Sound of Charlotte Blog
Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu Talks Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto
January 7, 2025
On January 31 and February 1, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu will take the stage with frequent collaborator pianist Phillip Bush for an emotional and highly anticipated performance of Mendelssohn's Double Concerto. Calin sat down to share his thoughts on what makes this concerto so special and why this performance holds special meaning for him.
What makes Mendelssohn's Double Concerto so exciting for you to perform?
Pianist Phillip Bush and I have performed together many times, but this will be our first time playing a concerto together with the full orchestra behind us. Mendelssohn's Double Concerto is such a wonderful piece of music -- full of youthful exuberance and energy, with some very delicate and melancholic moments typical of Mendelssohn.This concerto was composed in 1832, right after Mendelssohn wrote his Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, a piece I performed with the CSO during the pandemic. In many ways, these two works are quite similar -- full of beautiful melodic material and intense, fast passage work. What an incredible accomplishment for the 14-year-old Mendelssohn!
What are you most looking forward to about performing with pianist Phillip Bush and conductor Akiko Fujimoto?
I have played with Phillip Bush so many times that I've lost count! Our first collaboration was during my first year in Charlotte when we performed the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio, and from that moment, something just clicked! Phillip is such a wonderful musician and person, and he's very easy to work with. Every time we play together, I learn something new from him. Most of the time, we don't even have to talk; things just fall into place naturally.This will be my first time working with Akiko Fujimoto, and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm sure it will be a fantastic collaboration.
What would you like the audience to know about this performance?
This performance will be especially meaningful for me because it will take place one year to the day since my mother's passing. For me, it will be highly emotional, and I hope that I will make her proud.Join CSO Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu, pianist Phillip Bush, and conductor Akiko Fujimoto for a thrilling performance of Mendelssohn's Double Concerto on January 31 and February 1. The program will also include Louise Farrenc's Overture No. 2 and Robert Schumann's "Spring" Symphony.... Read more
Get to Know Music Director Kwamé Ryan
November 7, 2024
In anticipation of Kwamé Ryan's inaugural concerts as Music Director on November 22 and 23, we're excited to share a glimpse into his remarkable background and the passion he brings to the Charlotte Symphony. Get to know the man behind the baton and what makes his vision for the Symphony so unique.
Early Inspiration
Kwamé Ryan's fascination with orchestral music began at the age of six, when he first heard John Williams's score for Star Wars at a drive-in theater in his home of Trinidad. "I was just completely absorbed by the sound of the orchestra," he says. "It was almost like I couldn't come back from that musical land far, far away."
From Cello to Double Bass
While Ryan originally hoped to play the cello, he instead took up the double bass. He went on to perform with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, where he also honed his conducting skills by assisting with rehearsals.Champion of New Music
Hungarian composer and conductor Peter Eötvös played a pivotal role in shaping Ryan's approach to music, introducing him to contemporary works and instilling in him the importance of championing new voices in composition.
Mary Kouyoumdjian and Scout Tufankjian with Kwamé Ryan and the NY Philharmonic.
Engaging Young Audiences
Ryan is dedicated to introducing younger audiences to classical music. He recently penned an article for The Guardian, highlighting the value of connecting children with orchestral music through accessible genres like movies and video games.Commitment to Music Education
Throughout his career, Ryan has been a staunch advocate for music education around the world. He has returned to the BBC Proms on multiple occasions to lead children's programs and served as director of the French Youth Orchestra and at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, where he advanced youth arts initiatives.
Award-Winning Premiere
In 2021, Kwamé Ryan conducted The Time of Our Singing by Kris Defoort which won the World Premier Award at the International Opera Awards 2022.Roots in Germany
When he's not traveling, Ryan's home base is in Freiburg, Germany, nestled at the edge of the Black Forest, where he enjoys spending time on walks or bike riding.
Join us in welcoming Kwamé Ryan as he steps onto the Charlotte Symphony podium for his inaugural concerts featuring Pēteris Vasks's Musica Dolorosa and Brahms's A German Requiem, November 22 and 23. Plus, don't miss the chance to hear Ryan share his insights into the program at the pre-concert talk, starting at 6:30 pm.... Read more
5 Fun facts about the Shostakovich & Mendelssohn concert
October 22, 2024Curious about what you'll experience at the Shostakovich & Mendelssohn concert? Keep reading for some surprising and fun facts about the soloist, conductor, and composers featured. 
1. Amaryn Olmeda designs her own dresses
Joining us as the soloist for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, 16-year-old wunderkind Amaryn Olmeda brings both musical and artistic flair to the stage -- she even designs some of her own performance gowns! In a recent interview with The Violin Channel, she shared that if she weren't a musician, she'd find fashion design a fun alternative.
