Our History

Sixty major symphony orchestras from all over the world. One hundred and twenty seven virtuoso soloists. Thirty one different professional ballet companies. Not to mention 44 significant chamber music ensembles. The numbers are overwhelming: in its eighty seven years, Charlotte Concerts has presented more world-class artists of every stripe on the Charlotte stage than any other local organization.

 

This is a major part of our mission: To present the best in the performing arts for the widest general audience here in Charlotte and the surrounding communities. We don’t compete with other arts organizations. We see ourselves as the local leader in expanding the musical and artistic horizons of the local audience. We’re actively growing that audience, and in the process we’re inspiring, motivating and cultivating our vibrant local artistic environment.

 

This dedication to presenting the best in visiting artists strengthens and reinforces the second major part of our mission: To support arts education initiatives that cultivate an understanding and appreciation of the arts among the children in our local schools. We actively seek out and take advantage of innovative opportunities to support music and arts education in our schools and in our communities. We can only do this when our concerts are a hit.

By the Decade

1931-32           Cherniayskys, Nelson Eddy – Baritone, Kurenko

1932-33           Amelita Galli Curci – Soprano, Toscha Seidel – Violinist, Norton

1933-34           Bart & Robi Tent & Dilling, Richard Crooks- Vocalist

1934-35           Meisle, Frantz, Coya, Nelson Eddy – Baritone

1935-36           Brancato, Hubert – Baritone, Lawrence Tibbett, Barrere

1936-37           Martini, Albert Spalding – Violinist, Olheim, Fowler & Tamara, José Iturbi – Pianist

1937-38           Richard Bonelli – Baritone, Gordons, Helen Jepson – Soprano, Russians, Guiomar Novaes – Pianist

1938-39           Thomas Lehmann, Vronsky-Babin – Duo-Pianists, Metropolitan Opera Quartet

1939-40           Cincinnati Symphony, Nelson Eddy – Tenor, Helen Jepson – Soprano, Kaskas, Charles Kullman – Tenor, Norman Cordon – Baritone, Krehm

1940-41           Lawrence Tibbett – Baritone, Jascha Heifetz – Violinist, Rochester Symphony, Hatfield & Rose Bampton – Soprano, Meisle & Jagel

1941-42           Don Cossacks, Philadelphia Symphony, Bidú Sayao – Soprano, Charles Kullman – Tenor, Davis-Kaskas, Hatfi

1942-43           La Boheme, Castagna, Artur Rubinstein – Pianist, Cleveland Symphony, Eleanor Steber – Soprano, Paulee, Weede

1943-44           Lauritz Melchior – Tenor & Astrid Varnay – Soprano, Faust, Yehudi Menuhin – Violinist, Helen Traubel – Soprano, Bart & Robi CAROLINA NIGHT, Jan Peerce – Tenor, K. Watson

1944-45           Col. Opera, Stewart Gordon – Pianist, Gladys Swarthout – Soprano, Cleveland Symphony, Carmen

1945-46           Rigoletto, Don Cossacks, Risë Stevens – Soprano, Baltimore Symphony, Rudolf Serkin – Pianist

1946-47           Il Trovatore, Cincinnati Symphony, Rosario & Antonio, Patrice Munsel – Soprano, Clenn, Merriman & Huehn

1947-48           Butterfly, Feruccio Tagliavini – Tenor, Baltimore Symphony, Bel Canto Trio, Nadine Conner – Soprano

1948-49           Romeo & Juliet, Revelers Vocal Ensemble, Indiana Symphony, Jussi Bjoerling – Tenor, Philadelphia Piano Quartet

1949-50           Wagner Opera Company, National Male Quartet, Alexis Weissenberg – Pianist, Elena Nikolaidi – Mezzo-Soprano, St. Louis Sinfonietta

1950-51           Igor Gorin – Baritone, Eleanor Steber – Soprano, Eileen Farrell – Soprano, Charles Kullman – Tenor & Men of Song Slavensky, Morley & Gearhart

1951-52           Lisa Della Casa – Soprano & Thibault – Baritone, Mata & Kari, Gyorgy Sandor – Pianist, Pittsburgh Symphony

1952-53           Boston Pops, Carmen, First Piano Quartet, Paul Badura-Skoda – Pianist, Nadine Conner – Soprano

1953-54           Wilma Lipp – Coloratura, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Compagnons de la Chanson, N.Y. Philharmonic Orchestra

1954-55           NO SERIES – ARMORY BURNED

1955-56           Boston Symphony, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Robert Shaw Corale, Dolores Wilson – Soprano, Whittemore & Lowe – Duo Pianists

1956-57           NBC Opera, Chicago Opera Ballet, Boston Pops, Risë Stevens – Soprano, Rudolf Serkin – Pianist, Met BPTO

1957-58           Philadelphia Orchestra, George London – Baritone, Alexander Brailowsky – Pianist, American Ballet Theatre, Vienna on Parade

