Fall Highlights at the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Featuring a 9/11 Memorial Concert Marking the 25th Anniversary, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, Back to the Future in Concert, and Internationally Acclaimed Violinist Joshua Bell
August 12, 2026 | Charlotte, NC – The Charlotte Symphony’s fall season spans a broad range of musical styles and genres, from classical masterworks and sacred music to film scores, animation, and popular music. Among the season’s highlights are a special performance of Mozart’s Requiem marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, Back to the Future in Concert, Bach 360, and the Charlotte Symphony’s Annual Gala featuring internationally acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell.
Fall Highlights
Mozart’s Requiem
A 9/11 Memorial Concert
Knight Theater
Friday, September 11, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Charlotte Symphony, Opera Carolina, and Charlotte Master Chorale come together for a shared program of remembrance featuring Mozart’s Requiem and Ave verum corpus. Led by Opera Carolina Principal Conductor Stefano Vignati, this performance offers space for reflection, unity, and healing through music of profound beauty and transcendence.
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony
Belk Theater
Friday, September 25, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 26, 2026, 3:00 p.m.
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony brings Looney Tunes favorites to the big screen with their original orchestral scores performed live by the Charlotte Symphony. Conducted by George Daugherty, the program features animated classics including “What’s Opera, Doc?” and “The Rabbit of Seville,” with the Orchestra performing in sync with the action on screen.
Back to the Future in Concert
Belk Theater
Friday, October 2, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 3, 2026, 3:00 p.m.
The 1985 classic Back to the Future comes to the big screen with the Charlotte Symphony performing Alan Silvestri’s original score live alongside the film. Audiences can follow Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s time-traveling adventure while hearing the score performed live by the Orchestra.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade
Belk Theater
Friday, October 9, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Grammy Award-winning Music Director Kwamé Ryan opens the Charlotte Symphony’s Classical Series with a program featuring music by CSO Spotlight Artist Levi Taylor. The program includes Taylor’s One Foot After The Other, Barber’s Piano Concerto with pianist Orion Weiss, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, one of the best-known works in the orchestral repertoire.
The Music of Tina Turner
Knight Theater
Friday, October 16, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
The Charlotte Symphony celebrates the music of Tina Turner in a concert featuring some of the songs that defined her career, including “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Disco Inferno” and “Son of a Preacher Man.”
Annual Gala: Joshua Bell Plays Bruch
Knight Theater
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Kwamé Ryan leads the Charlotte Symphony in the Annual Gala concert featuring internationally acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell in Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, a cornerstone of the violin repertoire known for its soaring melodies, rich orchestral writing, and demanding virtuosity. The program opens with Schumann's romantic and gripping Fourth Symphony.
Bach 360
Booth Playhouse
Friday, November 13, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees traces Bach’s extraordinary reach across generations, exploring how his music became a foundation for composers long after his time. Gather around the Orchestra as this CSO 360 program brings the monumental Baroque influence into focus, featuring his sacred choral works, Air on the G String, and pieces by C.P.E. Bach, J.C. Bach, and others shaped by his legacy.
General Information
A complete listing of concerts for the Charlotte Symphony’s 2026–27 season can be found here. Subscriptions and single tickets for all events are currently on sale at charlottesymphony.org.
About the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is one of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas. As Charlotte's most active performing arts group, the CSO presents around 175 concerts each season, reaching more than 160,000 music lovers. The CSO is committed to its mission of igniting the human spirit through the passion and unifying power of live symphonic music. Led by Grammy Award-winning Music Director Kwamé Ryan, the CSO employs 65 professional full-time orchestra musicians, fosters four youth orchestras, and offers significant educational support aimed at serving under-resourced areas of our community. Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony plays a leading cultural role in the Charlotte area and remains committed to the belief that music, accessible to all, enriches and unites our city.
ALL PROGRAMS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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The Classical Series is presented by Bank of America
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The Pops Series is presented by Sandra and Leon Levine
Hi-res photography is available in the Charlotte Symphony’s newsroom. or by contacting Deirdre Roddin at droddin@charlottesymphony.org