
November 14 & 15


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November 14 & 15


As autumn deepens, we enter a time of year that naturally draws us closer together — through shared traditions and gatherings that celebrate the ties between us. Music has a singular way of doing that. It invites us to share in something larger than ourselves; to find moments of beauty, emotion, and a sense of togetherness that comes from witnessing artistry come to life in real time.
This month, you’ll hear that connection expressed in many different ways: the vivid storytelling of Respighi’s Pines of Rome; the creative expression of Black Charlotte, where music and poetry meet; the crossgenerational appeal of Luther Vandross’s music, sung by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard; and the family fun of Home Alone in Concert, with John Williams’s heartwarming score performed live. Each program reflects the many experiences that make us who we are, showing how powerfully music can remind us of where we’ve come from and what we share. It’s a reflection of what we strive to be as Charlotte’s Orchestra: diverse in style and genre, yet united by the shared experience of live music.
As we look ahead to the holidays — this special season of connection — I’m reminded that connection lies at the heart of everything we do: on stage, in schools, and throughout our community. Thank you for being part of this shared experience and for keeping the musical pulse of Charlotte strong.

David Fisk President & CEO
Music that connects — across time, place, and experience.
Woven through our season are questions of who we are, where we come from, and what binds us together.
These threads explore the meaning of home, the shaping of American identity, and the stories we share.
Reflect on our nation’s musical identity through works by American voices past and present, including Amy Beach, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and George Walker.
The CSO performs George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, an elegy for his grandmother, Mar 27–29


Explore how composers from around the world wrestle with what it means to belong — from Dvořák’s longing for home in the “New World” Symphony to Anna Clyne’s response to pandemic isolation in The Years, receiving its U.S. Premiere.
The Charlotte Master Chorale debuts The Years alongside Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, Apr 10 & 11

Revel in three of the most iconic Fifth Symphonies — Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky — timeless works that explore strength, struggle, and triumph.
Kwamé Ryan leads the CSO in Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, Feb 13 & 14
Take a closer look at composer, singersongwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Kahane in a season-long exploration of his poignant musical stories, culminating in the powerful finale, emergency shelter intake form.
Kahane performs in Pattern of the Rail, Feb 13 & 14 and emergency shelter intake form, May 15 & 16

…and discover what awaits this season.
For more information, visit us at



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!



Friday, November 14, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Belk Theater at Blumenthal Arts Center
Francesco Lecce-Chong, conductor
Megan Samarin, mezzo-soprano · Eleomar Cuello, baritone
Charlotte Master Chorale
MAURICE DURUFLÉ (1902-1986)
Requiem, Opus 9
I. Introit
II. Kyrie
III. Domine Jesu Christe
IV. Sanctus
V. Pie Jesu
VI. Agnus Dei
VII. Lux Aeterna
VIII. Libera Me
IX. In Paradisum
INTERMISSION
OTTORINO RESPIGHI (1879-1936)
The Fountains of Rome
I. The Fountain of Valle Giulia at Dawn
II. The Triton Fountain at Morn
III. The Fountain of Trevi at Mid-day
IV. The Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset
The Pines of Rome
I. The Pines of the Villa Borghese
II. Pines near a Catacomb
III. The Pines of the Janiculum
IV. The Pines of the Appian Way
CONCERT DURATION: approx. 2 hours, including one 20-minute intermission.
[~45’]
[~15’]
[~26]

