“Music is supposed to wash away the dust of everyday life.” — Art Blakey

Orchestral music is powerful, magical and transformative. It is as relevant today as in distant lands and times past. Charlotte Symphony’s 80th season is getting ready to begin and this is the time to experience the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the central Carolinas.

Every musical event is unique. Live music takes place within a singular moment, and even recorded music does not capture the same multisensory experience as being there. Imagine sitting in the beautiful Belk Theater in the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center uptown. There are sounds of people talking, rustling papers, but when the lights dim, the hushed excitement moves through the audience, almost as if a collective breath were taken in and deeply held. The conductor’s baton is raised, the musicians’ backs straighten, instruments poised and ready. The music begins. There is simply nothing like hearing orchestral music live and in person. Two thousand eleven and 2012 mark Charlotte Symphony’s 80th season and, looking ahead, it is going be a great one.

There are different concert series performed throughout a season. Purchasing season tickets or individual tickets in advance will ensure you get the seats you want. There are the Classics, the POPS, the Lollipops and the KnightSounds series of performances. The Classics series is some of the world’s best-loved orchestral works in the beautiful acoustics of the Belk Theater.

The first Classics concert will be held on Sept. 16 and 17 and will feature Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Martina Filjak will be the guest pianist. Prior to each Classics concert, the Charlotte Symphony will present “Musically Speaking,” informative and engaging pre-concert talks. Expert presenters, including guest artists, Symphony musicians, local professors and Music Director Christopher Warren-Green, will provide provocative and amusing insights about the evening’s program through interviews, performances and lecture/demonstrations. “Musically Speaking” begins at 7 p.m. (Please note “Musically Speaking” is free only to Classics ticket holders.)

The POPS series utilizes the orchestra with a pop music flavor. Performers this season include Kenny G and Natalie Cole, as well as the music of Michael Jackson, the fun musical themes of Disney and, of course, a Christmas concert.

The Lollipops series is for kids and offers four concerts this year, including the famous Story of Babar and Peter and the Wolf. In addition to the music, each Lollipops Family Concert is preceded by a lively one-hour Pre-Concert Festival. The Festival features many hands-on musical activities for children, including arts and crafts and instrument exploration with The Symphony Guild’s popular Musical Petting Zoo.

Finally, building on the highly successful first season of the innovative KnightSounds concerts, the Charlotte Symphony will offer an expanded 2011-2012 KnightSounds series. KnightSounds redefines the orchestral experience, inviting audiences to engage with the music in a multisensory way. Concerts are shorter in length; the staging, lighting and décor are visually arresting; the programs are thematic, multicultural and include other artistic disciplines; and pre- and post-concert activities allow for lively social engagement and a learning experience.

For the opening KnightSounds concert on Oct. 21, 2011, the Symphony will join with multiple institutions, including the Mint Museum of Art, in a community-wide celebration of artist Romare Bearden’s centennial. All concerts will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Knight Theater at the Levine Center for the Arts, with a pre-concert reception in the Knight Lobby.

In addition, the Symphony provides a special reduced ticket rate to all students and patrons age 25 and under. Of course, purchasing season tickets will save money. But, if you are on a tight budget but still want to experience Charlotte Symphony live, it offers four open rehearsals the community may attend for $18 a ticket. These are all Friday rehearsals falling on Sept. 30, 2011, Jan. 13, 2012, Feb. 3, 2012 and March 30, 2012.

You are cordially invited to join the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra this season as it creates extraordinary musical experiences.