By Virginia Brown

When Rosalía Torres-Weiner heard about the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s (CSO) call for design submissions for its new mobile stage, she immediately thought of her grandfather.

“As a kid, I was captivated by music, because my grandfather was an orchestra conductor in Mexico City,” she said. “His love for music sparked my interest in art.”

She jumped at the chance to create a bespoke wrap for the CSO’s new 40-foot trailer that would not only reflect her childhood memories but the spirit of music. “Road to Joy,” her artistic design, draws inspiration from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and intends to capture the essence of music and community.

Shapes in vibrant yellows, reds and blues reflect the expressive nature of classical music, according to Torres-Weiner, while a pianist and flutist, along with various other instruments, symbolize diversity and unity.

The “CSO Roadshow,” with Torres-Weiner’s design, is now rolling, thanks in part to a $20,000 ASC Cultural Vision Grant. The trailer serves as a stage for community concerts held throughout the city and can accommodate 25-30 orchestra musicians in plazas and parks and on the streets, outside of uptown.

The mobile effort comes on the heels of the Covid pandemic.

“Emerging from the challenges of Covid, having become more adaptive and performing more outside, we began to get a sense of the potential,” said David Fisk, CSO president and CEO. “We recognized that while we had long been active in communities, our presence wasn’t very publicly known.”

The symphony’s core concert series are performed in theaters uptown, which present transportation and financial barriers for many in Charlotte.

“The mobile stage enables us to truly meet people where they are, in their neighborhoods,” Fisk said. “Playing outside is the most accessible way possible to enjoy performances, especially for families.”

The initiative works well with the City of Charlotte’s latest cultural plan, which aims to break down barriers to arts and cultural experiences, especially in six outlined Corridors of Opportunity.

The Cultural Vision Grant from ASC supported the CSO’s design competition. The orchestra sent out a call for artists in fall 2023 and, by December, it had selected five panelists to choose 10 finalists. In the end, Torres-Weiner’s design won out.

“I poured my heart and soul into my design, driven by a deep desire to honor my grandfather’s legacy,” she said. “I knew that there would be strong competition among the many talented artists in Charlotte, and I was determined to make my vision stand out.”

Torres-Weiner’s artwork “perfectly captured the vision we had for CSO Roadshow,” said Deirdre Roddin, the CSO’s director of institutional marketing & communications, who was involved in the selection process. “It’s dynamic and eye-catching and celebrates music and community in such a powerful way.”

ASC support also helped with the CSO’s first mobile stage performance at the Latin American Coalition on April 28.

“ASC’s funding was incredibly important, allowing us to plan, with confidence, the first CSO Roadshow performance and hire a local artist to ensure that the stage looked and felt like it was for the community,” said Fisk. “ASC’s funding is seen as a stamp of approval; and it represents the county’s support through Culture Blocks as well, which is the other piece of funding we received for upcoming CSO Roadshow performances.”

Drawing from her experience running an art truck for many years through ASC’s Culture Blocks program, Torres-Weiner saw the design opportunity as a chance to extend her long-standing community arts efforts. Culture Blocks is supporting two CSO Roadshow performances this spring.

“My ultimate aim with this project,” Torres-Weiner said, “is to evoke excitement and a sense of belonging among viewers, fostering a feeling of being part of a larger symphonic community.”