Charleston Symphony Announces 21-22 Season Programming

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The Charleston Symphony (CSO) today announced programming and plans for its 2021-2022 performance season, starting in September with concerts at the Charleston Gaillard Center. The CSO is one of a few select orchestras in the United States that continued serving its community throughout the pandemic by performing full symphonic repertoire for live audiences.

The Charleston Symphony says its 21-22 season is “focused on the artistic celebration of the orchestra's ability to bring communities together through shared experiences of the greatest orchestral music in the world.” Programs will feature larger-sized orchestras, expansive repertoire, exciting soloists, and an enhanced Virtual Concert Hall. The eight-month celebration of music and community culminates with the Beethoven Symphony Cycle completion; the orchestra is excited to welcome back the CSO Chorus to perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony, an Ode to Joy.

To launch this celebration, the organization is planning a number of free community performances and will start by releasing its 2020-2021 Masterworks season finale concert free to the public today, on the CSO Virtual Concert Hall. Community members will have complimentary access to the orchestra's live streamed performance featuring Beethoven's “Emperor” Concerto with pianist, Sara Davis Buechner, and Beethoven Symphony No. 5.

“We are grateful to have been able to perform all but one of Beethoven's Symphonies in our celebration of his 250th birthday to limited live audiences due to the pandemic, but we are also very much looking forward to getting back to our mission of engaging and inspiring our entire community,” said CSO Executive Director Michael Smith. “The CSO will boldly return to the stage this fall focused on serving the greater Charleston community once again, through our performances and education and outreach initiatives.”

Ken Lam, in his eighth and final season as Music Director with the Charleston Symphony will lead the orchestra in eight Masterworks programs with two performances each. The opening Masterworks weekend in September will usher in a celebratory season, with music from Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, and Saint-Saëns.

Principal Pops Conductor, Yuriy Bekker, will lead four Pops concerts, and will be joined by Charlton Singleton and Quiana Parler from the local Grammy Award-winning group, Ranky Tanky, for one of the performances.

“We begin the Pops Series with a trip to Hollywood with Music of the Movies: Heroes and Villains, and end it celebrating Charleston's deep connection to French culture with Dreaming of April in Paris in the spring,” said Bekker.

The full list of Masterworks and Pops programming can be found here.

Subscriptions and Tickets

Current CSO subscribers may renew their pre-COVID Masterworks and Pops season tickets now and reserve their existing seats by June 1, 2021. New subscriptions are also available immediately for purchase. Subscribers receive 15% off the price of regular single tickets. A Pick 6 subscription is also available to mix and match your favorite six concerts from both series. Tickets for individual performances will go on sale to the general public on August 9, 2021.

To become a subscriber or renew an existing subscription: