Finale Concert
Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
Youth Ensemble
Eric Thompson III, conductor
WILLIAM OWENS (b. 1963)
“Haymaker Hoedown”
“More than Heroes”
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
“La Rejouissance” from Music for the Royal Fireworks
arr. Richard Meyer
JACQUES OFFENBACH (1819-1880)
“Can Can” from Orpheus in the Underworld
arr. Richard Meyer
Youth Philharmonic
Katie Ebert & Eric Thompson III, conductors
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 6
I. Allegro ma non troppo
arr. Robert D. McCashin
JOHANN STRAUSS II (1825-1899)
The Beautiful Blue Danube
arr. Richard Meyer
P.I. TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
“Cossack Dance” from Mazeppa
arr. Sandra Dackow
Youth Camerata
Ian Passmore, conductor
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46
I. Morning Mood
II. Death of Åse
III. Anitra’s Dance
IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King
arr. by TED RICKETTS
Satchmo! A Tribute to Louis Armstrong
Youth Symphony
Ian Passmore, conductor
P.I. TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Suite fom Swan Lake
I. Scène
II. Valse
III. Danse des cygnes
IV. Danse hongroise. Czardas
V. Scene Finale
EDWARD ELGAR (1857-1934)
“Nimrod” from Enigma Variations with CSYO Alumni
Katie Ebert co-conductor, Youth Philharmonic
Katie Ebert is the Director of Bands at Cuthbertson Middle School in Waxhaw NC, having served in this capacity since the school’s opening in 2009. She is in her 21st year teaching public school, and each of her ensembles continues to experience success. The Cuthbertson Middle School concert bands have consistently earned superior ratings at local, district, and regional music festivals. Under her baton, the middle school program has grown to a current enrollment of approximately 330 music students. Mrs. Ebert also serves as the Assistant Director of Bands at Cuthbertson High School.
A graduate of Lassiter High School in Marietta GA, Mrs. Ebert holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Music Performance from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah GA, and a Master of Music Education from Western Carolina University. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda and holds professional associations in the National Band Association, the National Association for Music Educators, the North Carolina Music Educators Association, the American School Band Directors Association, the South-Central District Bandmasters Association, and the Union County Bandmasters Association. Mrs. Ebert is a three-time award recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence and was recognized as Cuthbertson Middle School’s Teacher of the Year in 2016-17. She currently serves as a district representative on the state MPA committee and Solo and Ensemble chair.
Mrs. Ebert recently served as a guest clinician for the South Central and Northwestern All District Symphonic Honor Bands, and she continues to conduct both Distinct and County bands in the Southeast. She resides in Waxhaw, NC and team teaches the Cuthbertson band program alongside her husband Todd.
Eric Thompson III co-conductor, Youth Philharmonic
Eric L. Thompson III serves as the Conductor for the Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble and Co-Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Philharmonic. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007 where he held the Robert Ehrman Fellowship. There he studied with GRAMMY� Award-winning and MacArthur “Genius” Edgar Meyer and Harold Robinson, principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Upon graduation, Eric played full-time bass with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra prior to joining CharlotteMecklenburg Schools.
Mr. Thompson is the recipient of many awards: he is the first bassist to become a laureate of the Sphinx Competition, he was awarded second place in the ASTA National Solo Competition, and in 2002 he was awarded a musicians union scholarship from the American Federation of Musicians and the rank of Eagle Scout by the National Eagle Scout Association of Boy Scouts of America. As a soloist, he has played on live television broadcasts and has performed concertos twice with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2013, Mr. Thompson has been teaching orchestra at the Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology and Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. His students have participated in CMS All-District Honors Orchestra, Western Regional Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of Charlotte, All State Orchestra, NC Governor’s School, Interlochen Arts Camp, UNCG Summer Music Camp, and attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Mr. Thompson has been recognized many times as an educator, including the Outstanding Music Educator Award in 2019 by the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte and the Crowning Achievement Award in Music Education in 2020 by the Crown Jewels Chapter, The Links, Incorporated. Most recently he was voted as the 2023 CMS Orchestra Director of the Year and conducted CMS All-District Middle School Honors Orchestra.
Ian Passmore
conductor, Youth Camerata interim conductor, Youth Symphony
Known for adventurous musicality and a captivating stage presence, Filipino-American conductor Ian Passmore enjoys a rich career as an orchestral leader and pedagogue. Hailed as “a rising young conductor” by New York Arts, his unapologetically Romantic performances of the standard repertoire harken back to a bygone generation of conductors.
