CARL ORFF’S
CARMINA BURANA
April 25, 2026
7:30 PM | Wilson Center @ CFCC
Aaron Peisner, guest conductor
Featuring Cape Fear Chorale, UNCW Choirs, and the winners of the 2026 Richard R. Deas Young Artist Concerto Competition High School and UNCW Divisions
The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra brings the 2025/2026 Season to a thrilling close with a special performance by the 2026 Richard R. Deas Young Artist Competition winners and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana—a monumental work of rhythm, drama, and raw emotional power.
This unforgettable season finale features a massive musical force as the orchestra is joined by the Cape Fear Chorale, the UNCW Chorus, and a cast of soloists, all under the dynamic direction of Dr. Aaron Peisner. Together, they’ll unleash the full sonic and emotional force of Orff’s iconic score.
With its driving percussion, bold choral writing, and ecstatic energy, Carmina Burana is more than a concert—it’s an experience. A celebration of fate, fortune, love, and life’s unrelenting cycles, this performance will leave audiences breathless and inspired.
Join us as we close the season with a spectacular fusion of voices, orchestra, and the elemental power of music.
Program:
High School Division Winner Performance (Competition is Jan. 17, 2026)
UNCW Division Winner Performance (Competition is Jan. 17, 2026)
Carl Orff: Carmina Burana
AARON PEISNER
Aaron Peisner is the Director of Choral Activities at UNC Wilmington, where he conducts the Chamber Singers and University Chorale and teaches courses in choral music education, aural skills, conducting, and voice. He is the artistic director of the Cape Fear Chorale, an auditioned community choir based in Wilmington. Additionally, Peisner is the chorus master for Opera Wilmington, and previously served as chorus master for the Maryland Opera Studio.
Peisner has prepared choirs for performances with the Baltimore and National Symphony Orchestras under the baton of conductors including Marin Alsop, Gianandrea Noseda, Donald Runnicles, and Jeannette Sorrell. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician, and has presented at national, regional, and state conferences for the American Choral Directors Association.
A bass-baritone, Peisner is a founding member and sometimes-conductor of the professional chamber choir, Wilmington Voices, and has sung professionally with the Taylor Festival Choir, hexaCollective, and as a staff singer in the Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC. Peisner received his BA in music from Wesleyan University, his MM in Choral Conducting from Yale University, and his DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Maryland. He lives in Wilmington with his partner Ashik and their two cats, Xochipilli and Bobby.
CAPE FEAR CHORALE
Cape Fear Chorale is a choir of 70-85 auditioned singers serving the southeastern region of North Carolina. The Chorale presents two major concerts annually, as well as one fundraiser concert each spring. Recent highlights include performances of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Vaughan Williams's Five Mystical Songs, the Southern regional premier of Judith Weir's The Big Picture, Brahms's Liebeslieder Waltzes, selections from Leonard Bernstein's Mass, a concert of music from North and South America, and a pre-show holiday concert before City Ballet's 2024 Nutcracker at the Wilson Center in Wilmington. Founded in 1998 by Jerry Cribbs, Cape Fear Chorale has been led by Dr. Aaron Peisner since 2022.
Cape Fear Chorale believes in the transformative power of music. We celebrate the expressive capacity of the human voice and the ability of choral music to heal, unite, and inspire our community. We are committed to building our community through exceptional choral artistry and by creating meaningful, educational, and inclusive musical experiences.
UNCW CHOIRS
The UNCW Chamber Singers and University Chorale are the two academic choral ensembles at UNCW, consisting of singers from disciplines across campus. In November 2023, the UNCW Chamber Singers were honored to perform at the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference in Winston-Salem. Other recent highlights include performances of major works such as the Handel's Messiah, the Duruflé Requiem, Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, and the Mozart “Credo” Mass, folk music from the Balkan and Caucasus regions, and the commission and premiere of Hilary Purrington’s a cappella choral work, Look out for squalls. In March 2022, UNCW choirs established the High School Choir Invitational, now an annual tradition, showcasing high school choirs from the Cape Fear region and beyond. The UNCW choirs are open to all students at UNCW. Since 2019, the UNCW Choirs have been under the direction of Dr. Aaron Peisner.
