Dear music lovers, curious listeners, and those of you who are only here because your friend/date/parents/etc. forced you to come with them: welcome.

I am so happy that this is how you chose to spend your time today, because this is what I love most in the world. Today, all of us musicians on stage—hundreds of us, in some cases— join forces to bring to you, thousands of audience members, a powerful embrace.

Every time I conduct a concert, I am overwhelmed by a sense of unity. All these hundreds of musicians and thousands of audience members (yes, you are a part of the performance, too!) create a fleeting yet powerful moment of shared beauty. For the next two hours, you have a believable excuse to turn off your notifications, not respond to any emails or text messages, and join us in the present moment to connect with your neighbors, friends, fellow audience members, and me. Once this moment is over—once the final chord of today’s concert rings out through the hall—it will never return. But my hope is that it will live on as an enduring impression in your life; as a moment when you felt connected—through joy, compassion, and love—to humanity. 

Where else can you bring thousands of people together in one collective creation of beauty? Orchestras have a unique power to bring communities together. As we near the end of yet another political cycle where it seems as if we are always growing farther apart, let us take these next two hours to contemplate how close we really are. For some reason, humanity has always been driven to draw closer. We relish our families, our friends, and our neighbors. We love to feel a sense of community.

Tonight is our night. Tonight, it does not matter what church you go to, who you vote for, or even if you are a Clemson or a University of South Carolina fan. No, tonight, all that matters is that we are together. As the choir shouts out in our season-opening concert of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: “Be embraced, all you Millions! This kiss is for the entire world!” 

I cannot think of a better way to start my first season than this musical kiss for the entire world. Whenever you are with us, may you always feel embraced by our music.

Warmly,

Lee Mills
Music Director