryn Rasmussen Additional Music by Ron Goldstein Animation Direction by DAVID GEMMILL
"WHAT'S OPERA, DOC?" Music by Milt Franklyn Based on music from The Flying Dutchman, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung, Rienzi, and Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner Story by Michael Maltese Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES
COYOTE SUITE
MERRIE MELODIES "THAT'S ALL FOLKS!" Music Arranged and Orchestrated by Carl W. Stalling Voice Characterization by Noel Blanc
“RABID RIDER” Music by Christopher Lennertz Executive Producer: Sam Register Story by Tom Sheppard Animation Direction by MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN and “COYOTE FALLS” Music by Christopher Lennertz Executive Producer: Sam Register Story by Tom Sheppard Animation Direction by MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN and “FUR OF FLYING” Music by Christopher Lennertz Executive Producer: Sam Register Story by Tom Sheppard Animation Direction by MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN "HIGH NOTE” Music by Milt Franklyn after Johann Strauss Based on "The Beautiful Blue Danube" Story by Michael Maltese Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES Excerpt from “DUCK AMUCK” (Original Soundtrack) Sound Effects by Treg Brown Story by Michael Maltese Animation Direction by CHUCK JONES
Encore: "DYNAMITE DANCE” Music by Carl Johnson Based on “The Dance of the Hours” from La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli Written by David Gemmill, Pete Browngardt, and Johnny Ryan Executive Producers: Pete Browngardt and Sam Register Animation Direction by DAVID GEMMILL
CONCERT DURATION:
Approx. 2 hours, 15 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission. Program Subject To Change Without Notice. LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements © & TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WB SHIELD: TM & © WBEI. (s26)
Production
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PRODUCTION, CREATIVE, AND TOURING STAFF Creator/Music Director/Conductor/Producer GEORGE DAUGHERTY
New Animation Elements WARNER BROS. ANIMATION
Creator/Producer/Technical Director/Tour Director DAVID KA LIK WONG
Audio CD Producers GEORGE DAUGHERTY DAVID KA LIK WONG STEVE LINDER
Producer AMY MINTER Principal Guest Conductor JAMES FELLENBAUM Production Touring Musicians (Rotating) JO PUSATERI, Principal Percussion and Slide Guitar* KELLY HALE, Principal Pianist* ROBERT SCHIETROMA, Principal Percussion Emeritus* *on leave of absence Art Director, CGI Producer, and Graphics Animation Designer MELINDA LAWTON New Production Logo and Production Design WARNER BROS. ANIMATION MELINDA LAWTON LISA ERICKSON Editors GEORGE DAUGHERTY DAVID KA LIK WONG SCOTT DRAPER MARK BEUTEL WILL CLINE PETER KOFF PAT MCGILLEN Special thanks to Keep Me Posted, Burbank Special Effects and CGI/Animation Editor SHAWN CARLSON Sound Design, Sound Effects, and Re-Mastering ROBB WENNER JOHN LARABEE Audio Mixer and Tour Sound Supervisor MARTY BIERMAN ROBB WENNER New CGI Animation Elements LAWTON DESIGN
Sound Effects Editors ROBB WENNER JOHN LARABEE Music Supervisors DAVID KA LIK WONG CARYN RASMUSSEN Click Masters MAKO SUJISHI ROBB WENNER JOHN LARABEE KRISTOPHER CARTER Music Transcription and Restoration RON GOLDSTEIN CARYN RASMUSSEN LEO MARCHILDON ROBERT SCHIETROMA CAMERON PATRICK ROBERT GUILLORY CHARLES FERNANDEZ . . . and special thanks to USC/WARNER BROS. MUSIC ARCHIVES Music Copyists CARYN RASMUSSEN ROBERT SCHIETROMA MICHAEL HERNANDEZ JOHN NORINE JEFF TURNER VALLE MUSIC JUDY GREEN MUSIC Webmaster and Website Designer LORELEI MCCOLLOUGH Video and Audio Production Coordinated and Executed by INDUSTRIAL F/X PRODUCTIONS San Francisco and Las Vegas Booking Consultant SHELLY FUERTE
Production (continued)
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IF/X WISHES TO EXTEND ITS SPECIAL THANKS TO: Warner Bros.; Warner Bros. Consumer Products; Warner Bros. Animation; WaterTower Music; The Sydney Symphony, The Sydney Opera House, and The Sydney Opera House Recording Studios and Facilities; The Power Station Recording Studios, New York; U.S.C. Film School/Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television; U.S.C. Film/Music Archives; U.C.L.A. Film Archives; The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity; Chuck Jones Enterprises; Linda Jones Productions; Post Effects Chicago; Screen Magazine; and very special personal thanks to Isabelle Zakin, Bruce Triplett, Foote Kirkpatrick, Ruth L. Ratny, Mike Fayette, Rick Gehr, Melinda Lawton, and Charlene Daugherty.