American conductor Francesco LecceChong has established himself as a respected leader in the orchestral world through his acclaimed performances, innovative projects, and passionate advocacy for the arts. He was appointed Music Director of two US orchestras, the Eugene Symphony and the Santa Rosa Symphony, before he turned 30. With those groups, he successfully launched several groundbreaking projects, commissioning over a dozen major orchestral works and building innovative community partnerships. Now, in his eighth season leading the Santa Rosa Symphony, he has grown the orchestra’s reputation as one of the most exciting and important regional orchestras in the US, with performances at one of the most renowned concert halls in the world, the Green Music Center.
Lecce-Chong regularly appears with major orchestras around the country, from the San Francisco Symphony to the New York Philharmonic, collaborating with top soloists such as Renée Fleming and Itzhak Perlman. His subscription debut with the San Francisco Symphony was described by The San Francisco Chronicle as “first rate” and pointed out the “vitality and brilliance of the music-making he drew from members of the San Francisco Symphony.” Other recent subscription debuts include the Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Utah Symphony, North
Carolina Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 2023, Lecce-Chong debuted in Europe at the prestigious George Enescu Festival with the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, and in 2025, he will debut with the Janáček Philharmonic.
Through his leadership, Lecce-Chong has fostered an unparalleled dedication to the future of the orchestral art form through commissions, community initiatives, and arts education. One of his first largescale endeavors was the “First Symphony Project,” which consisted of major commissions from the next generation of renowned composers across four seasons, complete with multiple residencies in the communities. In less than a decade, he has brought over a dozen major new orchestral works into the repertoire from composers like Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Grammy winner Michael Daugherty, Conrad Tao, Clarice Assad, and Gabriella Smith. During the pandemic, the Santa Rosa Symphony reached over two million households in the Bay Area through its “Santa Rosa Symphony Presents” TV broadcasts through local PBS. The programming included over 20 works by living composers and a partnership with Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, culminating in a recording of her music conducted by Lecce-Chong and released in 2022 on the Delos label, the first CD
release in the orchestra’s history. To mark the conclusion of his eight-year tenure with the Eugene Symphony, the Delos label has released the Eugene Symphony’s first commercial recording in its history featuring a newly commissioned piece by David Schiff commemorating the legendary Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine.
Lecce-Chong is equally committed to the opera repertoire, having first conducted performances of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos at age 24 in New York City. He continued to build his opera credentials
as staff conductor with the Santa Fe Opera and leading performances with the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. More recently, he led the Eugene Symphony through the most ambitious project in its history: a semi-staged presentation of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. In Santa Rosa, Lecce-Chong conducted and directed Mozart’s The Magic Flute, complete with his own original dialogue, in addition to partnering with a local arts high school to create a multi-disciplinary experience of the opera.


Mezzo-soprano Megan Mikailovna Samarin, lauded by Opera News as “a poised, classy singer with an impressively even, supple mezzo-soprano,” is a recent alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic in Mozart’s Requiem under Manfred Honeck, the Lexington Philharmonic in Rodrigo’s Retablo de Navidad, and at Opera America’s Emerging Artist Recital Series in New York City.
Notable operatic roles include Siebel in Gounod’s Faust at San Antonio Opera and Houston Grand Opera, Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at Aspen Music Festival, and Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo at Wolf Trap Opera. At Houston Grand Opera, she has also appeared as Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Carla Mae in Gordon’s The House Without a Christmas Tree, and Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, among others.
Samarin is a recipient of a Sara Tucker Study Grant, a Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant, and Second Prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, is an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artists Vocal Academy, and a fellowship recipient of the Aspen Music Festival.


Cuban baritone Eleomar Cuello recently finished his second and final year as a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. In the 2025–26 season, Cuello will return to the Metropolitan Opera as Dancaïre in Bizet’s Carmen, and make several role and/or house debuts, including the title role in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with Knoxville Opera, Silvio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci with San Diego Opera, Mercutio in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and in concert, Brahms’s Requiem with the Lubbock Symphony. In the 2024–25 season at the Metropolitan Opera, Cuello performed Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the Bullfighter in Golijov’s Ainadamar. Outside of New York, he sang Sharpless in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Silvio (role debut) with Utah Opera, and Schaunard in Puccini’s La bohéme with Opera Maine. Notable debuts of recent seasons include the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Staatstheater Stuttgart and Vero Beach Opera, Silvio with Florida Grand Opera, and covers of Périchaud in Puccini’s La rondine and Dancaïre in Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera.
Based in New York City and a native of Havana, Cuba, Cuello was a participant in the grand finals of the 2023 Metropolitan Opera Laffont as well as a member of
the 2023 Merola Opera program with San Francisco Opera. A graduate of the Academy of the National Lyric Theatre of Cuba, Cuello began his career while still a teenager with that company, performing at the Grand Theater of Havana and the National Theater of Cuba, singing as a soloist in operas and zarzuelas such as Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Don Giovanni, Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s La bohème and Madama Butterfly, Pergolesi’s La serva padrona, Roig’s Cecilia Valdés, Bretón’s La verbena de la Paloma, Balbastre’s La corte de Faraón, and Alonso’s Las leandras.




