KSO, Music Director Aram Demirjian Announce 2026-27 Season

Single tickets for all 2026-27 KSO performances now on sale

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.  – The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s 2026-27 season begins this September, inviting audiences to experience orchestral music through timeless masterworks, acclaimed guest artists, innovative collaborations, and performances beyond the concert hall.

Led by Music Director Aram Demirjian in his 11th season, the KSO will present nearly 50 performances across its five series while continuing its nationally recognized education initiatives, Youth Ensembles program, Music & Wellness performances, and free community concerts.

From the Tennessee Theatre and Bijou Theatre to schools, hospitals, libraries, parks, and neighborhood gathering places, the KSO’s 2026-27 season reflects the many ways the orchestra serves and enriches its community through live music.

“Whether through a familiar masterpiece, a work by a living composer, or a performance in the community, our hope is that every concert offers audiences the chance to discover something new,” said Demirjian.

A Season Shaped by Artistic Vision
Demirjian begins his 11th season as Music Director after recently signing a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, continuing one of the longest tenures in the KSO’s history.

Demirjian has shaped a programming philosophy that celebrates the orchestral canon while expanding it through new voices, overlooked works, and collaborations. A defining achievement of that vision was 9 for 90, the orchestra’s landmark commissioning initiative celebrating the KSO’s 90th Anniversary Season, which brought nine world premieres to audiences across every major KSO series.

Under his leadership, the KSO has added more than 115 works to its repertoire, including 70 by living composers, while commissioning or co-commissioning more than 40 new works.

That philosophy continues with music by seven living composers appearing across both the Masterworks and Roy Cockrum Chamber Series. Works by Jennifer Higdon, Caroline Shaw, Unsuk Chin, Andrea Casarrubios, Michael Schachter, Mark O’Connor, and Nicky Sohn appear alongside orchestral masterworks, reflecting Demirjian’s belief that today’s composers are an essential part of the orchestra’s evolving repertoire.

“I am so proud that when we perform new music at the KSO, we center it, and our audience now seeks out the chance to discover something new,” said Demirjian.

Exploring America’s Musical Landscape
The MoxCar Marketing + Communications Masterworks Series opens September 17-18 with Gershwin’s American in Paris, a program that introduces several artistic threads that continue throughout the season. George Gershwin’s vibrant portrait of Paris is paired with William Grant Still’s landmark Afro-American Symphony, the first symphony by an African American composer performed by a major American orchestra, alongside a new work by Nicky Sohn and Dvořák’s Cello Concerto featuring cellist Sterling Elliott. The opening concerts also welcome Knoxville poet, educator, and performer Rhea Carmon as the KSO’s inaugural Poet-in-Residence.

The season includes many of the orchestral repertoire’s cornerstone works, including Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Brahms’ A German Requiem, and Mozart’s final symphony, the “Jupiter.” The series also features distinguished soloists and vocal artists.

Among the season’s artistic highlights are Leonard Bernstein’s Songfest, receiving its Tennessee premiere, Korngold’s Violin Concerto, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, and collaborations with the Knoxville Choral Society on both Brahms’ Requiem and Classical Christmas: Handel’s Messiah.

Pops Series
The Pops Series showcases the versatility of the KSO through programs celebrating film, Broadway, rock, and American popular music. Audiences will experience two live film concerts as the orchestra performs complete scores alongside screenings of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, bringing two blockbuster films to life with a live symphony orchestra.

The series also features ICON: The Voices That Changed Music, starring Broadway performers Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw in a celebration of artists including Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, and other iconic voices whose music shaped generations. Five-time Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year Frankie Moreno returns to Knoxville with his signature blend of rock, jazz, blues, and pop in Rock & Roll Remastered, while Bravo Broadway celebrates unforgettable songs from some of musical theatre’s most enduring productions.

The Pops Series concludes with A Salute to John Williams, honoring one of the most influential film composers with music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and many other cinematic classics.

The season also celebrates the 40th Annual Clayton Holiday Concerts, a cherished East Tennessee tradition featuring the Knoxville Choral Society, GO! Contemporary Dance Works, and the KSO in four performances that have become a highlight of the region’s holiday season.

