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December 13
KNIGHT
Christopher James Lees, conductor
Charlotte Master Chorale and special guests!

December is one of our favorite times of year at the Charlotte Symphony. Our halls come alive with thousands of people from across the region — families carrying on long-standing traditions, friends gathering to mark the season, and newcomers discovering the magic of live orchestral music for the first time. Seeing so many of you here reminds us that music belongs to all of us, and that it has the power to inspire, connect, and open our eyes to new perspectives.
Throughout the year, we extend that energy beyond the concert hall, reaching thousands of students through our educational programs, and bringing music directly into neighborhoods, area hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and places like Roof Above, where music can lift spirits and offer hope. These experiences strengthen our sense of purpose just as much as the performance you hear tonight.
As the year comes to a close, I hope you’ll consider supporting this work. Thanks to a generous match, every gift made through December 31 will go twice as far — helping us continue to share music across our city and sustain the traditions that so many look forward to each holiday season. Visit charlottesymphony.org/support to learn how you can make an impact by donating to the Symphony today.
Thank you for being with us. I wish you a wonderful and joyful holiday season.

David Fisk President & CEO



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.
A full bar, beverages, and snacks are available both before the concert and during intermission in the lobby.
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.
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.
Our ushers and staff are happy to assist — just ask!



Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11:00 am
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
Christopher James Lees, conductor
Charlotte Master Chorale · Kenney Potter, artistic director
Laurelyn Dossett, guitar/bass/vocals · Sequina DuBose, soprano
Wendy Hickman, vocals · DaShawn Hickman, steel guitar/vocals
Joe Newberry, host/banjo/guitar/vocals · April Verch, fiddle/vocals
GARY FRY
TRADITIONAL arr. Fry
JOE NEWBERRY arr. Ehrhard
We Wish You a Merry Carolina Christmas
Joyful Carols of Christmas
* audience sing - along - lyrics p. 18
On This Christmas Day
JOHN JACOB NILES arr. Nielsen I Wonder As I Wander
TRADITIONAL arr. Fry
GARY FRY
TRADITIONAL arr. Rutter
TERRY MIZESKO
WILLIAM HENRY CURRY
JOE NEWBERRY
VARIOUS arr. Fry
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Dancing Day!
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Dances from A Chanukah Celebration
The Kwanzaa Song
Santa Brought Me a Yodel for Christmas
Santa and Friends
* audience sing - along - lyrics p. 19
CONCERT DURATION: approximately 1 hour without intermission.
THIS CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
The Mary & Mike Lamach Fund for Holiday Family Programs

Emerging American conductor Christopher James Lees brings passionate and nuanced orchestral performances to the stage, a fierce commitment to contemporary music, and a natural charisma to audiences all around the world.
Lees has served as Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra since 2018 and was Principal Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra through 2024. In addition to the more than 70 concert appearances with the CSO per season, he has annually stepped in to conduct Subscription Classical performances, including two Gala concerts with legendary artists and Grammy Awardwinners Branford Marsalis and Rhiannon Giddens, respectively.
An active guest conductor, Lees has conducted or returned for performances with the New York, Los Angeles, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the Houston, Detroit, New World, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Fort Worth, North Carolina, Portland, Flint, Toledo, and Winston Salem symphonies. Additional engagements have taken him to the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra de Chambre de Paris, Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the Music in the Mountains Festival and Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil.
Only the second American to be named a Gustavo Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lees made his debut with the orchestra in April 2013 and returned for concerts in February 2015.
With the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis and Atlanta symphonies, among others, Lees has served as an assistant conductor for the world’s leading conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Paavo Järvi, Herbert Blomstedt, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Robert Spano, Marin Alsop, Pablo Heras-Casado, Stéphane Denève, Susanna Mälkki, and Nicholas McGegan.
Additionally, Lees was named Music Director of the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
A dedicated advocate for music of our time, Lees has premiered more than 150 works by a diverse range of composers, and collaborated closely with Pulitzer Prize winners John Adams, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Jennifer Higdon, Joseph Schwantner, Steven Stucky, Caroline Shaw, Roger Reynolds, and Julia Wolfe.
When not performing, Lees can be found riding roller coasters with his ten-year-old son, reading through the stack of books by his nightstand, or training for his next World Majors marathon.

Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett lives and writes in the piedmont of North Carolina, and her songs tend to reflect the stories of the region, both traditional and contemporary. One of the most soughtafter voices in creative collaborations, she co-founded Polecat Creek with singing partner Kari Sickenberger in 1997. Dossett is a frequent performer at regional music festivals such as MerleFest and has been a guest on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. She has toured with folk legend Alice Gerrard and songwriter Diana Jones, premiered Kenneth Frazelle’s song cycle, “Songs in the Rear View Mirror,” and has toured with the North Carolina Symphony in 2009, 2011, and 2013.
In recent years, Dossett has partnered with Triad Stage’s Preston Lane on five plays featuring regional folklore and original music: Brother Wolf (2006), Beautiful Star: An Appalachian Nativity (2006), Bloody Blackbeard (2008), Providence Gap (2010), and Snow Queen (2013).
Commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony, Dossett and the symphony premiered her new song cycle, “The Gathering: A Winter’s Tale in Six Songs,” in November 2011. She performed with singer and fiddler Rhiannon Giddens, legendary Nashville mandolinist Mike Compton, and North Carolina’s own banjo virtuoso, Joe Newberry. The accompanying CD, The Gathering, was released to critical acclaim, including top holiday picks from the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, and USA Today.
Dossett has taught songwriting and singing at the Augusta Heritage Center, as well as at many universities, workshops, and festivals. She is the 2012 recipient of the Betty Cone Medal of Arts, the 2010 recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship for songwriting, 2004 winner of the Chris Austin songwriting contest at MerleFest, and a 2010 fellow at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. She lives with her family in Greensboro, NC.

Sequina DuBose is an Assistant Professor of Classical and Contemporary Voice and Coordinator of the Musical Theater Certificate Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. An interpreter of contemporary and hybrid vocal literature, her work explores performance practices that bridge classical and commercial techniques.
Earlier this season she appeared as soloist for André Thomas’s Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy with the Charlotte Master Chorale and was presented as a featured artist with Chamber Music for All as part of the Historic Lancaster Music Festival. Dr. DuBose recently recorded composer B. E. Boykin’s provocative song cycle Moments in Sonder, set to lesser-known text by Maya Angelou, for the WDAV Recording Inclusivity Initiative. Her debut album, Blurred Lines: 21st Century Hybrid Vocal Literature, was released in 2022 on the Albany Records label.
Additional performance highlights include a debut as soprano soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with Western Piedmont Symphony, a role debut as Donna Elvira in Eve Summer’s modern adaptation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Opera
Carolina, and premieres with the Virginia Arts Festival in Companionship by Rachel Peters and Tales from the Briar Patch by Nkeiru Okoye. She returned to Opera Carolina as Clara in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in the 2022-2023 season.
Dr. DuBose appears regularly with ensembles such as The American Spiritual Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Everett McCorvey and Chorale Le Chateau under the direction of Damien Sneed. Additional credits include performances with Detroit Opera, Tulsa Symphony and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Royal Danish Opera, Ojai Youth Opera Company, and the Metropolitan Opera as a soloist and ensemble member in Kathleen Battle’s Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey.
An avid arts advocate, Dr. DuBose serves on the WDAV Community Advisory Board, as Board Vice-President of The International Florence Price Festival, and as Director of Development and Board President at ArtsCentric, an African-American-led theater company in Baltimore.

Wendy Hickman is a singer, born in Asheboro, North Carolina, and now based in Mount Airy, NC. Her love for singing began when she joined an all-girls gospel quartet group several years ago, which is when she met DaShawn. From there, being DaShawn’s lead singer in his band, she started to catch the eye of artists who felt her voice was perfect for their records. To date, she has performed background vocal recordings for Aaron Burdett and Graham Sharpe (from the
Grammy Award-winning group The Steep Canyon Rangers), the Bluegrass Sings Paxton project, Anya Hinkle, and Riley Baugus, just to name a few.
Hickman has also taught a singing class at The Ashokan Southern Week camp in Woodbridge, NY, along with the great Alice Gerrard. She enjoys teaching vocal and harmony workshops locally in NC. Hickman’s influences include Tina Turner and Anita Baker.
One of the foremost contemporary practitioners of Sacred Steel, a bluesgospel tradition dating back to the Pentecostal Holiness churches of the 1930s, Hickman grew up not only hearing the pedal steel in the tiny House of God church his family attended in Mount Airy, North Carolina, but also listening to his mother play lap steel in their home. Hickman picked up the instrument at the age of five, when his mother put it down to concentrate on ministering, and by the age of 12, his local reputation as a pedal steel player was such that he was regularly asked to play at other area churches
The 2023 release of Drums, Roots & Steel, produced by Charlie Hunter, gives
the perfect opportunity to hear what Hickman’s childhood would have sounded like. This debut album garnered Hickman much attention for his pedal steel playing, with articles in The New York Times, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and All About Jazz. He also received many nominations for awards for being the new kid on the block. In 2024, Hickman gained recognition for being the pedal steel player in the first-ever Cirque du Soleil-themed show with live music, “Song Blazers.”
More recently you would have seen Hickman as a member of the Steve Ray Ladson band on America’s Got Talent, making it all the way to the final show.

