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 music experiences.

The Charlotte Symphony upholds the highest artistic integrity and takes bold steps to engage with its community through music. Its 62 professional, full-time 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 under-resourced areas of our community.

The 2022-23 season features 11 guest conductors, including the CSO debut of Erina Yashima, leading Beethoven's rarely performed Triple Concerto and Cleveland Orchestra's Vinay Parameswaran, conducting Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations and William Grant Still's Poem for Orchestra. The Sandra and Leon Levine Pops series explores a wide range of musical genres including tributes to The Beatles and the Queens of Soul. Legendary film scores come to life in the CSO's popular Movie series, a true "surround-sound" live experience. 

Reaching thousands of students annually, the Charlotte Symphony actively nurtures the next generation of musicians and music lovers through three diverse youth orchestras, led by Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees; in-school education programs; instrument coaching; and Project Harmony, a program serving more than 200 students in critical-need areas with free after-school lessons in music and life skills. 

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 aims to serve the community as a civic leader, reflecting and uniting our region through the transformative power of live music.