PIEDMONT WIND SYMPHONY RESIDENCY AT HISTORIC KÖRNER’S FOLLY
Year-long chamber series brings music back to America’s first private little theatre
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Music and history will meet in a unique new partnership this year as Piedmont Wind Symphony begins a special residency at Körner’s Folly, presenting a series of chamber concerts inside the historic Cupid’s Park Theatre. The residency will feature four immersive performances throughout 2026, returning the space to its original purpose as a gathering place for artistic expression, storytelling, and community connection.
Built in 1880 by designer and artist Jule Gilmer Körner, Körner’s Folly was envisioned as a place where architecture, art, and performance could intersect. Nestled within the home is Cupid’s Park Theatre, widely believed to be America’s first private little theatre. With its natural acoustics and intimate setting, the historic theatre provides a remarkable backdrop for chamber music rooted in the musical traditions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Through this residency, Piedmont Wind Symphony will activate the theatre with historically inspired programming curated by Artistic Director and Conductor Mark A. Norman. Each concert in the series explores musical traditions that reflect the era in which the home was created, inviting audiences to experience music much as it might have been heard more than a century ago.
“This partnership allows us to connect music, history, and place in a truly special way,” said Brianna Cantwell, Executive Director of the Piedmont Wind Symphony. “Presenting chamber music in Cupid’s Park Theatre creates an intimate and immersive experience for audiences while honoring the musical traditions that shaped our region.”
The residency opens March 31 with Ragtime: America’s Own Sound, a lively program celebrating the syncopated rhythms that defined American popular culture at the turn of the twentieth century. The performance will also introduce Piedmont Wind Symphony’s newest chamber ensemble, the American Music Ensemble, a group dedicated to exploring the rich and diverse traditions of American chamber wind music. Once heard in parlors, theatres, and public gathering spaces across the country, ragtime captured the optimism and cultural dynamism of a rapidly modernizing America. Within the historic walls of Cupid’s Park Theatre, the music will take on new resonance, connecting listeners with the era when Körner’s Folly was still an active family home and cultural gathering space.
Additional programs throughout the year will highlight a range of musical traditions connected to the period. On May 19, Salon Solos will explore the expressive and virtuosic solo wind repertoire that flourished in intimate domestic settings during the late nineteenth century. On August 18, Bierhallen to the Bandstand will celebrate the rich tradition of German wind music, tracing its evolution from festive outdoor gatherings to the concert hall. The residency concludes on December 8 with Moravian Holiday Brass, a concert honoring a musical tradition brought to North Carolina in the 1700s that remains a beloved part of the region’s Christmas celebrations.
“This project reconnects the house to one of its original purposes,” said Suzanna Ritz Malliett, Executive Director of the Körner’s Folly Foundation. “The Folly was designed as a place where the exchange of ideas was inspired by music, art, and fascinating surroundings. Hearing period music in these rooms allows visitors to experience the house not just as historic architecture but as a living cultural space.”
By pairing historically informed programming with a site that embodies turn-of-the-century artistic ideals, the Piedmont Wind Symphony and Körner’s Folly invite audiences to step into the past while listening with modern ears. For concertgoers, the residency offers the rare opportunity to experience exceptional music in one of the region’s most unique historic spaces.
Tickets are available at www.kornersfolly.org. Seating is limited, and the historic home is not handicap accessible. For more information, call (336) 996-7922.
ABOUT PIEDMONT WIND SYMPHONY
Piedmont Wind Symphony is a professional wind ensemble based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, dedicated to celebrating and advancing the rich tradition of wind music through performance, education, and community partnerships. Founded in 1989, the ensemble brings together leading musicians from across the Piedmont Triad to perform a wide range of repertoire, from classical wind band works to immersive chamber programs.
More information is available at www.pwsymphony.org
ABOUT KÖRNER’S FOLLY
Körner’s Folly is a nationally significant historic house museum in Kernersville, North Carolina, built in 1880 by artist and designer Jule Körner. Operated by the Körner’s Folly Foundation, the site offers year-round tours, programs, and events that connect visitors with local history, art, architecture, and community traditions.
More information is available at www.kornersfolly.org