Known around the world for his clawhammer banjo playing, Joe Newberry is also a powerful guitarist, singer, and songwriter. The Gibson Brothers’ version of his song “Singing As We Rise,” featuring guest vocalist Ricky Skaggs, won an IBMA Gospel Recorded Performance Award. With Eric Gibson, he shared the IBMA Song of the Year Award for “They Called It Music.”
A longtime and frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion, he was a featured singer on the Transatlantic Sessions tour of the U.K., and at the Transatlantic Sessions’ debut at MerleFest. In addition to performing with April Verch, he also plays in a duo with mandolin icon Mike Compton and teaches at music camps and festivals at home and abroad.
Growing up in a family full of singers and dancers, he took up the guitar and banjo as a teen and learned fiddle tunes from the great Missouri fiddlers. Newberry moved to North Carolina as a young man and quickly became an anchor of the incredible music scene in the state.
As Sing Out! magazine said, “Most contemporary old-time artists get their inspiration from recordings, either commercial or field-made. Most of the time, the artists spend their energy trying to copy the sound of their source. Joe Newberry goes one step further... He takes the music and makes it his own, and always respectfully.”

April Verch, a native of the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada, and now a resident of Onaga, KS, has been thrilling audiences around the world with her fiddling, step dancing, singing, and composing for over two decades. She currently performs in a duo with her husband, Cody Walters, as well as a duo with Joe Newberry as “Newberry & Verch.” In 2010, she was one of six Canadian fiddlers who represented the Canadian fiddle tradition to the world in the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She has released 17 albums, an instructional step dance DVD, a book of original fiddle tunes, and co-authored a method book on Canadian Fiddle Styles for Mel Bay Publications. She’s also a passionate and experienced educator at music camps, master classes, and workshops.
Even now, after countless awards and nominations, Verch never forgets the roots of her music, that connection to the people out there in the audience or on the dance floor, to the community sparked by a good song. “It’s about joining together to celebrate everyday life through music. We’re all in this together.” And so she presses onward, diving deep into musical tradition, bringing people together and forging connections, and sharing her insight and genuine love for the music she plays so well.

Fry composer/arranger
Gary Fry is an Emmy-winning composer, arranger, producer, conductor, and music educator. He has crafted music for recordings, films, commercials, and live performances. Significant credits include his work as arranger/composer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Welcome, Yule! holiday concerts for nearly 20 years, his current position as arranger/composer for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops programs, artistic consultant to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for their annual Christmas Celebration concerts, and over 100 commissions for Christmas and holiday music from those orchestras and others around the nation.
Long one of the nation’s foremost commercial music producers, Gary has written and produced over 2,500 nationally broadcast radio and television commercials for companies such as McDonald’s, Sears, United Airlines, Kellogg’s, the U.S. Air Force, and hundreds of other advertisers. He won an Emmy Award in 2006 for his original commercial music for WBBM-TV (Chicago).
Gary and his wife, Carol, live in the Charlotte area, where two of their grown children live.
Kenney Potter, Artistic Director
Philip Biedenbender, Managing Director, Asst. Conductor & Pianist
Christine Starnes, Chorus Manager
Darla Bennett
Keegan Brittain
Megan Crosson
Caroline Goforth
Rebecca Gold
Angela Gwinn
Janet Hall
Holly Hauser
Hanna Loftus
Tricia McCord
Junghee Park
Tracy Schwartz
Kara Stewart
Melissa Theiss
Mary Theisen
Sarah Barton Thomas
Mikalah Watson
Carin Bissiere-Grote
Brett Blumenthal
Elaine Chen
Alexandra Eliasek
Loru Garber
Alisha Harlan
Kathleen Hartung
Claire Incorvati
Kate Lavender
Laura Milani
Katie Porier
Meg Ricci
Casey Roberts
Paige Sisk
Susanna Trotter
Evangeline Wilds
Rajah Chacko
David Herring
David Jacobs
Adam Krahn
Greyson Lehman
Thomas Moncrief
Philip Tate
Jesse Tillman
Bennett Billard
Aj Calpo
Brett Carow
Doug Demick
Parkes Dibble
Josh Ellenberg
Grant Gordin
Sam Mayo
Thomas McCoy
Ray Trogdon
Kwamé Ryan · Music Director
Christopher James Lees, Resident Conductor Christopher Warren-Green, Conductor Laureate
Calin Ovidiu Lupanu
Concertmaster
The Catherine & Wilton Connor Chair
Joseph Meyer* Associate Concertmaster
Kari Giles
Acting Associate Concertmaster
Hanna Zhdan
Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Susan Blumberg°°
Jane Hart Brendle
Cynthia Burton
Fengwan Chen†
Ayako Gamo
David Horak†
Oliver Kot°°
Lenora Leggatt
Jenny Topilow
Dustin Wilkes-Kim*
Kathleen Jarrell, Acting Principal
The Wolfgang Roth Chair
Carlos Tarazona°
Acting Assistant Principal
The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair
Monica Boboc
Martha Geissler
Sakira Harley
Tatiana Karpova
Ellyn Stuart
Benjamin Geller, Principal
The Zoe Bunten Merrillt Principal Viola Chair
Pin-Hao Liao
Assistant Principal
Ellen Ferdon
Wenlong Huang
Pedro Mendez
Viara Stefanova
Ning Zhao
Jon Lewis, Principal
The Kate Whitner McKay Principal Cello Chair
Allison Drenkow
Assistant Principal
Marlene Ballena
Jeremy Lamb
Sarah Markle
Nicco Mazziotto
David Olson
Jason McNeel, Acting Principal
Judson Baines, Assistant Principal
Jeffrey Ferdon
Eric Thompson†
Andrea Mumm Trammell Principal
The Dr. Billy Graham Chair
Victor Wang, Principal
The Blumenthal Foundation Chair
Amy Orsinger Whitehead
Erinn Frechette
Erinn Frechette
This roster lists the full-time members of the Charlotte Symphony. The number and seating of musicians on stage varies depending on the piece being performed.
° Non-revolving position
°° Alternates between first and second violins
† Acting member of the Charlotte Symphony
‡ Funded by The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Inc.
* On leave

