CSO Renee Fleming Gala - program 09-20-23

Welcome to your CSO!

Welcome to the Charlotte Symphony’s Annual Gala, a night of exceptional music and celebration!

This evening, we are honored to welcome the return of our esteemed Conductor Laureate, Christopher WarrenGreen, who graces our stage alongside the world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming. The exceptional talent they bring, combined with the incredible musicians of the Charlotte Symphony, is sure to leave us all in awe.

Tonight also marks the beginning of the Symphony’s 92nd season, a season that promises an exciting and eclectic range of concerts across our Classical, Pops, Movie, and Family series along with a host of special events that deserve a place on your calendar.

Your presence here tonight is a testament to your belief in the transformative power of live music. The act of gathering together in this hall to share in this experience transcends language and differences, and forges connections, nurtured through the incredible gift of music, which will resonate long after the final note has faded.

Our mission extends far beyond the boundaries of this concert hall. It is about enriching lives through music, making it accessible to diverse audiences, and nurturing the talents of the next generation of musicians and music lovers. Your support, in its many forms, enables us to continue this important work.

So, here’s to a night of extraordinary music! I look forward to seeing you at the Symphony again soon. Enjoy the performance.

David Fisk President & CEO

Your Charlotte Symphony Experience

Whether you’re attending your first Symphony performance, or you’re a longtime subscriber, we’d like to extend to you a warm and inclusive welcome! Below is some helpful information to ensure you make the most of your Charlotte Symphony experience.

What should I wear?

The Charlotte Symphony has no specific dress code. We encourage you to be comfortable and come as yourself in a style of your choice.

When do I applaud?

Audiences applaud to welcome the concertmaster, conductor, and featured artists onstage. Some works may have several sections, or movements, separated by a brief silent pause. It is tradition to hold applause until the last movement. If you are unsure, wait for the conductor to face the audience. But if you feel truly inspired, do not be afraid to applaud!

Can I take photos?

Certainly! We welcome and encourage you to capture and share photos before and after the concert, as well as during intermission. Feel free to use your cell phone for photography without flash during the performance, but please refrain from video or audio recording.

annual gala concert

Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 7:00 pm

Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

Christopher Warren-Green, conductor

Renée Fleming, soprano

JOHANN STRAUSS II (1825-1899)

Overture to Die Fledermaus [approx. 10 minutes]

RICHARD STRAUSS (1864-1949)

Four Last Songs

I. Frühling (Spring)

II. September

[approx. 24 minutes]

III. Beim Schlafengehen (At Bedtime)

IV. Im Abendrot (At Sunset)

Overture to La forza del destino [approx. 8 minutes]

GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)

RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919)

Musette svaria sulla bocca viva (from La bohème) [approx. 2 minutes]

FRANCESCO CILEA (1866-1950)

Io son l'umile ancella (from Adriana Lecouvreur) [approx. 4 minutes]

RICHARD RODGERS (1902-1979)

The Carousel Waltz (from Carousel) [approx. 4 minutes]

RICHARD RODGERS (1902-1979)

Climb Ev'ry Mountain (from The Sound of Music) [approx. 2 minutes]

ANDREW LIPPA (b. 1964)

The Diva [approx. 4 minutes]

concert duration: approximately 1 hour, 10 minutes, with no intermission.

Christopher Warren-Green conductor laureate & music adviser

British conductor Christopher Warren-Green is Music Director of the London Chamber Orchestra in the UK and Conductor Laureate and Artistic Adviser to the Charlotte Symphony in North Carolina following a twelve-year tenure as Music Director. Warren-Green is Chair of the Foundation for Young Musicians and in 2022 he celebrated a professional career spanning 50 years.

During the 2023/24 season, highlights include returns to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Macau Orchestra, and three visits with Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra. Further highlights include performances with the Charlotte Symphony where Warren-Green conducts Swan Lake and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No.1 respectively, as well as engagements with the London Chamber Orchestra where he joins forces with soloists Ben Goldscheider and Jess Gillam.

Warren-Green has conducted eminent orchestras around the world, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit, Houston, St Louis, Toronto, Milwaukee, Seattle and Vancouver symphony orchestras, and the National Symphony Orchestra Washington D.C. In the UK, Warren-Green has worked with Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National orchestras. In Europe, he has conducted Orchestre National de Belgique, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Orchestre National de Montpelier, Zürcher Kammerorchester, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra and in East Asia the Hong Kong Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon, Singapore, Sapporo and KBS symphony orchestras.

In addition to international commitments, Warren-Green has been honoured to conduct regularly for the British royal family at events including the wedding services of HM King Charles III and HM Queen Camilla, TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Warren-Green conducted the London Chamber

Orchestra on the occasion of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday and Philharmonia Orchestra for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday concert at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as well as HM King Charles’s 60th birthday concert in Buckingham Palace and on other Royal occasions.

