Kwamé Ryan appointed music director of Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Florence Lockheart
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
After a two-year search, Ryan was chosen unanimously by the orchestra's musicians, staff and members of the board of directors
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has named Kwamé Ryan as its next music director, succeeding Christopher Warren-Green who steps down after a 12-year tenure. Ryan’s initial four-year contract will begin in the 2024–25 Season and he will serve as music director designate through the 2023–24 season.
Having made his Charlotte Symphony debut in January 2023, Ryan was chosen unanimously by the CSO’s music director search committee, which brought together the orchestra’s musicians, staff and members of the board of directors. His appointment marks the culmination of a two-year search.
Search committee co-leaders bassist Jeffrey Ferdon and principal violist Benjamin Geller said: ‘From the outset, there was an incredible chemistry between Kwamé Ryan and the musicians which created an atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration. Kwamé’s dynamic performances, as well as his ability to connect with audiences in a meaningful way, truly distinguished him. We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional conductor to Charlotte!’
Born in Canada and raised on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad, Ryan studied Musicology at Cambridge University. He brings to his new role experience gained in positions including general music director of Freiburg Opera, musical and artistic director of the National Orchestra of Bordeaux Aquitaine, musical director of the National Youth Orchestra of France and director of the Academy for the Performing Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. He is set to make his debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the New York Philharmonic in the coming year.
CSO president and CEO David Fisk said: ‘As a dynamic leader who understands the full potential of the relationship between an orchestra and its community, Kwamé will undoubtedly deepen the Charlotte Symphony’s service to Charlotte and the region, and, with his passion for music education, bring extraordinary, powerful music-making to a wider audience of all ages.’
Ryan will make his return to Charlotte as music director designate in April 2024 to lead two performances of Brahms’s Symphony No. 1, Wang Jie's Symphonic Overture ‘America, the Beautiful’ and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.