Reynolds Auditorium

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.

We invite you to explore the colors and textures of the orchestra in Luster by acclaimed composer and UNCSA faculty member Jared Miller and to feel the thunderously triumphant opening chords of Tchaikovsky’s mighty Piano Concerto. Pianist Michelle Cann has been heralded as a “compelling, sparkling virtuoso” (Boston Intelligencer), and her interpretation of this iconic and powerful composition will draw you in with its famous first melody and keep you on the edge of your seat as it races to the conclusion.

Following intermission, the orchestra performs Shostakovich’s monumental Fifth Symphony, an indomitable piece composed amid Stalinist terror.

We invite you to explore the colors and textures of the orchestra in Luster by acclaimed composer and UNCSA faculty member Jared Miller and to feel the thunderously triumphant opening chords of Tchaikovsky’s mighty Piano Concerto. Pianist Michelle Cann has been heralded as a “compelling, sparkling virtuoso” (Boston Intelligencer), and her interpretation of this iconic and powerful composition will draw you in with its famous first melody and keep you on the edge of your seat as it races to the conclusion.

Following intermission, the orchestra performs Shostakovich’s monumental Fifth Symphony, an indomitable piece composed amid Stalinist terror.

Michelle Merrill takes the podium for her debut concert as Music Director, leading the Winston-Salem Symphony through a captivating program celebrating Bernstein and Brahms. Experience the mesmerizing artistry of violinist Kristin Lee as the rising star takes center stage to perform Brahms’ timeless Violin Concerto. The evening reaches its pinnacle as you are swept away by the iconic rhythms and electrifying energy of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Opening the program is Dvořák’s Carnival Overture, a boisterous and festive work fitting this celebratory occasion.

Michelle Merrill takes the podium for her debut concert as Music Director, leading the Winston-Salem Symphony through a captivating program celebrating Bernstein and Brahms. Experience the mesmerizing artistry of violinist Kristin Lee as the rising star takes center stage to perform Brahms’ timeless Violin Concerto. The evening reaches its pinnacle as you are swept away by the iconic rhythms and electrifying energy of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Opening the program is Dvořák’s Carnival Overture, a boisterous and festive work fitting this celebratory occasion.

The intergenerational concert will be conducted by Margaret Rehder, Youth Philharmonic Music Director at the Winston-Salem Symphony and director of the orchestra programs at Reynolds High School and Wiley Middle School.  It  will feature a variety of works including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (1st Movement) to be performed by David Green, Reynolds High School Senior.

The Reynolds and Wiley orchestras are the oldest public school orchestras in Winston-Salem. They have a rich tradition of attending orchestra competitions and earning excellent and superior ratings.  Reynolds and Wiley students have traveled to orchestra festivals in Washington, D.C., Williamsburg, VA, Atlanta, GA, Carowinds Amusement Park, and in the Bahamas on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.  Each of these schools has about 100 students in their programs.  Wiley is a STEAM magnet school and serves 6th-8th graders.  R.J. Reynolds is an "Arts for Academics" performing arts magnet school that offers a wide variety of arts and academics classes, as well as a well-rounded 9th -12th grade experience that includes sports, clubs, and lots of tradition.

The mission of the Winston-Salem Civic Orchestra is to provide adult members of the community with an opportunity to enjoy playing in an orchestra, bring orchestral performances out into the community, and help provide funding for High School Orchestra Programs.