As a conductor he has recorded extensively for Sony, Philips, Virgin, EMI, Chandos, Decca, Deutsche Gramophone, and records with the London Chamber Orchestra for Signum Classics.

As a soloist he has recorded Mendelssohn Mozart and Vivaldi concerti and appeared as soloist extensively in Europe most notably with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the Fields in the Berlin Philharmonie.

Warren-Green began his career at the age of seventeen, and at the age of twenty-one was named Concertmaster of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, followed by Philharmonia Orchestra under Ricardo Muti. At age twenty-five, WarrenGreen became concertmaster of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner. He has served as a juror for many international competitions including the Prague Spring Conducting, the Wieniawski Violin, and Hong Kong Piano competitions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, having been a professor there for eight years, and has appeared and presented numerous times on television and radio, most notably for the BBC Proms.

Renée Fleming soprano

Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. Honored with five Grammy® awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014 she became the first classical artist ever to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. In May, the World Health Organization appointed her as a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health, and the following month, it was announced that she is to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor this fall.

Renée’s current concert calendar includes appearances in London, Vienna, Milan, Los Angeles, and at Carnegie Hall. She recently completed a world recital tour with the renowned pianist Evgeny Kissin. In November, she starred in the world premiere staging of The Hours, a new opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and awardwinning film, at the Metropolitan Opera. In March, she portrayed Pat Nixon in a new production of Nixon in China at the Opéra de Paris. Renée currently stars in a series of IMAX films, Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing, highlighting the music of great cultural capitals.

Renée has recorded everything from complete operas and song recitals to indie rock and jazz. In January, Decca released a special double-length album of live recordings from Renée’s greatest performances at the Metropolitan Opera. In February, Renée received the Grammy Award (her fifth) for Best Classical Vocal Solo for her album Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, with Yannick Nézet-Seguin as pianist. A collection of classical songs and specially commissioned world premieres, the album focuses on nature as both inspiration and victim of human activity. Known for bringing new audiences to classical music and opera, Renée has sung not only with Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, but also with Elton John, Paul Simon,

Sting, Josh Groban, and Joan Baez. She has hosted a wide variety of television and radio broadcasts, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series and Live from Lincoln Center. Her voice is featured on the soundtracks of Best Picture Oscar winners The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings

In recent years, Renée has become a prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience. As Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she launched the first ongoing collaboration between America’s national cultural center and its largest health research institute, the National Institutes of Health. Inspired by the Sound Health initiative, Renée has created a program called Music and the Mind, which she has presented in more than 50 cities around the world, earning Research!America’s 2020 Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion. In 2020, Renée launched Music and Mind LIVE, a weekly web show exploring the connections between arts, human health, and the brain, amassing nearly 700,000 views, from 70 countries. She is now an advisor for major initiatives in this field, including the Sound Health Network at the University of California San Francisco and the NeuroArts Blueprint at Johns Hopkins University.

Renée’s new anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, will be published in 2024. Her memoir The Inner Voice was published by Viking Penguin in 2004 and is now in its sixteenth printing. It is also published in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Poland, Russia, and China. Advisor for Special Projects at LA Opera, Renée also leads SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. She is Co-Director of the Aspen Opera Center and VocalArts at the Aspen Music Festival. Renée’s other awards include the 2023 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize, France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, and honorary doctorates from 8 major universities

Renée Fleming appears by arrangement with IMG Artists, imgartists.com

Ms. Fleming is an exclusive recording artist for Decca and Mercury Records (UK).

Ms. Fleming’s jewelry is by Ann Ziff for Tamsen Z.

