Charlotte Symphony Orchestra takes show on the road across the Queen City

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is taking its show on the road.

The CSO is using a 40-foot mobile stage to set up mobile performances in streets, parks, and plazas across the Queen City.

It’s called the CSO Roadshow, and the first performance happened after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday in one of Charlotte’s “Corridors of Opportunity.”

You typically need to dress fancy and pay a lot of money to hear music like this, Erin Gillespie with the city’s Corridors of Opportunity program says exposure to the arts can be transformative for people who don’t always get it.

“We’ve done a lot of engagement in all six communities, and we know a common theme is being able to access all the arts and culture that the city has to offer,” Gillespie told Channel 9′s Evan Donovan on Thursday.

Those six communities traditionally haven’t seen as much development. They include Albemarle/Central Avenue, Freedom Drive/Wilkinson Boulevard, West Sugar Creek, N. Graham/N. Tryon streets, West Boulevard, and where Thursday’s launch took place: Beatties Ford/Rozzelles Ferry.

“I believe that this is just a spark,” said Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones. “We’ll see so much more of these partnerships. And bring life not just to Uptown but every corner of the city and county.”

The CSO Roadshow will play a few more concerts in the coming weeks:

• 3 p.m. April 28, at the Latin American Coalition
• 3 p.m. May 5, at the Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church
• 5 p.m. June 21, at the Ophelia Garmon-Brown Community Center

Gillespie says it’s a taste of something different in areas hungry for change.

“We’re really excited to bring these events into our neighborhoods and really bring our communities something that they’ve been eager to see,” Gillespie said.

The orchestra will update its concert schedule on its page at this link.

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