Chamber Music and Signature Performances
Beyond its orchestral concerts, the KSO offers audiences opportunities to experience its musicians in more intimate settings through the Roy Cockrum Chamber Series, Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series, and Q Series.

The Roy Cockrum Chamber Series presents five programs, from Bach & Bluegrass, featuring mandolin virtuoso Jeff Midkiff, to Mostly Mozart, family favorites Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals, and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings.

A centerpiece of the series is Classical Christmas: Handel’s Messiah, presented at the Tennessee Theatre. This season’s performance represents the culmination of Demirjian’s long-held vision for a more complete presentation of Handel’s masterpiece, extending beyond the familiar Christmas selections to include much of the rarely performed third part of the oratorio.

“We’ve been building toward this performance since 2019. Most audiences know Messiah through its Christmas story and the ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus, but Handel wrote a much larger work,” said Demirjian. “I’m excited for audiences to experience more of that journey and hear the remarkable music that comes after what many people think is the ending.”

At the Knoxville Museum of Art, Concertmaster William Shaub leads the three-program Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series, personally curating chamber music programs in one of Knoxville’s signature cultural venues.

The popular Q Series returns to the West Knox Elks Lodge with six midday performances featuring the KSO’s Principal String Quartet, Woodwind Quintet, and Brass Quintet, offering audiences informal lunchtime chamber music.

Poetry Joins the Orchestra
One of the season’s most significant additions is the appointment of Knoxville poet, educator, and spoken-word artist Rhea Carmon as the KSO’s first Poet-in-Residence. Sponsored by Julia Caroline White, the residency expands the orchestra’s creative possibilities by weaving poetry and spoken word into performances throughout the season.

“Poetry has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve long been fascinated by the ways poetry and music speak to one another. Rhea is an extraordinary artist, educator, and storyteller. Her creativity and perspective will add a new dimension to our performances,” said Demirjian.

Carmon’s first appearance as Poet-in-Residence took place during the KSO’s 42nd Annual Lawson Family Foundation Independence Day Concert, where she was featured in a special performance of Battle Hymn of the Republic as part of the orchestra’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Her residency continues with the opening Masterworks concerts, where she will perform poetry by Paul Laurence Dunbar before each movement of William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony, illuminating the literary inspiration behind the work.

One of the residency’s signature projects began this summer during the Knoxville Symphony Youth Ensembles Summer Music Camp, where Carmon led workshops inviting students to share what inspires them about their instruments and experiences with music. Those conversations are helping shape A Young Poet’s Guide to the Orchestra, an original collaboration between Carmon and the KSO inspired by Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. The new work will premiere as part of the KSO’s Very Young People’s Concerts in the spring.

Guest Artists and KSO Soloists
The 2026-27 season welcomes 18 guest artists and conductors to the KSO’s Masterworks, Chamber, and Concertmaster series. Guest instrumentalists include cellist Sterling Elliott, making his Knoxville debut, pianists Jeremy Denk, Jonathan Biss, the 2026-27 Morman Guest Artist, and Ying Li, violinist Bella Hristova, and mandolin virtuoso Jeff Midkiff.

The season’s vocal repertoire features Raquel González, Ashley Fabian, Cierra Byrd, Renée Tatum, Emily Marvosh, John Overholt, Brian Giebler, Stephen Salters, Ethan Vincent, Kevin Burdette, Song Hee Lee, and David Crawford. Guest conductor Noam Aviel will lead the Masterworks performance in March and Christopher James Lees takes the helm of January’s Chamber Series concert.

The season also showcases the orchestra’s own musicians. William Shaub appears as soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, Principal Bassoon Duncan Henry performs Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, and Principal Tuba Mike Anderson is featured in Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto.

Inspiring the Next Generation
Introducing young people to live orchestral music has long been central to KSO’s mission, and the 2026-27 season continues that tradition through performances and learning experiences for students of all ages.