Timothy Swanson, Principal
The Leo B. Driehuys Chair‡
Erica Cice
Jamison Hillian†
ENGLISH HORN
Erica Cice
Taylor Marino, Principal
The Gary H. & Carolyn M. Bechtel Chair
Samuel Sparrow
Allan Rosenfeld
E ♭ CLARINET
Samuel Sparrow
BASS CLARINET
Allan Rosenfeld
AJ Neubert, Principal
Joshua Hood
Nicholas Ritter
CONTRABASSOON
Nicholas Ritter
The CSO is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.
Byron Johns, Principal
The Mr. & Mrs. William H. Van Every Chair
Andrew Fierova
Christopher Caudill†
The Robert E. Rydel, Jr. Third Horn Chair (acting)
Richard Goldfaden
Paige Quillen
Alex Wilborn, Principal
The Betty J. Livingstone Chair
Jesdelson Vasquez†
Gianluca Farina†
Acting Associate Principal
The Marcus T. Hickman Chair
Gabriel Slesinger*
John Bartlett, Principal
Thomas Burge
Scott Hartman, Principal
Colin Benton, Principal
The Governor James G. Martin Chair
Denis Petrunin, Acting Principal†
The Robert Haywood Morrison Chair
Brice Burton, Principal

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is one of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas. As Charlotte’s most active performing arts group, the CSO presents around 150 concerts each season, reaching more than 150,000 music lovers.
The 2025–26 season marks the next chapter in the Charlotte Symphony’s artistic evolution under Music Director Kwamé Ryan. Framed by a season-long exploration of home — reflecting on belonging, identity, and place through a wide range of musical voices — the season offers bold new works, symphonic masterworks, and creative collaborations across the Classical, Pops, Movie, and Family series. Highlights include the debut of the CSO Spotlight Series, an everexpanding look at the work of this season’s CSO Spotlight Artist, Gabriel Kahane; performances of audience favorites like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Ravel’s Boléro; and more events that showcase the Orchestra’s breadth, from the music of Dolly Parton to Black Panther in Concert. Engaging with more than 15,000 students each year, the Charlotte Symphony nurtures the next generation of musicians and music lovers through its four diverse
youth orchestras, in-school education programs, instrument coaching, and Project Harmony, which offers free afterschool lessons in music and life skills to over 200 students in under-resourced areas. With its new mobile stage, CSO Roadshow, the Symphony extends its reach directly into neighborhoods, bringing live music to communities across the region.
Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra continues to play a vital cultural role in the region and remains committed to the belief that music, accessible to all, enriches and unites our community.
The Charlotte Symphony uplifts, entertains, and educates the diverse communities of CharlotteMecklenburg and beyond through exceptional musical experiences.
Reaching out through the transformative power of live music, the Charlotte Symphony will be a civic leader, reflecting and uniting our region.
For more information, visit us online at charlottesymphony.org


CSO Member since September 2025
HOMETOWN: Storrs, Connecticut
• David began studying violin and piano at the age of three
• He is a member of the Kinetic Ensemble, championing diverse, under-performed, and newly composed music
• When not onstage, you might spot him exploring Charlotte on in-line skates
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hope and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
What child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet And shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King Whom shepherds guard and angels sing Haste, haste to bring Him laud The Babe, the son of Mary
Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth, and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King
(CHORUS)
Yes, I love Christmastime in Charlotte
That’s where I want to be
No place else has everything that Christmas means to me
Oh, nothing could be finer that the joy of Carolina
And the magic of Christmas in Charlotte
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
Rudolph with your nose so bright Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
You’ll go down in history
THE SNOWMAN
Frosty the snowman
Was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal
Frosty the snowman
Was a fairy tale they say
He was made of snow but the children know
How he came to life one day
There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around
Oh, Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me





Imagine your gift bringing the magic of live music directly to those who need it most.
This month, your gift goes twice as far. Every donation before Dec 31 will be matched dollar for dollar, helping the Charlotte Symphony spread the joy of live orchestral music across our city.
Your Gift Makes It Possible:
$100 = Tickets to our annual education concerts for five students
$250 = Two hours of personalized instrument coaching
$500 = Two brand-new violins for students
$750 = Free tuition for one Youth Orchestra student
$1,000 = Ensemble performance in a hospital or shelter

We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through November 30, 2025.
$100,000+
The Fox Family Jane & Hugh McColl* Douglas Young Anonymous Jacqueline B. Mars
$50,000 – $99,999
$25,000 – $49,999
Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman Philanthropic Fund
Judith & Mark Brodsky
Catherine & Wilton Connor*
Margarita & Nick Clements
Roberta H. Cochran
Jean & Dick Cornwell
Susan Cybulski
Linda & Bill Farthing
Ralph S. Grier
Maria & John Huson
Ginger Kelly
Sally Gregory & Richard Krumdieck
Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee
Patrick J. O’Leary
Sandra Levine
Richard J. Osborne*
Ann Rehkopf
Pat Rodgers
Carolyn Shaw
Susan & John Shimp
Andrea & Sean Smith
Tara & Ken Walker
$15,000 – $24,999
JJoye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr.
Denise & Peter DeMaio
Robin & Christoph Feddersen
Laurie & Barry Guy
Fran & Greg Hyde
Tanya & Steve Makris
DeDe & Alex McKinnon
Ulrike & Alex Miles
Mica Post Oberkfell & Keith Oberkfell
Debbie & Pat Phillips*
Juliette & Walter Pryor
Judy & Derek Raghavan
Cameron & Stuart Sherrill
Melinda & David Snyder
* The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.
For more information, please contact Mary Nell Johnson at 704.714.5137
$10,000 – $14,999
Kristen & Paul Anderson
Katharine & Frank Bragg
Betsy & Alfred Brand
Lynne & Colby Cathey
Jeanie & Tom Cottingham
Peter De Arcangelis
Donna & Alvaro de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa & Carlos Evans
Drs. Amy & Sidney Fletcher
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Dr. Robert A. Gaines & Toni S. Burke
Caren & Charles Gale
Andrea & Todd Griffith
Robert H. Lee
In Loving Memory of Zaydee & Antonio LopezIbanez from Lina & Enrique Lopez-Ibanez
Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Robert Norville
Kathy & Paul Reichs
Kelli & Michael Richardson
Rosalind S. Richardson
Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli
Lindsay & Frank Schall
Glenn Sherrill, Jr.
In Honor of Robin Branstrom
Sherry & Thomas Skains
Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan
Ann & Michael Tarwater
Kelly & Neal Taub
Jill & Kevin Walker
Michael Waterford
John Drew Witherington
Lisa & Richard Worf
$5,000 – $9,999
Debbie & Wedge Abels
Carol B. McPhee & Howard P. Adams
The Charlotte Assembly
Si & Michael Blake
Krisha & Andy Blanchard
Mary & Charles Bowman
Barbara & Twig Branch
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Shirley & Mike Butterworth
Dr. William J. Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Morgan & Brian Cromwell
Elizabeth & Christopher Daly
Mary & Phil Delk
Mary Anne Dickson
Dorne & Steve Eastwood
Anne O’Byrne & David J.L. Fisk
Joan & Parker Foley
Carol & Ron Follmer
Carrie & Jay Galloway
Sarah & Frank Gentry
William & Patricia Gorelick Family Foundation
Lucia Zapata Griffith & Michael Griffith
Janet M. Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Vivian & Robert Lamb
Anna & Laszlo Littmann
Stacie McGinn
Susanne & Bill McGuire
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Susan & Loy McKeithen*
Courtney Reichs Mixon
Emily & Nima Pirzadeh
Anne Robinson
Nancy & Charlie Robson
Susie & Rick Schnall
Laura A. & Michael J. Schulte
Ylida & Bert Scott
Mr. & Mrs. Harley F. Shuford, Jr.
Nancy E. Simpson
Erin & William Sparks
Elizabeth Connor Stewart
Chris & Jim Teat
Nancy & Dick Thigpen
Brienne Tinder
Judith & Gary Toman
Rocky & Curtis Trenkelbach
Daniel Troy in Loving Memory of Kathleen Troy
$5,000 – $9,999 (continued)
Molly & Chris Tull
Susan & Paul Vadnais
In Memory of Tess Verbesey
Elizabeth & Stephan Willen
Glenda Colman & Floyd Wisner
Joan H. Zimmerman
Abby & Albert Zue
$3,500 – $4,999
Dawn Beatty-Batten & Philipp J. Bischoff
Jan & Bob Busch
Posey & Mark Mealy
Dick Metzler
Holly & Jason Norvell
Linda & Tony Pace
Suan & Bob Salvin
Teresa & Stuart Singer
Emily & Zach Smith
Dr. Mark R. Swanson
Deborah J. Cox & Bob Szymkiewicz
Karen & Edgar Whitener
$2,500 – $3,499
Harriet B. Barnhardt
Georgia & Bill Belk
Tiffany & Jason Bernd
James Biddlecome, in loving memory of Bernadette Zirkuli Biddlecome
Lee & Alan Blumenthal
Dr. & Mrs. O. Robert Boehm
Frances & Herbert Browne
Maggie Callen
The Jack H. & Ruth C. Campbell Foundation
Dr. William H. Carson
Pauline & Bill Chinnis
Ann Thomas Colley
Amy & Alfred Dawson
Cheryl DeMaio
Peggy & Charles Dickerson
Elizabeth Betty Eaton
Lucy Quintilliano & Leonard Fumi
Kara & Timothy Gallagher
Melisa & Frank Galasso
Billy L. Gerhart, in memory of Judith Gerhart
Katherine G. Hall
Jennifer & Logan Henderson
Megan & Brendan Hoffman
Christy & Ben Hume
Leigh & Watts Humphrey
Peggy Hynes
Shirley & Bob Ivey
David S. Jacobson
Christopher James Lees
Meghan & Luis Lluberas
Jim & Kathleen Lynch
Dottie & Jim Martin
Cynthia L. Caldwell & Richard I. McHenry
Dee Dee McKay
Carolyn & Sam McMahon
Debbie Miller & Tim Black
Susan D. Montgomery
Janet & Peter Nixon
Laura & Tom Parrott
Laura Paschall & Brad Glaza
Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach
Dr. Reta R. Phifer
Vincent Philips & Paul Pope
Kathleen D. Prokay
Lisa & Robert R. Rollins, Jr.
Dr. & Mrs. Mahesh Sardesai
Jane Perry Shoemaker
Peggy & Pope Shuford
Patricia & Morris Spearman
Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem
Maxine & Robert Stein
Dottie Stowe, in loving memory of Dickson Stowe
Kelly Zellars & James H. Trexler
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri
Sandy & Greg Vlahos
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
Barbara Yarbrough
$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Katie & Morgan Beggs
Barrie & Mark Benson
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein
Sallie & Derick Close
Jean E. Davis & Robert Metzger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Karen Gunther
Angela M. & Michael D. Helms
Joan Irwin
Martha D. Jones
Helen & Gene Katz
Ginger Kemp
Mary & Michael Lamach
Lucinda Nisbet Lucas
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Mahnesmith
Anna Marriott
Rosemarie Marshall & Lee Wilkins
Tammy & Steve Matula
Louise & Gary McCrorie
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Greater Golf Express
Dr. John & Susan Rae
Brendan Reen
Michelle Richards
Anne & Mark Riechmann
Donald Schmidt
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Marsha & Robert L. Stickler
Jean M. Summerville
Tillie S. Tice
Henry Ward
Grant Webb
Pam West
Bryan Wilhelm
Deems Wilson
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous (3)
Michele & Ross Annable
Larry Anderson
JWD Atchison
Dianne & Brian Bailey
Elsie & William Barnhardt
Ms. Helen Fowler & Mr. Lincoln A. Baxter
Emerson Bell
Shirley W. Benfield
Samuel Blackmon
Sara & Ethan Blumenthal
Jodie & Erik Bowen
In Memory of Kyden Justice Brown
Jane & Larry Cain
Amanda & Kevin Chheda
Rebecca & D. Mark Cody
Dorothy & Mike Connor
Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Cook
Dr. Kilian Cooley
Kathleen Goldammer-Copeland & Mark Copeland
Ann F. Copeland
Larry J. Dagenhart
Heather & Gray Dyer
Judy & Bob Erb
Heather & Thomas Finke
Karen Geiger
Jenn & Taylor Gherardi
Carol & Joseph Gigler
Audean & Berkley Godehn
Judith Greene
Joyce & Ed Hamilton
Anne J. Henderson
Juliet & Brian Hirsch
Linda & Paul Ibsen
Jennie & Don Johnson
Lea & Stuart Johnson
Priscilla & Michael Johnson
Dr. Valerie Kinloch & Mr. Thomas A’Hearn
Joan Kirschner
Marilyn Kroll
Holly & Christopher Maurer
Anna & John McCoy
Arrington Mixon
Joan Morgan
Sue Lin Tan & Rama Narayanan
Eleanor W. Neal
Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley
Caroline Olzinski
Patricia & James Petillo
Catherine Philpott
Dr. William G. Porter
Susanne & Mark Rascio Family
Joan Rasmussen & Morry Alter
Jennifer & Manley Roberts
Rita & Thomas Robinson
Elizabeth & Robert Rostan
Anjan Shah
Sandra Shuster
Anonymous
Birte & Roman Streitberger
Scott Smith
Tamara & Cassiel Smith
Alice & Al Sudduth
Ann & Wellford Tabor
Annette & Eric Telljohann
Catherine Thompson
Libby & Vint Tilson
Tim Timson
Sarah S. Tull
Maureen Turner
Emily & Jeff Vaughan
Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang
Rebecca Waters
Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Peter White
Jennie & Ry Winston
Lauren Wooden
Velva W. Woollen
Sandy & John Yakob
$500 – $999
Anonymous (2)
Lynda & Doug Abel
Daphne A. Banks
Cathy & Bob Becker
Natasha A. Bechtler
Beth & Carl Belk
Dr. John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Mary Ann & Timothy Beranek
Patricia Bialecki
Jeffrey Boghosian
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
James Broadstone
Nelle & Ken Brown
Aram Kim Bryan
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Jennifer & Daniel Callahan
Nan & Brooks Carey
Janelle & Todd Collins
Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Jack Cook
In Loving Memory of Ruth Jernigan
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Gaither & Robert Deaton
Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko
Margaret & George Dewey
Diane & Doug Doak
Kate & Trae Fletcher
Lucinda & Harvey Gantt
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Dr. & Mrs. Richard Gellar
Stacy & Pete Gherardi
Cyndy & Larry Goodgame
Linda & Dan Gordon
Cynthia Greenlee
Gloria Gunst
Johanne & Patrick Hawk
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
Maria Felisa San Andres & Stefan Heinzelmann
Ms. Yvonne DeBeauville & Mr. Roger Hill
John J. Kelly, Jr.
Mary & Steven Kesselman
Nancy H. Kiser
George W. & Constance C. Knight
Linda & Norman Kramer
Maria Kurtz
Jonathan Lamb
Barbara & Jerome Levin
John J. Locke
Katherine & Mark Love
Dr. & Mrs. William W. MacDonald
Allison Malter
Leigh & Bruce Marsh
Paula Goolkasian & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
Jill Maxwell
Rob Roy McGregor
Constance & Kiran Mehta
Amanda & Matthew Molbert
Sally Staub Moore
Jennifer & Michael Neurohr
Mary Newsom
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Nitsch
Nancy Olah & Bill Pace
Ynez Olshausen
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Janet & Rick Pfeiffer
Moira Quinn
Sabine & Haywood Rankin
Emily & Brian Reinicker
Joan & Albert Rodgers
Margaret Rogers & John R. Willis
Betty & Bill Seifert
Michael Silverman
Dr. & Mrs. Henry L. Smith II
Scott Smith
Julia J. Souther
Tara & Joseph Spil
Jennifer & Philip Stafford
Mary & Bill Staton
Kathryn Stewart, MD, MPH
Susan & Jet Taylor
Molly & Chris Tull
Melanie & James Twyne
Signature Web Design
Lyman Welton
Karen & Charles Wolff
Judith Wood
The Encore Society includes individuals who have made provisions for the CSO in their estate plans. We are honored to recognize their support:
Anonymous (3)
Geraldine I. Anderson†
Michele & Ross Annable
Richard & Ruth Ault
Baldwin Family Trust
Barnhardt Thomas Trust
Lincoln A. Baxter & Helen M. Fowler
Annette Bedford†
Larry & Joyce Bennett†
Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein
Mark & Louise Bernstein†
Rosemary Blanchard†
Twig & Barbara Branch
Saul Brenner
Mike & Joan Brown†
Mrs. Joan & George Bruns†
Jan & Bob Busch
Dr. Helen G. Cappleman, Ph.D.†
Jim Cochran† & Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Charles & Peggy Dickerson
Martin Ericson, Jr.
Linda & Bill Farthing
David J.L. Fisk & Anne P. O’Byrne
Sylvia T. Forsythe†
Dorris H. Goodyear†
Peter & Ann† Guild
William G. & Marguerite K. Huey Fund
Dr. Nish Jamgotch, Jr.†
Betty & Stanley Livingstone†
Lucille F. & Edwin L. Jones
Endowment for the Arts
Polly & Don Kellam†
Jim Martin
Paula & Paul McIntosh
Nellie McCrory†
M. Marie Mitchell†
Cricket Weston & David Molinaro
Joan & Richard Morgan
Francis A. Mueller†
Don C. Niehus
Eva Nove
Richard J. Osborne
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Gilbert Pirovano†
James Y. Preston†
Mrs. Clayton (Dusty) Pritchett
Ann & Fritz† Rehkopf
Elizabeth Waring Reinhard
Nancy W. Rutledge
Mike Rutledge
Harriet Seabrook
Mr. & Mrs. William Seifert
Morris & Patricia Spearman
Bob & Maxine Stein
Dr. Ben C. Taylor III
Mr. & Mrs. Hans Teich†
Cordelia G. & Dr. Chandler† Thompson
Tim Timson
Jenny & Ken Tolson
Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst
For more information, please contact Shayne Doty at 704.714.5104.
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
$50,000 - $99,999
Amy & Robert Brinkley · Crescent Communities · The Fox Family · Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Mariam & Robert Hayes Charitable Trust · Ulrike & Alex Miles · Dr. Ruth G. Shaw
Chris & Jim Teat · Rita & Bill Vandiver · Lisa & Richard Worf
$10,000 - $49,999
Anonymous Wedge & Debbie Abels · Mary Lou & Jim Babb · Tiffany & Jason Bernd
Frank Bragg · Shirley & Mike Butterworth · Joye Blount & Jesse Knight, Jr.
The Cato Corporation · Margarita & Nick Clements · Mary Delk
Caroline & Ben Dellinger III · Lisa & Carlos Evans · David Fisk & Anne O’Byrne
Averill, Johanna, & Lauren Harkey · Carol & Bill Lorenz · Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Virginia & Chan Martin · DeDe & Alex McKinnon · Posey & Mark Mealy ·
Wanda & Steve Phifer · Ridgely & John Phillips · Dale & Larry Polsky
Judy & Derek Raghavan · Shannon & Eric Reichard · Sara & Daniel Roselli · Lori & Eric Sklut
Emily & Zach Smith · Melinda & David Snyder · Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora
Jill & Kevin Walker · Jim Worrell
$5,000 - $9,999
Brian S. Cromwell · Toni Burke & Bob Gaines · Sarah & Frank Gentry · Carol & Joseph Gigler
Lucinda Nisbet Lucas · Dee Dee & William Maxwell · Melissa & Dennis McCrory
Cyndee Patterson · Betty & William Seifert · Peggy & Pope Shuford · Nancy E. Simpson
Drs. Jennifer & Matthew Sullivan · Mary Claire & Dan Wall · Martha Ann & Craig Wardlaw