George Daugherty dedicates this concert to the memory of his mother, Charlene Elizabeth Daugherty
BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY 35th ANNIVERSARY BIRTHDAY EDITION had its world premiere on July 11, 2025, at The Hollywood Bowl. BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION had its world premiere on September 21, 2019, at the Warner Theatre, Erie Philharmonic; and October 4, 2019, at Benaroya Hall, with Seattle Symphony. BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY II had its world premiere on July 5, 2013, at the Hollywood Bowl, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY had its world premieres on May 7, 2010, at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony; and July 16, 2010, at the Hollywood Bowl, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. BUGS BUNNY ON BROADWAY had its world premiere on June 16, 1990 at the San Diego Civic Theatre, with the San Diego Symphony; its Broadway premiere at the Gershwin Theatre, New York City, on October 2, 1990; it’s major symphony orchestra premiere on December 26, 1990 with The Pittsburgh Symphony at Heinz Hall; and its international premiere on May 15, 1996 at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia. Official Website: BugsBunnyAtTheSymphony.net Original Soundtrack Recording on WATERTOWER MUSIC: watertower-music.com Follow Bugs Bunny at the Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Post your own pre-concert and post-concert photos with the hashtag #BugsBunnyAtTheSymphony ANIMATION available on DVD and Download / Streaming
Biographies
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Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is one of the most recognized cartoon characters in the world, whose signature phrase “What’s Up, Doc?” has long since entered the English language. Bugs’ first “reel” appearance in front of his soon-to-be-adoring public was in A Wild Hare directed by Tex Avery. Since then, Bugs’ zany antics in hundreds of cartoon favorites have made him a legend throughout the world. This cool, collected, carrot-chomping rabbit is the unequivocal superstar of the Looney Tunes family. With never a “hare” out of place he always manages to outsmart his adversaries, whoever they may be. He’s a real American icon who has graced the TV and cinema screens the world over. Bugs Bunny’s cartoons have twice been nominated for Academy Awards, and his Knighty Knight Bugs won a coveted Oscar. Bugs has starred in four films in addition to his hundreds of animated shorts and 21 prime time television specials. Bugs Bunny celebrated his 85th birthday on July 27, 2025, exactly 85 years from the premiere of A Wild Hare on July 27, 1940.
Biographies (continued)
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George Daugherty creator/music director/host Conductor George Daugherty is one of the classical music world's most diverse artists. In addition to his 40-year conducting career which has included appearances with the world's leading orchestras, ballet companies, opera houses, and concert artists, Daugherty is also an Emmy Award-winning / five-time Emmy nominated creator whose professional profile includes major credits as a director, writer, and producer for television, film, innovative and unique concerts, and the live theater. Since 1993, he has conducted over 20 performances at The Hollywood Bowl with both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and returned there in July 2025 for two more performances. A frequent guest conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, he made his debut there in 2000, and has since conducted the orchestra numerous times at both Verizon Hall at Kimmel Center, and at Mann Music Center, most recently in January 2022, in programs of both film music and classical repertoire. In the summer of 2022, he also conducted The Orchestra at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall (then Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center in May 2015 in four sold-out performances, and returned there in May 2019 for three more sold-out performances. He has conducted over 25 performances with The National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap and The John F. Kennedy Center. He has guest conducted The Pittsburgh Symphony in numerous engagements at Heinz Hall, most recently in October 2025. He also debuted with The Boston Pops in December 2017 in
three sold-out performances, and returned to The Pops in December, 2019. He debuted with Detroit Symphony in December 2018, and returned there in 2021. In 2023 he made his debut with the iconic l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, Switzerland. His current and recent conducting schedule includes multiple performances with National Arts Centre Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Seattle Symphony, San Francisco Symphony (over 30 performances of film concerts and classical repertoire within two decades), Milwaukee Symphony, Utah Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra at both Severance Hall and the Blossom Festival, New Jersey Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has been a frequent guest conductor at the Sydney Opera House since 1996, and in 2002, 2005, 2010, and 2016, he returned to guest conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House, including recording a new CD with the orchestra. In this and recent seasons, he also made debuts and return appearances with the Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, West Australia Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and multiple engagements with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at both the National Concert Hall, and the new Grand Canal Theatre, both in Dublin, Ireland. He has been a frequent guest conductor at the Bellas Artes Opera House in Mexico City, where he has conducted
Biographies (continued)
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George Daugherty (continued) the Orquesta del Teatro de Bellas Artes in ballet and opera productions. He has also been a frequent conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, with whom he first made his debut in Royal Festival Hall and on tour throughout The UK, and more recently conducted a 15-city US and Canadian concert tour with the orchestra and guest artists Dame Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charlotte Church, dancers of the Royal Ballet, and the Westminster Choir and Bell Ringers. He is currently a guest conductor with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano in Italy, and The Yellow Socks Orchestra in Paris, making his debut with both in 2026. Daugherty has also conducted for scores of other major American and international symphony orchestras, ballet companies, and opera houses, including Indianapolis Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, Moscow Symphony, Kremlin Palace Orchestra of the Russian Federation, Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, the Auckland Philharmonia, Adelaide Symphony, the RCA Symphony Orchestra, Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet, Mexico City's Bellas Artes Opera House, Montreal Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, Austin Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, New Orleans Symphony, Venezuela Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Seoul Prime Philharmonic, and major Italian opera houses in Rome, Florence, Turin, and Reggio Emilia. During the course of his career, he has also