This fall, Sheena McCall Young People’s Concerts will welcome more than 6,500 students in grades 3–5 for an imaginative journey featuring Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, while the Very Young People’s Concerts will introduce more than 3,500 kindergarten through second-grade students to the orchestra in the spring.

Additional programs including Musical Story Time, Classroom Qs, Meet the Musicians, and Side-by-Side partnerships with high school orchestra programs extend the KSO’s educational reach throughout East Tennessee.

Youth Ensembles
The Knoxville Symphony Youth Ensembles, the region’s largest youth music program, includes more than 500 students representing 93 schools across 18 counties through six youth orchestras, two youth choirs, a Youth Wind Ensemble, and a Chamber Music Program. Concerts and recitals presented throughout the year celebrate the accomplishments of these young musicians while strengthening the future of live music in East Tennessee.

Beyond rehearsals and performances, the KSO supports young musicians through a Summer Music Camp serving 300 campers annually and the Young Musicians Scholarship Fund, helping students pursue camps, festivals, and private study.

Music in the Community
Established in 2004 under former Music Director Lucas Richman, the nationally recognized Music & Wellness program brings live music into hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, retirement communities, and recovery programs, reaching an estimated 6,500 patients, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and individuals in recovery each season through performances providing comfort and connection.

The KSO also continues its tradition of free community performances, including Symphony in the Garden (Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum), Symphony on the Square (downtown Knoxville), Symphony in the Park (Maryville greenbelt amphitheater), the Lawson Family Foundation Independence Day Concert (World’s Fair Park), and additional performances that bring live music to thousands of East Tennesseans each year.

Making Music Accessible
The KSO is committed to lowering barriers to experiencing live orchestral music. Programs including Penny4Arts, the Read City Explorer Pass, and partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, Pellissippi State Community College, and other community organizations provide free and reduced-price tickets for students, families, and first-time concertgoers each season.

From the Tennessee Theatre to classrooms, museums, parks, hospitals, and neighborhood gathering places, the 2026-27 season demonstrates how an orchestra can honor tradition while evolving to serve its community. Entering its 91st season, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra invites audiences to experience orchestral music as an enduring part of the cultural life of East Tennessee.

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Living Composers Featured During the 2026-27 Season

Nicky Sohn: Is This the Happiest Place on Earth? — Gershwin’s American in Paris (Masterworks), Sept. 17–18, 2026
Mark O’Connor: Appalachia Waltz — Bach & Bluegrass (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series), Sept. 27, 2026
Jennifer Higdon: Mandolin Concerto — Bach & Bluegrass (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series), Sept. 27, 2026
Unsuk Chin: subito con forza — Immortal Beethoven (Masterworks), Jan. 14–15, 2027
Caroline Shaw: watermark — Immortal Beethoven (Masterworks), Jan. 14–15, 2027
Andrea Casarrubios: Herencia — Mostly Mozart (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series), Jan. 24, 2027
Michael Schachter: Four for Gideon — Brahms’ Requiem (Masterworks), Apr. 15–16, 2027

Guest Artists and Guest Conductors Featured During the 2026-27 Season

Sept. 17–18, 2026: Gershwin’s American in Paris (Masterworks) – Sterling Elliott, cello (Knoxville debut)
Sept. 27, 2026: Bach & Bluegrass (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series) – Jeff Midkiff, mandolin
Oct. 7–8, 2026: Mythic Proportions (Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series) – Jeff Midkiff, mandolin
Oct. 15-16, 2026: Bernstein’s Songfest (Masterworks) – Raquel González, soprano; Cierra Byrd, mezzo-soprano; Renée Tatum, alto; John Overholt, tenor; Stephen Salters, baritone; David Crawford, bass
Nov. 12–13, 2026: Boléro (Masterworks) – Jeremy Denk, piano
Nov. 22, 2026: Classical Christmas: Handel’s Messiah (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series) – Ashley Fabian, soprano; Song Hee Lee, soprano; Emily Marvosh, alto; Brian Giebler, tenor; Kevin Burdette, bass
Jan. 14–15, 2027: Immortal Beethoven (Masterworks) – Jonathan Biss, piano (Morman Guest Artist Fund)
Feb. 11–12, 2027: Valentine’s Romance (Masterworks) – Bella Hristova, violin
Mar. 18–19, 2027: Symphonie Fantastique (Masterworks) – Noam Aviel, guest conductor
Apr. 15–16, 2027: Brahms’ Requiem (Masterworks) – Christopher James Lees, guest conductor; Ashley Fabian, soprano; Ethan Vincent, baritone
May 13–14, 2027: Mozart & Shostakovich (Masterworks) – Ying Li, piano

