Health & Safety updates from your Charlotte Symphony >> CLICK HERE

Sound of Charlotte Blog

Alan Black on Stepping Back with Grace



A fixture of the Charlotte Symphony since 1986, Principal Cellist Alan Black is stepping back from his role of leading the cellists to continue playing in the section. Black will be ending his tenure on a high note at the end of our 2021-22 season, having played the solo in John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1 and capping off with his feature in the Music & Healing concert at Queens University on April 3. We talked with Alan about his decision to step back now, his favorite memory with the CSO, and his hopes for the section as he ends his tenure as Principal Cellist and begins the 2022-23 season as Principal Cello Emeritis.

Why have you decided to step back into the section at this time?
Well you know, I've been thinking about this for a couple years. I'm going to be 65 in a month and I'm thinking to myself, well, what else do I need to accomplish as a principal player? I've done all the solos....my colleagues are great cellists and I feel the talent level has risen. They're great players and so it's time for somebody else to do it. And the stress of sitting principal is actually fairly strong.... I want to enjoy playing without the stress of the job. And since I've done basically everything I've wanted to do and checked off all those boxes, I feel like it's kind of time for me to let somebody else take over the mantle; let somebody younger come on in and provide a fresh vision. 



How have the other players reacted to your decision?
I think a lot of them were surprised, which makes me feel good because they were like, "Wait a minute, what? Why are you doing that?" A lot of them didn't realize I was going to be 65 and that makes me feel good....I think my cello colleagues were surprised and they've been very gracious about it.

After so many years as Principal, you must have some great memories.
Oh, yes! The highlight of my career was in 2000 when Yo-Yo Ma was in town performing with us and I got to play the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos with him. Aside from being the most visible and famous musician on the planet, he is also an amazing human being -- warm, engaging, and filled with humility. We had a great time together and hung out at the after-party on the 60th floor of the Bank of America center. I had a great time and will never forget this moment. Ultimately, it was because of this concert that five years later I was able to purchase the cello I bought from him. In many ways, he has been the most influential person in my musical life, and I am filled with gratitude for this. 



Do you have any words of wisdom for your successor?
I felt like as a principal the most important thing I could do is manage the section in a way that creates a great working atmosphere; a collegiality within the section. That's been my most important goal for the last twenty years, that I want us to all get along and be happy together....To me, the most important thing is that you've got to treat your colleagues with respect and you've got to treat them right.

What are your hopes for the cello section, and the CSO as a whole, for the coming years?
I hope we can continue to have great dialogue with our management and the board; that we continue to work as a team the way we did during COVID. These have been the best two years of my entire career in terms of our working relationship....it's been great and that's what we should have. We should have a great working relationship: between the players, the management, and the board. We need to do that....and I'm really hopeful for that going forward.



What can you tell us about your part in Music and Healing?
Two years ago I commissioned Leonard Mark Lewis to write [I Will Wade Out] for cello and piano, and we played it at Davidson [College] when I was on faculty there. And I really loved that piece. So I was thinking about what I wanted to do -- because I want to go out strong, like "Yeah, I'm making this decision. I don't have to, but I am because I just want to go out on a high note." And I thought, "You know, the perfect thing to do was play Mark's piece," because Mark and I are very close friends. I really like it, and it will give him a chance as a local composer to be showcased and to have another orchestral piece out there. So I'm really excited about us being able to do that. We've done a lot of tinkering with it since we played it two years ago. So it's been really neat to sort of reconnect with it and find more things that are amazing about it. So yeah, it's going to be fun. I'm really excited about it and it's a new venue that we've never played in, so I think it will be a really nice addition to the program.

Is there anything you'd like to say to the audiences who have been with you for so many years?
I want to say thank you to everyone, it's been such an honor to be Principal Cellist of the Charlotte Symphony. It's been an absolute joy!
Join us at Queens University for Alan's final solo performance as Principal Cellist of the Charlotte Symphony.
 

Posted in Community. Tagged as community, CSO Musicians, interview.

