Christopher James Lees, conductor
Andrea Casarrubios, cello
Charlotte Master Chorale
April 25 & 26
BELK
Welcome!
Spring is a season of renewal, and here at the Charlotte Symphony, we embrace that spirit with music that awakens the senses and stirs the soul. This month, we welcome conductor André Raphel and double bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer for a program that blends the contemporary and the classical, from Jennifer Higdon’s ethereal blue cathedral to the brilliance of Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony, bookending two remarkable bass concertos.
Later in the month, Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees takes the podium to lead the Orchestra and cellist Andrea Casarrubios in a dynamic program, featuring the world premiere of her work MIRAGE: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra.
As the days grow longer, we’re eagerly anticipating the return of Summer Pops at Symphony Park this June. These beloved outdoor concerts are a hallmark of summer in Charlotte and offer the perfect setting to share great music, food, and fireworks under the stars with family and friends. We hope you’ll join us!
This spring, we’re also bringing music directly into neighborhoods as CSO Roadshow returns, with free performances throughout the six Corridors of Opportunity in partnership with the City of Charlotte.
Looking further ahead, our newly announced 2025–26 season will bring fresh perspectives under Music Director Kwamé Ryan. Highlights include a season-long reflection on the meaning of home, tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States; the launch of the CSO Spotlight Series featuring composer and singer/songwriter Gabriel Kahane; and a mix of beloved classics, like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, alongside new orchestral experiences such as Black Panther in Concert. Explore the season at charlottesymphony.org and subscribe for the best seats and prices.
Thank you for spending part of your spring with us. We can’t wait to share what’s next.
David Fisk President & CEO
Your Charlotte Symphony Experience
Whether you’re attending your first Symphony performance, or you’re a longtime subscriber, we’d like to extend to you a warm and inclusive welcome! Below is some helpful information to ensure you make the most of your Charlotte Symphony experience.
What should I wear?
The Charlotte Symphony has no specific dress code. We encourage you to be comfortable and come as yourself in a style of your choice.
When do I applaud?
Audiences applaud to welcome the concertmaster, conductor, and featured artists onstage. Some works may have several sections, or movements, separated by a brief silent pause. It is tradition to hold applause until the last movement. If you are unsure, wait for the conductor to face the audience. But if you feel truly inspired, do not be afraid to applaud!
Can I take photos?
Certainly! We welcome and encourage you to capture and share photos before and after the concert, as well as during intermission. Feel free to use your cell phone for photography without flash during the performance, but please refrain from video or audio recording.
Concert Program
THE NINETY-THIRD SEASON
Christopher James Lees, conductor
Andrea Casarrubios, cello
Charlotte Master Chorale
Friday, April 25, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 7:30 pm Belk Theater at Blumenthal Arts
MANUEL DE FALLA (1876-1946)
ANDREA CASARRUBIOS (b. 1988)
World Premiere of the revised version
The Three-Cornered Hat, Suite No. 2
I. The Neighbors Dance
II. The Miller’s Dance
III. Final Dance
MIRAGE: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
I. Mirage
II. Mensajes del agua
III. Cadencia
IV. Marcha
Andrea Casarrubios, cello
CONCERT DURATION: Approximately 2 hours, with one 20-minute intermission. - INTERMISSION -
IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Symphony of Psalms
I. Psalm 38
II. Psalm 39
III. Psalm 150
Charlotte Master Chorale
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
La mer (The Sea)
I. From Dawn to Noon on the Sea
II. Play of the Waves
III. Dialogue of Wind and Sea
Christopher James Lees resident conductor
Emerging American conductor Christopher James Lees brings passionate and nuanced orchestral performances to the stage, a fierce commitment to contemporary music, and a natural charisma to audiences all around the world.
Since 2018, Mr. Lees has served as Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra. In addition to the more than 70 annual concert appearances with the CSO, he has annually stepped in to conduct Subscription Classical performances, including two Gala concerts with legendary artists and Grammy Award-winners Branford Marsalis and Rhiannon Giddens, respectively.
