BACKSTAGE PASS with Carlos Miguel Prieto

Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto shares insights and connections behind our opening weekend program: Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Stravinsky’s dazzling Petrushka, and the centerpiece of the program—Rachmaninoff’s breathtaking Piano Concerto No. 3. The music discussed in this podcast will be performed by the North Carolina Symphony , with guest pianist Boris Giltburg , at Raleigh's Meymandi Concert Hall on September 18-19, 2026. BUY TICKETS © 2026 | A North Carolina Symphony Production

Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto shares the personal stories and connections behind our season finale: Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari, Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring, and Silvestre Revueltas’ powerful Night of the Mayas. The music in this podcast will be performed by the North Carolina Symphony Raleigh's Meymandi Concert Hall at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, May 8-9.

In this week’s Backstage Pass, Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto explores the rare and striking pairing at the heart of this program and discusses why this unusual combination creates a transcendent musical experience. The music in this podcast will be performed by the North Carolina Symphony with the NC Master Chorale in Raleigh's Meymandi Concert Hall at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, April 10-11.

Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto shares his insights on two major works of the orchestral repertoire—Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra—and talks about collaborating with pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, who joins us for this weekend’s performances with your North Carolina Symphony.

Join Carlos for a vivid journey through Tchaikovsky and Ravel as he uncovers orchestral imagination, ballet lore, and the legendary “Auer” Stradivarius violin that once refused a premiere – revealing why these three masterpieces still thrill, surprise, and utterly captivate.

Join Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto as he dives into a vibrant, all‑American program—Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture, John Adams’ Saxophone Concerto featuring Timothy McAllister, Bernstein’s spirited excerpts from On the Town, and James P. Johnson’s jubilant "Victory Stride." Carlos shares the stories and musical threads that connect these iconic voices and illuminate the richness of America’s sound.

In this episode, discover the stories behind the music of one of this season’s most eclectic and emotional programs—featuring Beethoven’s epic "Eroica" Symphony, Schumann’s lyrical Cello Concerto performed by guest cellist Paul Watkins, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s Suite from Cold Mountain.

Carlos Miguel Prieto explores the artistic bond between Copland and Chávez, joined by clarinetist Samuel Almaguer for a rich conversation on musical storytelling and performance.

In this episode of BACKSTAGE PASS with Carlos Miguel Prieto, Carlos shares his love for Beethoven and focuses on his middle period—a time of bold ideas, emotional clarity, and music that helped usher in the Romantic era. In So Much Genius: Beethoven’s Middle Years, Carlos explores the beauty of Fidelio Overture, Symphony No. 4, and the Violin Concerto in D which is being performed by guest violinist Paul Huang.

In episode 2 of BACKSTAGE PASS, Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto shares exclusive insights into this week’s’ program of works by Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Antonín Dvořák. Prieto is joined by Principal Clarinet Samuel Almaguer as they explore Copland’s Clarinet Concerto—a work that blends jazz rhythms and sweeping Americana into a singular musical voice. Almaguer shares his personal connection to this Copland masterwork, while Prieto also reflects on the emotional power of Barber’s Essay No. 2 and the enduring beauty of Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony.

Introducing the North Carolina Symphony’s new podcast! In this premiere episode, Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto shares exclusive insights on this weekend’s 2025/26 classical season opener. Hear Carlos’ thoughts on Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal.