No maestro? No problem. We’ve got some advice for the next Charlotte Symphony conductor

If you’re a fan of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, its announcement of a new music director has a lot in common with Christmas: The day is taking forever to arrive, you have only a vague idea of what to expect and your wish list won’t completely be fulfilled.

The symphony has mostly kept mum about the process to replace Christopher Warren-Green, now the symphony’s conductor laureate and artistic advisor.

As guest conductors trooped in over the last two seasons, officials acknowledged some were auditioning for the gig but wouldn’t reveal which ones or even how many. A search committee has reportedly narrowed down the pool to a handful of applicants, but whether that means three or six I have no idea.

In fact, Santa may come and go before the decision.

Kwamé Ryan, the only candidate I missed, gets a second chance to show his chops when he leads Verdi’s “Requiem” in November. I now hear the announcement will be made in early 2024, and the winner may conduct one concert in the spring before a fuller slate in 2024-25.

Will the Charlotte Symphony break with tradition?

I saw a remarkable mix of talented baton-wavers over the last two seasons: male and female, young and middle-age, people descended from Europeans and Africans and Asians. As a white guy with a European heritage, may I be allowed to say I’d prefer not to get another white guy with a European heritage?

I respected those candidates, especially versatile Paolo Bartolameolli.

But I’d like to see the CSO break its 91-year tradition of hiring men who look like me. I’d hope the change might invigorate interest among applicants for new positions, bring an influx of new repertoire, maybe link the orchestra to parts of the community that haven’t always been interested in it.

There’s no point in asking for miracles, such as the immediate addition of 12 to 16 string players. (Even the most optimistic youngster doesn’t expect Santa to bring him a submarine.)

Nor do I wish for an overhaul of the musicians, which needed to happen under Warren-Green and did. The orchestra now sounds consistently better than at any time in the 43 years I’ve heard it.

But while I’m wishing, here are seven other things — some musical, some not — I hope the new music director might consider.

1) Calling Charlotte home

Living here — if not year-round, because of other conducting commitments, then as a primary residence. Spending that much time shows Charlotteans you’re as integral a part of the community as Panthers and Hornets players. People attend concerts not only because they like the music but because they like the people producing it, and making a home here will help.

2) Challenging listeners

Re-establishing concerts in the vein of Knightsounds, one of the major triumphs of outgoing music director Warren-Green. Those shorter, adventurous programs challenged listeners; one of my favorite ideas was a mash-up of Brahms and Radiohead. They didn’t do well financially, but I wonder if there’s a way to break even with them, now that Charlotte’s a little hipper.

3) Local artist collaborations

Unusual collaborations with local artists. That could be a union with Charlotte New Music Festival or more traditional pairings with the Charlotte Ballet (not just “The Nutcracker”) and/or Opera Carolina. One of the great cultural events in the city’s history was a “Carmina Burana” that linked all three organizations in the mid-’90s. (Full disclosure: I sang in it.) The CSO also teamed up with Charlotte Repertory Theatre on a dazzling “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” playing Mendelssohn’s music amid Shakespeare’s words. Charlotte Rep may be gone, but talented actors remain.

4) Opera time

Speaking of opera, music director Christof Perick (Warren-Green’s predecessor) occasionally led concert versions of works Opera Carolina wouldn’t do, including a first-rate version of Weber’s “Der Freischutz.” More, please!

5) Make real connections

Connect with people — not just donors, but ordinary folks — both in person and on social media. Warren-Green was a charmer, articulate and approachable on the occasions I saw him. But how many people did see him? He had no love for blogging or turning out Facebook posts or showing up at brewery concerts in T-shirts.

6) Casual clothes at the podium

And in that vein … casual clothes. Not in the audience, on the podium. Conductor Seiji Ozawa set tongues wagging 50 years ago by wearing Nehru jackets and turtleneck sweaters. I’d love to see a conductor wear a simple, festive dress or a sports jacket and khakis. A younger audience might relate better to that than someone in formal dress.

7) Encore, encore

Reinstate encores, where appropriate. Soloists often play them, unless they’ve just finished a monumental concerto. Yes, these require extra rehearsal time and, if they’re not in the public domain, extra investment.

Yes, they would sound odd after Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” or Mahler’s Third. But when the orchestra ends a program this January with Copland’s suite from “Billy the Kid,” don’t you want it to surprise us with his “Hoedown” from “Rodeo”? Encores provide more-for-your-money goodwill and send us out with an extra burst of joy.

Probably no music director will want to do or could afford to do or would even have time to do all these things, especially if he or she divides the year between Charlotte and another locale. But I can dream, can’t I?

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