Charlotte Symphony Orchestra – Part I – it’s a small world?

Raffaele, Nanette, and me

On a recent visit to my friend Nanette, in Florida, I had the pleasure of being her guest not just at the opening night performance of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, but also at a donor party two nights before, where I met their new conductor, Raffaele Ponti, and the guest artist – the incredibly talented pianist, Jeffrey Biegel.  So what is the connection to Rochester?  Ponti is currently the conductor of three orchestras – the Charlotte Symphony, the Paducah Symphony (Kentucky), and … the Genesee Symphony.  He was born in Rochester, and lives in Fairport. He played the trumpet at age 17 with the RPO, and has also guest conducted the RPO.

It’s funny that, while I consider Jeff Tyzik to be Rochester's pops conductor, other communities must feel the same way, since he also serves as principal pops conductor of the Oregon, Florida, Seattle, Detroit, and Dallas symphony orchestras!  It is a tribute to Rochester that both conductors choose to live here, instead of in their other orchestral cities. I can’t help but think about their carbon footprint, though, and the fact that in order to conduct a regional orchestra full-time requires conducting multiple regional orchestras, not necessarily in close proximity.

Ponti has initiated a very exciting program in Charlotte County called “Symphony Kids.”  His plan is to visit every 3^rd grade class in the county and introduce the students to two pieces – Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite – through art.  Each class will create drawings or paintings inspired by listening to these pieces, and the artwork will be displayed at a culminating concert of the works in the spring, which the students (and, one hopes, their parents) will attend.  His goal is to introduce classical music to kids in an enjoyable format, in the hopes of making them the audience of the future.

He has also created an “instrument petting zoo,” where students can get hands-on experience with different instruments and the sounds they make.  And his “Musical Chairs” program will invite young musicians to sit with the orchestra side by side during rehearsals, to see and hear how the instrument should sound when played professionally.

When the previous conductor retired, the Charlotte Symphony conducted a search that involved prospects guest conducting the orchestra, and the audience actually voting for their favorite!  The vote was as binding as voting on shareholder resolutions;  still, it reflects on the view that the Charlotte Symphony belongs to the community.  They recognize that their viability depends on the support not just of a privileged few, but the entire audience – current and future. 

Jeffrey Biegel at the donor party

We were also treated to a short performance by pianist Jeffrey Biegel, the guest artist for the weekend's concert. He explained that he was deaf until age 3, when a doctor determined that he was hearing impaired, not developmentally disabled, as his parents feared.  His first introduction to sound was through the vibration of music in his parents’ speakers, and his love of and talent for music displayed itself in early childhood.  He also explained that the concert would include the original, unedited version of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with about 50 measures of additional piano solo that had been selectively deleted by the publisher.

Ponti’s debut as conductor of the orchestra was keenly anticipated, and at the party, it was announced that the Sunday concert had sold out its 850-seat hall!  

To be continued…