YOUR CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY

Christopher Warren-Green, Conductor Laureate & Music Adviser

Christopher James Lees, Resident Conductor

FIRST VIOLINS

Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, Concertmaster

The Catherine & Wilton Connor Chair

Joseph Meyer, Associate Concertmaster

Kari Giles, Assistant Concertmaster

Susan Blumberg°°

Jane Hart Brendle

Cynthia Burton

Emily Chatham°°

Ayako Gamo

Lenora Leggatt

Jenny Topilow

Dustin Wilkes-Kim

Hanna Zhdan

SECOND VIOLINS

Oliver Kot, Principal

The Wolfgang Roth Chair

Kathleen Jarrell, Assistant Principal

The Pepsi-Cola Foundation of Charlotte Chair

Carlos Tarazona°

Monica Boboc

Martha Geissler

Sakira Harley

Tatiana Karpova

Ellyn Stuart

VIOLAS

Benjamin Geller, Principal

The Zoe Bunten Merrill Principal Viola Chair

Alaina Rea, Assistant Principal *

Chihiro Tanaka, Acting Asst. Principal

Ellen Ferdon

Cynthia Frank

Wenlong Huang

Viara Stefanova

Ning Zhao

CELLOS

Jonathan Lewis, Principal

The Kate Whitner McKay Principal Cello Chair

Allison Drenkow, Acting Asst. Principal

Alan Black, Principal Emeritus*

Marlene Ballena

Jeremy Lamb

Amy Sunyoung Lee

Sarah Markle

Oksana McCarthy †

DOUBLE BASSES

Kurt Riecken, Principal*

Jason McNeel, Acting Principal

Judson Baines, Assistant Principal*

Justin Cheesman, Acting Asst. Principal

Jeffrey Ferdon

Luis Primera†

FLUTES

Victor Wang, Principal

The Blumenthal Foundation Chair

Amy Orsinger Whitehead

Erinn Frechette

PICCOLO

Erinn Frechette

OBOES

Hollis Ulaky, Principal

The Leo B. Driehuys Chair‡

Erica Cice

Terry Maskin

ENGLISH HORN

Terry Maskin

CLARINETS

Taylor Marino, Principal

The Gary H. & Carolyn M. Bechtel Chair

Samuel Sparrow

Allan Rosenfeld

E♭ CLARINET

Samuel Sparrow

BASS CLARINET

Allan Rosenfeld

BASSOONS

Joseph Merchant, Principal

Joshua Hood

Nicholas Ritter

CONTRABASSOON

Nicholas Ritter

HORNS

Byron Johns, Principal

The Mr. & Mrs. William H. Van Every Chair

Andrew Fierova

Philip Brindise†

The Robert E. Rydel, Jr. Third Horn Chair

Richard Goldfaden

Andrew Merideth†

TRUMPETS

Alex Wilborn, Principal

The Betty J. Livingstone Chair

Jonathan Kaplan

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

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

TIMPANI

Jacob Lipham, Principal

The Robert Haywood Morrison Chair

PERCUSSION

Brice Burton, Principal

HARP

Andrea Mumm Trammell, Principal

The Dr. Billy Graham Chair

This roster lists the full-time members of the Charlotte Symphony. The number and seating of musicians onstage 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

Michael Reichman, VP of Artistic Operations & General Manager

Carrie Graham, Director of Artistic Planning

Tim Pappas, Director of Operations

Nixon Bustos, Principal Music Librarian

Erin Eady, Personnel Manager

Bradley Geneser, Associate Principal Librarian

Claire Beiter, Operations Coordinator

John Jarrell, Stage Manager

The Charlotte Symphony is a proud member of the League of American Ochestras.

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VIOLINIST

Jennifer Koh

JAZZ VIOLINIST

Regina Carter

RESIDENT CONDUCTOR

Christopher James Lees

star wars: the force awakens in concert

LUIS

PRIMERA Double Bass

Member of CSO since 2023 hometown: Valencia, Venezuela

FUN FACTS

• I really love to cook, go to the beach, and relax in nature.

• If I could meet one composer it would be Mahler. I would ask him to tell me all the stories about his life and every single piece he wrote.

• If I wasn’t a professional musician I would be an economist.

For more information about Charlotte Symphony musicians, visit charlottesymphony.org

One of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) connects with more than 100,000 music lovers each year through its lively season of concerts, broadcasts, community events, and robust educational programs. The CSO is committed to its mission of uplifting, entertaining, and educating the diverse communities of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and beyond through exceptional musical experiences.

The Charlotte Symphony upholds the highest artistic integrity and takes bold steps to engage with its community through music. Its 65 professional, full-time musicians perform throughout the region — from community parks and breweries, to places of worship and senior care centers — and offer significant educational support, aimed at serving the underresourced areas of our community.

The Charlotte Symphony is deeply committed to the notion that music, accessible to all and experienced in its many forms, enriches and unifies our community. The CSO believes in equity and inclusion and strives to be an industry leader in imaginative, relevant programming by intentionally seeking out women conductors, underrepresented in our industry, and conductors, composers, and guest artists of color.

Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony plays a leading cultural role in the Charlotte area and serves the community as a civic leader, reflecting and uniting our region through the transformative power of live music.

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.

For more information, visit us online at charlottesymphony.org

JOHANN STRAUSS II

born: October 25, 1825 in Vienna, Austria

died: June 3, 1899 in Vienna, Austria

Overture to Die Fledermaus (1874)

approx. duration: 10 minutes

The operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is one of the most beloved works by Vienna’s “Waltz King”, Johann Strauss. The story is based on a text by the librettists Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, who also provided the texts for Georges Bizet’s Carmen and several of the Jacques Offenbach operettas. In the Ludovic-Halévy version of the tale, called Le réveillon, the story takes place in Paris on Christmas Eve. Karl Haffner and Richard Genée fashioned a German-language version of the tale, which relocated the story to the Vienna of Strauss’s time. It was this text that Strauss set to music.

The premiere of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus took place at the Vienna Theater an der Wien on April 5, 1874. The work was not an immediate success. But soon, Die Fledermaus triumphed in Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, and, of course, Vienna. To this day, Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus is one of the few operettas to maintain a regular presence in the opera house repertoire, particularly around the New Year.

The sparkling Overture to Die Fledermaus has also enjoyed independent success in the concert hall. The Overture features several melodies from the operetta. And, of course, the waltz plays a prominent role in this delightful work.