We are grateful for the following outstanding corporate funders: For more information, please contact Tara Spil at 704.714.5138.





We are grateful for the following outstanding foundation and government funders:





Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation



Dowd Foundation, Inc.
The Trexler Foundation
The Dickson Foundation Cole Foundation
Maurer Family Foundation
Triad Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
The Blumenthal Foundation
The Charlotte Assembly
Minor Foundation, Inc
Music Performance Trust Fund
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
For more information, please contact Tara Spil at 704.714.5138.
Richard Krumdieck, Chair
Ulrike Miles, Vice Chair
Melinda Snyder, Vice Chair & Secretary
Denise DeMaio, Treasurer
David Fisk, President & CEO
Kwamé Ryan, Music Director
2025-26
Krisha Blanchard
Joye D. Blount
Mike Butterworth
Nick Clements
Sidney Fletcher
Craig Froelich
Linda McFarland Farthing, Chair
Francisco & Jeannette Alvarado
Paul Anderson
Ruth & Richard Ault
Rachel Gogal Badillo
Arlene & Milton Berkman
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Paige & Steve Burgess
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III
Brian Cromwell
Susan Cybulski
Marcia & Jason Daily
Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino
Alvaro & Donna de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa Hudson Evans
Bill Farthing
Karen Fox
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Ralph S. Grier
Laurie Guy
Janet Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Mark & Whitney Jerrell
Jeff Lee
Gov. James G. Martin
Carrie Galloway
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Fran Hyde
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Juliette Pryor
Manley Roberts*
Sara Garces Roselli
Lindsay Schall
Ylida Scott
Cameron Sherrill
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Andrea Mumm Trammell*
Ken Walker *ex-officio
Jane & Hugh McColl
Stacie McGinn
Susan & Loy McKeithen
Alex & DeDe McKinnon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Richard Osborne
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Derek & Judy Raghavan
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Will Sparks
Elizabeth Connor Stewart
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor
Chris & Jim Teat
Kevin & Jill Walker
Elizabeth & Steve Willen
Braxton Winston
Richard Worf
Joan Zimmerman
Albert Zue
David J. L. Fisk
President & CEO
Samantha Hackett
Manager of Executive Administration & Board Relations
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Scott Freck
Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager
Erin Eady
Director of Orchestra Personnel
Laura Lindsay
Director of Orchestra Operations
Claudia Schmitz
Director of Artistic Planning
Bart Dunn
Principal Music Librarian
Emily Marsh
Assistant Music Librarian
Ana Faithe Allen
Operations Coordinator
John Jarrell
Stage Manager
Byron Johns
Senior Stage Technician
Ross Jarrell
Stage Techician
Shayne Doty
Vice President of Development
Richard Riedl
Associate Vice President of Development
Mary Nell Johnson
Senior Director of Individual Giving
Tara Spil
Director of Corporate & Institutional Giving
Tammy Matula
Director of Development Services
Josh Bottoms
Manager of Corporate & Institutional Giving
Jennifer Gherardi
Manager of Development Services & Events
Noel Kiss
Manager of Individual Giving & Events
HUMAN RESOURCES
Maribeth Baker
Human Resources Counselor
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Christian Drake
Vice President of Finance & Administration
Amy Hine
HR Coordinator & Office Administrator
Kensloe Norrington
Staff Accountant
Chazin & Company, Financial Services
LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Aram Kim Bryan
Vice President of Community Relations & Learning
Dylan Lloyd
Senior Manager of Youth Orchestras
Mark Rockwood
Senior Manager of Youth Education
Michaela Sciacca
Senior Manager of Youth Programs
Gavin Fulker
Education Programs Assistant
Bria Alexander
Community Engagement Assistant
MA RKETING & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Frank Impelluso
Vice President of Marketing & Audience Development
Deirdre Roddin
Director of Institutional Marketing & Communications
Nicole Glaza
Senior Manager of Digital Marketing
Laura Thomas
Senior Manager of Marketing & Audience Development
Chad Calvert
Visual Communications Manager
Meghan Cole
Patron Experience Manager
Garrett Whiffen
Ticketing Manager