conducted for an extensive and eclectic list of international concert artists, including violinists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, ChoLiang Lin, Zachary De Pue, Rachel Lee, Kyungwha Chung, Eugene Fodor; international opera artists Roberta Peters, Rosalind Elias, Julia Migenes, Jennifer Holloway, Rhys Meirion, Kristin Clayton, Bojan Knezevic, and Grace Bumbry; singer/actors including Dame Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Etta James, Rosemary Clooney, Charlotte Church and Lisa Vroman; narrators ranging from Lloyd Bridges and Buzz Aldrin to Amy Tan, and non-orchestral ensembles ranging from The Harvard Glee Club to The Westminster Choir to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. As a critically-acclaimed ballet conductor, Daugherty has conducted for dozens upon dozens of the greatest ballet stars in the world over the past four decades, ranging from Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, Gelsey Kirkland, Carla Fracci, and Natalia Makarova, to the great stars of today — and from all decades in between. He has been on the conducting staffs of American Ballet Theatre, the Bavarian State Opera Ballet, La Scala Ballet, and Teatro Regio di Torino Ballet, was music director of The Louisville Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Chicago City Ballet, Alabama Ballet, and Eglevsky Ballet, and has guest conducted for scores of international companies. In 2016, Daugherty was appointed Music Director of the famed and iconic Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, with whom he made his debut conducting at The Kennedy Center Opera House in March 2017, with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. From 2012 to 2015, he was Music Director of Ballet San Jose, where he conducted nearly 50 performances per season for the company, with Symphony Silicon Valley in the orchestra pit. In summer 2013, he made his debut conducting The Russian National Orchestra at the internationally acclaimed
Biographies (continued) Napa Valley Festival del Sol, presiding over the reconstruction of a long-lost Fokine ballet with music by Rachmaninoff, plus an international ballet gala. He has conducted numerous versions of every full-length ballet, as well as scores of works by countless major choreographers ranging from George Balanchine to Sir Frederick Ashton. As a director, writer, and producer of musicbased television programs, Daugherty has created several major productions for the ABC Television Network project, including a primetime animation-and-live action production of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, which he created, co-wrote, conducted, and directed, and for which he won a Prime Time Emmy Award as producer (in collaboration with producing partner David Ka Lik Wong), as well as numerous other major awards (including an additional Emmy nomination as conductor and music director). He (and David Ka Lik Wong) also collaborated with The Joy Luck Club author Amy Tan on a television series adaptation of her celebrated children's book Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat. The Emmy Award-winning 80-episode series debuted on PBS in the fall of 2001 as a dailyanimated children's television series, produced in cooperation with Sesame Workshop, PBS Kids, and CineGroupe. Daugherty executive produced, and also wrote, a large number of the animated tales. Daugherty also received an Emmy nomination for Rhythm & Jam, his ABC television network specials which taught the basics of music to a teenage audience, which he created and produced with Mr. Wong. In 1998, Daugherty received the biannual Indiana Governor's Arts Award from the state of his birth, in recognition for his artistic contributions not only in Indiana, but also throughout the rest of the country. In receiving the award, Daugherty joined an exclusive list of previous Hoosier honorees, including composers Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, conductors Raymond Leppard and John Nelson, cellist Janos Starker,
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violinists Joshua Bell and Josef Gingold, architect Michael Graves, designer Bill Blass, and novelist Kurt Vonnegut Jr. In 2005, he was also named a Sagamore of the Wabash by the late Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon, the highest award which can be bestowed upon a performing artist from the state governor. In 2006, Daugherty was also named a Library Laureate of the San Francisco Public Library for his contributions to children’s books, reading, and literature, joining a distinguished list of authors who have been awarded the title. This award was especially meaningful to Daugherty, since his great-great-greatgrandfather was the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Daugherty was recently honored to be appointed to the Board of Directors of The Nevada School of The Arts. In 1990, Daugherty created, directed, and conducted the hit Broadway musical Bugs Bunny On Broadway, a live-orchestra-and-film stage production which sold-out its extended run at New York's Gershwin Theatre on Broadway, and has since played to critical acclaim and sold-out houses all over the world. The Bugs Bunny symphonic concert tradition continued when Daugherty and producing partner David Ka Lik Wong launched a new version, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, in 2010, with double World Premieres at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony and the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The next version of the concert, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II, also created by Daugherty and Wong, premiered in 2013 with world premieres at the Hollywood Bowl/Los Angeles Philharmonic and National Symphony at Wolf Trap. The 30th Anniversary of this concert franchise premiered in autumn 2019 with Erie Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and Boston Pops. In July 2025, the 35th Anniversary Edition premiered for 20,000 audience members at the Hollywood Bowl, with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Biographies (continued)
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David Ka Lik Wong executive producer Bugs Bunny at the Symphony Executive Producer David Ka Lik Wong was awarded with a coveted Emmy Award for his work as producer on Peter and the Wolf in 1996, and was also nominated for an Emmy in 1994 for his work as producer of Rhythm & Jam, the ABC series of Saturday morning music education specials for children. He teamed with George Daugherty as principal producer for the Peter and the Wolf project, the animation and live-action production starring Kirstie Alley, Lloyd Bridges, Sleepless in Seattle's Ross Malinger, and the new animated characters of legendary animation director Chuck Jones. He also produced the interactive CD-ROM version of the production for Time Warner Interactive. He was also the senior Producer for the Warner Bros. documentary film The Magical World of Chuck Jones, directed by George Daugherty and starring interviews by Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, George Lucas, and Ron Howard, among many others. He has been Producer for the Warner Bros. touring concert production Bugs Bunny On Broadway since 1991, and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony since 2010, as they have toured the world, and he co-produced the original audio CD album for Warner Bros. Records. Mr. Wong has also produced innovative symphony orchestra concerts for some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Orchestras at the Hollywood Bowl, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic,
the Sydney Opera House, the San Francisco Symphony, the Wales Millennium Centre, Sinfonia Britannia, and many others. He is also Executive Producer and the co-creator of the touring concert Rodgers & Hammerstein on Stage and Screen, playing with such major orchestras as the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Fort Worth Symphony. Mr. Wong has teamed with George Daugherty, Amy Tan, and the legendary Sesame Workshop to produce and create the new Emmy Award winning PBS / Sesame Workshop children’s television series Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, based on the book by Ms. Tan, which premiered on PBS in the fall of 2001, and has since been one of the most highly rated children's television series on all broadcast networks. Mr. Wong also wrote a number of episodes for the series and storyedited all 80 segments. Mr. Wong is also the producer of the new WaterTower Music CD release of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, recorded at the Sydney Opera House with The Sydney Symphony. In addition to his Emmy Awards and nominations, he has won numerous other awards during his career, including the Grand Award of both the Houston and Chicago International Film Festivals, a Silver Award of the Chicago Film Festival, two Parents’ Choice Awards, and the Kids First Award. Mr. Wong was born in Hong Kong, and moved to San Francisco with his family at the age of 12. He still called San Francisco home until 2020. He currently resides in Las Vegas.