(Program Notes continued next page)

premiere: April 5, 1874 in Vienna

RICHARD STRAUSS

born: June 11, 1864 in Munich, Germanya

died: September 8, 1949 in Garmisch, Germany

Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) (1948)

approx. duration: 24 minutes

The final decade of Richard Strauss’s long and productive life was, in many ways, the most difficult. Along with the kinds of challenges often encountered in later years, Strauss witnessed the destruction of his native Germany, as World War II reached its devastating conclusion. Ultimately, Strauss and his wife, Pauline, left their home in Garmisch, seeking refuge in Switzerland. Nevertheless, Strauss’s last decade proved to be a remarkably creative period, one affectionately referred to as the composer’s “Indian Summer.” During the 1940s Strauss produced several marvelous works, including the opera Capriccio (1942), the Second Horn Concerto (1942), the Oboe Concerto (1945), and Metamorphosen (1945), subtitled “A Study for 23 Solo Strings.”

Strauss’s final composition is the work known as the Vier letze Lieder (Four Last Songs), scored for soprano solo and orchestra. In May of 1948, Strauss composed the song “Im Abendrot”, a setting of a poem by Joseph von Eichendorff. In September of that year, Strauss added three songs, based upon poetry by Hermann Hesse (“Frühling,” “September,” and “Beim Schlafengehen”). The premiere of the Four Last Songs took place after Strauss’s death. Two legendary artists, soprano Kirsten Flagstad and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, joined the Philharmonia Orchestra in a May 22, 1950 concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Throughout his career, Richard Strauss proved himself a master of vocal writing (both in song and opera), and in the magical deployment of the orchestra to musical and dramatic effect. All of those gifts are evident in Strauss’s valedictory work, one that with the utmost beauty and eloquence depicts the composer’s embrace of the culmination of a rich and well-lived time on earth.

(Program Notes continued next page)

premiere: May 22, 1950 in London

GIUSEPPE VERDI

born: October 10, 1813 in Le Roncole, Italy died: January 27, 1901 in Milan, Italy

Overture to La forza del destino (1862)

premiere: November 10, 1862 in St. Petersburg approx. duration: 8 minutes

Verdi’s grand opera, La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny), is based upon a sprawling 1830s Spanish play, Don Alvaro, or The Force of Destiny, by Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas. To this day, some find Forza’s epic length (expanded by several crowd scenes) somewhat problematic. However, the central plot is relatively straightforward. The story takes place in Spain and Italy, toward the middle of the 18th century. Don Alvaro accidentally kills the Marquis of Calatrava — the father of the woman he loves, Leonora di Vargas. Don Carlo, the Marquis’s son, searches for Don Alvaro and Leonora in order to avenge his father’s death. Don Carlo finally confronts Don Alvaro (now a priest), and challenges him to a duel. Don Alvaro mortally wounds Don Carlo, who in turn fatally stabs Leonora when she tries to comfort her brother. Don Alvaro curses the fates, but when he finally prays for forgiveness, Leonora dies in peace.

Verdi created the famous Overture to La forza del destino for the 1869 premiere of the opera’s revised version. The Overture begins with the repeated ominous brass chords that serve to open Act II (Allegro). The strings play the relentless, churning destiny motif that pursues Leonora di Vargas throughout the opera. Several further melodies from the opera — often accompanied by the destiny motif — are introduced with the unerring contrast and inexorable forward motion that are hallmarks of one of the lyric theater’s greatest dramatists. A rousing coda brings The Force of Destiny Overture to a stunning conclusion.

(Program Notes continued next page)

RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO

born: March 8, 1857 in Naples, Italy died: August 9, 1919 in Montecatini, Italy

“Musette svaria sulla bocca viva” from La bohème (1897)

premiere: May 6, 1897 in Venice approx. duration: 2 minutes

In March, 1893 in Milan, Ruggero Leoncavallo had a chance encounter with his friend and fellow opera composer, Giacomo Puccini. During that meeting, Puccini revealed to Leoncavallo that he was working on an operatic adaptation of Henri Murger’s 1848 novel, Scenes de la vie de Bohème. Leoncavallo was surprised, to say the least, because at the time, he was working on precisely the same project. From this point, it became a race to the opera house, with Puccini the victor. Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin on February 1, 1896, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Leoncavallo’s La bohème, with a libretto by the composer, had its first performance at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice on May 6, 1897. While Leoncavallo’s La bohème was a success at its premiere, Puccini’s version quickly emerged as the favorite. Leoncavallo was convinced that Puccini stole his idea. Hard feelings between the two composers remained until Leoncavallo’s death in 1919.