Following two seasons as the Omaha Symphony’s Assistant Conductor, in 2019 the orchestra named Mr. Passmore its Associate Conductor — a position never before created in its 100-year history. Ian has also led programs with the Buffalo and Louisiana philharmonics, the orchestras of Charlotte, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Lincoln, North Carolina, Oak Ridge and Winston-Salem, the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Vietnam’s Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra. His current season is highlighted by performances with the Anderson, Delaware and Salisbury symphony orchestras and an appointment as Interim Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra and Charlotte Symphony Youth Camerata. Ian also leads the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s holiday performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, with Charlotte Ballet.
Ian holds three academic degrees: a Doctor of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Delaware; a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Additional conducting studies were completed at UNC Chapel Hill.
Ian and his wife, Dianna Fiore, reside in North Carolina, in a home ruled over by four dogs — Beethoven, Charlie, Belle, and Heidi. When not on the podium, Ian can be found enjoying local restaurants and craft beers, cooking, traveling, road biking, and CrossFit. He is the creator of the podcast “Symphonic Shorts,” which seeks to remove the walls of formality that often surround classical music, making it more accessible to everyone.
Youth Philharmonic
Katie Ebert, co-conductor
Eric Thompson III, co-conductor
FIRST VIOLINS
Ellie Allen
Katherine Cen
Abby Fan
Paige Holley†
Seff Khan
Davis Pak-lin
Jason Phung
Elena Poon
Ariya Song
Joy Wan
Jane Wang
Everett Wong
Serena Yang
Liana Zhang**
SECOND VIOLINS
Blessing Akinuli
Matin Ayoubzadeh
Andre Fleury
Alexander Glasscock
Nikitha Hegde
Nicholas Johnson
Eloise Koert
Gwen Martin
Isabel Moore
Jordyn Smith
Elliot Wong
Avery Yang*
VIOLAS
Pranav Bodavula*
Tom Joseph
Emerson Lawrence
Ryan Medas
Chloe Pinter
CELLOS
Gaddiel Brewer*
Benedict Imaparto
Declan Johnson
Adam Refaey
Carson Rowe
Ishan Sundaram
Nathan Tackson
Caswell Taylor
DOUBLE BASS
Abigail Murray
FLUTES
Gabby Blye
Gabriella Idhaya
Gwendolyn Johnson
Aathmika Thanigai
Avanthika Thanigai
CLARINETS
Suman Siripurapu
William Thompson
** Concertmaster
* Principal † Senior
Wind and Brass players rotate positions throughout the concert.
Youth Camerata
Ian
Passmore,
conductor
FIRST VIOLINS
Ryan Ahn
Aanya Bharadwaj
Ethan Brainard
Akshara Dasika
Darina Kucherenko
Angelina Lambright
Mya Ngyuen
Elena Oh **
Adithi Somee
Svetha Sundar
Connor Wilson
Audrey Zhang
SECOND VIOLINS
Ryan Chow
Eden Gourdet-Bilancia
Caroline Jenkins
Emily Li
Daniel Min
Lucy Murray
Badra Nair
Purvi Selvaraj*
Arianne Sparrow
VIOLAS
Grace Higham*
Harshita Sharma
CELLOS
Virginia Bouknight
Nathan Keenan
Kyler May†
Brian Garcia Mejia
Nolan Pratt*
Isabella Ruiz
DOUBLE BASSES
Nate Dyer*
Abagail Murray
FLUTES
Cherrie Li
Justin Li
OBOES
Charlotte Feldman
Davis Hubbard
Reva Khaire
CLARINETS
Grace Chiu
Aanya Shukla
BASSOON
Beckett Jackson
HORNS
Titus Bonnema
Alaina Cook
Alex Fink
TRUMPETS
Levi Cook
TROMBONES
Ben Clancy
Risha Jangala
TUBA
Nolan Rice
PERCUSSION
Xavier Lee
Emanya Sibu
Youth Symphony
Ian Passmore, interim conductor
FIRST VIOLINS
Chloe Dai
Nethra Gopalakrishnan
Erin Hadiwidjaia
Ethan He
Hadley Hines †
Aliya Ling †
Dhanvi Manivasagam #
Dhiya Manivasagam #
Joy Ni †
Sayuki Peterman**
Kavya Sagunarthy †
Levi Teague
Evelyn Tjahjadi
Sameeya Vasan
Emunah Wang
Rachel Wang
Zhangkai Yang
Ethan Zheng
Neil Zhu
SECOND VIOLINS
Amisha Bharti
Susan Carroll
Campbell Carter
Levi Cook
Ian Cox †
Charlotte Dong
Lillian Dong
Noel Fang
Amelia Fleury #
Anish Ghosh
Emma He
Adelle Holderman
Saiya Larsen
Amrita Meda
Aarthi Nelatoor
Sydney Nguyen*†
Will Peterson
Chloe Phung
Isabella Pierre
Neal Rao
Elina Tackson
Joyce Wang #
VIOLAS
Darsh Goenka*
Ellen Leahy
Kieren Lee †
Mahi Valveti
CELLOS
Shwetanshu Chakraborthy
Joshika Chappidi
Clark Fan*
Charlotte Feddersen
Arielle Howard†
Lars Kaiser-Bots
Ryan Kim
Christian Ko†
Chloe Oh
Gabe Pierre
Josiah Shin
Lillian Song
Addison Turner
DOUBLE BASSES
Agastya Kumar
Jay Ponnanda†
Evan Thompson
Angela Yan*
** Concertmaster * Principal † Senior # NCSSM
Wind and Brass players rotate positions throughout the concert.
Youth Symphony
FLUTES
Yusuf Davis†
Easton Green†
Irene Koh
Sadie Mitchell
Natsuko Peterman
Aubry Wilhelm†
OBOES
Gabe Eudy†
Katharine Surber†
CLARINETS
Hanna Choi
Indira Ha†
Nicholas Smith
Stella Taub
BASSOONS
Randy Mayo-Rodriguez
Akosua Mensah†
HORNS
Garrett Baker
Liliana Grajales†
Carter McConnell†
TRUMPETS
Levi Cook
Dylan Wroth†
Braden Zubrod†
TROMBONES
Leon Baive
Brom Comer
Daniel Paulauskas
TUBA
Billy Ratledge†
PERCUSSION
Mark Li
Theodor Ottinger
HARP
Ella Higham
The Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble Conductor Chair is made possible by a generous gift from Debbie & Pat Phillips
The Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra Conductor Chair is made possible by a generous gift from The Symphony Guild of Charlotte
This program is made possible in part through the support of
REHEARSAL AIDS
Felipe Batista
Wyatt Stocks
Kelvin Chirapornsuk
SPECIAL THANKS
We would like to thank the following individuals whose passion for Music Education and our Youth Orchestra programs helped make this season possible
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
Judy Crozier
Park Road Baptist Church
Leslie Gipple
First Baptist Church West
Visit our website for more information! charlotte symphony .org/ csyo
Guild Member Recognition Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes a CSYO high school senior who intends to study music at the collegiate or conservatory level.
Criteria include the student demonstrating a confirmed commitment to follow through on music studies in college/conservatory and showing a strong desire to pursue music studies in college/conservatory. This commitment can be demonstrated by either the student’s history of commitment to music and/or their expression of continued commitment to music. The recipient is selected by the CSYO Team.
The Guild Member Recognition Scholarship receives funding from money set aside each year, totaling members’ significant membership anniversaries/years of service to The Guild, beginning at 20 years and up in five-year increments. Individual members’ names may be highlighted.
The student may choose to use the funds for a music summer camp/ festival in lieu of college/conservatory tuition. In such cases, the funds will be paid directly by The Guild to the host of the summer camp/festival.
Music Summer Camp/Festival Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes a CSYO or CSYP member who intends to study music further at a summer camp/festival.
The student must demonstrate a confirmed commitment to follow through on the music camp/festival and show a strong desire to continue pursuing music studies. The recipient is selected by the CSYO Team.
Past Presidents Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes a CSYO or CSYP student who demonstrates outstanding leadership.
Criteria include students with outstanding leadership characteristics such as integrity, courage, willingness to take measured risks, efficacy in leading others, clear vision/goals, and inspiring and motivating others. The recipient is selected by the CSYO Team.
Formerly known as the Kit Ramage Award, this award is in honor of all past Guild presidents and highlights the outgoing president.
Promising Musician Scholarship
Scholarships are awarded to two young musicians in each of the CSYO, CSYP, and CSYE (Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble) orchestras (or a combination of any group).
The award designates the student and the section they play in.
Criteria include students who show proficiency in their instruments and demonstrate a promising career in music. The recipient is selected by the CSYO Team.
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.
Your gift brings music to our community.
Our mission is to uplift, entertain, and educate the diverse communities in Charlotte and beyond through exceptional musical experiences. Thank you for making this possible. DONATE TODAY
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
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
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
