From former Gov. Jim Martin, chairman of the board of the Charlotte Symphony:

The Charlotte Symphony is off to a successful new season, with exciting concerts and increased attendance. Music Director Christopher Warren-Green has reshaped our regular Classics concerts to feature more masterpieces you want to hear. His innovative and distinctive KnightSounds programs, with great music in an informal setting, have proven to be immensely appealing.

When music lovers hear what Christopher is doing with our Symphony, we want more. That admiration works both ways. He and his wife Rosemary (a celebrated violinist and educator) and son Jamie have become full-time Charlotte residents. They've gone into the schools teaching young musicians - just the beginning of broader education programs.

Christopher is in great demand as a conductor for major orchestras worldwide and a favorite in England, conducting the music for two Royal weddings, and featured in BBC's documentary, "Maestro!" But he's ours now.

We are working with a select group of symphonies in other cities to create "The New American Orchestra," emphasizing innovative programs and broader service. Our president, Jonathan Martin, likes to say that we should aspire to be a "community service organization disguised as an orchestra."

This vision will include more work with young musicians and fresh ways to enjoy live classical music. We're even inviting concertgoers to purchase tickets to sit onstage with our musicians in performance.

To better serve our region requires more dependable funding. That's why we're calling on supporters to help us build our working capital. That's why we encourage folks to consider endowing the Charlotte Symphony when writing their wills.

This is necessary because American orchestras' ticket sales cover about 40 percent of their costs and Charlotte is no different. Happily, our ticket revenue has grown 25 percent since 2006, even in this economy. The demand for the Charlotte Symphony is growing.

We run one of the leanest professional orchestras, but we deliver a lot for the money. We provide nearly 100 concerts of every kind. Our musicians serve other musical organizations, like Opera Carolina and the Dance Theater. We operate two fabulous youth orchestras teaching hundreds of children. We proudly feature a 150-member all-volunteer chorus. Combined with the thousands of teaching hours CSO musicians provide throughout the region, we truly are the "heart of the arts."

The most vibrant American cities possess "markers" that set them apart. One marker is a healthy arts and cultural footprint, considered by relocating executives and corporations as an essential part of a city's quality of life. And at the center of that footprint is the Charlotte Symphony. Detroit, Louisville, Albuquerque and Syracuse have lost, or almost lost, theirs. That must not happen here, for it would take decades to restore what we already have.

Different people have different tastes, and classical music is not for everyone. What we have here in the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is worthy of anyone.