Puccini’s La bohème remains one of the most beloved operas. But Leoncavallo’s La bohème is a fine work in its own right. This concert features Mimì’s brief aria, “Musette svaria sulla bocca viva”. Act I takes place on Christmas Eve, 1837, at the Paris Café Momus. Mimì, lover of the poet Rodolfo, introduces her friend, Musette, to the Bohemians. Mimì describes Musette’s carefree nature, and her eternal pursuit of love. The painter Marcello is immediately entranced with Musette.

(Program Notes continued next page)

born: July 26, 1866 in Palmi, Italy died: November 20, 1950 in Varazze, Italy

“Io son l’umile ancella” from Adriana Lecouvreur (1902)

premiere: November 26, 1902 in Milan

Adriana Lecouvreur, Francesco Cilea’s most famous opera, is a setting of a libretto by Arturo Colautti, in turn based upon an 1849 play by Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé. Adrienne Lecouvreur (1692-1730) was an historical figure, a celebrated actress of the Paris Comédie-Française. Both the Scribe/Legouvé play and Cilea’s opera embrace the rumor that Lecouvreur’s death was the result of poisoning, revenge by the Duchess of Bouillon for the actress’s love affair with Maurice de Saxe. The premiere of Adriana Lecouvreur took place at Milan’s Teatro Lirico on November 26, 1902. The cast included soprano Angelica Pandolfini as Adriana, tenor Enrico Caruso as her lover Maurizio, and baritone Giuseppe de Luca as the stage manager Michonnet. Since its premiere, sopranos have embraced the considerable musical and dramatic opportunities offered by the title role.

Act I takes place backstage at the Opéra-Comique. Preparations are underway for a performance of the play Bajazet. Adriana enters, rehearsing her lines. When admirers lavish effusive praise, Adriana responds that she is but the humble servant of creative genius (“Io son l’umile ancella”).

FRANCESO CILEA (Program Notes continued next page)

approx. duration: 4 minutes

RICHARD RODGERS

born: June 28, 1902 in New York City died: December 30, 1979 in New York City

“The Carousel Waltz” from Carousel (1945)

premiere: April 19, 1945 in New York

approx. duration: 4 minutes

Carousel, the second collaboration by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), followed their tremendous success with the musical Oklahoma! (1943). Carousel is a musical adaptation of the 1909 Hungarian play Liliom, by Ferenc Molnár. Rodgers and Hammerstein shifted the location from Molnár’s Budapest to the coast of Maine. Carousel is the story of the tragic marriage of Billy Bigelow, a carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a millworker.

When Julie becomes pregnant, Billy joins a robbery to raise money for his family. The scheme fails, and Billy commits suicide. Consigned to purgatory, Billy is given one last opportunity to redeem himself, which he does by coming to the aid of his daughter. John Raitt and Jan Clayton created the roles of Billy and Julie in the 1945 Broadway premiere.

“Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music (1959)

premiere: November 16, 1959 in New York

approx. duration: 2 minutes

The Broadway musicals of the era traditionally began with an orchestral overture, a collection of melodies from the show. Rodgers dispenses with this convention, and opens Carousel with an orchestral piece that serves to accompany a pantomime on stage. During “The Carousel Waltz”, the audience is introduced to the show’s setting, the principal characters, and the budding romance between Billy and Julie. The Sound of Music, the last of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, is based upon the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Mary Martin starred as Maria, Theodor Bikel was Captain von Trapp, and Patricia Neway was the Mother Abbess in the 1959 Broadway premiere. Maria, who has fallen in love with von Trapp, tells the Mother Abbess she is ready to take her monastic vows. The Mother Abbess instead encourages Maria to confront her emotions, and to realize her dreams.

ANDREW LIPPA

born: December 22, 1964 in Leeds, United Kingdom

The Diva (2020)

premiere: September 26, 2020 in Washington, DC

approx. duration: 4 minutes

“The Diva” is a song by American composer Andrew Lippa, whose works include the Broadway and Off-Broadway shows Big Fish, The Addams Family, and The Wild Party. Lippa composed “The Diva” for a 2020 concert by Renée Fleming and Venessa Williams at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “The Diva” is a humorous, upbeat, rock-infused number that argues famous operatic sopranos are (almost) just like the rest of us.

We gratefully acknowledge these generous donors to the Charlotte Symphony Annual Fund. This list reflects gifts received between July 1, 2023 through August 1, 2023

BENEFACTOR CIRCLE

$100,000+

Catherine & Wilton Connor * Douglas Young

$50,000 – $99,999

DG Brungard Foundation

$25,000 – $49,999

Anonymous

Joan & Mick Ankrom

Richard & Ruth Ault

Dr. Milton & Arlene Berkman Philanthropic Fund

Rosemary Blanchard†

Mark & Judith Brodsky

Ms. Judith Carpenter

Roberta H. Cochran

Jean & Dick Cornwell

J. Porter & Victoria Durham

Linda & Bill Farthing

$15,000 – $24,999

Anonymous (2)

Melissa & Daren Anderson

Emanuel Clark

Ralph S. Grier

Michael & Mary Lamach

Betty P. & Jeffrey J. Lee

$10,000 – $14,999

Anonymous (3)

Joye D. Blount & Jessie J. Knight Jr.

