International Musicians Make Charlotte Symphony Home

In the Orchestra on Campus 2009 project, the Charlotte Symphony collaborated with Levine Museum of the New South in a series of programs related to the Levine’s current exhibit, Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor. That exhibit looks at the impact that newcomers to the Charlotte region are having on our society, explores the challenges that newcomers face, and celebrates their contributions to our culture.

The Charlotte Symphony has attracted many newcomers to the city, musicians from across the country and across the globe. Eleven current CSO musicians have come from countries around the world to make Charlotte and its orchestra their home. They each told Encore! a little about their “changing places” experiences.

	SACHA BARLOW, violist Where are you from? London, England. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? I have lived here 3 years. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? That people are so friendly and easy to talk to. I was also little surprised at the number of people who asked me how I enjoyed playing in the "sympathy orchestra." When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens What’s your favorite local restaurant? Woodlands, for fabulous and affordable veggie Indian food on Albemarle road. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day? Hiking with my dog at Crowders Mountain (a North Carolina State Park in Kings Mountain) What do you miss most from home? A good cup of Earl Grey tea with my mother, sitting at the kitchen window. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? I would make Charlotte a little more accessible to Europe - then it would be easier to visit my sister in Paris!

	MONICA BOBOC, violinist Where are you from? Romania. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Six years. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? The weather. I come from a place with four clearly defined seasons, pretty much each 3 months long. Winters there are rather harsh, with a lot of snow, and summers are hot and dry, very different from here. I don't miss the extreme cold, just the snow. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? Restaurants (mostly ethnic), uptown, parks, walks in older neighborhoods, drive to Asheville or the ocean if we have the time (the ocean doesn't happen as often as we'd like it to). The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is on the list, but we didn't get to go there yet. What’s your favorite local restaurant? The Custom Shop on Elizabeth. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day in Charlotte? In the park or on our deck, with my son. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? Vibrant culture, and a general interest for vibrant culture. Back home, almost every week you could go to at least two different symphony concerts, plus a chamber concert, an opera and operetta performance, or a recital. Then there were film festivals, exhibits, and theater. There wasn't enough time to do everything you'd like to do. And for the really hot concerts you had to show up early, otherwise you could not get in. That I miss. And I miss truly natural and fresh food, the kind that doesn't need complex cooking and a ton of spice. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? All of the above. And public transportation that makes sense (you know, bus and tram and underground and train). I understand that this is harder to do than to talk about, but there are wonderfully smart and practical and fun public transportation systems in Europe (much better in other places than in Romania, I must say...).

	TOM BURGE, trombonist Where are you from? Sydney, Australia. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? 4 years. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? Barbecue. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? To the Symphony, to Lake Norman, NoDA, and Asheville. What’s your favorite local restaurant? Woodlands Vegetarian Indian on Albemarle Road. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day in Charlotte? Any of the parks. What do you miss most from home? My family, the accents, the Sydney coastline and Sydney Harbour. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? It needs a harbour!

	TATIANA KARPOVA, violinist Where are you from? Ekaterinburg, Russia (where Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed after the Bolshevik Revolution). How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? I came here ten years ago with my son Aleksandr. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? I really like Charlotte, especially the developing uptown. Other than the uptown, the city offers a multitude of nice locations for relaxation, shopping, and entertainment, such as Myers Park. What’s your favorite local restaurant? I don’t go to restaurants often, but I like Firebirds. What do you miss most from home? What I really miss in Charlotte is the snow!

	ELINA LEV, violinist Where are you from? St. Petersburg, Russia. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Since August 2009. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? The warmth of the people who live here. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? To Charlotte Symphony concerts, of course! What’s your favorite local restaurant? My friends in the orchestra showed me a lot of really great restaurants in Charlotte. Wherever we go, it's always a lot of fun. I believe that it's the company, not the place, that makes a difference, though! Where is the best place to spend a sunny day? I'm actually really happy to spend this whole sunny week playing Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 and Vivaldi. It's a lot fun!! What do you miss most from home? I love the architecture in St. Petersburg, but I honestly don't miss anything about Russia!

