Beethoven, opera and fireworks on tap for Charlotte Symphony concert at the ballpark
In an event aimed at bringing the city together “through the power of music,” the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra announced it will hold an hour-long concert at Truist Field in uptown this month.
“A Concert for Charlotte,” set for 7 p.m. Oct. 24, is meant to celebrate the Queen City, symphony music director Christopher Warren-Green said Thursday in announcing the event.
The concert will feature Opera Carolina singer Jennifer Wiggins as well as Nkeiru Okoye’s “Charlotte Mecklenburg”, a piece the symphony commissioned for Charlotte’s 250th anniversary. Works by Barber, Beethoven, Gluck, Jessie Montgomery, Rossini and John Williams are also on the bill. And there will be fireworks at the end of the event.
Mezzo-soprano Wiggins will open the concert with the Star Spangled Banner, followed by the operatic piece “Che faro senza Euridice from Orfeo ed Euridice.”
In a statement, the Charlotte-based singer said she hopes the piece will “allow people to find closure from any heartbreak they might be experiencing and help them realize it’s OK to mourn the ones you’ve loved and lost.” When she is not performing, Wiggins works as a pharmacy tech at Harris Teeter.
The symphony and the Knights have worked with Atrium Health on COVID-19 safety procedures, including crowd-size limits and reduced seating capacity for proper social distancing. Ticket buyers must wear masks and follow other government health guidelines.
Truist Field has more than 10,000 seats, meaning only 7% occupancy is allowed per COVID-19 government restrictions, or 735 seats, symphony spokeswoman Deirdre Roddin said. A number of invited health care workers will attend for free.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, and are available at CharlotteSymphony.org. In case of bad weather, the concert will be rescheduled for 7 p.m. the next night.
The concert was made possible, in part, by a donation from Catherine and Wilton Connor.