FanFare: A New Crop of Talent

July 23, 2026

Phil Vavra Powered By Bragg Financial

The tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash in your garden aren’t the only thing emerging at this time of year. The end of July is also bringing a bumper crop of fresh talent to stages across the Carolinas. Keep reading to learn about some festivals and theater productions featuring up and coming writers and performers.

Eastern Festival of Music

The next week’s highlights at the Eastern Festival of Music include the Young Artist Orchestra performing Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 at Guilford College’s Dana Auditorium (710 Levi Coffin Drive, Greensboro) on Friday, July 24^th. Gerard Schwarz leads the Eastern Festival Orchestra in a “Celebrate America 250” program with Goossens’ Jubilee Variations, Hanson’s Symphony No. 2, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring soloist William Wolfram, on Saturday, July 25^th. Eastern Chamber Music presents “Beethoven’s Influence” with works by Beethoven, Haydn, and Brahms on Monday, July 27^th. The Eastern Chamber Players’ concert includes Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor and Richard Strauss’ Sextet from Capriccio on Tuesday, July 28^th. And the U.S. Army String Quartet will be performing Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Glazunov’s Reverie Orientale, and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581 on Wednesday, July 29^th. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. July 24-29.

Brevard Music Center

The incredible 90^th summer season at Brevard Music Center* (365 Andante Lane, Brevard) is getting close to the end. Violinist Gil Shaham joins the Brevard Music Center Orchestra for a program including Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium on Friday, July 24^th at 7:30 p.m. You’ll be transported to a galaxy far, far away when the Brevard Sinfonia performs John Williams’ score to Stars Wars: Return of the Jedi as the film plays on the big screen, Saturday, July 25^th at 8:30 p.m. The Horszowski Piano Trio will present works by Bernstein, Shostakovich, and Mendelssohn in Parker Concert Hall on Monday, July 27^th at 7:30 p.m. That will be followed the Piano Competition Finals on Tuesday, July 28^th at 7 p.m. And don’t miss an Evening of Lerner and Loewe with the Janiec Opera Company performing selections from iconic musicals such as My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Brigadoon at the Porter Center on Thursday, July 30^th at 7:30 p.m. Find the complete summer schedule here. July 24-30.

Quasimodo Sings

Little Theater of Gastonia (238 S. Clay Street, Gastonia) is bringing Victor Hugo’s classic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, to the stage, July 24^th through August 2^nd. Recommended for ages 10 and up, this lively production features music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. The show on Saturday, July 25^th is Community Pay What You Can Night (minimum $1 per ticket). July 24-August 2.

New Plays

Three Bone Theatre and UNC Charlotte Department of Theatre present the inaugural Carolina New Works Play Festival at Rowe Recital Hall (9119 University Road, Charlotte), July 24^th through 26^th, and at The Arts Factory (1545 W. Trade Street, Charlotte), July 31^st through August 2^nd. These will be professionally staged readings of this year’s winning plays: TRE by T.J. Lewis, How I Got Forgotten by Glenn Rawls, and You Can’t Smoke in Burbank by Skylar Schock. Admission is free, but you should reserve tickets because seating is limited. July 24-26, July 31-August 2.

Meanwhile, the 2026 South Carolina New Play Festival gets underway Wednesday, July 29^th at venues throughout the Greenville, SC area. The 12-day event will feature a wide range of musicals, plays, and town halls, as well as an outdoor variety stage. July 29-August 9.

Organ & Piano

The Charlotte Chapter of the American Guild of Organists* presents organist Ed West and jazz pianist Noel Friedline as the free 2026 Summer Recital Series continues at Providence Baptist Church (4921 Randolph Road, Charlotte) on Sunday, July 26^th at 4 p.m. A freewill offering will be accepted for the Robert and Ann Stigall Scholarship Fund, which helps cover private organ lesson costs for students in grades 6–12. July 26.

Celebrating Ray Ebert

The Piedmont NC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists invites you to the fourth of its five Sounds of the Summer organ recitals featuring the Neo-Baroque Gabriel Kney organ at Friedland Moravian Church (2750 Friedland Church Road, Winston-Salem) on Sunday, July 26^th at 7 p.m. This concert, presented by Matthew Bacon, Susan Bates, and Dreama Lovitt, will be a celebration of the late Friedland Moravian Church organist and Sounds of the Summer founder Ray Ebert. Admission is free. July 26.

International Black Theatre Festival

The North Carolina Black Repertory Company is hosting the International Black Theatre Festival at various locations in Winston-Salem, July 27^th through August 1^st. The event will feature more than 120 performances and experiences, including the Opening Night Gala, New Work Readers’ Theatre, Film Festival, Storytelling Festival, Midnight Poetry Jam, staged readings, youth showcase, community concert, cultural heritage tours, and international vendor market. July 27-August 1.

Appalachian Strings

An Appalachian Summer Festival* welcomes the acclaimed Calidore String Quartet to the Rosen Concert Hall, Broyhill Music Center (813 Rivers Street, Boone) on Wednesday, July 29^th at 7:30 p.m. The program includes works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Josef Haydn, and Wynton Marsalis. July 29.

Big Sound, Bigger Hair

If you were a teenager in the 1980s, this will be trip down memory lane. The Davidson Community Players’ Connie Company* is staging the hit juke box musical Rock of Ages at the Cain Center for the Arts (21348 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius), July 28^th through August 1^st. Set at the height of ‘80s L.A. glam metal scene, the Tony Award-nominated Broadway show features songs from Bon Jovi, Journey, Styx, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Europe, Survivor, Joan Jett, Whitesnake, and more. Recommended for ages 13 and up. July 29-August 1.

American Landscapes

BRAHM*, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock), presents “Silver & Smoke: George Masa & Ansel Adams” through October 4^th. The exhibition showcases many classic photographs of the Great Smoky Mountains (Masa) and Yosemite (Adams).A Japanese immigrant, Masa was also anadvocate for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Appalachian Trail. Through October 4.

Diabolical Dinner Theater

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 24^th fora delicious new spin on a classic board game. Blumenthal Arts’ Blume Studios (904 Post Street, Charlotte) will bethe venue for an immersive dinner theater edition of Clue: Murder on the Menu, October 9^th through November 22^nd. You’ll become part of the mystery while you enjoy a curated meal prepared by Chef Craig Barbour’s Roots Catering. General tickets start at $115.65 per person. You can also choose a VIP option, which includes preferred seating, a complimentary drink with dinner, and a personal meeting with some of the “suspects.” On sale July 24.

Eat, Drink & Shop

• Summer Date Night – Vino in the Garden: Enjoy a curated tasting of eight wines from California, France, South Africa, and Spain with charcuterie and live music at the Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont. July 24.
  
• Queen’s Feast Charlotte Restaurant Week: More than 120 restaurants across the Charlotte metro serve up their best with three-course, prix fixe menu deals. July 24-August 2.
  
• Sweetgrass Festival: A cultural celebration of the Gullah Geechee heritage through live performances, educational experiences, and one of the nation’s largest gatherings of traditional sweetgrass basket weavers in Mount Pleasant, SC. July 25.
  
• Art in the Park: Monthly event through October featuring 70 juried artists selling jewelry, furniture, lawn ornaments, pottery, textiles, paintings, and more in downtown Blowing Rock. July 25, August 25, September 12, October 3.

The WDAV Events Calendar gets new additions all the time, so be sure to check it often for even more arts and culture options!

FanFare is made possible in part by:

*Disclosure: Brevard Music Center, Charlotte Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, An Appalachian Summer Festival, Davidson Community Players, BRAHM, and Blumenthal Arts are WDAV underwriters.