Biographies (continued)
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Scott Dunn guest conductor Noted for his advocacy of American and contemporary music, Guest Conductor Scott Dunn has a special interest in cross-over and film composers, from George Gershwin to Rachel Portman. Since his momentous 1999 Carnegie Hall debut playing his own orchestration of Vernon Duke’s ‘lost’ Piano Concerto in C, Dunn has brought light to neglected works of composers ranging from Franco Alfano, Vernon Duke, and Duke Ellington to his mentors Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Lukas Foss, Leonard Rosenman, and others. As a conductor Dunn has appeared with the Atlanta Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, Russian Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Vienna Radio Orchestra (RSO), and countless other distinguished ensembles and headliners. Dunn has been the Associate Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra since 2012 and previously held positions at Pittsburgh, Glimmerglass, and New York City Operas. He also serves as principal conductor for the Parnassus Society at Soka Performing Arts Center. Created in 2024 in partnership with The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Dunn’s new ensemble, the Scott Dunn Orchestra, comprised of the world’s greatest studio musicians, celebrates Hollywood’s music legacy and presents concerts dedicated exclusively to film music as first-rate concert fare. The newly formed orchestra is borne from Dunn’s passion for film music, its creators, and the rich heritage of music from Hollywood and Broadway. This interest stems from Dunn’s close friendship
with composer Leonard Rosenman, whose brilliant score for Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Dunn adapted, arranged, and premiered with the LA Philharmonic. Collaborations with living film composers include Rachel Portman, for whom he conducted the BBC Philharmonic in Mimi and the Mountain Dragon (Decca) for worldwide annual Christmas BBC broadcasts; Lior Rosner for whom he recorded Sugar Plum on The Run with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Jeremy Irons (Sony); Danny Elfman for Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton; and work on other Elfman concert works including his ballet Rabbit and Rogue for Twyla Tharp and the American Ballet Theatre. As an orchestrator and arranger of the highest caliber, Dunn was mentored by Richard Rodney Bennett. Through his friend Bennett, Dunn also discovered composer Vernon Duke and resurrected the Duke Piano Concerto, which had been written for Arthur Rubinstein but never completed. Dunn orchestrated the work and premiered it at Carnegie Hall as part of the official Gershwin Centennial concerts. He recorded the Concerto in Moscow with the Russian Philharmonic in 2007 (Naxos). He also reconstructed Duke’s The End of St Petersburg oratorio for performance in St. Petersburg, and created a ‘new’ Duke musical, Misia (PS Classics), which he arranged, adapted and recorded with a brilliant cast headed by Marin Mazzie and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. For the concert platform Dunn adapted and performed his own arrangements of Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerilla for four pianos and Duke Ellington’s New World A-Comin' for solo piano and chamber jazz ensemble. In 2023
Biographies (continued)
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Scott Dunn (continued) Dunn’s highly personal tribute recording, I Watch You Sleep; Scott Dunn Celebrates Richard Rodney Bennett with Claire Martin and the Royal Philharmonic (Stunt), earned Dunn the “UK Arts Desk Album of the Year award,” with universal praise for Claire Martin’s singing and Dunn’s arrangements, conducting and playing. As a pianist and collaborator, Dunn has appeared with some of the world’s finest artists. He is an acclaimed interpreter of contemporary and American music who has premiered and recorded works by such composers as John Adams, Richard Rodney Bennett, Julius Eastman, Lukas Foss, Peter Lieberson, and Ned Rorem. Early in his career he served as touring pianist for the Martha Graham Dance Company; and for the USIA, he toured Eastern Europe as an Artistic
Ambassador, playing twentieth century American works such as Ives’ Concord Sonata. Dunn has recently released two recordings on the Platoon label: Hollywood Film Music Volume 1 of mid-century modernist film music arranged by Dunn for orchestra and recorded in London with the Britten Sinfonia, and another set of film music arrangements featuring Dunn himself on solo piano. He is currently working on repertoire for Hollywood Film Music Volume 2 which he will record in London in November, again with Britten Sinfonia. Dunn is a Steinway Artist.
Amy Minter producer
Producer Amy Minter was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and has maintained a residence there for her entire life, as well as in numerous other cities. In 2015, Ms. Minter became a partner and producer with the Emmy Awardwinning Industrial F/X Productions, producers of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, and since then has been an integral part of the Bugs Bunny concert team at such major orchestras and venues as The New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl, The Sydney Symphony at The Sydney Opera House, The Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, Chicago Symphony Center,
Seattle Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, and many others, as well as with IF/X’s concert production Rodgers & Hammerstein on Stage and Screen with The Hong Kong Philharmonic. Ms. Minter has served as Executive Producer for eight madefor-television films produced by Gemelli Film for domestic and international distribution and is an accredited member of the Cannes Film Festival. A lifetime active supporter and advocate for the arts, Ms. Minter serves on the Board of Directors for Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and is an active member of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Ms. Minter has served as a member of the judging panel for the Daytime Emmy Awards.