Kenney Potter
Artistic Director
Philip Biedenbender
Managing Director, Asst. Conductor & Pianist
Christine Starnes
Chorus Manager
Monica Amery
Samantha Balsam
Rachel Barber
Sarah Barton Thomas
Darla Bennett
Rebecca Black
Keegan Brittain
Romy Lanier Cawood
Katie Colgate
Megan Crosson
Hildana Demise**
Sarah Edwards
Sarah L. Fink
Emily Floyd
Carin Bissiere-Grote
Elaine Chen
Megan Cummings
Lili Edwards**
Alexandra Eliasek
Lori Garber
Brooke Haney
Alisha Garner-McGraw
Kathleen Hartung
Hailey Hong*
Caitlin Whalan Jones
Hezekiah Brewer**
Christofer Castillo**
Rajah Chacko
James Franger
David Christopher Herring
Nello Barone
Bennett Billard
Aj Calpo
Brett Carow
Doug Demick
Parkes Dibble
Joshua Ellenberg
Mason Escobar
Preston Fender
Caroline Goforth
Angela Gwinn
Janet Hall
Holly Hauser
Darlene Ifill-Taylor, MD
Kate Kumar
Kristen Levine
Hanna Kim Loftus
Tricia McCord
Frances Morrison
Virginia A. Neisler
Junghee Park
Roxany Figueroa Rivera**
Lauren Russell
Anna Judge
Sydney Kopera
Karen Kummer
Marcella La Barrie
Susan McConnell
Zuri Meeks**
Laura Milani
Claire Murphy
Katie Nix
Katie Porier
Sophia Raspanti
Skipper Johnson
Adam Krahn
Greyson Lehman
Thomas Moncrief
Zion Morgan
Stephen Field
Evan Gray
Thomas Griffin
Graham Harding**
Donald H. Holland
Jayden Lanzilloti**
Nicholas Matherly
Sam Mayo-Tinoco
Thomas McCoy
Malaya Saddler**
Kathryn Schroder*
Lucy Singletary
Rebecca Smith
Kristen Stetzer
Kara Joy Stewart
Elizabeth Strapp
Mary Theisen
Melissa Theiss
Ananda Thompson
Mikalah Watson
Melody Wetherbee*
Victoria Wojciechowski
Meg Ricci
Casey Roberts
Audrey Robinette
Stephenie Santilli
Donarah Sheppard
Paige Sisk
Susanna Trotter
Lilyan Wall**
Cricket Weston
Evangeline Wilds
Chris Pringle
Andreas Schuhmacher
Philip Tate
Jordan Taylor
Kyle Wolford
Aden Peters
Ethan L. Price
Julio Solivan**
Jake Spencer*
Ray Trogdon
Michael Warren**
Duane E. Westfall*
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
• Pin-Hao recently graduated from Juilliard and has performed with the New York Philharmonic
• She fell in love with the viola for its warm, human-like sound
• Her favorite place is Taitung in Taiwan, where the ocean meets the mountains

BORN: January 11, 1902 in Louviers, France
DIED: June 16, 1986 in Paris, France
PREMIERE: November 2, 1947 broadcast on Radio France
Approximate performance time is 45 minutes.
French musician Maurice Duruflé had a distinguished career as an organ virtuoso, composer, and teacher. By far the most famous of Duruflé’s compositions is his magnificent Requiem, Opus 9. Duruflé had been at work on a suite for solo organ, based upon the Gregorian Chants of the Mass for the Dead, when the French publisher Durand and Company commissioned the Requiem. Duruflé used the organ composition as the basis for the work which he completed in September 1947. Duruflé dedicated the Requiem to his father. The premiere took place two months later, conducted by Roger Désormière.
Durand and Company originally published the Requiem in two versions — one with full orchestra, and another featuring organ accompaniment. A later version is scored for trumpets, timpani, harp, organ, and strings. This concert features the larger orchestra version.
Duruflé’s synthesis of the ancient and the modern is one of the great settings of the Requiem, a uniquely haunting and powerful work.
“My Requiem … is entirely composed on Gregorian themes from the Mass of the Dead. At times, I have entirely followed the text, with the orchestral part only coming in to support or comment. At other places I have only used it as a guide, or even left it out altogether — as for example in the Domine Jesu Christe, the Sanctus, and the Libera Me. As a general rule, I have above all tried to feel deeply the particular style of the Gregorian themes, and I have done my best to reconcile as far as possible the Gregorian rhythmic patterns, as fixed by the Benedictines of Solesmes, with the demands of the modern bar structure. As for the musical form of each of these pieces, it is generally inspired by the relevant liturgical form.”

