After a two-year hiatus, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center, 26032 Newt Road, Albemarle, at 3 p.m. Nov. 7 with their patriotic program called “Spirit of America.” For the safety of the musicians and audience members, masks will be required.

“With our mission being ‘to encourage and promote broad-based cultural and educational activities in the arts throughout Stanly County,’ we wanted to make sure that everyone would be able to partake in this opportunity,” said Renee VanHorn, executive director of the Stanly County Arts Council, presenting organization for the concert. “Our goal was to ensure that ticket prices were not cost prohibitive. Fortunately, the local business community recognized the importance of this concert previously and again this year. Their generosity ensured that financially we could afford to bring this concert to the local community. First Bank and Corning are our Maestro (title) sponsors. Dr. John Kilde of Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat is our Concertmaster sponsor, and our Principal sponsors include Stanly Community College, Union Power and Uwharrie Bank.

“Pfeiffer University is excited to be this year’s Student Ticket sponsor,” she added. “This sponsorship allows any student in Stanly County from kindergarten through seniors in high school to receive a free ticket to the performance with a paying adult. These tickets will be made available at the schools the week of Oct. 25 or can be downloaded and printed from the Stanly County Arts Council website. As part of the sponsorship, Pfeiffer University students also receive free admission just by showing their student ID at the door.

“Everyone should enjoy the majesty of hearing a Symphonic Orchestra in person,” VanHorn concluded. “We are looking forward to the program that resident conductor Christopher James Lees put together for us. With this year’s concert being held just prior to Veterans Day, it presented itself as a perfect opportunity to perform a patriotic concert called ‘Spirit of America.’ The program includes familiar arrangements from Aaron Copland, Percy Grainger, Leroy Anderson, John Williams and John Philip Sousa.

Tickets, $10 for adults and $5 for students/children, are available at First Bank branch locations in Albemarle, Locust, Richfield, Mt. Pleasant and Troy, Harris Teeter in Albemarle, Stanly County Agri-Civic Center (9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday) and online at http://stanlycountyartscouncil.org. Cash and check are accepted at First Bank and the Agri-Civic Center, with credit card purchases also available at Harris Teeter and online.

The Stanly County Arts Council was founded in 1974. It continues to promote and support all art forms in the community. Its mission is to encourage and promote broad-based cultural and educational activities in the arts throughout Stanly County. The Stanly County Arts Council is supported by private donations and by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.