About the CSO
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 more than 175 concerts each season, reaching more than 160,000 music lovers. The 2026–27 season marks Music Director Kwamé Ryan’s third year at the artistic helm of the Charlotte Symphony and explores resilience through music that reflects on heroism, hope, and the human spirit. Across the Classical, Pops, Movie, and Family Series, the season features contemporary voices, celebrated guest artists, and repertoire spanning centuries. Highlights include internationally acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell, the World Premiere of a new commission by CSO Spotlight Artist Levi Taylor, monumental works such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and popular programs including The Music of Tina Turner and Back to the Future in Concert.
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The Charlotte Symphony engages more than 15,000 students each year through four youth orchestras; in-school education programs; instrument coaching; and Bridge, a free introductory strings program for kindergarten and firstgrade students with locations in underresourced communities. Through CSO Roadshow, the Symphony’s mobile stage, the Orchestra brings live music directly into neighborhoods across the region. Since its founding in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra has played 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
Our mission is to ignite the human spirit through the passion and unifying power of live symphonic music.
OUR VISION
Our vision is that the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is the musical heart of our region.
For more information, visit us online at charlottesymphony.org
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
Assistant Concertmaster
Susan Blumberg°° Jane Hart Brendle Cynthia Burton Ayako Gamo Oliver Kot°° Lenora Leggatt Jenny Topilow Hannah Zhdan
SECOND VIOLINS
Kathleen Jarrell, Acting Principal The Wolfgang Roth Chair
Carlos Tarazona°
Acting Assistant Principal The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair
Monica Boboc Fengwan Chen† Sakira Harley David Horak† Tatiana Karpova Ellyn Stuart
VIOLAS
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
Benjamin Geller, Principal
The Zoe Bunten Merrillt Principal Viola Chair
Kirsten Swanson
Acting Assistant Principal
Christina D'Antonio† Ellen Ferdon Wenlong Huang Viara Stefanova Ning Zhao
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
page 19
OBOES
Timothy Swanson, Principal
HORNS
Byron Johns, Principal
The Leo B. Driehuys Chair‡
The Mr. & Mrs. William H. Van Every Chair
Erica Cice Jamison Hillian†
Andrew Fierova Paige Quillen
ENGLISH HORN Erica Cice
CLARINETS
The Robert E. Rydel, Jr. Third Horn Chair
Christopher Caudill† Richard Goldfaden
TRUMPETS
Taylor Marino, Principal
Alex Wilborn, Principal
Samuel Sparrow Allan Rosenfeld
Ayaka Miura Jesdelson Vasquez†
The Gary H. & Carolyn M. Bechtel Chair
E ♭ CLARINET Samuel Sparrow
BASS CLARINET Allan Rosenfeld
BASSOONS
AJ Neubert, Principal Joshua Hood Nicholas Ritter
The Betty J. Livingstone Chair
Acting 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
CONTRABASSOON Nicholas Ritter
TIMPANI
David Uhlmann, Principal
The Robert Haywood Morrison Chair
PERCUSSION
Brice Burton, Principal The CSO is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.
Annual Fund Supporters
page 20
We gratefully acknowledge the generous donors who support the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through September 15, 2026.
1932 SOCIETY $100,000+ Anonymous
Douglas Young
$50,000 – $99,999 Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman Philanthropic Fund The Fox Family
Beverly & Jim Hance Mrs. Jacqueline B. Mars Ulrike & Alex Miles
$25,000 – $49,999 Ruth & Richard Ault Judith & Mark Brodsky Margarita & Nick Clements Roberta H. Cochran Jean & Dick Cornwell Susan Cybulski Linda & Bill Farthing Heidi & Craig Froelich Ralph S. Grier Maria & John Huson Fran & Greg Hyde Ginger Kelly Sally Gregory & Richard Krumdieck Jane & Hugh McColl*
Carolyn & Sam McMahon Janet Preyer Nelson Mica Post Oberkfell & Keith Oberkfell Patrick J. O'Leary Richard J. Osborne* Debbie & Pat Phillips* Ann Rehkopf Pat Rodgers Marjorie Moses Schwab Carolyn Shaw Cameron & Stuart Sherrill Susan & John Shimp Tara & Ken Walker
* The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.