1958-59           Robert Shaw Chorale, Boston Pops Touring Orchestra, Eileen Farrell – Soprano, Nathan Milstein – Violinist, Linn & Alexander, Jussi Bjoerling – Tenor

1959-60           Philadelphia Orchestra, Arthur Rubinstein – Pianist, Cesare Siepi – Baritone, Voyage to the Moon, Ralph Hunter Dramatic Choir

1960-61            N.Y. Philharmonic, Krasrmanovich Chorus, Goldovsky Opera Group, Lorin Hollander – Pianist, Cornell McNeil – Baritone

1961-62           Yehudi Menuhin – Violinist, Bayanihan Dancers, Brigit Nilsson – Soprano, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Hans Richter-Haaser – Pianist

1962-63           Orfeon Chorus of Coimbra, National Ballet of Canada, Rudolf Serkin – Pianist, Richard Tucker – Tenor, Minneapolis Symphony w/Norman Carol – Soloist

1963-64           Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, Koutev Bulgarian National Ensemble, Zino Francescatti – Violinist, Gianna d’Angela – Soprano, Hans Richter-Haaser – Pianist

1964-65           Berlin Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, San Francisco Ballet, Dorothy Kirsten – Soprano, Grant Johannesen – Pianist

1965-66           Czech Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Rudolph Firkusny – Pianist, Sandor Konya, Harkness Ballet

1966-67           American Ballet Theatre, Ivan Davis – Pianist, Arthur Fiedler in a Boston Pops Concert, New Orleans Philharmonic, Robert Merrill – Baritone, Pittsburgh Symphony

1967-68           Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Pennario – Pianist, Roberta Peters – Coloratura, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Ruth Page’s International Ballet

1968-69           Fiesta Mexicana, Grant Johanneson – Pianist, Hague Philharmonic, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf – Soprano, Harkness Ballet

1969-70           Lili Kraus – Pianist, National Ballet of Washington, Richard Tucker – Tenor, Indianapolis Symphony-Solomon Conductor, Friedman – Soloist, London Philharmonic Orchestra with Haitink – Conductor

1970-71           Bayanihan Dancers, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra – William Steinberg, Conductor, Leontyne Price – Soloist, David Bar-Illan – Pianist, Norman Luboff Choir

1971-72           Teresa Stratas – Soprano, David Bar-Illan – Pianist, National Ballet of Washington, London Symphony Orchestra, Van Cliburn – Pianist

1972-73           Gold & Fizdale – Duo Pianists, Beryozka Dancers, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, John McCracken – Tenor & Sandra Warfield – Soprano

1973-74           New York Philharmonic, Belgrade Chamber Orchestra, Harkness Ballet, Alicia De Larrocha – Pianist, Shirley Varrett – Mezzo-Soprano

1974-75            Soviet Georgian Dancers, Patricia Brooks – Soprano, Andre Watts – Pianist, Lilit Gampel – Violinist, Pittsburgh Symphony

1975-76            Chinese Acrobats of Taiwan, Louise Russell – Soprano, Lorin Hollander – Pianist, London Symphony Orchestra, Dubrovnik Festival Orchestra

1976-77           North Carolina Dance Theatre, Gold & Fizdale – Duo-Pianists, Galina Vishnevskaya – Soprano, Leningrad Symphony Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra with      Hans Richter-Haaser – Pianist

1977-78           Czech Folk Ballet, David Bar-Illan – Pianist, Marilyn Horne – Mezzo-Soprano, Buffalo Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic

1978-79           Tedd Joselson – Pianist, Neil Rosenshein – Tenor, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Christopher Parkening – Guitarist, Philadelphia Orchestra

1979-80           Horatio Gutierrez – Pianist, Andre Michel Shub – Pianist, Cincinnati Symphony, Beverly Sills – Soprano, Jackson (Mississippi) Ballet

1980-81           Grace Bumbry – Mezzo Soprano, New Orleans Philharmonic, Paul Schenly – Pianist, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Los Angeles Philharmonic

1981-82           Cleveland Orchestra, Alexander Peskanov – Pianist, Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Roger Wagner Chorale

1982-83           Gewandhaus Orchestra, Slovenian Symphony Orchestra, Andre Watts – Pianist, Washington Ballet

1983-84           Caracas Ballet, Robert McDuffie – Violinist, Hague Philharmonic, N.Y. City Opera National Company, Bella Davidovich – Pianist

1984-85           Youri Egorov – Pianist, Vienna Boys Choir, Simon Estes – Baritone, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Louisville Ballet

1985-86           Canadian Brass, Gewandhaus Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Pittsburgh Ballet, Nina Svetlanova – Pianist

1986-87           Kiri Te Kanawa – Soprano, Ballet de France, Cleveland Orchestra, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Horatio Gutierrez – Pianist