2. Mendelssohn composed 18 symphonies in his life
Between the ages of 12 and 14, Mendelssohn composed 13 string symphonies, intended for performances in the Mendelssohn household. He completed his first full orchestral symphony when he was only 15 years old.
3. Shostakovich's 9th symphony shocked critics around the world
Shostakovich had promised a grandiose, heroic Ninth Symphony, even hinting at a powerful chorale and a triumphant song of praise. But when it finally premiered, it was anything but -- instead, the symphony turned out to be short, lighthearted, and full of wit, defying all expectations! Before the symphony premiered, Shostakovich said, "Musicians will love to play it and critics will delight in bashing it."
4. Anthony Parnther has worked on the music for Oscar winning films
Anthony Parnther is one of the most sought-after conductors in the film industry, having worked on major blockbusters like Avatar: The Way of Water, Oppenheimer, The Mandalorian, Creed III, and Turning Red. Renowned composer Ludwig Göransson, known for his iconic scores for Black Panther and Oppenheimer, considers Parnther an invaluable collaborator when bringing new film scores to life.
5. Edward Elgar was a fan of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Just one year after leaving school, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor received a prestigious commission from the Three Choirs Festival, thanks to a recommendation from none other than Edward Elgar. Elgar praised the young composer, telling the festival that Coleridge-Taylor was "far and away the cleverest fellow going amongst the young men."... Read moreCellist Jeremy Lamb discusses ‘Oumuamua with Harvard Professor
May 14, 2024In the lead-up to the orchestral premiere of his work A Ride on 'Oumuamua, CSO cellist Jeremy Lamb talks to theoretical physicist and Harvard Professor Dr. Avi Loeb about 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar object to enter our solar system, and the inspiration for Jeremy's composition.
More Famous Than Mozart: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
February 5, 2024
In 18th century France, Joseph Bologne was an unrivaled superstar -- in modern times, he would easily be a household name. Not only a composer, conductor, and a virtuosic violinist who outshone Mozart in Paris, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges earned renown as the greatest swordsman in Europe, a Colonel in the French Revolution, and leader in the abolitionist movement. Until recently, however, Bologne's incredible talent and achievements had faded to near-obscurity.
Bologne was born to an enslaved African-Guadeloupean mother and a French plantation owner father in 1745 on the island of Guadeloupe. The family moved to France when Joseph was a young child, and his father placed him in an elite private school in Paris. Notwithstanding the racist "Code Noir" that even prevented him from taking his father's suffix, "de Saint-Georges," Bologne studied alongside young aristocracy. Prominent teachers included the renowned master of arms, La Boëssière. The young swordsman excelled in fencing; at 17, receiving knighthood from Louis XV -- becoming Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
Though the Chevalier distinguished himself in many pursuits, his musical career rose to extraordinary heights, including the Palace of Versailles. Little is known about his musical training, though he likely learned from composer François-Joseph Gossec. Bologne publicly debuted two violin concertos (Op. 2) as the soloist with Gossec's Concert des Amateurs in 1772, later succeeding Gossec as the orchestra's musical director. He later founded the Concert de la Loge Olympique, which survived through the beginning of the Revolution, and after which, Bologne briefly led the Cercle de l'Harmonie.
His compositions spanned from violin concertos to operas, instrumental forms written between 1771 and 1779 comprising his oeuvre. Bologne contributed to the emerging Classical period with inventive styles. Bologne's symphonie concertantes, a blend of the Baroque concerto grosso and the Classical concerto, were some of the first in France to establish the genre. He wrote three sets of six works for string quartet, Six Quatours concertans. Bologne's three sonatas for keyboard and violin broke from the still-popular basso continuo Baroque style, and he looked ahead to the forming Classical period with textures and harmonies.
Bologne's intricate violin pieces gained the admiration of Mozart, who quite likely copied the Chevalier's work. A passage from Mozart's Symphonie Concertante in E-flat (K. 364) closely follows Bologne's violin concerto (Op. 7, No. 1), written the previous year. At the height of his illustrious career, Bologne often performed for Queen Marie Antoinette, and across the Atlantic, President John Adams acknowledged him as "the most accomplished man in Europe in riding, shooting, fencing, dancing and music."
But even exceptional talent and a high society upbringing did not protect the Chevalier from experiencing racism throughout his life. When he was considered a favorite to direct the Académie Royal de Musique, the foremost musical position in France, three of the Opera's prima donnas refused to be led by a person of mixed race. Their petition crushed Bologne's candidacy.
... Read more
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