The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra has announced that Grammy Award-winning Music Director Kwamé Ryan will extend his tenure with the Orchestra through its 100th anniversary season in 2031–32. The four-year contract extension comes as Ryan and the CSO enter their third season together, building on a strong artistic partnership and a shared vision for the Orchestra’s future.

“I am thrilled to be extending my commitment to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra for four more years,” said Kwamé Ryan. “From the very beginning, I felt a special bond with this Orchestra. The musicians and the entire CSO family have created an environment where artistic curiosity and collective ambition flourish. Charlotte has truly become my second home, and I have great affection for the warm, vibrant community the Orchestra serves. I look forward to the journey ahead — to the music we will make, the stories we will tell, and the shared experiences that will continue to shape the Charlotte Symphony’s future.”

Since Ryan’s tenure began in 2024, the CSO has earned growing national attention for its dynamic performances, artistic innovation, and deepening connections with audiences and the Charlotte community. The Orchestra returned to national broadcasts through American Public Media’s Performance Today, completed its $50 million Comprehensive Campaign, made national headlines as the first orchestra to commission a Sonic Logo, expanded its commitment to presenting works by living composers, and introduced new initiatives including the Spotlight Artist Series and in-the-round CSO 360 concerts.

Ryan has made high-profile debuts with major American institutions including The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and the New York Philharmonic, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to follow this season. In Charlotte, he conducted the CSO’s July 4 concert at Truist Field, which drew more than 20,000 people across the sold-out stadium and Romare Bearden Park. In February 2026, Ryan won the Grammy Award in the Best Opera Recording category for Houston Grand Opera’s recording of Jake Heggie’s Intelligence.

“The chemistry between Kwamé and our musicians is extraordinary, and we’re seeing the results of that partnership both onstage and in the way our community is connecting with the Orchestra,” said Board Chair Ulrike Miles and President & CEO David Fisk. “Extending his tenure now allows us to confidently build on that foundation as we look ahead to our 100th anniversary.”

Ryan opened the Charlotte Symphony’s 2026–27 Classical Series on October 9 and 10, 2026, leading the Orchestra in Levi Taylor’s One Foot After The Other; Barber’s Piano Concerto, featuring pianist Orion Weiss; and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.

Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is one of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas. The CSO employs 65 professional full-time orchestra musicians, presents around 175 concerts each season reaching more than 160,000 music lovers, and fosters four youth orchestras. Details at charlottesymphony.org.