1987-88           Leningrad State Symphony, Stecher & Horowitz – Duo-Pianists, Itzhak Perlman – Violinist, Chicago City Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony with Angel Romero – Guitar soloist

1988-89           Canadian Brass, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Vladimir Fletsman – Pianist, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Kathleen Battle – Soprano

1989-90           National Symphony Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman – Viola/Violinist, Barry Douglas – Pianist, Philharmonic Orchestra of London, Frederica von Stade – Mezzo Soprano

1990-91           Murray Perahia – Pianist, Ballet Theatre Francais de Nancy, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Jerry Hadley – Tenor

1991-92           Alexei Sultanov – Pianist, Prague Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Royal Winnipeg Ballet

1992-93           Kathleen Battle – Soprano, Empire Brass, Itzhak Perlman – Violinist, Moscow Virtuosi, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

1993-94           N.Y. City Ballet, Jerry Hadley – Tenor, Mung Chi Liu – Pianist, I Musici de Montreal Chamber Orchestra, Dresden Staatkapelle Orchestra

1994-95           Itzhak Perlman – Violinist, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Russian National Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Hampson – Baritone, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo

1995-96            BBC Symphony Orchestra, Valery Kuleshov – Pianist, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Bolshoi Ballet Ensemble, Frederica von Stade – Mezzo Soprano

1996-97           Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Paris Opera Ballet Ensemble, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg – Violinist, Murray Perahia – Pianist

1997-98           Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Alicia de Larrocha – Pianist, Moscow Virtuosi, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Emanuel Ax – Pianist, Houston Symphony Orchestra with Joshua Bell – Violinist, Paul Grove – Tenor and Dwayne Croft – Baritone

1998-99           The St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra with Margarita Alaverdian – Soprano, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra with Eliane Rodrigues – Pianist, Full Length Swan Lake Russian National Ballet, Jon Nakamatsu – Pianist, National Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin – Conductor

1999-2000           Opera Gala- Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Emanuel Ax- Pianist, Chanticleer, The Minnesota Orchestra, Ballet de l’ Opera de Bordeaux, Kennedy with Orchestra

2000-2001           Iceland Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Empire Brass, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Festival Ballet- Giselle

2001-2002           Orpheus with Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, BBC Concert Orchestra of London (Nicola Loud, Violinist, Warsaw Philharmonic (Ingrid Fliter, Pianist), Van Cliburn Gold Medal Winner Stanislav Ioudenitch, Grigorovich Ballet “Spartacus”

2002-2003           Shanghai Ballet (Coppelia), New York Philharmonic with Lorin Maazel, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell, Violinist, Chanticleer, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland – with John O’Conor, pianist

2003-2004           Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Philharmonia of the Nations, Katia and Marielle Labeque, National Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Festival Ballet “Don Quixote”

2004-2005           Canadian Brass, Dresden Philharmonic with Julia Fischer and Rafael Fruhbeck do Burgos, Prague Symphony Orchestra with Navah Perlman, Cantus, St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre “Romeo and Juliet”, The Tuscan Sun Festival with Frances Mayes, Nina Kotova and New European Strings Chamber Orchestra

2005-2006           Zurich Chamber Orchestra with Sharon Isbin and Howard Griffiths, Munich Symphony Orchestra with Philippe Entremont, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Charles Dutoit. Olga Kern, Russian National Ballet performing Tchaikovsky’s “The Sleeping Beauty”

2006-2007          Orquestra de Sao Paulo with artistic director John Neschling and cellist Antonio Meneses, BBC National Orchestra of Wales with conductor Thierry Fischer and pianist Llyr Williams, Joshua Bell with pianist Jeremy Denk, Moscow Festival Ballet performing Tchaikovsky’s “Swam Lake”, National Philharmonic of Russia with conductor Vladimir Spivakov and pianist Olga Kern

2007-2008           Bergen Philharmonic: Andrew Litton, Principal Conductor & Music Director featuring Andre Watts, piano;  Frederica von Stade, Mezzo-soprano & Samuel Ramey, bass; State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico: Maestro Enrique Batiz, Music Director featuring Alfonso Moreno, guitar; St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre; Chanticleer

2008-2009           Jose Porcel Ballet Flamenco, Marvin Hamlisch – The Music of Marvin Hamlisch, The Dulin Philharmonic Orchestra, Erioca Trio, Russian National Ballet performing Cinderella

2009-2010           Perlman/Schmidt/Bailey Trio, 2009 Van Cliburn Competition Winner – Haochen Zhang, The 5 Browns – Concert Pianists, The Ethos Chamber Orchestra, Empire Brass.

2010-2011           2009 Van Cliburn Competition Winner – Nobuyuki Tsujii, Chanticleer, Orpheus Chamber Orchetra with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, The Assads.

2011-2012          Van Cliburn Competition Winner – Olga Kern, The Sphinx Virtuosi, The Salzburg Chamber Soloists, The Vienna Boys’ Choir, Canadian Brass.