Thursday (2/21) on the WFAE Public Radio 90.7 website (Charlotte, North Carolina), Briana Duggan writes, “The Charlotte Symphony is in the midst of change. For 10 years, the Symphony’s been running a deficit. It is now trying to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience without upsetting its traditional supporters. The KnightSounds series is part of that effort. It’s a series of informal concerts geared to attracting first-timers to the Symphony. … Do you remember that VH1 show Pop Up Video? … VH1 would show the biggest hits from the 1980s and 90s, like Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon, with a pop up that gave background information about the song, musician, and video production. Last week, the Charlotte Symphony orchestra tried out its own throwback, but this one was to music of the 1800s. The Symphony played selections of operas by Verdi, Mascagni, and Wagner alongside the Oratorio Singers and opera soloists in Pop Up Opera, part of the Symphony’s three-year-old KnightSounds series. As the Symphony played, a screen flashed fun facts about composers’ love affairs, opera mishaps, and tidbits about the lives of Charlotte Symphony musicians. The atmosphere was casual. Where a loud whisper in a traditional concert would get you the stink eye, guests laughed out loud at the ‘pop ups.’ ”
Posted February 22, 2013
