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Guest pianist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is making history

By Page Leggett, The Charlotte Observer -- 

Pianist Sara Davis Buechner is used to being the first.

She's played all over the world and in all 50 states.

Typically, for the host orchestra, she's the first transgender guest artist they've accompanied. She'll be first again when she takes the stage Feb. 11 and 12 with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Buechner (Byook-ner), who lives in Philadelphia and is from Baltimore, has been on CSO's radar for a while.

"We didn't intentionally seek her out because she's a transgender artist," said Carrie Graham, the symphony's director of artistic planning. "But we are ... welcoming to individuals who identify as transgender, and we're thrilled to present her. There's so much more to her than just that facet of her identity."

Still, being "first" at something often holds great meaning for often-marginalized communities.

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