QUEEN’S CIRCLE $15,000 – $24,999 Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr. Denise & Peter DeMaio Robin Hall Feddersen Laurie & Barry Guy Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee Sandra Levine Lina & Enrique Lopez-Ibanez Tanya & Steve Makris
Sharon & Craig McCollam DeDe & Alex McKinnon Juliette & Walter Pryor Melinda & David Snyder Annie & Matthew Spanjers Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan Molly & Chris Tull
Annual Fund Supporters (continued) QUEEN’S CIRCLE (continued)
$10,000-$14,999 Kristen & Paul Anderson Katharine & Frank Bragg Betsy & Alfred Brand Lynne & Colby Cathey Catherine & Wilton Connor* Donna & Alvaro de Molina E. Hunter & Patricia Dyer Lisa & Carlos Evans Drs. Amy & Sidney Fletcher Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle Dr. Robert A. Gaines & Toni S. Burke Caren & Charles Gale Laura & Mike Grace Andrea & Todd Griffith Sandie & Andy Jackson Susan & Chris Kearney Robert H. Lee Dee & Joe Marley Susan & Loy McKeithen* Elizabeth & Jay Monge Anne O'Byrne & David J.L. Fisk Ridgely & John Phillips Vincent Philips & Paul Pope Judy & Derek Raghavan Kathy & Paul Reichs Kelli & Michael Richardson Rosalind S. Richardson Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli Lindsay & Frank Schall Sabina & Wilfrid Schlumberger Glenn Sherrill, Jr. in Honor of Robin Branstrom Mr. & Mrs. Harley F. Shuford, Jr. Parker & Stephen Shuford Leigh-Ann & Martin Sprock Ann and Michael Tarwater Jill & Kevin Walker Michael Waterford John Drew Witherington Lisa & Richard Worf Joan H. Zimmerman
$5,000-$9,999 Anonymous Debbie & Wedge Abels Howard P. Adams & Carol B. McPhee Joan & Mick Ankrom The Charlotte Assembly Amanda & Zack Bacon Dawn Beatty-Batten & Philipp J. Bischoff Si & Michael Blake
page 21
Krisha & Andy Blanchard Mary & Charles Bowman Barbara & Twig Branch Nancy Brand & Bill Freeman Robin & Bill Branstrom Paige & Steve Burgess Shirley & Mike Butterworth Dr. William J. Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey Pauline & Bill Chinnis Jeanie & Tom Cottingham Morgan & Brian Cromwell Marcia & Jason Daily Chris & Elizabeth Daly in memory of Betty Haggerty Peter De Arcangelis Mary & Phil Delk Mary Anne Dickson Peggy & Richard Dreher Dorne & Steve Eastwood Joan & Parker Foley Carol & Ron Follmer Pat English & Clay Furches Melisa Galasso Sarah Gentry Billy L. Gerhart, in memory of Judith Gerhart Judith & Martyn Greene Lucia Zapata Griffith & Michael Griffith Janet M. Haack Reginald B. Henderson, Esq. Nina & James Jackson Krystyna Kiel & Alexander Templeton Vivian & Robert Lamb Anna & Laszlo Littmann Lucinda Nisbet Lucas Leslie & Michael Marsicano Stacie McGinn Susanne & Bill McGuire Paula & Paul McIntosh Chuck Miller & Marcy Thailer Courtney Reichs Mixon Robert Norville Emily & Nima Pirzadeh Dale & Larry Polsky Kathleen D. Prokay Anne Robinson Nancy & Charlie Robson Katy Ross & Joseph Lees Susie & Rick Schnall Laura A. & Michael J. Schulte Ylida & Bert Scott Dr. Ruth G. Shaw Lori & Eric Sklut Erin & William Sparks Elizabeth Connor Stewart Ann & Wellford Tabor
Annual Fund Supporters (continued) $5,000 – $9,999 (continued) Kelly & Neal Taub Chris & Jim Teat Dick Thigpen Brienne Tinder Judith & Gary Toman Rocky & Curtis Trenkelbach Daniel Troy in Loving Memory of Kathleen Troy In Memory of Tess Verbesey Elizabeth & Steve Willen Aimee & Chris Williams Glenda Colman & Floyd Wisner Abby & Albert Zue
$2,500-$4,999 Harriet B. Barnhardt Georgia & Bill Belk Tiffany & Jason Bernd Lee & Alan Blumenthal Dr. & Mrs. O. Robert Boehm Frances & Herbert Browne Jan & Bob Busch Maggie Callen Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri Brent Clevenger Deborah J. Cox & Bob Szymkiewicz Cheryl DeMaio Peggy & Charles Dickerson Michael & Polly Dyer Elizabeth Betty Eaton Martin Ericson, Jr. Heather & Thomas Finke Lucy Quintilliano & Leonard Fumi Kara & Timothy Gallagher Carrie & Jay Galloway Brad Glaza Karen Gunther Katherine G. Hall Angela M. & Michael D. Helms Jennifer & Logan Henderson Melanie & Mathew Holladay Megan & Brendan Hoffman Christy & Ben Hume Leigh & Watts Humphrey Shirley & Bob Ivey David S. Jacobson Christopher James Lees Meghan & Luis Lluberas Jim & Kathleen Lynch Dottie & Jim Martin Dick Metzler Debbie Miller & Tim Black Susan D. Montgomery
page 22
Andrea & Kent Moore Janet & Peter Nixon Holly & Jason Norvell Linda & Tony Pace Laura & Tom Parrott Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach Sarah Frances & Matthew Peck Daniel Peterson Dr. Reta R. Phifer Susanne & Mark Rascio Family Michelle Richards Lisa & Robert R. Rollins, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Mahesh Sardesai Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton Jane Perry Shoemaker Peggy & Pope Shuford Nancy E. Simpson Teresa & Stuart Singer Emily P. Smith Patricia & Morris Spearman Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem Mary & Bill Staton Maxine & Robert Stein Dottie Stowe in loving memory of Dickson Stowe Alice & Al Sudduth Jean M. Summerville Jenny & Ken Tolson Sandy & Greg Vlahos Mary Claire & Dan Wall Pam West Karen & Edgar Whitener Deborra Wood & Russell Propst Barbara Yarbrough
FRIENDS OF THE SYMPHONY $1,500 – $2,499 Anonymous Rachel & José Badillo Sharon Baker & Peter Moore Merilyn & Craig Baldwin Katie & Morgan Beggs Barrie & Mark Benson Sallie & Derick Close Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture Carol & Joseph Gigler Maureen & Daniel Haggstrom Joan Irwin Martha D. Jones Helen & Gene Katz Ginger Kemp Anna Marriott
