A buoyant debut for Charlotte Symphony conductor
Plus: The news of the week
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Review: High-flyin’ Kwamé Ryan leads the symphony in an energetic direction in his opening concert, Brahms’ ‘A German Requiem’
By Lawrence Toppman
Death and a coronation usually go together. Sure enough, Kwamé Ryan ushered in his term as the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s new music director on Friday with a mass for the dead: Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem.”
His vibrant conducting — no surprise, if you heard his two audition concerts or a third after he agreed to take the job — reminded us we’re in for a different kind of reign than we had with Christopher Warren-Green.
Overlook the oft-reported news that Ryan is the first person of color to lead the CSO and the first one not raised in Europe or North America. (He grew up in Trinidad, an English-language island a few miles from Venezuela. His British accent comes from an English boarding school, where he enrolled at 14 to study music; he graduated from Cambridge University in 1992.)
Focus instead on his abiding interest in reaching children through classical music, his desire to program pieces by living composers and those from cultures we know little about — more of that in a moment — and, perhaps, his status as an itinerant conductor of opera, which could pay off someday if the CSO returns to the concert productions of opera done in Christof Perick’s time.
Ryan was hired at 53, the same age as Warren-Green when he took the job in 2009. Where Warren-Green projected good-humored gravitas to an audience, Ryan’s vibe is buoyant. He led the Brahms on the balls of his feet, beaming at a vocal soloist’s line or another crisp entrance by the Charlotte Master Chorale. Even his clothes banished memories of the last 11 music directors: He wore a charcoal-gray ensemble with a kind of Nehru jacket top and no tie.
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s new music director, Kwamé Ryan, led the symphony, Charlotte Master Chorale and two soloists in his opening concert on Friday. (Photo by Genesis Photography/Charlotte Symphony)
He chatted with audience members for half an hour before the show, in a conversation moderated by resident conductor Christopher James Lees in the upstairs lobby of Belk Theater. Though Ryan told us he could reveal no details of what he hoped to program or accomplish over the next four years, he did promise “a lot more presence in Charlotte. I have fallen in love with the town, the musicians, my colleagues.
“My first home is still in Germany, on the edge of the Black Forest (in Freiburg). But this will move the professional center of my life from Europe to America for the first time. I’m conducting at Washington National Opera next year (“Porgy and Bess,” May 23-31) and will work more over here.”
He spent most of that half-hour informally breaking down the two pieces he’s leading this weekend: Peteris Vasks’ “Musica Dolorosa” (“Music of Pain”) and Brahms’ Requiem. He explained how the Latvian Vasks produced his 13-minute cry of anguish while suffering from both Soviet oppression and the recent death of his sister, and how Brahms’ crafted his comforting piece from passages in the Lutheran Bible as balm for those who mourn. (Brahms had recently lost his mother when he composed it.)
Ryan continued to educate the audience in briefer fashion onstage, before picking up the baton. One small change illustrated his imaginative approach: He led Vasks and Brahms without a pause and asked us not to applaud until the journey from grief to solace had been completed.
The orchestra and chorus played and sang fervently for him, bearing out the oft-asserted statement that he has a special rapport with them. Ryan teased about that when Lees suggested it to him.
“One thing that has characterized my journey with this orchestra is how comfortable we were with each other from the beginning,” he agreed. “There’s always a ‘new toy’ phase, though. The trick is to keep that going.”
(Photo by Genesis Photography/Charlotte Symphony)
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Want to attend Ryan’s debut?
Kwamé Ryan will lead the Charlotte Symphony again tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Belk Theater. The program includes Peteris Vasks’ “Music Dolorosa” and Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem,” and there’s a pre-concert talk at 6:30 upstairs.
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Lawrence Toppman covered the arts for 40 years at The Charlotte Observer before retiring in 2020. Now, he’s back in the critic’s chair for the Charlotte Ledger — look for his reviews about two times each month, and check out this link for Toppman’s archive of reviews in the Ledger.
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Related Ledger article:
“An inspired choice for the Charlotte Symphony’s music director” (Dec. 15, 2023)
This week in Charlotte: New N.C. House speaker, Music festival lineup announced, Asheville regains water, UNC Charlotte football coach fired, A new mission for a law enforcement widow
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Politics
N.C. House speaker elected: (News & Observer) North Carolina Republicans have elected Destin Hall, 37, as the next House speaker, set to assume leadership in 2025. Hall, a Caldwell County attorney and current House Rules Committee chair, was unanimously chosen by the GOP caucus. Senate Republicans also re-elected Phil Berger as Senate president pro tempore.
Legislature shifts power away from governor: (Associated Press) The Republican-controlled General Assembly voted to weaken the power of the incoming governor and Democratic elected officials. Legislators also overrode vetoes of Gov. Roy Cooper and approved expanding funding for school vouchers and requiring sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration officials.
Court race drama: (WRAL) Democrat Allison Riggs appears to have won her race for a seat on the N.C. Supreme Court, after vote totals completed this week showed her leading Republican Jefferson Griffin by about 600 votes out of 5.5 million cast. Griffin, who led by about 10,000 votes on election night before provisional and some absentee votes were counted, has requested a recount and is contesting thousands of the votes. A Riggs win would keep the court’s balance at 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats.