An active guest conductor, Mr. Lees has conducted or returned for performances with the New York, Los Angeles, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the Houston, Detroit, New World, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Fort Worth, North Carolina, Portland, Flint, Toledo, and Winston-Salem Symphonies. Additional engagements have taken him to the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra de Chambre de Paris, Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the Music in the Mountains Festival and Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil.
Only the second American to be named a Gustavo Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mr. Lees made his debut with the orchestra in April 2013 and returned for concerts in February 2015.
With the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis and Atlanta Symphonies, among others, Mr. Lees has served as an assistant conductor for the world’s leading conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Paavo Järvi, Herbert Blomstedt, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Robert Spano, Marin Alsop, Pablo Heras-Casado, Stéphane Denève, Susanna Mälkki, and Nicholas McGegan.
Additionally, Mr. Lees was named Music Director of the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
After two summers of study with Robert Spano at the Aspen Music Festival, Mr. Lees was named winner of both the 2011 James Conlon Conducting Prize and the 2012 Aspen Conducting Prizes, respectively. In 2013, Mr. Lees returned for a third summer as assistant conductor for the Aspen Music Festival and School.
An active pianist, and equally comfortable in the opera pit, Mr. Lees has served as Music Director or Assistant Conductor for a wide array of operas: Verdi’s Aida (Atlanta Symphony), Britten’s Peter Grimes, and John Harbison's The Great Gatsby (Aspen Opera Theatre Center), Louis Andriessen's De Materie and Philip Glass' the CIVIL warS (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Mark Adamo's Little Women (University of Michigan Opera Theatre), and Nino Rota’s Il Capello di paglia di Firenze (AJ Fletcher Opera Institute).
A recipient of a Career Assistance Grant from the Solti Foundation US, Mr. Lees was also chosen for showcase on the Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation National Conductor Preview, hosted by the League of American Orchestras and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
A dedicated advocate for music of our time, Mr. Lees has premiered more than 150 works by a diverse range of composers, and collaborated closely with Pulitzer Prize winners John Adams, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Jennifer Higdon, Joseph Schwantner, Steven Stucky, Caroline Shaw, Roger Reynolds, and Julia Wolfe. An equally passionate advocate for music education, Mr. Lees has brought inspirational energy to student orchestras across the country, leading ensembles from the Colburn School, the Shepherd School at Rice University, and at the New England and Oberlin Conservatories.
A native of Washington, D.C., Mr. Lees holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, and has studied conducting with both Larry Rachleff and Robert Spano, as well as having participated in masterclasses with Lorin Maazel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustav Meier, and Jorma Panula.
When not performing, Mr. Lees can be found riding roller coasters with his nine-year-old son, reading through the stack of books by his nightstand, or training for his next World Majors marathon.
Andrea Casarrubios cello/composer
Praised by The New York Times for having “traversed the palette of emotions” with “gorgeous tone and an edge-of-seat intensity,” GRAMMY® -nominated Spanish-American cellist and composer Andrea Casarrubios as been commissioned by world-class orchestras, ensembles, and soloists and appeared as a featured soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The title work from her album SEVEN, described as "an intense and elegiac tribute to the essential workers during the pandemic" (The New York Times), was nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
First Prize winner of numerous international competitions and awards, Casarrubios has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts, Madrid’s National Auditorium, and the Ravinia and Verbier Festivals. Recent engagements include the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s world premiere of Casarrubios’s large-scale concerto for cello and orchestra, MIRAGE, led by conductor Christopher James Lees and featuring the composer as cello soloist, and concerts at the Brussels Cello Festival, Festival Internacional de Violoncello León in Mexico, and the George Enescu Festival in Romania. From 2023 through 2025, Casarrubios serves as resident composer for both CreArtBox in NYC and Festival ADAR in Spain. Her compositions have been programmed by organizations including Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, and the Sphinx Organization, and have been broadcast on NPR as well as national radio stations in Argentina, Brazil, France, Sweden, Australia, and Spain.
Commissioned by cellist Thomas Mesa, Casarrubios’s work SEVEN received its Carnegie Hall premiere in 2021, and has been performed
in more than 36 countries since. The piece was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award following its release on the 2024 album of the same name (Odradek Records), which featured Casarrubios as cellist and composer in seven of her most recent works, including collaborations with Manhattan Chamber Players and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Casarrubios was born in a small Spanish mountain village, where she began piano studies at age two and cello at age four. She moved to the U.S. when she was 18 to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree from Johns Hopkins University, later receiving her Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the City University of New York. Her teachers have included Maria de Macedo, Amit Peled, Marcy Rosen, and Ralph Kirshbaum. As part of her Doctoral degree, Casarrubios also studied composition with John Corigliano. Often incorporating her own compositions into her recital programs, Casarrubios began accepting commissions and writing for other musicians when she was 24.
A dedicated mentor, Casarrubios has taught masterclasses in Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, and China, and at numerous festivals and institutions including The Juilliard School, University of Colorado Boulder, University of North Carolina, Missouri State University, and the City University of New York.
Learn more at andreacasarrubios.com .
Kenney Potter, Artistic Director
Philip Biedenbender, Assistant Conductor & Pianist
Christine Starnes, Chorus Manager
SOPRANO
Monica Amery
Samantha Balsam
Rachel Barber
Romy Cawood
Katie Colgate
Megan Crosson
Micaela Derouin
Rachel Eaker
Sarah Edwards
Carin Bissière-Grote
Brett Blumenthal
Sarah L. Fink
Angela Gwinn
Darlene Ifill-Taylor
Frances
Lillian Quackenbush
ALTO
Claire Incorvati
Sofia Rohlman
Kathryn Schroder
Rebecca
Melissa Theiss
Sarah
Wetherbee
Katie Porier
Casey Roberts
Stephenie Santilli
Cricket Weston
Evangeline Wilds
Rachel Wilson
Miles Caraballo
Rajah Chacko
Joseph Few
David Christopher Herring
TENOR
Robert Hochberg Adam
Zion
Dave Quackenbush
Andreas Schuhmacher
Kyle Wolford
BASS
Bennett Billard
Dibble Joshua Ellenberg Mason Escobar
Michael Stoudmire
Ray Trogdon
Duane E. Westfall Matt Wetmore
Christopher James Lees
Resident Conductor
Christopher Warren-Green Conductor Laureate
2024 · 2025 MUSICIAN ROSTER
FIRST VIOLINS
Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, Concertmaster
The Catherine & Wilton Connor Chair
Joseph Meyer,* Associate Concertmaster
Kari Giles, Acting Associate Concertmaster
Dustin Wilkes-Kim,
Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Susan Blumberg°°
Jane Hart Brendle
Cynthia Burton
Ayako Gamo
David Horak†
Lenora Leggatt
Jenny Topilow
Angela Watson†
Hanna Zhdan
SECOND VIOLINS
Oliver Kot, Principal
The Wolfgang Roth Chair
Kathleen Jarrell, Assistant Principal
The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair
Carlos Tarazona°
Monica Boboc
Martha Geissler
Sakira Harley
Tatiana Karpova
Ellyn Stuart
VIOLAS
Benjamin Geller, Principal
The Zoe Bunten Merrillt Principal Viola Chair
Kirsten Swanson†
Acting Assistant Principal
Matthew Darsey†
Ellen Ferdon
Wenlong Huang
Viara Stefanova
Ning Zhao
CELLOS
Jon Lewis, Principal
The Kate Whitner McKay Principal Cello Chair
Allison Drenkow, Assistant Principal
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Norbert Lewandowski†
Sarah Markle
Oksana McCarthy†
DOUBLE BASSES
Jason McNeel, Acting Principal
Judson Baines, Assistant Principal
Justin Cheesman†
Jeffrey Ferdon
° 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
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.
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
OBOES
Timothy Swanson, Principal
The Leo B. Driehuys Chair‡
Erica Cice
Jamison Hillian†
Terry Maskin*
ENGLISH HORN
Erica Cice
CLARINETS
Taylor Marino, Principal
The Gary H. & Carolyn M. Bechtel Chair
Samuel Sparrow
Allan Rosenfeld
E ♭ CLARINET
Samuel Sparrow
BASS CLARINET
Allan Rosenfeld
BASSOONS
AJ Neubert, Principal
Joshua Hood
Nicholas Ritter
CONTRABASSOON
Nicholas Ritter
HORNS
Byron Johns, Principal
The Mr. & Mrs. William H. Van Every Chair
Andrew Fierova
Bradley Burford
The Robert E. Rydel, Jr. Third Horn Chair
Richard Goldfaden
Paige Quillen
TRUMPETS
Alex Wilborn, Principal
The Betty J. Livingstone Chair
Jonathan Kaplan*
Peter Stammer†
Gabriel Slesinger, Associate Principal
The Marcus T. Hickman Chair
TROMBONES
John Bartlett, Principal
Thomas Burge
BASS TROMBONE
Scott Hartman, Principal
TUBA
Colin Benton, Principal
The Governor James G. Martin Chair
TIMPANI
Jacob Lipham, Principal
The Robert Haywood Morrison Chair
PERCUSSION
Brice Burton, Principal
The CSO is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.
Musician Spotlight
Paige Quillen
Horn
CSO Member since September 2024
HOMETOWN: Marlboro, New York
Fun Facts
• Beyond music, Paige finds inspiration in painting, poetry, and exploring museums.
• Had she not pursued a career in music, she imagines she would have followed in her mother’s footsteps in the culinary world.
• Given the chance to meet one composer, Paige would choose Richard Strauss to ask about his father, an exceptional horn player.
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is one of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas. As Charlotte’s most active performing arts group, the CSO presents around 150 concerts each season, reaching more than 150,000 music lovers.
The 2024-25 season marks a transformative era under the dynamic leadership of newly appointed Music Director Kwamé Ryan. With 65 full-time musicians, the Symphony performs throughout the community in a variety of venues, from the Belk and Knight theaters to parks, breweries, community centers, schools, senior care centers, and places of worship. With its new mobile stage, CSO Roadshow, the Symphony extends its reach directly into neighborhoods, bringing live music to communities across the region.
Engaging with more than 10,000 students each year, the Charlotte Symphony nurtures the next generation of musicians and music lovers through its four diverse youth orchestras, in-school education programs, instrument coaching, and Project Harmony — which offers free after-school lessons in music and life skills to over 200 students in under-resourced areas.
OUR MISSION
The Charlotte Symphony uplifts, entertains, and educates the diverse communities of Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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.
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. For more information, visit us online at charlottesymphony.org
BORN: November 23, 1876 in Cádiz, Spain
DIED: November 14, 1946 in Alta Gracia, Argentina Manuel de Falla
The Three-Cornered Hat, Suite No. 2
El sombrero de tres picos (1919)
PREMIERE: July 22, 1919 at the Alhambra Theater in London
Approximate performance time is 12 minutes.
Manuel de Falla’s ballet The Three-Cornered Hat is based upon the popular novel by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, El sombrero de tres picos (1874), in turn based upon a beloved folktale. The story concerns a miller, his wife, and the Corregidor (the governor, whose hat provides the source of the ballet’s title). The Corregidor has his eye on the miller’s beautiful young wife.
This concert features the Second Suite from The Three-Cornered Hat, comprising three dances from the ballet’s Second Act.
I. The Neighbors Dance (Seguidillas) — The opening of the ballet’s Second Act takes place in the evening. It is St. John’s Night, and the miller and his wife join their neighbors, who celebrate with a leisurely dance.
II. The Miller’s Dance (Farruca) — The miller’s wife thanks her friends and then asks her husband to dance. He responds with a Farruca that builds in intensity.
