WEATHER UPDATE 10:30 AM on Jan 10: Due to a declared state of emergency in North Carolina for impending severe weather conditions, and out of concern for the safety of our audience and musicians, tonight's Bach & Mozart concert at Knight Theater is cancelled. Ticketholders for tonight’s concert will receive an email with ticket options.

Sound of Charlotte Blog

John Luther Adams: A Composer in Tune with Nature



For composer John Luther Adams, music is a lifelong search for home -- an invitation to slow down, reflect, and rediscover our place in the natural world. Deeply inspired by his experiences in the Alaskan wilderness, Adams has spent his career creating soundscapes that connect us to the environment in profound ways, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean. The Charlotte Symphony will perform this groundbreaking work with immersive 360-degree audio and custom lighting design at Blume Studios on February 28 and March 1, 2025.

Adams spent nearly 40 years living in northern Alaska. Immersed in the stark beauty of the Arctic, he discovered a musical voice grounded in space, stillness, and the elemental forces of nature. Adams worked full-time as an environmental activist before devoting himself completely to composition as a way to spark change, believing music could move people in ways that politics could not.

"If we can imagine a culture and a society in which we each feel more deeply responsible for our own place in the world, then we just may be able to bring that culture and that society into being."

This deep concern for the earth and humanity's future runs through all of Adams's works, particularly Become Ocean. Inspired by the ocean's vast, mysterious power and the ecological challenges of rising sea levels, the piece unfolds like waves, rising and falling, enveloping listeners in a soundscape that mirrors the ocean. But it's more than a reflection on nature -- it's a reminder of the fragile balance we must protect.

"Life on Earth first emerged from the sea. And as the polar ice melts and sea levels rise, we humans find ourselves facing the prospect that once again we may literally become ocean."



The upcoming performances at Blume Studios take this concept to another level. 360° spatial audio and custom light projections will surround the audience with sound and images. It's an innovative approach that aligns perfectly with Adams's vision of making music that is not just about nature, but that feels like nature itself.

"Although it begins in solitude, my work is completed in community. The music doesn't come fully to life until other people -- performing musicians, listeners, recording engineers, critics, and so many others -- receive it and make it their own."



Join the Charlotte Symphony on February 28 and March 1, 2025, at Blume Studios for Become Ocean.

Posted in Community. Tagged as community.

Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu Talks Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto



On January 31 and February 1, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu will take the stage with frequent collaborator pianist Phillip Bush for an emotional and highly anticipated performance of Mendelssohn's Double Concerto. Calin sat down to share his thoughts on what makes this concerto so special and why this performance holds special meaning for him.

What makes Mendelssohn's Double Concerto so exciting for you to perform?

Pianist Phillip Bush and I have performed together many times, but this will be our first time playing a concerto together with the full orchestra behind us. Mendelssohn's Double Concerto is such a wonderful piece of music -- full of youthful exuberance and energy, with some very delicate and melancholic moments typical of Mendelssohn.

This concerto was composed in 1832, right after Mendelssohn wrote his Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, a piece I performed with the CSO during the pandemic. In many ways, these two works are quite similar -- full of beautiful melodic material and intense, fast passage work. What an incredible accomplishment for the 14-year-old Mendelssohn!



What are you most looking forward to about performing with pianist Phillip Bush and conductor Akiko Fujimoto?

I have played with Phillip Bush so many times that I've lost count! Our first collaboration was during my first year in Charlotte when we performed the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio, and from that moment, something just clicked! Phillip is such a wonderful musician and person, and he's very easy to work with. Every time we play together, I learn something new from him. Most of the time, we don't even have to talk; things just fall into place naturally.

This will be my first time working with Akiko Fujimoto, and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm sure it will be a fantastic collaboration.



What would you like the audience to know about this performance?

This performance will be especially meaningful for me because it will take place one year to the day since my mother's passing. For me, it will be highly emotional, and I hope that I will make her proud.

Join CSO Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, pianist Phillip Bush, and conductor Akiko Fujimoto for a thrilling performance of Mendelssohn's Double Concerto on January 31 and February 1. The program will also include Louise Farrenc's Overture No. 2 and Robert Schumann's "Spring" Symphony.

Posted in Classics. Tagged as Classical, concertmaster, interview, Mendelssohn.

Archives