BORN: July 9, 1879 in Bologna, Italy
DIED: April 18, 1936 in Rome, Italy
(1916)
PREMIERE: March 11, 1917 at the Augusteo in Rome
Approximate performance time is 15 minutes.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s Fountains of Rome is the first in a trio of orchestral showpieces that — along with the 1924 Pines of Rome and 1928 Roman Festivals — portray the sights, sounds, and history of the Eternal City.
THE COMPOSER SPEAKS
“In this symphonic poem, the composer has endeavored to express the sentiments and visions suggested to him by four of Rome’s fountains contemplated at an hour in which the character of each is most in harmony with the surrounding landscape, or in which their beauty appears most impressive to the observer.”
I. The Fountain of Valle Giulia at Dawn
“The first part of the poem, inspired by the fountain of Valle Giulia, depicts a pastoral landscape: droves of cattle pass and disappear in the fresh, damp mists of a Roman dawn.”
II. The Triton Fountain at Morn
“A sudden loud and insistent blast of horns above the trills of the whole orchestra introduces the second part, The Triton
Fountain. It is like a joyous call, summoning troops of naiads and tritons, who come running up, pursuing each other and mingling in a frenzied dance between the jets of water.”
III. The Fountain of Trevi at Mid-Day
“Next there appears a solemn theme borne on the undulations of the orchestra. It is the Fountain of Trevi at mid-day. The solemn theme, passing from the wood to the brass instruments, assumes a triumphal character. Trumpets peal: across the radiant surface of the water there passes Neptune’s chariot drawn by sea horses and followed by a train of sirens and tritons. The procession then vanishes, while faint trumpet blasts resound in the distance.”
IV. The Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset
The fourth part, The Villa Medici Fountain, is announced by a sad theme which rises above a subdued warbling. It is the nostalgic hour of sunset. The air is full of the sound of tolling bells, birds twittering, leaves rustling. Then all dies peacefully into the silence of the night.
(NOTE: The four movements are played without pause.)




