The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra has raised more than $50 million to complete its three-year comprehensive campaign, the organization announced Wednesday.
The total amount raised — $50.1 million — represents the symphony's largest fundraising effort in its 93-year history.
The comprehensive campaign was guided by former Bank of America executive Hugh McColl and Bank of America's current president and CEO, Brian Moynihan, with support from Keith Cockrell, president of Bank of America Charlotte, according to a news release. The campaign also received support from Bank of America, the C.D. Spangler Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
"This is a transformative milestone for the Charlotte Symphony,” President and CEO David Fisk said in a statement. “Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our supporters — not only those who contributed to this campaign, but also those who give annually — we can now invest more deeply in the artistic and community-centered work that defines us."
The symphony will direct $40 million from the campaign into its endowment, bringing the endowment closer to peer orchestras in similar-sized cities. With an annual budget of $13 million, the symphony plans to draw an average 4.5% annually, off-setting the loss of the Thrive Fund Initiative. The remaining $10.1 million will go toward operating support over the next five years.
The CSO has seemingly been on an upswing leading into Wednesday's announcement. The organization garnered national attention a year ago when it selected Kwame Ryan, who was born in Canada and grew up in Trinidad, to become the symphony's first Black music director.
Ryan was officially named to the position in late 2023, taking over for Christopher Warren-Green, who held the position for 12 years.
The orchestra has also worked deliberately to reach new audiences by moving outside of the traditional concert hall. Over the last year, CSO musicians have performed in breweries, homeless shelters and minority neighborhoods. Last year, the organization unveiled a mobile stage-on-wheels that allows the symphony to perform free community concerts anywhere it can park the 40-foot trailer.
Even the symphony's programming has expanded and diversified, with concerts featuring the music of Beyoncé, and an immersive concert that transported audiences into the deep sea ocean. The symphony has also continued to present a strong classical repertoire, and its popular "Summer Pops" and "Films in Concert" series.
Wednesday's announcement is a bright spot in what has been a darker time for arts funding. Four local arts organizations — Three Bone Theatre, Jazz Arts Charlotte, the McColl Center and Charlotte Ballet — all lost National Endowment for the Arts grants in recent weeks as the Trump administration shifts its funding priorities. They were among hundreds of arts organizations across the country that saw their NEA grants canceled or rescinded.
Some smaller arts groups in Charlotte have also been struggling after the city delayed getting funds out the door for grassroots arts organizations this year, leading some to warn they may have to shut down if local funding is not soon released.
