2022-23 QUICK FACTS

Conductor Laureate & Music Adviser: Christopher Warren-Green
Resident Conductor: Christopher James Lees
Charlotte Symphony Board Chairperson: Linda McFarland Farthing
President and Chief Executive Officer: David Fisk
Symphony Guild of Charlotte Board President: Jenny Tolson

About the Charlotte Symphony

One of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) connects with more than 100,000 music lovers each year through its lively season of concerts, broadcasts, community events, and robust educational programs. The CSO is committed to its mission of uplifting, entertaining, and educating the diverse communities of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and beyond through exceptional music experiences. The CSO employs 62 professional full-time orchestra musicians, fosters three youth orchestras, and offers significant educational support, aimed at serving the under-resourced areas of our community. Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony plays a leading cultural role in the Charlotte area and aims to serve the community as a civic leader, reflecting and uniting our region through the transformative power of live music.

Our People

The Charlotte Symphony supports a full-time, 38-week orchestra composed of and supported by:

• 62 full-time musicians
• 4 conductors
• 23 elected board of directors
• 40+ board of trustees members
• 30 administrative staff

Music

The Charlotte Symphony upholds the highest artistic integrity and takes bold steps to engage with its community through music. Its 62 professional, full-time time musicians perform throughout the region -- from community parks and breweries, to places of worship and senior care centers.

The 2022-23 Classical Series, presented by Bank of America, features 11 guest conductors, including the CSO debut of Erina Yashima, leading Beethoven's rarely performed Triple Concerto and Cleveland Orchestra's Vinay Parameswaran, conducting Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations and William Grant Still's Poem for Orchestra. The Sandra and Leon Levine Pops Series explores a wide range of musical genres including tributes to The Beatles and the Queens of Soul. Legendary film scores come to life in the CSO's popular Movie Series, a true "surround-sound" live experience. The Family Series introduces children to the joy of live symphony music through programs like Holiday Pops, The Emperor's New Clothes, and Tchaikovsky Discovers America. 

Education & Community Programs

Reaching thousands of students annually, the Charlotte Symphony actively nurtures the next generation of musicians and music lovers through three diverse youth orchestras, led by Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees; in-school education programs; instrument coaching; and Project Harmony, a program serving more than 200 students in critical-need areas with free after-school lessons in music and life skills. 

The Charlotte Symphony is deeply committed to the notion that music, accessible to all and experienced in its many forms, enriches and unifies our community. The CSO believes in equity and inclusion and strives to be an industry leader in imaginative, relevant programming by intentionally seeking out women conductors, underrepresented in our industry, and conductors, composers, and guest artists of color.

Learn more >

Broadcasts

Classical series concerts periodically are broadcast locally on 89.9 WDAV. Select Charlotte Symphony performances are rebroadcast Saturday evenings at 6 p.m. on WDAV during the program Charlotte Symphony in Performance.

Contact

Charlotte Symphony
128 S Tryon Street, Suite 350
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Ticket office: 704.972.2000
Administrative office: 704.972.2003

Social Media Channels

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cltsymphony
Instagram: @cltsymphony
Twitter: @cltsymphony
Common hashtags: #cltsymphony #charlottesymphony

Venues

The Charlotte Symphony performs in a wide variety of venues in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and surrounding counties in the greater Charlotte area:

• Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (seating capacity: 1,900)
• Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts (seating capacity: 1.100)
• Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall
• A variety of churches, breweries, community centers, schools, and senior care centers