Annual Fund Supporters (continued) Tammy & Steve Matula Louise & Gary McCrorie Cricket Weston & David Molinaro Joan Morgan Helen & Arvind Patil Wilma Pinter Freddie & Kay Porter, Greater Golf Express Dr. John & Susan Rae Joan Rasmussen & Morry Alter Brendan Reen Anne & Mark Riechmann Rita & Thomas Robinson Sally Robinson Elizabeth & Robert Rostan Audrey Schmidt Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker Linda & Morris Spil Marsha & Robert L. Stickler Birte & Roman Streitberger Gretchen & Jean-Claude Thill Maureen Turner Henry Ward Vera Watson Grant Webb Deems Wilson Alanna & Richard Worrell Kelly Zellars & James H. Trexler
$1,000-$1,499 Anonymous (2) Mariam Abdul Hamid & Ferd Davis Susan & John Allbert Larry Anderson Ross Annable JWD Atchison Elsie & William Barnhardt Cathy & Bob Becker Emerson Bell Shirley W. Benfield Sara & Ethan Blumenthal Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown Lucy & Dean Butler Joyce Cadesca Jane & Larry Cain Amanda & Kevin Chheda Rebecca & D. Mark Cody Ann Thomas Colley Dorothy & Mike Connor Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Cook Dr. Kilian Cooley Ann F. Copeland Larry J. Dagenhart
page 23
Jennifer & Christian Drake Heather & Gray Dyer Caroline & Jed Dyson Judy & Bob Erb C. Thomas Fennimore & Gail H. Fennimore Kate & Trae Fletcher Ms. Helen Fowler & Mr. Lincoln A. Baxter Patty & Alex Funderburg Dr. John & Eileen Gardella Jenn & Taylor Gherardi Audean & Berkley Godehn Paula Goolkasian & Francis Martin Joyce & Ed Hamilton Anne J. Henderson Juliet & Brian Hirsch Linda & Paul Ibsen A’Keela Johnson Jennie & Don Johnson Lea & Stuart Johnson Priscilla & Michael Johnson Vickie & Eugene Johnson John J. Kelly, Jr. Dr. Valerie Kinloch & Mr. Thomas A'Hearn Joan Kirschner Marilyn Kroll Leigh & Bruce Marsh Anna & John McCoy Arrington Mixon Katelyn M. Morton Juanita & Lonnie Newsom Kim & Mark Nicholas Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley Caroline Olzinski In Honor of One Musical Family Patricia & James Petillo Janet & Rick Pfeiffer Catherine Philpott Cynthia & Joseph Riedl Jennifer & Manley Roberts Linda Rosenfeld & Fred Krosner Sandra Shuster Dr. and Mrs. Henry L. Smith II Rebecca & Eric Smith Tamara & Cassiel Smith Hazel & Murray Somerville Tara & Joseph Spil Jennifer & Philip Stafford Sue Lin Tan & Rama Narayanan Catherine Thompson Libby & Vint Tilson Tim Timson Sarah S. Tull Sara & Tim Turner Victoria & Mark Walker
Annual Fund Supporters (continued) $1,000 – $1,499 (continued) Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang Linda & Craig Weisbruch Jennie & Ry Winston Karen & Charles Wolff Judith Wood Lauren Wooden Velva W. Woollen Sue Worrel in honor of Rich Osborne Sandy & John Yakob
$500-$999 Anonymous (3) Lee & Michael Abbott Lynda & Doug Abel Daphne A. Banks Sharon Bartlett Natasha A. Bechtler Mary Ann & Timothy Beranek Nancy & Sam Bernstein Patricia Bialecki Mrs. Christine Bieri Black Notes Project & The Sol Kitchen James Broadstone Nelle & Ken Brown Aram Kim Bryan Mary Lou & Greg Cagle Jennifer & Daniel Callahan Nan & Brooks Carey Lillian Chapman Allison Clark Janelle & Todd Collins Thomas E. Collins, Jr. Jack Cook In Loving Memory of Ruth Jernigan Dedee & Irv Cygler Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko Diane & Doug Doak Dr. Kathleen A. Doman Kris & Thomas Duffy Allen Flaxman Lucinda & Harvey Gantt Jean & Stephen Geller Dr. & Mrs. Richard Gellar Stacy & Pete Gherardi Sarah Goad Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland Cyndy & Larry Goodgame Linda & Dan Gordon Gloria Gunst Barbara & Charles Haughey Johanne & Patrick Hawk
page 24
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner Maria Felisa San Andres & Stefan Heinzelmann Amy & Chad Hine Mary Nell Johnson Susan Keeble Mary & Steven Kesselman Nancy H. Kiser Constance C. & George W. Knight Linda & Norman Kramer Maria & John Kurtz Jonathan Lamb Jerome Levin Dr. Elissa & Joshua Levine Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith Allison Malter Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins Jill Maxwell Lindsay & Stanton McCullough Rob Roy McGregor Constance & Kiran Mehta Sally Staub Moore Mary Beth & Bill Morgan Kimbrel & Tripp Morris Fran & Gary Morrison Carla & Robert Murray Dr. & Mrs. Paul Nitsch Nancy Olah & Bill Pace Cookie & Jerry Parnell Lisa & Tom Phillips Russell Phillips Barbara M. Pooley Conrad Puckett Sabine & Haywood Rankin Emily & Brian Reinicker Margaret Rogers & John R. Willis Nancy Rutledge & Jim Rutledge Betty & Bill Seifert Michael Silverman Carol Smith Kathryn Stewart, MD, MPH Melanie & James Twyne Aishwarya & Krishna Varanasi Ann & Kenneth Ward Kathleen & Henry Ward Debi Wayne Lyman Welton Peter White Noni Williams Drs. Hayes & Susan Woollen
Planned Giving
page 25
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† Sybil Bernstein† Rosemary Blanchard† Twig & Barbara Branch Saul Brenner Mike & Joan Brown† Mrs. Joan & George Bruns† Jan & Bob Busch Martha Canipe Dr. Helen G. Cappleman, Ph.D.† Jim Cochran† & Robin Cochran Catherine & Wilton Connor Karen Cook Deborah Cox & Robert Szymkiewicz Charles & Peggy Dickerson Martin Ericson, Jr. Linda & Bill Farthing David J.L. Fisk & Anne P. O’Byrne Sylvia T. Forsythe† Nadine W. Fox† Dorris H. Goodyear† Sally Gregory & Richard Krumdieck Peter & Ann† Guild William G. & Marguerite K. Huey Fund Dr. Nish Jamgotch, Jr.† Lucille F. & Edwin L. Jones Endowment for the Arts Sally Gregory Betty & Stanley Livingstone†
