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No maestro? No problem. We’ve got some advice for the next Charlotte Symphony conductor

Lawrence Toppman, The Charlotte Observer -- 

If you're a fan of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, its announcement of a new music director has a lot in common with Christmas: The day is taking forever to arrive, you have only a vague idea of what to expect and your wish list won't completely be fulfilled.

The symphony has mostly kept mum about the process to replace Christopher Warren-Green, now the symphony's conductor laureate and artistic advisor.

As guest conductors trooped in over the last two seasons, officials acknowledged some were auditioning for the gig but wouldn't reveal which ones or even how many. A search committee has reportedly narrowed down the pool to a handful of applicants, but whether that means three or six I have no idea. In fact, Santa may come and go before the decision.

Kwamé Ryan, the only candidate I missed, gets a second chance to show his chops when he leads Verdi's "Requiem" in November. I now hear the announcement will be made in early 2024, and the winner may conduct one concert in the spring before a fuller slate in 2024-25.

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