Charlotte Symphony Orchestra goes mobile with new stage
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra played its first performance on its new mobile stage on Sunday.
Musicians aim to bring their art out of Uptown and into various underserved communities this spring.
They partnered with the City of Charlotte to launch the CSO Roadshow series. Officials said they are proud of the initiative.
“One of the shared goals between the city and the Symphony is to increase accessibility to the arts and eliminate barriers to enjoying music, arts, and culture in the area,” said Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones in a statement. “The mobile stage will be a bridge in building connections between the arts and our community. Corridors of Opportunity residents will be able to experience and enjoy live music in their own backyards.”
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Their first show was in collaboration with the Latin American Coalition at the “Musica con Amigos” event.
José Hernandez Paris, the Chief Executive Officer of the Latin American Coalition, said the partnership came together with some luck and great timing.
“They were looking for places to reach out and play, meet the community where they’re at, and here we are,” he said.
Hernandez Paris said he’s excited to foster connections between the public and public art.
“If we’re diversifying more in Charlotte, it gives us the opportunity to eat different types of food, to listen to different types of music, to meet different types of people,” he said. “And that makes us a better community, a better country. It’s exactly what America is about.”
The mobile stage is a customized, 40-foot trailer in which the musicians can play during “drive-up” concerts.
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Rosalia Torres-Weiner, a 28-year Charlotte resident with heritage from Mexico City, designed the colorful, vibrant wrap on the trailer.
“As a Mexican artist, I’m giving voice to not just the Latino community, but everyone you know. You’ll see a lot of diversity designed on the vinyl wrap,” Torres-Weiner said.
The artist said many talented designers submitted their work to be considered for the mobile stage, but her desire for the job went deeper than simply showcasing her art.
“I wanted this project for a big reason. My grandfather was a conductor in Mexico City and he left an instrument to each one of his grandchildren. And I got the flute and I learned how to play it. So, music has always been a part of my artistic journey,” she said.
After seeing the first show, Torres-Weiner said she was honored to be a part of the project.
“This is what we need, you know, like art and music brings people together. Here we are, together, celebrating music and community and art,” she said. “The Latino community, we don’t always have the chance to go sometimes to Uptown. So bringing the music to them, that’s a no-brainer.”
The second show for the CSO Roadshow is scheduled for May 5 at the Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church. The third program for the spring is set for June 21 at the Ophelia Garmon-Brown Community Center.
Symphony leaders said each performance will be different, based on the specific styles of the areas they perform in.
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