Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's first Black music director wins Grammy

WCNC, CHARLOTTE, NC - The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's music director won a Grammy for his work in the 2025 opera "Heggie: Intelligence."

For his role as conductor, Kwamé Ryan won for Best Opera Recording, along with Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton, J'Nai Bridges and the Houston Grand Opera. 

The opera features two Confederate Southern women, one formerly enslaved, another privileged and spying for the Union. 

The opera was written by Jack Heggie, opera composer, and librettiest (opera writer) Gene Scheer and directed and choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. 

Ryan is the first Charlotte Symphony music director to win a Grammy. 

The Canadian and Trinidadian conductor is the twelfth music director and the first Black music director of the orchestra. He became the director in December 2023. 

He will be conducting Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 at Belk Theatre on Valentine's Day weekend, Feb 13-14.