Charlotte Symphony maestro Kwamé Ryan signs extension

VALENTIN BEHRINGER

Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and music director Kwamé Ryan agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep the Grammy-winning conductor in Charlotte through the 2031-32 season.

Kwamé Ryan’s earned an extended stay with Charlotte Symphony.

Ryan, the company’s music director and Grammy winner, signed a four-year extension that will keep him in Charlotte through 2032, the orchestra’s 100th season. Ryan, who is in his third season with CSO, won a Best Opera Recording Grammy with Houston Grand Opera’s recording of Jake Heggie’s “Intelligence.”  

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“I am thrilled to be extending my commitment to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra for four more years,” Ryan said in a statement. “From the very beginning, I felt a special bond with this Orchestra. The musicians and the entire CSO family have created an environment where artistic curiosity and collective ambition flourish. Charlotte has truly become my second home, and I have great affection for the warm, vibrant community the Orchestra serves. I look forward to the journey ahead — to the music we will make, the stories we will tell, and the shared experiences that will continue to shape the Charlotte Symphony’s future.”

With Ryan as director, CSO has worked at expanding programming initiatives and connections across Charlotte. The orchestra returned to national broadcasts through American Public Media’s “Performance Today,” completed its $50 million Comprehensive Campaign, became the first orchestra to commission a Sonic Logo, staged more presentations of works by living composers and launched the Spotlight Artist Series and in-the-round CSO 360 concerts.

Ryan is in demand outside Charlotte, too. He debuted with major U.S. companies like the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and New York Philharmonic. 

“The chemistry between Kwamé and our musicians is extraordinary, and we’re seeing the results of that partnership both onstage and in the way our community is connecting with the Orchestra,” said CSO board Chair Ulrike Miles and President & CEO David Fisk. “Kwamé brings an incredible sense of creative energy, collaboration, and possibility to the Charlotte Symphony. Extending his tenure now allows us to confidently build on that foundation as we look ahead to our 100th anniversary.”

Said Principal Horn Byron Johns and Principal Harp Andrea Mumm Trammell, musician representatives on the Board of Directors: “Over the past two seasons, Kwamé has challenged us artistically while fostering a strong sense of collaboration and trust among the musicians. We’re thrilled to continue this partnership and excited for all that we’ll create together in the years ahead.”

Ryan will open the CSO’s 2026–27 Classical Series on Oct. 9-10, in Levi Taylor’s “One Foot After The Other;” Barber’s Piano Concerto featuring pianist Orion Weiss and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.” 

Comments