Polly and Don Kellam† Jim Martin Daphine Doster Mastroianni† Nellie Rose McCrory† Paula & Paul McIntosh DeDe & Alex McKinnon Jane Green McNeary† M. Marie Mitchell† Cricket Weston & David Molinaro Joan & Richard† Morgan Francis A. Mueller† Don C. Niehus Eva Nove Dean O’Hare† Richard J. Osborne Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge Gilbert Pirovano† James Y. Preston† Mrs. Clayton (Dusty) Pritchet Sally A. Raines† Ann & Fritz† Rehkopf Elizabeth Waring Reinhard Albert Rogat James M. and Ellen L. Ross† Nancy W. Rutledge Mike Rutledge Harriet Seabrook Mr. & Mrs. William Seifert Morris & Patricia Spearman Bob & Maxine Stein Robert Steppe† Dr. Ben C. Taylor III Mr. & Mrs. Hans Teich Cordelia G. & Dr. Chandler† Thompson Tim Timson† Brienne Tinder Jenny & Ken Tolson John Witherington Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst † Deceased
Leave a lasting legacy of great music through your planned gift. For more information, please contact Shayne Doty at 704.714.5104.
Comprehensive Campaign
page 26
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 (continued)
page 27
$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 Sarah & Frank Gentry · 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 · 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.
page 28
Government & Foundations
page 29
We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:
Anonymous
The Dickson Foundation
Dowd Foundation, Inc. Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation
The Trexler Foundation
Cole Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust 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.
Leadership
page 30
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Ulrike Miles, Chair Joye Blount, Vice Chair Ken Walker, Secretary Denise DeMaio, Treasurer Richard Krumdieck, Immediate Past Chair* David Fisk, President & CEO* Kwamé Ryan, Music Director* DIRECTORS Krisha Blanchard Mike Butterworth Nick Clements Sidney Fletcher Craig Froelich Carrie Galloway
Lucia Zapata Griffith Angela Helms* Fran Hyde Byron Johns* Valerie Kinloch Stephen Makris Juliette Pryor Manley Roberts* Sara Garces Roselli Lindsay Schall Ylida Scott Cameron Sherrill Susan Shimp Matthew Spanjers Jennifer Sullivan Andrea Mumm Trammell* *ex-officio
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Linda McFarland Farthing, Chair Debbie Abels Francisco & Jeannette Alvarado Paul Anderson Ruth & Richard Ault Rachel Gogal Badillo Arlene & Milton Berkman Mary & Charles Bowman Frank Bragg Robin & Bill Branstrom Paige Ferguson Burgess & 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 and Joe Marley 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
Sarah Frances Peck Daniel Peterson 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 Chris & Jim Teat Kevin & Jill Walker Elizabeth & Steve Willen Richard Worf Joan Zimmerman Albert Zue
Leadership (continued)
page 31
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF EXECUTIVE
HUMAN RESOURCES
David J. L. Fisk
Maribeth Baker
President & CEO
Human Resources Counselor
Samantha Hackett
Manager of Executive Administration & Board Relations
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Christian Drake
Chief Financial Officer
Scott Freck
Amy Hine
Erin Eady
Kensloe Norrington
Laura Lindsay
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
Lauren Woodward
LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager Director of Orchestra Personnel Director of Orchestra Operations Director of Artistic Planning
Bart Dunn
Principal Music Librarian
Jay Koziorynsky
Assistant Music Librarian
Ana Faithe Allen
Operations Coordinator
John Jarrell
Stage Manager
Byron Johns
Senior Stage Technician
Ross Jarrell
Stage Technician
Employee Experience Manager Staff Accountant
Aram Kim Bryan
Vice President of Community Relations & Learning
Dylan Lloyd
Senior Manager of Youth Orchestras
Mark Rockwood
Senior Manager of Youth Education
Bria Alexander
Community Engagement Coordinator
Gavin Fulker
Youth Education Coordinator
MARKETING & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Frank Impelluso
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 & Special Events
James Popper
Manager of Individual Giving
Vice President of Marketing & Audience Development
Deirdre Roddin
Senior Director of Communications
Chad Calvert
Senior Manager of Branding & Design
Nicole Glaza
Senior Manager of Digital Strategy
Laura Thomas
Senior Manager of Marketing & Audience Development
Meghan Cole
Patron Experience Manager
Garrett Whiffen Ticketing Manager
The Music of Tina Turner October 16 & 17, 2026 · KNIGHT THEATER
Holiday Pops December 18 & 19, 2026 · KNIGHT THEATER
The Heart of the Blues January 22 & 23, 2027 · KNIGHT THEATER
The Music of Journey February 19 & 20, 2027 · KNIGHT THEATER Enjoy your favorite popular music from celebrated stars and beloved icons, brought to life by dazzling guest artists and lushly enhanced by your Charlotte Symphony.
Packages of 4 on Friday or Saturday evenings are available now! Subscribers enjoy priority access to the best seats at the best price, flexible exchanges, and 10% off additional tickets throughout the season.
charlottesymphony.org 704.972.2000