Katharine & Frank Bragg

Mr. & Mrs. R. Alfred Brand III

Lynne & Colby Cathey

Margarita & Nick Clements

Jeanie & Tom Cottingham

Lisa & Carlos Evans

Christoph & Robin Feddersen

Karen Fox

Charles & Caren Gale

Janet M. Haack

Leigh & Watts Humphrey

Chris & Susan Kearney

Ginger Kelly

J. Porter & Victoria Durham

John & Maria Huson

Richard Krumdieck

Jacqueline B. Mars

Jane & Hugh McColl*

Patricia & Thrus Morton

Patrick J. O'Leary

Richard J. Osborne

Paul & Kathy Reichs

Carolyn Shaw

John & Andromeda Williams

DeDe & Alex McKinnon

Alex & Ulrike Miles

Robert Norville

Debbie & Pat Phillips

Judy & Derek Raghavan

Adam & Sienne Taylor

Ms. Nina Lesavoy

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mealy

Laura & Perry Poole

Ann & Fritz Rehkopf

Mrs. Rosalind Richardson

Nancy & Charlie Robson

Pat Rodgers

Cory & Amanda Rogers

Ms. Marjorie M. Schwab

Thomas & Sherry Skains

Melinda & David Snyder

Mary Claire & Dan Wall

Richard & Lisa Worf

* The Charlotte Symphony recognizes donors of exceptional generosity whose cumulative giving to the CSO exceeds $1 million with the designation of Music Director Society.

Jason Norvell

Torsten & Kim Pilz

Emily & Nima Pirzadeh

Sara Garcés Roselli & Dan Roselli

Bette Roth

Ylida & Bert Scott

Laura & Michael Schulte

Donald & Susan Sherrill

Glenn Sherrill, Jr In honor of Robin Branstom

Mr. & Mrs. Harley F. Shuford, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Pope A. Shuford

Nancy E. Simpson

Lori & Eric Sklutwiener

Drs. Jennifer Sullivan & Matthew Sullivan

Kevin Taylor

Chris & Jim Teat

Judith & Gary Toman

Mr. & Mrs. C.L. Trenkelbach

Suzie & Nick Trivisonno

In Memory of Tess Verbesey

Kevin & Jill Walker

Floyd Wisner & Glenda Colman

Sidney & Bobby Youngs

Abby & Albert Zue

$3,500 – $4,999

Anonymous

Wedge & Debbie Abels

Mr. James Biddlecome, In Loving Memory of Bernadette Zirkuli Biddlecome

Philipp J. Bischoff

Si & Michael Blake

Sally & Derick Close

H. Clay Furches

Richard I. McHenry & Cynthia L. Caldwell

Arrington & Burch Mixon

Tony & Linda Pace

Marsha & Robert L. Stickler

Daniel & Kathleen Troy

Edgar & Karen Whitener

George McLendon & Carol Quillen

$2,500 – $3,499

Anonymous

Julian Andretta

Merilyn & Craig Baldwin

Mrs. Harriet B. Barnhardt

Bill & Georgia Belk

Tiffany & Jason Bernd

Jan & Bob Busch

Cathy Bessant & John Clay

Mr. & Mrs. Alan Blumenthal

Amy & Philip Blumenthal

Dr. & Mrs. O. Robert Boehm

Ann Thomas Colley

Dorothy & Mike Connor

Deborah J. Cox & Bob Szymkiewicz

Alfred & Amy Dawson

Chris & Elizabeth Daly

In Memory of Betty Haggarty

Peter De Arcangelis

Phil & Mary Delk

Cheryl DeMaio

Peggy & Charles Dickerson

Timothy & Kara Gallagher

Harvey & Lucinda Gannt

(continued next page)

$2,500 – $3,499 (continued)

Glenn Mincey & Mrs. Macie Mincey

Eleanor W. Neal

Caroline Olzinski

Pamela Pearson & Charles Peach

John & Susan Rae

Jane Perry Shoemaker

Katie & Raleigh Shoemaker

Ken Spielfogel & Richard Withem

Robert & Maxine Stein

Gail & Scott Syfert

Tillie S. Tice

Jenny & Ken Tolson

James H. Trexler & Kelly Zellars

Vera Watson

Grant Webb

Linda & Craig Weisbruch

Cricket Weston & David Molinaro

Mrs. Eugenia N. White

Bryan Wilhelm

Noni Williams

Deems Wilson

Ms. Deborra Wood & Mr. Russell Propst

$1,000 – $1,499

Anonymous (5)

Ashley & Steve Allen

Kathleen & Richard Anderson

Mary Lou & Jim Babb

Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln A. Baxter

Morgan & Katie Beggs

Katherine W. Belk

John & Katherine Beltz

Shirley W. Benfield

Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein Family Foundation

Ms. Brett Blumenthal & Mr. David Wax

Carole Bourret

Khary Brown in Memory of Kyden Justice Brown

(continued next page)

Arvind & Helen Patil

Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge

Catherine Philpott

Lucy Quintilliano & Leonard Fumi

Dr. & Mrs. R. Pinkney Rankin, Jr.