(1924)
PREMIERE: December 14, 1924 at the Augusteo in Rome
Approximate performance time is 26 minutes.
I. The Pines of the Villa Borghese
“Children are at play in the pine groves of Villa Borghese; they dance round in circles, they play at soldiers, marching and fighting, they are wrought up by their own cries like swallows at evening, they come and go in swarms. Suddenly, the scene changes…”
II. The Pines Near a Catacomb
“…and we see the shades of the pine-trees fringing the entrance to a catacomb. From the depth rises the sound of mournful psalm-singing, floating through the air like a solemn hymn, and gradually and mysteriously dispersing.”
III. The Pines of the Janiculum
“A quiver runs through the air: the pine-trees of the Janiculum stand distinctly outlined in the clear light of a full moon. A nightingale is singing…”
(NOTE: Here, Respighi specifies that a recording of the nightingale’s song be used.)
IV. The Pines of the Appian Way
“Misty dawn on the Appian Way: solitary pine trees guarding the magic landscape; the muffled, ceaseless rhythm of unending footsteps. The poet has a fantastic vision of bygone glories: trumpets sound and, in the brilliance of the newly risen sun, a consular army bursts forth toward the Sacred Way, mounting in triumph to the Capitol.”
(NOTE: The four movements are played without pause.)
We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received through October 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
Margarita & Nick Clements
Roberta H. Cochran
Jean & Dick Cornwell
Susan Cybulski
Linda & Bill Farthing
Ralph S. Grier
Maria & John Huson
Ginger Kelly
Sally Gregory & Richard Krumdieck
Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee
Patrick J. O’Leary
Sandra Levine
Richard J. Osborne*
Pat Rodgers
Carolyn Shaw
Susan & John Shimp
Andrea & Sean Smith
Tara & Ken Walker
$15,000 – $24,999
Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr.
Nicola & Emanuel Clark
Catherine & Wilton Connor*
Denise & Peter DeMaio
Robin & Christoph Feddersen
Laurie & Barry Guy
Fran & Greg Hyde
Tanya & Steve Makris
DeDe & Alex McKinnon
Ulrike & Alex Miles
Mica Post Oberkfell & Keith Oberkfell
Debbie & Pat Phillips*
Juliette & Walter Pryor
Judy & Derek Raghavan
Cameron & Stuart Sherrill
Melinda & David Snyder
* The CSO recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.
For more information, please contact 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
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
Ann & Fritz Rehkopf
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 Anne Dickson
Anne O’Byrne & David J.L. Fisk
Amy & Sidney Fletcher
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
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
Mary & Phil Delk
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
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
Rob Roy McGregor
Cynthia L. Caldwell & Richard I. McHenry
Dee Dee McKay
Carolyn & Sam McMahon
Debbie Miller & Tim Black
Susan D. Montgomery
Janet & Peter Nixon
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
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
Mary Claire & Dan Wall
Deborra Wood & Russell Propst
Barbara Yarbrough
$1,500 – $2,499
Sharon Baker & Peter Moore
Merilyn & Craig Baldwin
Katie & Morgan Beggs
Georgia & Bill Belk
Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein
Sallie & Derick Close
Jean E. Davis & Robert Metzger
Dr. Kandi & Gary Deitemeyer
Martin Ericson, Jr.
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
Helen & Arvind Patil
Catherine Philpott
Greater Golf Express
Dr. John & Susan Rae
Brendan Reen
Michelle Richards
Anne & Mark Riechmann
Donald Schmidt
Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton
Anonymous
Katy & Raleigh Shoemaker
Rebecca & Eric Smith
Marsha & Robert L. Stickler
Jean M. Summerville
Tillie S. Tice
Henry Ward
Grant Webb
Pam West
Deems Wilson
$1,000 – $1,499
Anonymous
Mariam Abdul Hamid & Ferd Davis
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
Anonymous
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
Arrington Mixon
Joan Morgan
Sue Lin Tan & Rama Narayanan
Eleanor W. Neal
Mr. & Mrs. E. O. Oakley
Caroline Olzinski
Patricia & James Petillo
Dr. William G. Porter
Dr. William G. Porter
Susanne & Mark Rascio Family
Joan Rasmussen & Morry Alter
Rita & Thomas Robinson
Anonymous
Elizabeth & Robert Rostan
Anjan Shah
Sandra Shuster
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
Cathy & Bob Becker
Beth & Carl Belk
Dr. John L. Bennett & Mr. Eric T. Johnson
Mary Ann & Timothy Beranek
Jeffrey Boghosian
Marilyn & Herb Bonkovsky
James Broadstone
Nelle & Ken Brown
Aram Kim Bryan
Mary Lou & Greg Cagle
Jennifer & Daniel Callahan
Nan & Brooks Carey
Janelle & Todd Collins
Thomas E. Collins, Jr.
Jack Cook
In Loving Memory of Ruth Jernigan
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Couture
Gaither & Robert Deaton
Anonymous
Dr. Roy E. DeMeo, Jr. & Ms. Linda A. Evanko
Margaret & George Dewey
Diane & Doug Doak
Kate & Trae Fletcher
Lucinda & Harvey Gantt
Dr. John & Eileen Gardella
Dr. & Mrs. Richard Gellar
Stacy & Pete Gherardi
Linda & Dan Gordon
Cynthia Greenlee
Gloria Gunst
Johanne & Patrick Hawk
Dr. & Mrs. Michael D. Heafner
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 & Francis Martin
Wendy & Ed Matthews
Jill Maxwell
Constance & Kiran Mehta
Amanda & Matthew Molbert
Sally Staub Moore
Jennifer & Michael Neurohr
Mary Newsom
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Nitsch
Nancy Olah & Bill Pace
Ynez Olshausen
Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge
Janet & Rick Pfeiffer
Moira Quinn
Sabine & Haywood Rankin
Emily & Brian Reinicker
Joan & Albert Rodgers
Margaret Rogers & John R. Willis
Betty & Bill Seifert
Michael Silverman
Dr. & Mrs. Henry L. Smith II
Scott Smith
Julia J. Souther
Anonymous
Tara & Joseph Spil
Jennifer & Philip Stafford
Mary & Bill Staton
Kathryn Stewart, MD, MPH
Susan & Jet Taylor
Molly & Chris Tull
Melanie & James Twyne
Signature Web Design
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 and 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 · Betsy Fleming & Ed Weisiger
$100,000 - $249,000
Anonymous · Jeannette & Francisco Alvarado · Joan & Mick Ankrom
Ruth & Richard Ault · NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation · Catherine & Wilton Connor
Robin Cochran · Denise & Peter DeMaio · The Dowd Foundation · Linda & Bill Farthing
Fran & Greg Hyde · Dr. Richard Krumdieck & Mrs. Sally Gregory · Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Patricia & Thruston Morton · Steelfab, Inc. · Linda & Craig Weisbruch
Andromeda & John Williams
$50,000 - $99,999
Amy & Robert Brinkley · Crescent Communities · The Fox Family · Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Mariam & Robert Hayes Charitable Trust · Ulrike & Alex Miles · Ruth Shaw
Chris & Jim Teat · Rita & Bill Vandiver · Lisa & Richard Worf
$10,000 - $49,999
Anonymous Wedge & Debbie Abels · Mary Lou & Jim Babb · Tiffany & Jason Bernd
Frank Bragg · Shirley & Mike Butterworth · Joye Blount & Jesse Knight, Jr.
The Cato Corporation · Margarita & Nick Clements · Mary Delk
Caroline & Ben Dellinger III · Lisa & Carlos Evans · David Fisk & Anne O’Byrne
Averill, Johanna, & Lauren Harkey · Carol & Bill Lorenz · Leslie & Michael Marsicano
Virginia & Chan Martin · DeDe & Alex McKinnon · Posey & Mark Mealy ·
Wanda & Steve Phifer · Ridgely & John Phillips · Dale & Larry Polsky
Judy & Derek Raghavan · Shannon & Eric Reichard · Sara & Daniel Roselli · Lori & Eric Sklut
Emily & Zach Smith · Melinda & David Snyder · Dr. John A. Thompson, Jr. & Dr. Lee Rocamora
Jill & Kevin Walker · Jim Worrell
$5,000 - $9,999
Brian S. Cromwell · Toni Burke & Bob Gaines · Sarah & Frank Gentry · Carol & Joseph Gigler
Lucinda Nisbet Lucas · Dee Dee & William Maxwell · Melissa & Dennis McCrory
Cyndee Patterson · Betty & William Seifert · Peggy & Pope Shuford · Nancy E. Simpson
Drs. Jennifer & Matthew Sullivan · Mary Claire & Dan Wall · Martha Ann & Craig Wardlaw










