Charlotte Symphony unveils new season as it narrows search for the next maestro
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra unveiled its new season Tuesday, one that’s heavy on guest artists but light on conductors.
In fact, the only one listed so far for the 2023-24 season is former music director Christopher Warren-Green, conducting the annual gala in September featuring opera star Reneé Fleming and one other concert. In 2021, Warren-Green announced that he would step down at the end of the season in May 2022, but remain as conductor laureate and artistic adviser until a successor is found.
When the orchestra began its search for its 12th music director, it looked at a list of hundreds of potential candidates, CSO President and CEO David Fisk told The Charlotte Observer. That list is now down to fewer than a dozen people who are under serious consideration, he said.
The final choice is expected to come within the year, according to Fisk.
A number of the current season’s guest conductors could be seen as also doing potential tryouts for the music director job. Fisk noted that some were returning this month after having appeared with the orchestra last year, including Jessica Cottis and Paolo Bortolameolli.
People can draw their own conclusions about the return engagements, he said, but Fisk did not discount seeing somebody once and “falling in love at first sight.”
A focus on diversity
He also said having a diverse candidate pool remains a key consideration, and there “absolutely” is diversity among the remaining candidates.
All of the 11 people who have served as maestro over the orchestra’s nearly century-old history have been white men. So there’s the potential to rewrite history with the next leader.
“We want to stay in the forefront of the field in everything we do ... including the person we have on the stage,” Fisk said. “The field has changed. There are now really good, qualified, talented folks that are truly representative of our society and our community.
“And that’s what we want to be, representative of our society and community,“ he added. “And not to be in some ways exclusive or unrepresentative.”
As for the new season, Fisk said that without a music director to guide the choices, the orchestra’s musicians had a much larger role in planning the works. “It was a real pleasure to let their voices be heard in this process more than we have done in the past, and I’d love to see that continue,” he said.
The CSO’s 2023-24 season
Subscriptions for the Charlotte Symphony’s classical, pops, family, and movie series are on sale now. Individual tickets will go on sale starting in July. Details: charlottesymphony.org.
Here are the upcoming performances:
Classical series
Oct. 6-8, Knight Theater, Coleman, “Umoja,” Beethoven’s “Eroica” symphony, Chen/He “The Butterfly Lovers” violin concerto.
Oct. 20-22, Knight Theater, Mayer, “Faust” overture, Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2, Dvorak, “The Noonday Witch,” Still, Symphony No. 1 (“Afro-American”).
Nov. 17-18, Belk Theater, Verdi’s “Requiem” with Charlotte Master Chorale.
Dec. 1-3, Knight Theater, Handel’s “Messiah” with Charlotte Master Chorale.
Jan. 19-20, 2024, Knight Theater, Higdon, “Cold Mountain Suite” (Charlotte Symphony Co-Commission), Mazzoli, Violin Concerto, “Procession,” Barber, Second Essay for Orchestra, Copland, “Billy the Kid” (Ballet Suite).
Feb. 2-3, 2024, Belk Theater, Bartok Suite from “The Miraculous Mandarin,” Adams “Dr. Atomic” Symphony, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3.
Feb. 16-18, 2024, Knight Theater, Kodáky, “Dances of Galánta,” Wienawski, Concerto for Violin No. 2, Mozart Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”).
March 1-2, 2024, Belk Theater, Gershwin, “An American in Paris,” Price, Piano Concerto in One Movement, Gershwin, “Rhapsody in Blue,” Ravel, “Daphnis and Chloe” Suite No. 2.
March 22-23, 2024, Knight Theater, Wagner Prelude and “Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, Böhme Trumpet Concerto, Perry, A Short Piece for Orchestra, Strauss, “Death and Transfiguration.”
April 5-6, 2024, Belk Theater, Wang Jie, Symphonic Overture “America, the Beautiful,” Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme, Brahms, Symphony No. 1.
April 26-27, 2024, Belk Theater, Britten, Four Sea Interludes from “Peter Grimes,” G. Williams, “Sea Sketches,” Vaughan Williams, Symphony No. 1, “A Sea Symphony.”
May 17-18, 2024, Belk Theater, Lamb, “A Ride on ‘Oumuamua,” Shaw, “The Observatory,” Holst, “The Planets.
Pop Series
These are all in Knight Theater.
Nov. 10-11, The Hot Sardines ensemble offers standards and modern hits, with horn arrangements, piano and vocals.
Dec. 15-17, Holiday Pops, the Charlotte Symphony’s annual holiday show.
Feb. 9-10, 2024, Violinist Regina Carter joins the CSO for a jazz-infused program featuring David Schiff’s “Four Sisters,” a concerto that pays homage to Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.
April 12-13, 2024, Vocalist Dee Daniels in a program featuring hits by Fitzgerald, Holiday, Peggy Lee and Vaughan.
Movie Series
Nov. 24-25, Ovens Auditorium, “Elf” in concert.
March 15-16, 2024, Belk Theater, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in concert.
June 14-15, 2024, Belk Theater, “Jaws” in concert.
Family Series
These are all in Knight Theater.
Nov. 11, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Maestro.
Dec. 16, Holiday Pops.
Feb. 10, 2024, Saint-Georges’ Sword & Bow.
April 13, 2024, Carnival of Animals.
Special Events
Sept. 20, Belk Theater, CSO Annual Gala with opera star Renée Fleming.
Oct. 27, Knight Theater, Tik-Tok star Cody Fry.
Dec. 20-23, Knight Theater, Cirque de Noël, the circus meets the symphony.
More arts coverage
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