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About NCS
North Carolina Symphony
Our Story

Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is a vital and honored component of North Carolina’s cultural life. Each year, more than 300 concerts, education programs, and community engagement offerings reach adults and schoolchildren in all 100 North Carolina counties—in communities large and small, and in concert halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, restaurants, clubs, and outdoor settings. NCS is proud to expand access to audiences around the globe through concerts and educational offerings available through the digital space.

The Symphony performs under the artistic leadership of Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto. NCS’s state headquarters venue is the spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh, and the Symphony’s service across the state includes series in Chapel Hill, Wilmington, New Bern, and Southern Pines, as well as the Summerfest series at its summer home, the outdoor Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. NCS brings some of the world’s greatest talents to North Carolina and embraces home-state artists from classical musicians to bluegrass bands, creating live music experiences distinctive to North Carolina. NCS is dedicated to giving voice to new art and has presented more than 50 U.S. or world premieres in its history.

Committed to engaging students of all ages across North Carolina, NCS leads one of the most extensive education programs of any symphony orchestra in the country—serving over 150,000 students each year. In alignment with the curriculum set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Symphony provides training and resources for teachers, sends small ensembles into classrooms, and presents full-orchestra in-person and online Education Concerts that bring the fundamentals of music to life. Music Discovery for preschoolers combines music with storytelling, and at the middle and high school levels, students have opportunities to work directly with NCS artists and perform for NCS audiences.

The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges financial support from Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and the State of North Carolina.

The first state-supported symphony in the country, NCS performs under the auspices of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.


The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges financial support from Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and the State of North Carolina.

 

 


 

Administrative Staff

President’s Office

Sandi M.A. Macdonald – President & CEO

Stephen Thompson – Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

Artistic Operations

Donald Tippett – Vice President of Orchestra Operations

Samantha Gallup – Operations Manager

Hsing-I Ho – Director of Orchestra Personnel

Chris Moore – Stage Manager

José Muñiz – Artistic Coordinator

Bo Osborne – Production Manager

Mary Shannon – Orchestra Personnel Coordinator

Kerry Smith – Assistant Vice President of Artistic Planning

Jason Spencer – Director of Education

Taylor Troyer – Assistant Orchestra Librarian

Stephanie Wilson – Principal Orchestra Librarian (The Mary Colvert and Banks C. Talley Chair)

Finance & Administration

Robert Schiller – Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration & CFO

Carol Brown – Accounting & Payroll Manager

Tiffany Debnam – Database & Fulfillment Manager

Tiffany Haddock – Director of Human Resources & Business Systems

Doe Lee – Information Processing and Database Coordinator

Stan Williams – Public Affairs Contractor

Jan Zimmermann – Assistant Vice President of Finance

Marketing & Audience Development

Linda Charlton – Vice President for Marketing & Audience Development

Riley Adams – Box Office Associate

Jennifer Blackman – Graphic Designer

Ashley Blankenship – Senior Director of Marketing & Sales

Maria H. Ewing – Director of Advertising & Corporate Partnerships

Andrew Gouck – Assistant Box Office Manager

Arianna Gulisano – Box Office Manager

Richard Hess – Communications Project Manager

Paola Hickok – Box Office Associate

Ellie Jensen – Marketing Assistant

Graham Jones – Box Office Associate

Emma Wall – Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Sales

Keith Wood – Box Office Associate

Philanthropy

Lisa Ransom – Vice President of Philanthropy

Riley Bennett – Foundations & Grants Manager

Rebecca Gunn – Assistant Vice President of Philanthropy

Kaitlyn Lincoln – Donor Relations Coordinator

Olivia Pedigo – Annual Giving Manager

Emily Wilbourne – Director of Leadership Giving