Morry Alter & Joan Rasmussen

Brendan Reen

Dave & Anne Regnery

Rita & Thomas Robinson

Sally & Russell Robinson

Mrs. Gail Salmon

Dr. Stephen P. Schultz & Donna Dutton

Thomas & Natasha Scrivener

Mr. & Mrs. William Seifert

Molly & Conrad Sloan

Scott Smith

Murray & Hazel Somerville

Kathryn Stewart

Al & Alice Sudduth

Ann & Wellford Tabor

Richard R. Taylor

Mr. & Mrs. Hans Teich

Catherine Thompson

B. Maureen Turner

Vint & Libby Tilson

Sarah S. Tull

Drs. Iris Cheng & Daniel Uri

Dr. & Mrs. Bill Chu & Jin Wang

Ward Wellman & Laura Meyer Wellman

Pam & Steve West

Peter White

David Wilcox

Mr. Gary Wilhite

Ms. Judith Wood

Eugene Woods

Ms. Barbara Yarbrough

$500 – $999

Anonymous (4)

Michael & Lee Abbott

Doug & Linda Abel

Mark Abrams & Iris Prandi

Mr. Lester Ackerman & Mr. Layton Campbell

Larry Anderson

Leigh & Rhonda Armistead

JWD Atchison

Bob & Cathy Becker

Emerson Bell

Ms. Melody Birmingham

James Broadstone

Aram & Scott Bryan

Greg & Mary Lou Cagle

Barbara F. Caine

Ms. Lisa Callen

Mary Case

Amanda & Kevin Chheda

Hobart B. Cheyne

(continued

Anonymous (3)

Geraldine I. Anderson†

Richard & Ruth Ault

Baldwin Family Trust

Barnhardt Thomas Trust

Larry & Joyce† Bennett

Donald H. & Barbara K. Bernstein

Mark & Louise Bernstein†

Twig & Barbara Branch

Saul Brenner

Mike & Joan Brown†

Mrs. Joan Bruns †

Jan & Bob Busch

Dr. Helen G. Cappleman, Ph.D.†

Jim Cochran†

Robin Cochran

Tom Covington

Charles & Peggy Dickerson

Mr. Martin Ericson, Jr.

David J.L. Fisk & Anne P. O’Byrne

Peter & Ann† Guild

William G. & Marguerite K. Huey Fund†

Dr. Nish Jamgotch, Jr.

Betty & Stanley Livingstone†

Lucille & Edwin Jones

† Deceased

Paul and Paula McIntosh

Nellie McCrory †

M. Marie Mitchell†

Cricket Weston & David Molinaro

Joan & Richard Morgan

Don C. Niehus

Eva Nove

Richard J. Osborne

Gwen Peterson & Tom Hodge

James Y. Preston†

Mrs. Clayton (Dusty) Pritchett

Ann & Fritz Rehkopf

Elizabeth Waring Reinhard

Nancy W. Rutledge

Mike Rutledge

Harriet Seabrook

Mr. & Mrs. William Seifert

Morris & Patricia Spearman

Bob & Maxine Stein

Dr. Ben C. Taylor III

Mr. & Mrs. Hans Teich

Cordelia G. Thompson

Tim Timson

Jenny & Ken Tolson

Ms. Debora Wood & Mr. Russell Propst

The Encore Society includes individuals who have made provisions for the CSO in their estate plans. We are honored to recognize their support: Leave a lasting legacy of great music through your planned gift. For more information, please contact Shayne Doty at 704.714.5104.

With your gift, the Charlotte Symphony uplifts, entertains, and educates the diverse communities of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and beyond through exceptional musical experiences.

CORPORATE PARTNERS

We are grateful for the following outstanding corporate funders:

For more information, please contact Mandy Vollrath at mvollrath@charlottesymphony.org

Troutman Pepper

GOVERNMENT & FOUNDATION SUPPORT

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

The Trexler Foundation

Dowd Foundation, Inc.

DG Brungard Foundation

The Dickson Foundation, Inc.

Cole Foundation

‘The Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation

The Mary Norris Preyer Fund

The George W. & Ruth R. Baxter Foundation

Barnhardt/Thomas Trust

Kathryn Stephenson Pipe Organ Endowment Foundation

Blumenthal Foundation

Minor Foundation, Inc.

For more information, please contact Mandy Vollrath at mvollrath@charlottesymphony.org

The Truist Charitable Fund is a donor-advised fund created by Truist and administered by The Winston-Salem Foundation

"Simply phenomenal..." - The London Times

November 1O & 11 7:30 pm | Knight Theater

This edgy and endlessly entertaining ensemble offers a singular mix of standards and modern-day hits, all brought to life with brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano, and incredible vocals.

