NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/
Charlotte Chamber Music) - A room at St. Peter's Church sets the stage for Elaine Spallone and Marianne LeVigne to harmonize their fine-tuned backgrounds in non-profit and performing arts sectors for
Charlotte Chamber Music. With a love for the performing arts, Spallone and LeVigne are eager to make
Charlotte Chamber Music, Charlotte's professional chamber music organization, a meaningful part of the arts society and are dedicated to ensuring an ongoing variety of excellent chamber music within the repertoire is offered to the local community.
Charlotte Chamber Music provides two free 45-minute concerts on the first Tuesday of each month, October through May, performed by leading local and regional musicians. A Living Room series, born out of the European Tradition for chamber music, is also offered, where musicians perform in the living rooms of gracious hosts.
"I value the connection to our community and the 'neighborhood' feeling that our programming provides," said Spallone, executive director for Charlotte Chamber Music. "The closeness we feel during a performance is inherent in the intimate art form that defines chamber music, and it is something I believe our audience treasures."
When Spallone joined Charlotte Chamber Music three years ago, she was convinced by a board member and Alan Black to take the helm. Her respect for Charlotte Chamber Music's founder, Alan Black, and his work prompted her to take the position in conjunction with her rich experience with non-profit organizations in Charlotte, including previous positions with Opera Carolina and the American Red Cross.
"I look forward to watching Charlotte Chamber Music develop and become even more well-connected to our community while maintaining a passionate, intimate core as we grow," said Spallone. "Our programming promotes a sense of fellowship and through the music we can feel moments of energy and delight, and I believe our community needs moments of joy and renewal now more than ever."
Spallone works intently with LeVigne and Interim Artistic Director Henry Lebedinsky to craft interesting programs and, in return, they enjoy watching their audience's reaction.
"Our past programming was more traditional, but we have learned our audience will let us take risks," said LeVigne, executive assistant for Charlotte Chamber Music, who previously spent nine years as general manager for Piedmont Chamber Singers in Winston-Salem, N.C. "We are developing our listeners and broadening their horizons by providing the basic pieces they love while introducing new composers. During each program, we offer pieces to love and pieces to challenge."
As Spallone and LeVigne continue to expand Charlotte Chamber Music, they will devise a plan on how to balance growth and programming needs. The overarching goal is to grant opportunities to enjoy chamber music and maintain connectivity through music.
"It is exhilarating to showcase this art form, and it is equally as exciting for our collaborators," said Spallone. "Our big picture goal is to be a conduit for chamber music. We aspire to create additional programming to showcase the full chamber music catalog to Charlotte concertgoers via a greater range of concert formats and compelling venues to share the exciting immediacy that only chamber music can provide. It is also very important for us to attract and pique the interest of the next generation who are passionate about this type of music."
About Charlotte Chamber Music
Charlotte Chamber Music enriches the Charlotte and surrounding community with inspiring and intimate chamber music performances in urban settings based on the European Tradition, choosing music mostly from the baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary periods, such as Hayden, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Bach among many other esteemed composers.
Founded in 1995 when the Rector at St. Peter's Church approached Alan Black, the principal cellist for the Charlotte Symphony, they agreed to create a free lunchtime concert for the workers in Uptown Charlotte that would also support the regional musicians by providing additional employment opportunities.
More than 33,000 people have attended the monthly concerts since the series began in 1996. The majority of Charlotte Chamber Music's concerts are free to the public, all while employing the best professional musicians in the region.
Generous individuals, corporations, foundations and the Arts & Science Council provide the support needed for Charlotte Chamber Music to perform the innovative free concerts and other programming of the highest artistic quality and musicianship that enrich Charlotte's local community and inspire today's audiences and future generations.
On the Web at https://www.charlottechambermusic.org.