III. Final Dance (Jota) — The ballet’s concluding scene is a whirlwind of activity and mistaken identities. The confusion builds as the people of the village gather to celebrate St. John’s Night. The Corregidor is defeated, and the people use a blanket to toss the humiliated man in the air.
BORN: February 19, 1988 in San
MIRAGE: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
(2019, rev. 2024)
MIRAGE: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra has been a work in progress — rather, in constant evolution — for the past ten years. Written in three stages across Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, the concerto is an embodiment of the extraordinary journey I’ve experienced during that time — it mirrors the fears, excitement, beauty, loss, transformations, acceptance, and growth. In 2024 I expanded this work into four movements, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra will hold its premiere with conductor Christopher James Lees in Charlotte’s Belk Theater.
The first movement, Mirage, evokes desert landscapes, where the music fluctuates between disorientation — much like the shimmering heat that distorts the horizon — and a delirious, fierce dance. I composed the music ten years ago while living in Los Angeles. This first movement is scored for solo cello, strings, and percussion, while winds wait patiently onstage. They appear during the third movement and their entrance symbolizes expansion and prosperity, gradually enriching the orchestration as the piece progresses.
The second movement, Mensajes del agua (Messages of water), offers a contrasting, intimate oasis of contemplation. Written in 2019 while I was living in New York, the music is meant to provide a moment of renewal. Far from what might be expected in a concerto setting, it is scored simply for cello and piano, and it is a chance for the orchestra to rest and listen, inviting the public to do the same. The inspiration behind this movement comes from the delicate perfection of the shapes found in unpolluted frozen water. The music is dedicated to Maria de Macedo, one of my cello mentors who gifted me the book Messages in Water by Japanese Scientist Masaru Emoto as my life transitioned to the United States when I was eighteen. The essence of this book helped me navigate the first few years of my life in
This is the World Premiere of the revised 2024 version of MIRAGE Approximate performance time is 20 minutes.
Esteban del Valle, Spain
Andrea Casarrubios
Program Notes
the States, transforming challenges into a source of strength and constructive creativity.
The third movement is a completely new addition written in 2024 in Chicago, and it introduces a more percussive, time-driven element. The bongo player takes on an essential role, a constant reminder of time ticking forward. The cello and bongo interactions mirror the duality of having two identities, two languages, two personas, all with a joyful touch. As the movement progresses, more musicians join in. The Cadencia is a thrilling dialogue between the solo cello and members of the orchestra, (also not what might be expected from a traditional concerto cadenza) breaking the calm of the previous movement and marking a pivotal transformation.
This sense of liberation leads into the final movement, Marcha, the most expansive and stirring of the entire concerto. Here, the cello ascends, blending intensity with accumulated wisdom, reaching a triumphant summit that brings the work to its grand conclusion. Most of this final movement is also new, completed in 2024 from Chicago.
- ANDREA CASARRUBIOS
Igor Stravinsky
BORN: June 17, 1882 in Lomonosov, Russia
DIED: April 6, 1971 in New York City
Symphony of Psalms (1930, rev. 1948)
PREMIERE: December 13, 1930 in Brussels, Belgium
Approximate performance time is 22 minutes.
Igor Stravinsky composed his Symphony of Psalms in 1930 for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In Stravinsky: An Autobiography (Simon and Schuster, NY, 1936), the Russian composer noted:
My idea was that my symphony should be a work with great contrapuntal development, and for that it was necessary to increase the media at my disposal. I finally decided on a choral and instrumental ensemble in which the two elements should be on an equal footing, neither of them outweighing the other. In this instance my point of view as to the mutual relationship of the vocal and instrumental sections coincided with that of the masters of contrapuntal music, who also treated them as equals, and neither reduced the role of the choruses to that of a homophonous chant nor the function of the instrumental ensemble to that of an accompaniment.
I sought for my words, since they were to be sung, among those which had been written for singing. And quite naturally my first idea was to have recourse to the Psalms.
