Piedmont Arts

The Rock Hill Symphony welcomes a new music director this season -- Christopher James Lees. Lees is already known to the area's classical audiences through his work as the Charlotte Symphony's Resident Conductor. Now he's poised to lead the region's newest orchestra in its next chapter. Lees talks about the symphony's future aspirations and their first concert of the 2023-2024 season in Rock Hill. Learn more about the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra's upcoming events

In the coming year, the Salisbury Symphony will be looking for a new music director. One of their candidates, Peter Askim, will lead the first concert of the season at Catawba College. Askim is on the faculty at N.C. State University, leads the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and is a composer and bassist as well as a conductor. He talks about what attracts him to the Salisbury position; his passion for creating initiatives that connect an orchestra to its local community; and the theme of the concert he will conduct. Learn more about the Salisbury Symphony's A River Runs Through It program

The Winston-Salem Symphony recently announced their new music director -- Michelle Merrill. Merrill served four years with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as assistant then associate conductor under Leonard Slatkin. She will be the Winston-Salem Symphony's first female music director and the only woman to lead a professional orchestra in the Carolinas. She talks about her priorities, one of which is music education, as she takes on this new role.

Opera Carolina is going international this summer through a new partnership with International Lyric Academy. More than 100 opera singers and musicians from across the globe have arrived in the Queen City for three weeks of immersive mentorship, followed by two weeks in Vicenza, Italy. Part of the experience is a summer festival of free and ticketed performances. We talk with Opera Carolina's director of education & community programs, Ashley Lam, and one of the singers participating in the academy, Luvo, who is from South Africa. Learn more about the International Lyric Academy Festival

The Charlotte Bach Festival returns to the Queen City with a full schedule of recitals, concerts, and educational opportunities, drawing talented musicians from across the country to celebrate the artistic legacy of J. S. Bach. On this episode, Aisslinn Nosky, Laura C. Atkinson, Margaret Carpenter Haigh and Derrick Miller provide insights into what makes the festival special. Learn more about the Charlotte Bach Festival

Kazem Abdullah leads the Charlotte Symphony in their final classics concerts of the season. Abdullah was General Music Director of the City of Aachen in Germany from 2012 to 2017. He has also served as an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, and has guest conducted around the country for both opera productions and orchestral concerts. He talks about the differences between opera and concert hall conducting and discusses the importance of cultivating diverse audiences for classical music. Learn more about the Charlotte Symphony's Classical Series .

Conductor Lan Shui joins the Charlotte Symphony (CSO) for concerts at Belk Theatre in Charlotte. He gives us a rundown of the works on the CSO program, and he explains why he loves being a guest conductor. Pictured: Lan Shui by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Pianist/composer Kory Caudill is music director of “ The Concert for the Human Family,” performances which highlight themes of community and racial reconciliation. Caudill talks about the concert coming to Charlotte’s Holy Comforter Episcopal Church.

Two of the Charlotte region's choral ensembles team up for a concert of music by Black composers at First United Methodist Church of Charlotte. Caritas A Cappella Ensemble and Charlotte Contemporary Ensemble will present a program called " HEHLEHLOOYUH: A Celebration of Choral Music by Black Composers" which features a wide variety of classically based selections by composers from several eras. Cathy Youngblood, artistic director of Caritas, and JoVan Adams, director of Charlotte Contemporary Ensemble, talk about some of the works they'll perform including the poignant "Seven Last Words of the Unarmed" by Dr. Joel Thompson.

Uptown Charlotte hosts the multi-week festival known as Charlotte Shout! The festival is produced by Charlotte Center City Partners and includes music performances, art installations, community conversations, culinary events, and more. The idea is to showcase and celebrate Charlotte's creativity, innovation, and diversity. Robert Krumbine, Chief Creative Officer and Senior Vice President of Events at Charlotte Center City Partners, describes several of the of the festival's unique offerings and talks about Charlotte Shout's importance to our region. Learn more about Charlotte Shout! Pictured: Robert Krumbine/ Charlottecentercity.org