WILSON, N.C. — January 8, 2025 — Make your reservations early for the 33rd annual “Love the Symphony” Benefit with the Barton College/Wilson Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2025. Under the direction of conductor Christopher Ellis, the upcoming Valentine’s Day concert will showcase the extraordinary talent of soloist Caleb Skinner, who will return in 2025 to perform with the orchestra following his 2019 performance.
The celebrated event promises to be an evening filled with beautiful music and a delightful menu catered this year by Scarborough Fare. The event will begin with a wine reception at 6:15 p.m., followed by the concert at 7 p.m. in Wilson Gymnasium on the Barton campus. A candlelight buffet dinner will immediately follow the program at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $100 per person, and reservations may be made by reserving tickets online at https://www.barton.edu/cultural-arts/symphony/tickets/ or by contacting Jessica Tyson at jmtyson@barton.edu or 252-399-6381. Please note that tables for eight are available by reservation.
The reservation deadline for the event is Friday, Jan. 31. No tickets will be mailed.
About the Guest Soloist —
A native of Sims, Caleb Skinner received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Wingate University, studying in the voice studio of Dr. John Blizzard, and a Master of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky, studying with Dr. Elizabeth Arnold. While completing his graduate studies, he received his acting training from Professor Janet Scott through the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, a student of Stella Adler.
His performing credits range from musical theatre, to opera, operetta, concert works, and solo recitals. He performed in the role of Tyler in the world premiere of the mixed-choir adaptation of “Tyler’s Suite,” a choral collaboration between several living composers, including John Corigliano, John Bucchino, Stephen Schwartz, and Jake Heggie. In this production, Skinner shared the stage with Tony-nominated star Ann Hampton-Calloway.
Along his professional journey as an artist, Skinner has worked and shared the stage with several Metropolitan Opera stars, world-renowned vocal coaches and concert singers, and several composers. He has spent the last four years teaching middle school chorus and serving as an adjunct professor of music at several local colleges. He also currently serves as the music director for West Nash United Methodist Church in Wilson. In addition, he has spent the last few years working for Fidelity Investments.
Since returning to Wilson, he has been director and musical director of “South Pacific,” “Once on this Island,” “Matilda: the Musical,” “Mamma Mia, All Together Now!,” “The Cake,” and music director of “Beauty and the Beast.” He still performs as a concertist, actor, and recitalist – most recently with the Barton College’s “Love the Symphony” in 2019 and 2020, Barton’s production of Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” as Lady Bracknell, the Playhouse’s production of DiPietro’s “Over the River and Through the Woods,” and played Touchstone and was a producer for Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” in summer 2022. He recently appeared as Charlie Brown in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and as Barnette in “Crimes of the Heart,” both with the Playhouse of Wilson.
In his personal life, Skinner continues to study voice with Dr. Jessie Wright Martin, head of the Music Department at Wingate University. Skinner also is the single father to two cats: Ernest, named for the aforementioned play by Oscar Wilde, and Bug, whose name means nothing.
About the Conductor —
Christopher Ellis began studying the violin at the age of 10 in a public-school classroom in his hometown of Farmville. His early private teachers include Dee Braxton-Pellegrino and Paul Topper. Ellis continued his study with Topper at East Carolina University, and he later earned a Master of Music degree at Florida State University.
Ellis has been a member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and the Tar River Orchestra, and he has performed with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. He has done solo performances with Beaufort County Community Orchestra, New Bern Civic Strings, and the Barton College / Wilson Symphony Orchestra. Ellis teaches privately in Wilson, Rocky Mount, Greenville, and Goldsboro, and he is a violin/viola instructor at Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville. He has conducted the Beaufort County Community Orchestra since 2005.
Serving as concertmaster with the Barton College/Wilson Symphony from 2002-2023, Ellis was named conductor for the symphony orchestra in 2023.
As this distinguished event’s popularity continues to grow with an ever-increasing number of guest reservations each year, the renovated Wilson Gymnasium on the Barton campus provides a spacious and elegantly transformed environment to provide the perfect backdrop for sweethearts and friends to enjoy an entertaining program performed by the orchestra.
“Love the Symphony” is sponsored by Truist Financial Corporation.
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