	CALIN LUPANU, concertmaster Where are you from? I am from Romania. Born in Timisoara, west of the country in the region called Banat, less than one hour from Béla Bartok's birthplace. I grew up in Bucharest from six years old. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Since 2003, my first season with the CSO. It seems like a long time ago, and this is the most time I have spent in one place since leaving Romania in 1995. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? People are very friendly. It seems like a nice place to raise a family, although I wish the schools would be better. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? I take them through Charlotte. I like some of the older neighborhoods; there are some really beautiful homes around. I am more of an older-look kind of guy – growing up and visiting Europe gets to you! What’s your favorite local restaurant? Overall, I am not so impressed with the local restaurants; most are of average quality and overpriced. If I would have to choose it would be Carpe Diem and The Custom Shop in Elizabeth or Dolce in Dilworth. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day? On my deck with my son. What do you miss most from home? Home is Charlotte, NC. After seven years and with all the good changes in my life, I can say that. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? Charlotte is home, but if I would like to see some things change, I would have the following: better schools and more of a cultural life. I think Charlotte is behind on that. The CSO, Opera Carolina, and NCDT provide a way-too-short cultural season. A 30-some week season for the CSO and barely four productions from the Opera is very little. I would like Charlotte to become a cultural model for other cities our size. There are not too many in the southern region of the USA. There is an opportunity there. Growing up in Bucharest we had plenty of cultural opportunities. Concert halls and theaters were fully packed and the education was impressive. ALL of my colleagues have very good jobs outside Romania now, and that is because of the education we got.

	ERNEST PEREIRA, violinist Where are you from? Pretoria, South Africa. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? 24 years What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? The great trees everywhere. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? Pops at Symphony Park or concerts at the Blumenthal Performing Arts center, and the uptown area. What’s your favorite local restaurant? The Custom Shop on Elizabeth Avenue. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day? Freedom Park. What do you miss most from home? The climate, the scenery, the animals. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? Have a large garden in my backyard.

	WOLFGANG ROTH, violinist Where are you from? Immenstadt, Germany, at the foot of the Bavarian Alps. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Since 1971. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? The wonderful climate. And how we were welcomed – very friendly people. And that we could afford to buy a home and furnish it completely by going to garage sales (including a baby grand piano) - unheard of in Germany! When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? To the beach or the mountains. Sailing on Lake Wylie. To concerts!!! What’s your favorite local restaurant? Chinese buffet. Dynasty. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day in Charlotte? On Lake Wylie, sailing. What do you miss most from home? I have been going back to Germany once or twice a year since 1971. Living here for so long makes me feel like home in Charlotte. This place has been very good to me and my family. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? I would like to see greater support for the arts in general and the orchestra and music in particular.

	LEONARDO SOTO, timpanist Where are you from? Santiago de Chile How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Since August 2009 What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? It was the best-looking city on my whole drive from Detroit to here - very new, very fresh and alive!! When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? I haven't had the chance to have people over, but for now I'm keeping busy looking for those places... and I have the feeling that there will be plenty of them. What’s your favorite local restaurant? It depends. There is Something Classic, perfect for lunch; there is Brixx, which is almost a "must" for us after concerts, waiting for the parking building to empty a little; there is Machu Picchu, which has great food and great dancing; and there is always Big Ben for a soccer game and Dilworth Coffee House for good coffee and a great hang. But like I said, I'm still discovering Charlotte! Where is the best place to spend a sunny day in Charlotte? Freedom Park, in a soccer game!!!! What do you miss most from home? Aside from friends and family, the simplicity of life, with no need for anything fancy to make it be fun!! I miss the fresh fruit and fish... and yes, really fresh MEAT!! If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? Just bring me the Beach and I will be ok!!!!!

	VIARA STEFANOVA, violist Where are you from? I am from Sofia, Bulgaria How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Lived in Charlotte for two and half years. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? I would take friends to Charleston or Asheville. What’s your favorite local restaurant? I like international restaurants like Greek or Serbian. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day in Charlotte? Best place to spend a day would be at the lake. What do you miss most from home? I miss everything from home; mainly the food, the walking people on the streets, the social life everywhere, the nature, and of course my family and friends. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? I would like Charlotte to have more walking areas, besides the parks.

	NING ZHAO, violist Where are you from? I was born in Guangzhou, China. I lived and studied in Cleveland and Kent, Ohio for eight years. How long have you lived in the Charlotte area? Since 1995. What surprised you most about the city when you arrived? There was not as much to do, and everything closes early. When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them? Many great restaurants, South Park mall, National White Water Center, or any cultural event. What’s your favorite local restaurant? Mickey and Mooch at the Arboretum, DimSum on Central Avenue or TinTin on Park Road, and Blue for after concerts. Where is the best place to spend a sunny day in Charlotte? On the tennis court or golf course, Freedom Park, or my backyard. What do you miss most from home? The food. If you could make one change to Charlotte to make it more like your hometown, what would it be? A high-caliber art museum or a state-of-the art science museum.