Ari Picker’s “Project Symphony” benefits CCT!

October 2008

Ari Picker, 26, of Bynum, has been writing and performing innovative indie-rock music since he was a teen. He co-founded The B-Sides with Pittsboro pal Noah Smith, recorded and toured with The Never, and formed his own group Lost in the Trees.

Now Picker is pursuing another dream as a classical music composer. On Saturday Nov. 1, the Project Symphony Orchestra – students and professionals from the N.C. Symphony, the UNC Orchestra and the N.C. School of the Arts – will debut Picker’s first symphony in UNC’s Hill Hall Auditorium.  Andrew McAfee will conduct with special guests, Lost in the Trees, and Phil Cook (of Megafaun).

Doors open at 7:00 p.m., concert begins at 7:30.  Tickets are $10-$30 and proceeds will benefit Chatham County Together, the local mentoring organization that helped Picker when he was a kid.

Picker studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he began working seriously on Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, a brilliant blend of classical and film influences. That’s when he came up with the idea for Project Symphony, a nonprofit that would promote new music through concert benefits for local charitable organizations.

He wanted to dedicate the first project to Chatham County Together, as a way of giving back to the organization that mentored him.

“Our volunteer adult mentors give young people special one-on-one attention that helps them learn and grow,” said CCT Executive Director Kim Caraganis, who kept in touch with Picker over the years. “It’s especially gratifying to see how Ari has succeeded by pursuing his passion and helping others. Now he’s a role model.”

© Chatham County Together! 2005-2008