FanFare: Beethoven, Ballet & Burgers

February 26, 2026

Phil Vavra Powered By Bragg Financial

As February winds down and March approaches, you may be getting the urge to end your hibernation and head off in search of human contact and live entertainment. I’m here to help with a variety of musical performances, a fairy tale ballet, and even a month-long burger competition. Get ready to chow down on this edition of FanFare!

Roots Music

 Cabarrus Arts Council* welcomes GRAMMY-winning musician and storyteller Dom Flemons to the historic Davis Theater (65 Union Street S., Concord) on Friday, February 27^th at 7:30 p.m. A founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the banjo-playing Flemons takes audiences on a journey through folk, blues, country, and more than 100 years of American roots music. February 27.

Boone Docs

The fifth annual Boone Docs Film Festival returns to the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country (559 W. King Street, Boone), February 27^th and 28^th. The two-day event is a showcase for short documentaries celebrating the people who live and work in Appalachia. Many of the films on the schedule address the effects and aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the region. February 27-28.

Beethoven 101

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra* Family Series continues with Beethoven Lives Upstairs at Knight Theater (430 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte) on Saturday, February 28^th at 11 a.m. This dramatized introduction to Ludwig van Beethoven’s life and music features Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees leading the CSO in performances of the Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise, and Beethoven’s iconic Fifth and Ninth Symphonies. February 28.

Lift Every Voice

Opera Carolina* is honoring Black History Month with Lift Every Voice and Sing at the Carolina Theatre* (230 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte) on Saturday, February 28^th  at 8 p.m. From spirituals to operatic arias, this moving tribute concert will celebrate the legacy of African American classical music artists and composers. February 28.

Peace in a Turbulent World

The Western Piedmont Symphony’s* Masterworks Series continues with Grant Us Peace on Saturday, February 28^th at 7:30 p.m. at P.E. Monroe Auditorium (775 6^th Street NE, Hickory). This inspiring orchestra and choral program featuring the CVCC Chorus and Ensembles, Hickory Choral Society, and LRU A Cappella Choir will include John Adams’ Christian Zeal and Activity, Claude Debussy’s The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem (Grant Us Peace). February 28.

Baroque College Students

Guest conductor Ian Passmore will lead the UNCSA* Symphony Orchestra in a lively program of mostly Baroque works at Crawford Hall (1931 Kenan Drive, Winston-Salem) on Saturday, February 28^th at 7:30 p.m. The program includes works by Arcangelo Corelli, Johann Sebastian Bach, CPE Bach, and one non-Baroque offering by Franz Josef Haydn. February 28.

Organ-ic Weekend

The Charlotte Chapter of the American Guild of Organists* welcomes world-renowned organist Dr. Alcee Chriss to Covenant Presbyterian Church (1000 E. Morehead Street, Charlotte) this weekend. Winner of the 2014 Miami International Organ Competition and 2017 Canadian International Organ Competition, Dr. Chriss will be holding a masterclass on Saturday, February 28^th at 10 a.m. and performing a recital on March 1^st at 4 p.m. If you want to see how intense those organ competitions can be, watch the documentary Pipedreams. February 28-March 1

We’ll Always Have Paris

7^th Street Concerts* invites you on a musical journey to the “City of Light” with Scenes from a Paris Café at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (115 W. 7^th Street, Charlotte) on Sunday, March 1^st at 4 p.m. Flutist Victor Wang and harpist Andrea Mumm Trammell will present a program of French-inspired chamber pieces that evoke the spirit of Parisian life. March 1.

Does Dopey Dance?

Blumenthal Arts* and the Grand Kyiv Ballet present Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at Booth Playhouse (130 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte) on Tuesday, March 3^rd at 7 p.m. The performance features dancers from the National Opera and Ballet of Ukraine and is sure to delight audiences of all ages. March 3.

Men of La Mancha

Piedmont Opera presents Side Quest: Quixote, the Men of La Mancha at Calvary Moravian Church (600 Holly Avenue NW, Winston-Salem) on Thursday, March 5^th at 7 p.m. Featuring bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba, this musical voyage promises to capture the spirit, humor, and humanity of Don Quixote with works by Ravel, Ibert, Massenet, and more. Admission is free and donations are welcome. March 5.

New World Symphony

Orchestra of the Carolinas* and the North Carolina Youth Orchestra will be sharing the stage at the Mooresville Performing Arts Center (161 S. Magnolia Street, Mooresville) on Thursday March 5^th at 7:30 p.m. Tara Villa Keith will lead the combined orchestras in a performance of Antonin Dvorak’s monumental Symphony No. 9, From the New World, which was inspired by the Czech composer’s time living in the America. March 5.

Planning Ahead

This isn’t happening until April, but you may want to put this on your calendar now. Williamson Lectures* is welcoming the former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Foxx, to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (115 West 7^th Street, Charlotte) on Thursday, April 23^rd at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Foxx will be speaking on the subject of “connecting and re-connecting.” April 23.

Food Finds

• Muddy River Rum Tasting: Learn about and sample rum from Gaston County’s own Muddy River Distillery as you enjoy a relaxing evening at Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont. February 27.
  
• 6^th Annual Cabarrus Burger Madness: Month-long competition with 24 local restaurants across Cabarrus County, NC adding some very imaginative and delicious burger creations to their menus for a limited time. March 1-31.
  
• Charleston Wine + Food Festival: Five-day event featuring cooking demonstrations, classes, dinners, tastings, and exploration of culinary traditions at locations throughout Charleston, SC. March 4-8.

Still looking for the perfect weekend plan? Check our WDAV Events Calendar for even more great things to see, do, and taste. See you next Thursday for more FanFare!

FanFare is made possible in part by:

*Disclosure: Cabarrus Arts Council, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Opera Carolina, Carolina Theatre, Western Piedmont Symphony, UNCSA, Charlotte Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, 7^th Street Concerts, Blumenthal Arts, Orchestra of the Carolinas, and Williamson Lectures are WDAV underwriters.