The Charlotte Symphony is… Educating! With Youth Ensemble Conductor Eric Thompson



The Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble (CSYE) is a new training ensemble designed to bridge early music education with the Intermediate and Advanced Youth Orchestras. The CSYE is an introduction to music ensemble learning and provides regular coaching by Charlotte Symphony musicians and conducting staff. >> Learn more

We recently caught up with Eric Thompson, conductor of the Charlotte Symphony's new Youth Ensemble to hear about the group's first rehearsal and what he hopes students gain from the experience. 

How does the Youth Ensemble differ from the Symphony's Youth Philharmonic and Youth Symphony?
Sometimes students are discouraged by the audition process, they might not have a private teacher or access to this level of music education, but this is an ensemble that they are able to play in. In this group, the ensemble playing comes first, then the rest. 

I understand the Youth Ensemble recently had its first meeting how did it go?
It was absolutely amazing! The kids are very excited, many are playing in an orchestra for the first time. The excitement was certainly there and I can't wait to see what's going to happen!

What do you hope students will take away from their first season?
From this first season, I really hope that the students start that journey -- that lifelong pursuit and interest in music. I'm certainly hoping they learn to love music as much as I do. And I want to get them plugged into the music pipeline, not only the CSO's three ensembles, but other things, like Western Regionals, All-State, arts camps, and all the things they can get into with music. 



What other skills have you seen students develop from playing music?
Certainly, some of the skills that you gain from music and playing in an ensemble include a sense of community, confidence, motor skills -- but it's more than that. My brother started an El Sistema-based program in Philadelphia. Not too long after starting the program, the schools improved tremendously. The Principals thought that they were doing something like a study hall, but it was all the music. There are all these extra positive things that happen from being involved in music and an ensemble -- even without the kids knowing it! I'm really looking forward to seeing that happen. 

What would you say to students who don't think orchestral music is for them?
Music is for everyone. Music is absolutely universal. I remember hearing my first live concert -- the New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in the Park. It was just so exciting! I see so many students who are not interested in orchestral music. But if they give it just a little bit of a chance, they are always excited about it. I would encourage students to give it a chance and give it a try. There are so many things out there that we can close ourselves off to because we've been told that it's not for us, or we assume that it's not for us. But when I think about all of the music that's out there from all of these different composers -- it really is just wonderful. 

Posted in Education & Community, Youth Orchestras. Tagged as CSYO, Education.

I Am Queen Charlotte: Dr. Shanté Williams

As the Charlotte Symphony supports I Am Queen Charlotte, we're highlighting stories, experiences, and lives of Black Women who are part of the CSO, from the stage to the boardroom. We asked Dr. Shanté Williams some questions about her personal and professional background and her experience with the CSO.

What is your role with the Charlotte Symphony?
Member of the Board of Directors.

What is your background? How did you get to where you are today? 
Born and raised here in Charlotte. By training, I am a former Neuro-Oncology Translational Scientist. I am now the CEO of my own Healthcare Investment Firm. I got where I am today with a lot of hard work, persistence, faith, and most importantly, community. I come from a close-knit family that has supported me every step of the way.

What drives you?
Two things drive me: curiosity and justice.

I have always been a curious person. I often will watch a documentary or read a book just because I've never heard of the topic or the person.

A business owner I used to work with that became a friend of mine called me a peacemaker and a healer once. I thought that was a bit strange. She said, "peacemakers are warriors and warriors seek justice; justice brings healing and that healing gives communities a voice. You do that for many of us." That was incredibly humbling to hear. I hope to live up to that description. 

How do you connect with classical music?
I got introduced to classical music and opera in grad school. They both would transport me to a different place and help me unwind when I became stressed with studying. I began to realize the music seemed to activate my brain in a different way. 

What inspired you to join the CSO's Board of Directors?
In Charlotte, there had not been much diversity on some of the fine arts boards. I have a 16-year-old nephew and he has gotten to experience many new things that I was never exposed to. I wanted to make sure that other Black children saw the CSO as a place for them because there were people there that looked like them.

