Saturday’s (8/31) edition of Walter magazine (Raleigh, N.C.) includes an article by J. Peder Zane on the North Carolina Symphony. “Its name conjures staid images of white ties and tails, of Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms. But the symphony is a genre-busting outfit committed to playing great music in all its gorgeous diversity. Nationally renowned for exquisite performances of the most challenging pieces of classical repertoire, the orchestra is equally at home playing bluegrass, big band and Broadway show tunes, music from James Bond films, video games (yes, video games) and, on this June night, the songs of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. ‘We are pied pipers,’ says conductor Grant Llewellyn, who is celebrating his 10th anniversary as the symphony’s artistic director. ‘We embrace the mission of taking great music, in all its forms, to the people of North Carolina, wherever they are.’ … The full 65-member orchestra and smaller ensembles gave more than 200 performances during the 2012-13 season in venues ranging from grand concert halls to acoustically challenged restaurants and bars.… Fifty of last season’s concerts were for school children.” While it has struggled with deficits and recent cutbacks in state support, “finances are improving, thanks in part to record-breaking ticket sales, which have risen by more than $1 million during the last two years.… Future challenges not only include the ever-present financial pressures but also what Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, describes as ‘seismic changes’ in American culture.”
Posted September 4, 2013
Pictured: The North Carolina Symphony’s Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration at Red Hat Amphitheater in June. Photo by Michael Zirkle