Local news
Record holiday travel: (Axios Charlotte) Charlotte Douglas International Airport expects more than 1 million passengers during the Thanksgiving travel period, marking a 7% increase from last year. The airport has added new infrastructure, including shuttle bus lanes, skybridges and 10 new gates since last year to ease congestion.
Lovin’ Life 2025 lineup: Musicians Gwen Stefani, The Dave Matthews Band and Benson Boone (a 22-year-old rising star) will headline the 2025 Lovin’ Life Music Festival in Charlotte next May, organizers announced Thursday.
Could Charlotte Swifties’ ‘wildest dreams’ come true? (Observer) Swifties are speculating that Taylor Swift could potentially attend the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday, given her tour schedule this weekend.
Education
Housing for teachers: (WFAE) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools hopes to build a $30M “educator community” with about 100 lower-cost rental housing units for teachers.
Rhodes Scholar for Davidson: (Davidson College news release) A Davidson College senior from Brevard who is a professional bluegrass fiddler won one of 32 prestigious Rhodes Scholarships. Madeline Dierauf has also played at Merlefest and hiked the entire 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Business
Spirit files for Chapter 11: (Spirit Airlines) Spirit Airlines, which flies nonstop to 11 cities from Charlotte, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Its operations will continue as normal as it restructures its finances.
Investor urges Honeywell split-up: (Reuters) Activist investor Elliott Investment Management is calling on Charlotte-based Honeywell International to split into two companies, which it says would boost the company’s stock and lead to more even financial results.
Audit finds improper spending by Charlotte sports company: (News & Observer) A state audit of the Charlotte-based U.S. Performance Center found more than $6M in “unallowable” spending. The audit found the spending to be a “misuse of state grant funds” by the company, which is working to attract amateur sports teams to the area with the help of $25M from state lawmakers.
Sports
UNC Charlotte fires football coach: (ESPN) UNC Charlotte fired football coach Biff Poggi on Monday. Poggi was 6-16 in his two seasons leading the Charlotte 49ers. He is being replaced on an interim basis by tight ends coach/associate head coach Tim Brewster.
New athletic classifications: The N.C. High School Athletic Association released the proposed new size classifications for athletic divisions. There are eight, up from four. Read the details.
Big roster changes for Charlotte FC: (Ledger 🔒) Charlotte FC will be in the hunt for a new star player this winter. The club announced it had declined an option to purchase the contract of midfielder Pep Biel, as well as for fullback Jaylin Lindsey and midfielders Junior Urso and Jamie Paterson.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Biff Poggi has an unconventional playbook: [This article was published before Poggi was fired on Monday.] Charlotte 49ers coach Biff Poggi, a dynamic and controversial figure, is reshaping the team’s culture with his tough-love approach and distinctive personality, despite ongoing challenges in his second season.
Plus: Critics pan new ‘Tammy Faye’ Broadway musical; Marathon sets records; Camp North End developer reveals towing scam
Wednesday (🔒)
A law enforcement widow’s mission: Kelly Weeks, widow of U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, who was killed in a Charlotte shootout in April, has channeled her grief into advocacy for law enforcement. She spoke at a Charlotte Rotary Club meeting Tuesday to share her journey. You can listen to the full speech on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast.
Plus: Local home sales rise; Reader question on mobile classrooms; Toppman reviews Bechtler exhibit; Small businesses get boost from pitch competition
Friday (🔒)
Trapped in the medical billing maze: Leukemia patient Mary Katherine Snow faced years of medical billing errors, including wrongly classified charges and debts sent to collections, which hurt her credit score and added stress during treatment. Her saga highlights the challenges of navigating medical billing and its toll on patients.
Plus: American Airlines puts anti-line-jumping technology at 100 airports; Charlotte area’s big Broadway week; Big Charlotte FC roster changes
Mountain Updates
Monday: The Asheville area’s 52-day water crisis caused by Tropical Storm Helene officially ended on Monday, as clean drinking water has been restored to approximately 160,000 residents after extensive repairs and testing of the North Fork Reservoir system.
Friday: Freezing temps prompt the need for heaters, temporary housing; WNC lawmakers say new relief bill falls short; State parks still closed; Marshall holds PPE fashion show for local artist; NCDOT dashboard shows 295 road closures
Ways of Life (🔒)
Don Hampton, a revered woodworking teacher in North Carolina, profoundly impacted students with his craftsmanship, discipline and mentorship, inspiring lifelong skills and connections that extended beyond the classroom into life and community projects. He passed away on Sept. 2 at 91.
The wife of a U.S. Marshal killed in Charlotte shares her reflections on that tragic day — and says we should appreciate our heroes. Kelly Weeks spoke at the Rotary Club of Charlotte this week, and we put her 25-minute talk on the podcast.
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A last minute review that is so tantalizing!
A good review… It was an excellent concert last night!