Frank Portone

Principal Horn player Frank Portone became a member of the Charlotte Symphony in 1980. Previously, he served as Principal Horn player of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra from 1977 to 1980.

While receiving his Bachelor of Music in horn performance from Temple University, Frank studied with Philadelphia Orchestra members John Simonelli and Kendall Betts. He was also an active freelance player in the Philadelphia area while in school and several years after.

Frank’s love for the horn has given him the desire to share his passion with others. While in Hong Kong, he taught privately at the Hong Kong Catholic University, where one of his students was accepted to the Royal Conservatory in England. Since then, he was an adjunct professor at Davidson College for 25 years and taught at UNC Charlotte. He continues to give private lessons.

Since 1981, Frank has been a member of the Carolina Brass Quartet. He also has been a featured soloist with the CSO and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He is also actively interested in chamber music and has performed many times in both the noontime chamber music concerts at St. Peter’s Church and the chamber music series at Providence United Methodist Church.

He last sang with the CSO during the 2011 'That's Amore' performance.

In his spare time, Frank enjoys golf, fishing and cooking/eating. He is also an accomplished tenor and has sung numerous times with the Charlotte Symphony, most recently in June 2008.

First year with the CSO: 1980

Career Highlights: Singing on the 2011 "That's Amore" concert and playing Mahler's 5th Symphony with CSO.

Favorite concert experience:- Anytime we play symphonies by Mahler or Dvorak

Favorite thing about Charlotte: The climate! I can pursue my hobbies of golfing and fishing for a good part of the year.

Richard Goldfaden

Richard Goldfaden, second horn player for the Symphony, joined the orchestra in September of 1985.

While earning his Bachelor of Music-Performance from the University of Michigan, Richard played the horn in the Toledo Symphony and continued playing with them after graduating in 1978. In 1979, Richard joined OFUNAM in Mexico City, where he remained until he became a member of the Charlotte Symphony.

Besides performing with the Symphony, Richard enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities including running, bicycling, hiking, kayaking and relaxing by the lake in Northern Ontario. Richard composes and arranges music for brass ensembles. He also sings tenor at Siler Presbyterian Church, where his wife, who is also a musician, is the director of music.

Robert Blalock

Robert Blalock began his musical career as a fifth grade band student in the Charlotte public schools. His first instrument was the trumpet, but in the sixth grade he heard the beautiful French horn solo of Stravinsky's "Firebird" Suite, performed at an education concert by the Charlotte Symphony, and was "hooked". He switched to the horn within one week. Bob was further inspired when he began studying privately with the then principal trombonist of the CSO, Joe Belk. The great training he received and the fun he enjoyed playing in the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra led him to pursue a degree in Music at East Carolina University where he studied with James Parnell.

After graduating from college, Bob did further studies on the horn with Ernani Angelucci, who was the fourth horn player with the Cleveland Orchestra. He was lucky in winning a Horn position with the Charlotte Symphony in 1974. In 1985 Bob married CSO violinist Evelyn Blalock, which he says is, "the best thing I have ever gotten out of this job."

He currently teaches private horn lessons at his home after teaching for many years at Limestone College, Davidson College and at Winthrop University. He is a founding member of the Brass Charlotte quintet, along with several other CSO musicians, and serves as the Symphony's fourth hornist.

meet the musicians - TRUMPET

A graduate of Texas Tech University (BM) and Southern Methodist University (MM), Rich has played with the Dallas Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, and the Seoul Philharmonic, among others.

He is a native of Wyoming and plays a mean game of chess

First year with the CSO: 2007

Education: Bachelor’s of Music from Texas Tech University, Master’s of Music from Southern Methodist University. Additional performances withthe Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, and Filarmonica de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Favorite concert experience with the CSO: Performing Holst's Planets for the first Knightsounds concert

Hobbies: I enjoy grilling beef, fine cigars, chess, racquetball, pool, backgammon, word games, playing the cello, and writing electronic music.

Favorite thing about Charlotte: The people!

David Daugherty

David Daugherty, originally from Kingsport, TN, received his undergraduate training at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and earned a Master of Music in Performance degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.  David is the Associate Principal Trumpet player with the Charlotte Symphony, and has been a full time member of the orchestra since 1976.  Additionally he was Orchestra Personnel Manager for CSO from 1983 through 1996 and has performed with various ensemble groups in the area.

David and his wife Jan first met as musicians in the Charlotte Symphony, where she also performed as their Assistant Principal Violist for more than ten years. They have three daughters: Sarah, Allison, and Juliana who is currently a second year student at UNC Chapel Hill.  David and Jan live in Saluda, NC where Jan owns and operates Top of the Mornin' Music.  She is also the Assistant Principal Violist with the Asheville Symphony and teaches numerous violin and viola students  as a certified Suzuki instructor.  David and Jan are both active runners and enjoy an occasional hike in the NC mountains.

Brian Winegardner

Originally from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Brian Winegardner joined the Charlotte Symphony in January 2012. He received a Bachelor's of Music degree in Music Performance and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the University of Michigan in 2004. Additionally, he received both a Master's Degree in Performance and a Master's Degree in Chamber Music in 2006 at the University of Michigan. After being awarded a fellowship at the University of Miami, he received a D.M.A. in Music Performance in 2011.

Mr. Winegardner has performed with many orchestras in the United States, including the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, Florida Grand Opera, and Miami Bach Society. His main trumpet teachers have been Craig Morris and William Campbell.

Brian and his wife, Julia, a violinist, first met at Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC in 2000. She grew up in Asheville and taught middle school orchestra and band in Greensboro before marriage. They are both extremely excited to be back in North Carolina and look forward to experiencing all that Charlotte has to offer.

meet the musicians - TROMBONE

John Bartlett

Mr. Bartlett began playing the trombone in public school while growing up in central Massachusetts.  He attended Boston University and received a Bachelors Degree in Music in 1984. 

Mr. Bartlett performed with The Opera Co. of Boston under the direction of Ms. Sarah Caldwell before leaving Boston to begin his orchestral career. John has performed as a full time principal trombone with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Tulsa Philharmonic, and The Florida Symphony Orchestra in Orlando, FL. 

Mr. Bartlett has been performing as principal trombone of the Charlotte Symphony since Sept. 1993.

Thomas Burge

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, trombonist Thomas Burge has been a member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra since February 2006.

Tom has played with many orchestras in the United States and Australia, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Augusta Symphony, Melbourne Symphony and Sydney Symphony.

Tom received his BM from the Australian National University, where he also worked as Professor of Trombone and as Chair of the Brass Department. He also has a MM degree from Juilliard, and is on adjunct faculty at Davidson College as the teacher of trombone. He has delivered masterclasses, clinics and concerts all over the world, including Japan, Australia and Europe.

Recently he has delved into some radio and hosts the live show “Sunday Evening” on WDAV 89.9. He’s also had some exposure at WGBH and WCRB in Boston.

Tom has been a conductor of choirs and bands in his 'previous lives' and is involved with music from every angle. When he isn't performing, conducting, or speaking about music he is 'riding the waves' on either coast.

Favorite concert experience with the CSO: Performing the Dvorak Cello Concerto with Stephen Isserlis, and again with Yo Yo Ma.

Hobbies: Running, reading, cooking.

Favorite thing about Charlotte: It has all the benefits of a big city and a small friendly town rolled into one.

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Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony aspires to serve the whole community through Classical music that educates, entertains and enriches the human spirit. Read more