By Eva M. Lewis, Charlotte Symphony

At the close of this very eventful year, we at the Charlotte Symphony would like to take this moment to review some of the 2011 KnightSounds highlights. From Tangos and Tapas to Bearden and big band sounds, it’s been a year full of great music, culture and surprises.

February “Tangos & Tapas” was the theme of the sold-out second KnightSounds concert of the 2010-2011 season. The innovative concert offered participants the chance to engage in a professional tango lesson and spicy hors d’oeuvres to compliment the evening. Latin composers and the salsa band Orquesta Mayor made for a red-hot concert!

March The announcement of the three-part Ulysses Festival created quite a buzz in the artistic community. Combining the North Carolina Dance Theatre, Opera Carolina and the Charlotte Symphony the festival, slated for Spring 2012, promises to “make Charlotte absolutely hum with artistic activity,” said Music Director Christopher Warren-Green. The March 2012 KnightSounds concert, To Tchaikovsky With Love, will serve as part of the festival and will include some of Tchaikovsky’s greatest works.

August August brought the formation of the CSO’s Young Affiliate group, Pulse. Comprised of music lovers in their 20s and 30s, the group is associated with the KnightSounds series and strives to draw awareness to the symphonic innovation. Pulse answers a growing need for young adult audience members and offers creative activities throughout the KnightSounds season.

October Combing visual art and music made for a synesthetic experience at the Bearden-themed KnightSounds concert, the first of the season. Post-concert, audience members enjoyed the Noel Friedline Jazz Trio, along with creating a collage. During the concert, Susan Patterson of the Knight Foundation announced the foundation’s sponsorship of the KnightSounds series, which will expand the season, including the commisioning of a synchronized digital animation video to accompany the May 2012 performance.

It’s been an eventful, exciting year, full of growth, collaboration and creativity. 2012 promises to bring more exciting concert offerings, with February performances of the dramatic Carmina Burana, the romantic and beautiful strains of Tchaikovsky in March, and the premier of a brilliant digital video art piece in the Parisian-themed May performance.