Ian Passmore, conductor The Hot Sardines, special guests

Multimillion Dollar Commitment City of Charlotte

$1.5 million and above Bank of America

C.D. Spangler Foundation / National Gypsum Company

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Trane Technologies

$600,000 - $1 million

Albemarle Foundation

Atrium Health

Barings

Duke Energy

Honeywell

JELD-WEN, Inc.

LendingTree Foundation

Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Novant Health

Red Ventures

Truist

$300,000-$600,000

Ally Financial

The Centene Charitable Foundation

Childress Klein Properties

Coca-Cola Consolidated

Deloitte

EY

The Gambrell Foundation

Moore & Van Allen

PwC

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.

Rodgers Builders

Wells Fargo

Up to $300,000

Fifth Third Bank

Foundation For The Carolinas

Deidre and Clay Grubb

Leslie and Michael Marsicano

Jane and Hugh McColl

Nucor Corporation

PNC Bank

Premier, Inc.

Jane and Nelson Schwab

The Charlotte Symphony is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Linda McFarland Farthing

Chair

Richard Krumdieck

Vice Chair

John Williams

Vice Chair

Mick Ankrom

Treasurer

Manny Clark

Secretary

David Fisk

President & CEO

Joye D. Blount

Mike Butterworth

Nick Clements

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Richard Osborne, Chair

Ruth & Richard Ault

Kat Belk

Arlene & Milton Berkman

Jason & Tiffany Bernd

Mary & Charles Bowman

Frank Bragg

Robin & Bill Branstrom

Derick & Sallie Close

Robin Cochran

Wilton Connor

Jeanie & T. Thomas Cottingham III

Brian Cromwell

Alessandra & Pasquale De Martino

Alvaro & Donna de Molina

Peggy & Richard Dreher

Lisa Hudson Evans

Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle

Todd Gorelick

Ralph S. Grier

Laurie Guy

Janet Haack

Reginald B. Henderson, Esq.

Mark & Whitney Jerrell

Catherine Connor

Mary Delk*

Denise DeMaio

Sidney Fletcher

Kevin Gottehrer

Stephen Makris

Alex McKinnon

Ulrike W. Miles

Ylida Scott

Melinda Snyder

Jennifer Sullivan

Jenny Tolson*

Jenny Topilow*

Kevin Walker

*ex officio

Jeff Lee

Gov. James G. Martin

Jane & Hugh McColl

Susan & Loy McKeithen

Elizabeth J. McLaughlin

George McLendon

Mica Oberkfell

Patrick J. O’Leary

Debbie & G. Patrick Phillips

Paul Reichs

Nancy & Charles Robson

Patricia A. Rodgers

M.A. Rogers

Dan & Sara Garces Roselli

Laura & Mike Schulte

Carolyn Shaw

Emily & Zach Smith

Bob & Marsha Stickler

Adam Taylor

Cynthia Tyson

Braxton Winston

Richard Worf

Joan Zimmerman

Albert Zue

EXECUTIVE

David J. L. Fisk, President & CEO

Samantha Hackett, Executive Administrator

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS (see p. 11)

DEVELOPMENT

Shayne Doty, Vice President of Development

Mandy Vollrath, Director of Corporate & Institutional Relations

Libby Currier, Director of Individual Giving

Tammy Matula, Senior Manager of Development Operations

Jennifer Gherardi, Development Manager - Campaign & Special Events

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Angel Adams, Vice President of Finance & Administration

Chazin & Company, Financial Services

Amy Hine, HR Coordinator & Office Administrator

HUMAN RESOURCES

Maribeth Baker, Human Resources Counselor

LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Aram Kim Bryan, Vice President of Learning & Community Engagement

Dylan Lloyd, Senior Manager of Youth Orchestras

Michaela Sciacca, Project Harmony Manager

Gavin Fulker, Education & Community Programs Assistant

Elysia Duckett, Youth Orchestras Program Assistant

Jirah Montgomery, Youth Orchestras Program Assistant

Lily Moore, Youth Orchestras Program Assistant

MARKETING

Mical Hutson, Vice President of Marketing & Audience Development

Deirdre Roddin, Director of Institutional Marketing & Communications

Nicole Glaza, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing

Chad Calvert, Visual Communications Manager

Laura Thomas, Marketing Manager

Meghan Starr, Patron Experience Manager

Garrett Whiffen, Ticketing Manager

128 S. Tryon Street, Suite 350

Charlotte, NC 28202

tickets: 704.972.2000 office: 704.972.2003

charlottesymphony.org

CODY FRY

LIVE IN CONCERT

Friday, October 27 7:30 pm | Knight Theater

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Cody Fry took the internet by storm with his viral TikTok sensation "I Hear a Symphony." Now the Grammynominated artist is bringing his fusion of popular songs and rich orchestration to the Charlotte Symphony!

Christopher James Lees, conductor Cody Fry, special guest