The score of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms contains the following dedication: “This Symphony composed to the glory of GOD is dedicated to the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary.” However, the first performance of this magnificent work took place not in Boston, but in Brussels, at the Palais des Beaux Arts. Ernest Ansermet conducted the Brussels Philharmonic Society in the December 13, 1930 premiere. The Boston (and US) premiere, under Koussevitsky’s baton, took place six days later.
The three movements are performed without pause.
La mer (The Sea)
Claude Debussy
BORN: August 22, 1862 in St. Germaine-en-Laye, France
DIED: March 25, 1918 in Paris, France
Three Symphonic Sketches (1905)
PREMIERE: October 15, 1905 in Paris, France
Approximate performance time is 23 minutes.
French composer Claude Debussy once confided to fellow composer André Messager: “You perhaps do not know that I was destined for the fine life of a sailor and that it was only by chance that I was led away from it. But I still have a great passion for the sea.” This “passion” may be traced as far back as Debussy’s childhood visits to Cannes. Debussy’s fascination with the sea continued throughout the composer’s life.
The majority of the composition of La mer took place when Debussy was at inland locations. However, Debussy did not view this as a handicap. As he told Messager:
You’ll reply that the Atlantic doesn’t wash the foothills of Burgundy...! And that the result could be one of those hack landscapes done in the studio! But I have innumerable memories, and those, in my view, are worth more than a reality which, charming as it may be, tends to weigh too heavily on the imagination.
In fact, Debussy once admitted to a friend that he found it difficult to compose while in close proximity to the sea he loved so much.
The premiere of La mer took place in October 1905, at the Concerts Lamoureux in Paris, with Camille Chevillard conducting. While critical reaction varied, most recognized the importance of La mer in the development of French musical expression. La mer is a magical product of the composer’s lifelong fascination with the sea and its infinite mysteries. Like its subject, La mer continues to elude description, all the while exerting an irresistible attraction.
La mer is in three movements, each with a descriptive title:
I. De l’aube à midi sur la mer (From Dawn until Noon on the Sea)
II. Jeux de vagues (Play of the Waves)
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea)
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Patricia & Morris Spearman
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
Aleca & Joseph Stamey
Maxine & Robert Stein
Dottie Stowe in Loving Memory of Dickson Stowe
Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Mindy & Don Upton
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
PATRON CIRCLE
$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous
Marcia Adams
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Katie & Morgan Beggs
Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
Jean E. Davis & Robert A. Metzger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Melisa & Frank Galasso
Karen Geiger
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Brad Glaza & Laura Paschall
Judith Greene
Karen Gunther
Angela M. & Michael D. Helms
Maureen & Daniel Haggstrom
Martha D. Jones
Helen & Gene Katz
Ginger Kemp
Michael Lamach
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith
Anna Marriott
Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins
Louise & Gary McCrorie
Sally Staub Moore
Janet & Peter Nixon
Caroline Olzinski
Helen & Arvind Patil
Jeanine & Naeem Qasim
Dr. John & Susan Rae
Anne & Mark Riechmann
Brendan Reen
Audrey & Donald Schmidt
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Anjan Shah
Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Patricia & Morris Spearman
Jean Summerville
Tillie S. Tice
James H. Trexler & Kelly Zellars
Vera Watson
Grant Webb
Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Pam West
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Bryan Wilhelm
Elizabeth & Stephan Willen
Deems Wilson
Barbara Yarbrough
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous (5)
Amanda Albrecht - The Albrecht Family Fund
Michele & Ross Annable
Marc Aspesi & Paulette Isoldi
JWD Atchison
Dianne & Brian Bailey
Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln A. Baxter
Katherine & John Beltz
Shirley W. Benfield
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein Family Foundation
Sam Blackmon
Ethan Blumenthal & Sara Kidd
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
Jodie & Erik Bowen
Khary Brown
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Jane & Larry Cain
Amanda & Kevin Chheda
Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang
John Colton
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Ann F. Copeland
Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Larry J. Dagenhart
Gwin Dalton
Judy & Bob Erb
Annual Fund Supporters
Heather
Noni
Judith
Sandy
Nancy & Sam Bernstein
Nicholas Bonevac James Broadstone
Nelle & Ken Brown Aram & Scott Bryan Angie & Howard Bush
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Barbara F. Caine
Catherine P. Carstarphen
Dr. W. Gerald Cochran & Mr. Timothy D. Gudger
Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Cook
Jack Cook
Margie & Alpo Crane Ellen M. Crowley
Todd Croy
Libby & David Currier
Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko
Margaret & George Dewey
Diane & Doug Doak
Kris & Thomas Duffy
Heather & Gray Dyer
Kate & Trae Fletcher
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Dr. & Mrs. Richard Gellar
Jean & Stephen Geller
Stacy & Pete Gherardi
Walter H. Goodwin, Esq.
