Filled with excitement and creative energy, the Winston-Salem Symphony promises a spring season to remember, and Music Director Michelle Merrill couldn’t be more proud.
“My first season as Music Director will conclude with an array of musical experiences ranging in genres that will surely capture our audience’s hearts,” said Michelle, who is also the symphony’s first female conductor.
“We will feature the timeless melodies of Fleetwood Mac, the majestic triumph of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy,’ enchanting Arabian tales woven together in Scheherazade on the same concert as the local premiere of a new work co-commissioned by our orchestra and, finally, an evening featuring our multi-talented local celebrity and 2019 Miss America, Nia Imani Franklin. This lineup promises to be a diverse mix of excitement and celebration with something for everyone, and we can’t wait for you to join us!” she adds.
All concerts will be held at Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road, with the exception of the Beethoven concert in April, which will be held at Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University. This extraordinary concert will commemorate the 200th anniversary of that work’s debut. In 1824, audiences experienced Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the first time, and the world of music was forever transformed.
Shows for April and May are as follows:
THE MUSIC OF FLEETWOOD MAC – Pops Series
Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
The Winston-Salem Symphony, guest vocalists and the fan-favorite Jeans ‘n Classics band come together to celebrate the supergroup’s decades of hits, including “Rhiannon,” “Say You Love Me,” “Little Lies,” “Landslide” and more.
BEETHOVEN’S NINTH – Classics Series
Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
Michelle Merrill, Conductor
Christopher Gilliam, Chorus Director
Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus
Ludwig van Beethoven – Leonore Overture No. 3
Ludwig van Beethoven – “Mir ist so wunderbar” from Fidelio
Carlos Simon – Fate Now Conquers
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 9
Join us in commemorating the 200th anniversary of this iconic masterpiece as the orchestra and chorus bring the glorious “Ode to Joy” to life. Immerse yourself in the transcendent beauty and message of unity in this immortal work as we explore why Beethoven’s music continues to resonate with music lovers worldwide.
Preceding this masterwork are two others by Beethoven, both with roots in his opera Fidelio – plus a recent work by composer Carlos Simon that uses the beloved Allegretto of Beethoven’s seventh symphony as a canvas.
SCHEHERAZADE – Classics Series
Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 5, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
Joseph Bologne – L‘amant anonyme
Matthew Aucoin – Eurydice Suite
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
Prepare to be transported to enchanting realms of romance and legend in this captivating finale to the 2023-24 Classics Series. The journey begins with the Chevalier’s evocative melodies from L’amant anonyme (The Anonymous Lover), the only surviving opera by Joseph Bologne. You are then invited to take a tragic tour of the underworld in Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice Suite, born of his surreal and heartbreaking opera, and the concert reaches its magical conclusion with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Immerse yourself in the sensory pleasure of the orchestra’s sound, and let the imaginative melodies take you away as they animate the tales from The One Thousand and One Nights. Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice Suite was co-commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Winston-Salem Symphony and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra.
NIA IMANI FRANKLIN – Pops Series
Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Following a wildly popular Symphony Unbound concert for which she was curator, conductor, featured composer and vocalist, Nia Imani Franklin makes her subscription series debut in a program that includes favorites from the Great American Songbook and highlights two of her passions – gospel and rhythm & blues. Winston-Salem’s own – and Miss America 2019 – Nia Imani Franklin is a thrilling performer and one you won’t want to miss!
Purchase tickets for the Winston-Salem Symphony at wssymphony.org or call the box office at 336.464.0145. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Ticket sales and will-call are available at the venue one hour prior to each performance.
