Providing students with music education opportunities is the mission of North Carolina Youth Orchestra. Based in the Lake Norman area, the organization has seen rapid growth in recent years and offers kids a range of options from beginning classes to full orchestras. They now serve about 225 students. On this Piedmont Arts podcast, executive director Eric Boruff talks about how North Carolina is working to meet the growing demand for music instruction in our region and about what’s next.
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Jen Sudul Edwards on the Work of Annie Liebovitz
By David Boraks
Photographer Annie Leibovitz is legendary for her iconic photos of celebrities - from professional athletes and politicians to entertainers and artists. Many of those photos, plus a few you haven't seen, are in the exhibit "Annie Leibovitz/WORK" at the Mint Museum Uptown through the end of August. Jen Sudul-Edwards chief curator for the Mint talks about Leibovitz's style and career.
Learn more about the Annie Leibovitz/WORK exhibit at the Mint Museum.
Mint Chief Curator Jen Sudul Edwards talks to reporters and staff at the press opening for "Annie Leibovitz / Work" at the Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte on 4/25/25. This set of photos (left) depicts celebrities in their cars.David Boraks/WDAV
Top: A photo of soldiers at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, with Mary, "Queen of the Negritos" on the base. 1968Bottom: Leibovitz's grandmother in her house in Waterbury, Connecticut, early 70s.David Boraks/WDAV
Chief curator Jen Sudul Edwards talks to staff and reporters at the press opening of Annie Leibovitz's retrospective at the Mint Museum Uptown.David Boraks/WDAV
Leibovitz's photo of Georgia O'Keeffe on a big screen, next to a "salon wall" of her other portraits of the famous. At the Mint Museum Uptown.David Boraks/WDAV
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Piedmont Arts: Bringing Art Films Back to Charlotte
After the beloved Manor Theater closed its doors in 2020, there weren’t many places to see art house and foreign films on the big screen in the Charlotte area. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic had put the entire movie theater industry in jeopardy. But that’s exactly when the Charlotte Film Society made the bold decision to find investors and start a new, not-for-profit, multi-screen cinema. The Independent Picture House opened its doors in 2022 and hasn’t looked back. We talk to executive director Brad Ritter about the early days of this destination for film lovers, as well as what we can look forward to seeing at the Independent Picture House in the weeks and months ahead.
Pictured: Executive director Brad Ritter or the Independent Picture House. Phil Vavra/WDAV
Pictured: Brad Ritter in the lobby of the Independent Picture House theater. Phil Vavra/WDAV
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Raehann Bryce-Davis on the Winston-Salem Symphony
In recent years, Raehann Bryce-Davis has become a familiar name in the world of opera through performances at the Met, Santa Fe, Houston, Los Angeles, and in opera houses across Europe. She is the mezzo-soprano soloist for the Winston-Salem Symphony’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem, one of her favorite works to sing. On this episode, Bryce-Davis talks about singing Verdi and her newly released album, “Evolution,” an eclectic recording with everything from art song to electronic dance music.
Learn more about Verdi’s Requiem at Winston-Salem Symphony.
Pictured: Raehann Bryce-Davis. Wolf Dieter Grabner/IMG Artists.
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Interview with Jim Meena
After 25 years, Maestro Jim Meena is moving on from Opera Carolina. He led his last production, La Boheme, with the company as their artistic director and principal conductor. Meena sits down with WDAV’s Frank Dominguez to talk about his time as one of the Queen City’s longest and most influential artistic leaders. They chat about everything from memorable performances of operas like Margaret Garner to the challenges of the 2008 financial crisis and Covid pandemic.
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