What is your favorite part of being involved with the CSO?
I have an opportunity to listen to and learn from so many different people. 

What do you appreciate most about the CSO's role in the community?
CSO is continuing to make strides in listening to the community and co-creating with the community an organization that will last for years to come.

What inspires you, and where do you find it in your everyday life?
I have the opportunity to speak with entrepreneurs on a daily basis, many asking for my help in securing funding for their dreams. That inspires me. It inspires me to see people, who may be experiencing a hardship or are on the receiving end of the inequity of the world, see an opportunity to help others who may be suffering. I like to sleep with the blinds in my bedroom open, and every morning when the sun rays peek through, that inspires me because it reminds me that despite the brokenness of the world, there is another day to build and make things better. 
 

Posted in Community.

I Am Queen Charlotte: Denielle Wilson

As the Charlotte Symphony supports I Am Queen Charlotte, we're highlighting stories, experiences, and lives of Black Women who are part of the CSO, from the stage to the boardroom. We asked Denielle Wilson some questions about her personal and professional background and her experience with the CSO.

What is your role with the Charlotte Symphony?
Acting Section Cellist.

How did you find out about the open position in Charlotte, and what was the process like for being hired?
Last year, after becoming the string division winner of Sphinx's Orchestra Partners Audition Excerpt Competition, Charlotte was the first Symphony to offer me a one-year contract.

I did not know of the position beforehand, but I was extremely grateful for the opportunity. There were barely any auditions happening anywhere around that time. 

What inspired you to play cello?
My father chose the instrument for me, and I grew to like playing it quickly. The musicians who inspired me early on were Yo-Yo Ma and Jaqueline du Pré.

Did you always know you wanted to perform professionally in a symphony orchestra?
Not at first. I began playing in a youth symphony during high school, and it was a tough learning process for me. It wasn't until my last two years in undergrad that I decided to pursue an orchestral career seriously.

What do you like best about being part of the CSO?
The community -- I feel very welcomed here.

Do you have a favorite piece to play or a favorite CSO concert you've performed in?
I am looking forward to playing Sibelius' Second Symphony in April.

How do you hope to see audiences engaging with classical music?
I would like to see audiences ask more questions about it. I know it is not always familiar to everyone, but I sense that audience members don't think there is more to figure out about it after the live performance experience. I am curious to hear about what aspects of certain pieces stood out to them, or made them wonder. 

What inspires you, and where do you find it in your everyday life?
I am inspired by happiness being found. I seek to find it for myself and others in small ways every day, whether it is through a shared meal or a friendly wave.
 

Posted in Community.

The Charlotte Symphony is… Music in Our Schools


More than 11,500 fifth-graders from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools packed the Belk Theater for the annual "One Musical Family" concerts held March 1-3, 2022.

For more than 30 years, March has been designated Music In Our Schools Month by the National Association for Music Education, and what better way for the Charlotte Symphony to celebrate than to welcome every CMS fifth-grader to a concert!

Since the 1950's, thousands of school children have been attending special Charlotte Symphony concerts that introduce them to orchestral music. It's all part of the Symphony's mission to nurture a passion for orchestral music in our community through diverse programming and top-notch instruction.



At this year's annual concert, funded by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, students enjoyed music by Rossini, Mozart, Brahms, and more; including a new work by Syrian composer Kinan Abou-afach about the displacement of refugees. Students prepare for the concerts months in advance, using the Symphony's study guides, lesson plans, worksheets, and special activities.


The Symphony trip for CMS students is vital to the implementation of a comprehensive arts education," said Windy Fullagar, Performing Arts Specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. "Not only does it support our arts mission, but it also enables students to see and experience instrumental music in hopes they will want to explore it in the middle grades."



For nearly 70 years, the Charlotte Symphony has inspired and educated local school children through the power of music, and each year the Symphony's educational mission is growing stronger. 

Posted in Education & Community. Tagged as Education.

Archives