2022 was a huge year for the Charlotte Symphony. We celebrated our 90th birthday and launched a digital archive to honor our history. We bid a fond farewell to Christopher Warren-Green after twelve years as Music Director and welcomed an impressive lineup of guest conductors and artists to the stage. We performed for healthcare workers, forged city-wide partnerships, launched a new Youth Ensemble, and welcomed more than 11,500 fifth-graders from CMS to the Belk Theater. Thank you for making our favorite moments possible and for being a part of our CSO family. Let's take a look back!
January
Christopher Warren-Green conducts Mahler's epic Symphony No. 9, a continuation of The Mahler Journey.Jessica Cottis makes her debut conducting the Charlotte Symphony premiere of Kurt Weill's witty and theatrical The Seven Deadly Sins.
February
CSO musicians spread out at local Atrium Health hospitals across the region to perform for healthcare workers during their shift change.The Charlotte Symphony launches its Youth Ensemble, a training ensemble with no audition requirements designed to bridge early music education with the Intermediate and Advanced Youth Orchestras.
March
More than 11,500 5th graders from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pack the Belk Theater over three days for the annual "One Musical Family" concerts.The Symphony celebrates its 90th birthday with a concert featuring Vaughan Williams's Dona Nobis Pacem, dedicated to the people of Ukraine, and launches a digital archive, honoring the CSO's storied history.
April
The CSO welcomes Atlanta-based Orchestra Noir for a sold-out performance of R&B and hip-hop hits of the '90s performed side by side with Beethoven.May
Blood, Sweat & Tears arrive in Charlotte for Sounds of Joy!, a benefit concert supporting the CSO's education and community initiatives.In his final concert as Music Director, Christopher Warren-Green leads the Charlotte Symphony and Charlotte Master Chorale in one of the greatest works of all time Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
June
The Charlotte Symphony makes its debut at Little Rock AME Zion Church with a free concert of uplifting works that unite us all during challenging times.The Charlotte Symphony's iconic Summer Pops Series returns to Symphony Park for the first time since 2019.
July
Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees leads the CSO in an exciting program of patriotic music at Village Park in Kannapolis, one of the Symphony's many free concerts for the community.August
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra reaches a two-year agreement with its musicians, creating stability for the Symphony and allowing for a more innovative, united, and diverse organization that reflects our community.September
After two years of virtual and hybrid instruction, Project Harmony returns to in-person instruction.October
Just in time for Halloween, the Charlotte Symphony presents Jordan Peele's ground-breaking social thriller Get Out, with Michael Abels' award-winning score performed live to the complete film.November
The Charlotte Symphony welcomes superstar vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens to the stage for the CSO's 2022 Annual Gala.Students from the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra perform works by Dvořák, Grieg, Bizet, and Elgar side by side with the Charlotte Symphony musicians.