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:
ANONYMOUS










The Trexler Foundation
Dowd Foundation, Inc.
The Dickson Foundation
Cole Foundation
The Charlotte Assembly
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
Barnhardt/Thomas Trust
Minor Foundation, Inc
Music Performance Trust 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
Jason & Tiffany Bernd
Mary & Charles Bowman
Frank Bragg
Robin & Bill Branstrom
Paige & Steve Burgess
Dr. William Charles & Dr. Cynthia Nortey
Derick & Sallie Close
Robin Cochran
Catherine & Wilton Connor
Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III
Brian Cromwell
Susan Cybulski
Marcia & Jason Daily
Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino
Alvaro & Donna de Molina
Peggy & Richard Dreher
Lisa Hudson Evans
Bill Farthing
Karen Fox
Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle
Ralph S. Grier
Laurie Guy
Janet Haack
Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.
Mark & Whitney Jerrell
Jeff Lee
Carrie Galloway
Lucia Zapata Griffith
Fran Hyde
Byron Johns*
Valerie Kinloch
Stephen Makris
Juliette Pryor
Manley Roberts*
Sara Garces Roselli
Lindsay Schall
Ylida Scott
Cameron Sherrill
Jennifer Sullivan
Brienne Tinder*
Andrea Mumm Trammell*
Ken Walker *ex-officio
Gov. James G. Martin
Jane & Hugh McColl
Stacie McGinn
Susan & Loy McKeithen
Alex & DeDe McKinnon
Elizabeth & Jay Monge
Mica Oberkfell
Patrick J. O’Leary
Richard Osborne
Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips
Derek & Judy Raghavan
Paul Reichs
Nancy & Charles Robson
Patricia A. Rodgers
M.A. Rogers
Frank Schall
Laura & Mike Schulte
Carolyn Shaw
Emily & Zach Smith
Will Sparks
Elizabeth Connor Stewart
Bob & Marsha Stickler
Kelly & Neal Taub
Adam Taylor
Chris & Jim Teat
Kevin & Jill Walker
Elizabeth & Steve Willen
Braxton Winston
Richard Worf
Joan Zimmerman
Albert Zue
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




Grant Llewellyn, conductor
Deanna Breiwick, soprano · Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano
Eric Ferring, tenor · Tyler Duncan, baritone
Charlotte Master Chorale