Linda & Dan Gordon
Cynthia Greenlee
Gloria Gunst
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Stefan Heinzelmann
Roger K. Hill
Mary & Steven Kesselman
Nancy H. Kiser Moira Klein
Dorothy & Theodore Kramer
Jonathan Lamb
Barbara & Jerome Levin
Megan Levine
John J. Locke
Katherine & Mark Love
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
Allison Malter
Leigh & Bruce Marsh
Paula & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
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†
Richard & Ruth Ault
Baldwin Family Trust
Barnhardt Thomas Trust
Lincoln A. Baxter & Helen M. Fowler
Larry & Joyce† Bennett
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein
Mark & Louise Bernstein†
Rosemary Blanchard†
Twig & Barbara Branch
Saul Brenner
Mike & Joan Brown†
Mrs. Joan Bruns†
Jan & Bob Busch
Dr. Helen G. Cappleman, Ph.D.†
Jim Cochran† Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Tom Covington
Charles & Peggy Dickerson
Mr. Martin Ericson, Jr.
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 & Edwin Jones
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
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. Thompson
Tim Timson
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst † Deceased
Corporate Partners
Government & Foundations
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
Comprehensive Campaign
Comprehensive Campaign
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Comprehensive Campaign. This list reflects gifts received through March 14, 2025.
$10,000,000+
Bank of America · The C.D. Spangler Foundation
$5,000,000 - $9,999,999
John S. & James L. Knight Foundation
$2,000,000 - $4,999,999
· 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
Loy & Susan McKeithen · Novant Health
$500,000 - $999,99 9
Anonymous Arlene & Milton Berkman Robin & Bill Branstrom ·
Deloitte Mary & Mike Lamach · Rich Osborne · Debbie & Pat Phillips
M.A. Rogers · Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation
Trane Technologies · Truist Financial Corporation
$250,000 - $499,999
Cathy Bessant · The Dickson Foundation · The Gambrell Foundation
The Gorelick Family Foundation · Moore & Van Allen PLLC
Janet Preyer Nelson · The Trexler Foundation
Betsy Fleming & Ed Weisiger
Comprehensive Campaign
$100,000 - $249,000
Anonymous · Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado · Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault · NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation
Catherine & Wilton Connor · Robin Cochran
Denise & Peter DeMaio · The Dowd Foundation · Linda & Bill Farthing
Dr. Richard Krumdieck & Mrs. Sally Gregory · Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Patricia & Thruston Morton · Steelfab, Inc. · Andromeda & John Williams
$50,000 - $99,999
Amy & Robert Brinkley · Crescent Communities · The Fox Family
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle · Mariam & Robert Hayes Charitable Trust
Ulrike & Alex Miles · Chris & Jim Teat
Rita & Bill Vandiver · Lisa & Richard Worf
$10,000 - $49,999
Anonymous · Wedge & Debbie Abels · Mary Lou & Jim Babb
Tiffany & Jason Bernd · Frank Bragg · Shirley & Mike Butterworth
Joye Blount & Jesse Knight, Jr. · The Cato Corporation
Margarita & Nick Clements · Mary Delk
Caroline & Ben Dellinger III · Carlos & Lisa Evans
David Fisk & Anne O’Byrne · Bill & Carol Lorenz
Leslie & Michael Marsicano · Virginia & Chan Martin
Dede & Alex McKinnon · Posey & Mark Mealy · Dale & Larry Polsky
Wanda & Steve Phifer · Judy & Derek Raghavan
Shannon & Eric Reichard Sara & Daniel Roselli · Lori & Eric Sklut
Emily & Zach Smith · Melinda & David Snyder
Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora Jill & Kevin Walker
$5,000 - $9,999
Brian S. Cromwell Toni Burke & Bob Gaines · Sarah & Frank Gentry
Carol & Joseph Gigler · Lucinda Nisbet Lucas
Dee Dee & William Maxwell
Melissa & Dennis McCrory
Cyndee Patterson Betty & William Seifert Peggy & Pope Shuford
Nancy E. Simpson · Drs. Jennifer & Matthew Sullivan
Martha Ann & Craig Wardlaw
2024-2025 OFFICERS
Richard Krumdieck, Chair
Ulrike Miles, Vice Chair
Melinda Snyder, Vice Chair
Linda McFarland Farthing, Immediate Past Chair
Kevin Walker, Treasurer
Denise DeMaio, Secretary
David Fisk, President & CEO
Kwamé Ryan, Music Director
2024-2025 DIRECTORS
Mick Ankrom
Joye D. Blount
Krisha Blanchard
Mike Butterworth
Nick Clements
Mary Delk*
Sidney Fletcher
Carrie Galloway
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Fran Hyde
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Alex McKinnon
Juliette Pryor
Sara Garces Roselli
Lindsay Schall
Ylida Scott
Cameron Sherrill
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Andrea Mumm Trammell*
Ken Walker
*ex-officio
2024-2025 TRUSTEES
Richard Osborne, Chair
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Jason & Tiffany Bernd
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III
Brian Cromwell
Susan Cybulski
Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino
Alvaro & Donna de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa Hudson Evans
Karen Fox
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Ralph S. Grier
Laurie Guy
Janet Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Mark & Whitney Jerrell
Jeff Lee Gov. James G. Martin
Jane & Hugh McColl
Stacie McGinn
Susan & Loy McKeithen
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Will Sparks
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Chris & Jim Teat
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor
Elizabeth & Steve Willen
Braxton Winston
Richard Worf
Joan Zimmerman
Albert Zue
EXECUTIVE
David J. L. Fisk, President & CEO
Samantha Hackett, Executive Administrator
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Scott Freck, Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager
Carrie Graham, Senior Director of Artistic Planning
Tim Pappas, Director of Operations
Bart Dunn, Principal Music Librarian
Emily Schaub, Assistant Music Librarian
Erin Eady, Senior Manager of Orchestra Personnel
Claire Beiter, Artistic Operations Manager
John Jarrell, Stage Manager
DEVELOPMENT
Shayne Doty, Vice President of Development
Libby Currier, Director of Individual Giving
Tammy Matula, Senior Manager of Development Operations
Jennifer Gherardi, Development Manager - Campaign & Special Events
Meghan Woolbright, Annual Fund Manager
Noel Kiss, Advancement Associate
Josh Bottoms, Institutional Giving Coordinator
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Christian Drake, Vice President of Finance & Administration
Amy Hine, HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Kensloe Norrington, Staff Accountant
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
HUMAN RESOURCES
Maribeth Baker, Human Resources Counselor
LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Aram Kim Bryan, Vice President of Learning & Community Engagement
Dylan Lloyd, Senior Manager of Youth Orchestras
Mark Rockwood, Education & Community Programs Manager
Michaela Sciacca, Project Harmony Manager
Gavin Fulker, Education & Community Programs Assistant
Lily Moore, Youth Orchestras Assistant
Bria Alexander, Learning & Community Engagement Assistant
MARKETING & 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