KSO Soloists Featured During the 2026-27 Season

Jan. 24, 2027: Mostly Mozart (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series) – Duncan Henry, Principal Bassoon (Mozart: Bassoon Concerto)
Feb. 21, 2027: Peter and the Wolf (Roy Cockrum Chamber Series) – Mike Anderson, Principal Tuba (Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto)
Mar. 18–19, 2027: Symphonie Fantastique (Masterworks) – William Shaub, Concertmaster/violin (Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3)

2026-27 Masterworks Concert Schedule and Repertoire

Gershwin’s American in Paris
Sept. 17-18, 2026 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Sterling Elliott, cello
Rhea Carmon, KSO poet-in-residence
Nicky Sohn – Is This the Happiest Place on Earth?
Antonín Leopold – Dvořák Cello Concerto No. 1
William Grant Still – Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American)
George Gershwin – An American in Paris

Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony
Oct. 15-16, 2026 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Raquel González, soprano
Cierra Byrd, mezzo-soprano
Renée Tatum, alto
John Overholt, tenor
Stephen Salters, baritone
David Crawford, bass
Julia Perry – Ye Who Seek the Truth
Leonard Bernstein – Songfest
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5

Bartók & Bolero
Nov. 12-13, 2026 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Jeremy Denk, piano
Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune (arr. Caplet)
Béla Bartók – Piano Concerto No. 2
Olivier Messiaen – L’ascension
Maurice Ravel – Bolero

Immortal Beethoven
Jan. 14-15, 2027 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Jonathan Biss, piano (Morman Guest Artist Fund)
Unsuk Chin – subito con forza
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 3
Ludwig van Beethoven – Coriolan Overture
Caroline Shaw – watermark
Ludwig van Beethoven – Egmont Overture

Valentine’s Romance: Swan Lake & More
Feb. 11-12, 2027 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Bella Hristova, violin
Richard Wagner – Tristan and Isolde
Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Violin Concerto
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Suite from Swan Lake

Symphonie Fantastique
March 18-19, 2027 at the Tennessee Theatre
Noam Aviel, guest conductor
William Shaub, violin
Giacomo Puccini – La Tregenda
Camille Saint-Saëns – Violin Concerto No. 3
Hector Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique

Brahms’ Requiem
April 15-16, 2027 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Ashley Fabian, soprano
Ethan Vincent, baritone
Knoxville Choral Society
Michael Schachter – Four for Gideon
Randall Thompson – Selections from Frostiana
Johannes Brahms – A German Requiem

Mozart & Shostakovich
May 13-14, 2027 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Ying Li, piano
Grażyna Bacewicz – Overture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 20
Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5

2026-27 KSO Chamber Series Schedule

Bach & Bluegrass
Sept. 27, 2026 at the Bijou Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Jeff Midkiff, mandolin
Johann Sebastian Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Mark O’Connor – Appalachia Waltz
Jennifer Higdon – Mandolin Concerto

Classical Christmas: Handel’s Messiah
Nov. 22, 2026 at the Tennessee Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Song Hee Lee, soprano
Emily Marvosh, alto
Brian Giebler, tenor
Kevin Burdette, bass
Knoxville Choral Society

Mostly Mozart
Jan 24, 2027 at the Bijou Theatre
Christopher James Lees, guest conductor
Duncan Henry, bassoon
Andrea Casarrubios – Herencia
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Bassoon Concerto
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony No. 25

Peter and the Wolf
Feb. 21, 2027 at the Bijou Theatre
Aram Demirjian, conductor
Rhea Carmon, narrator and KSO poet-in-residence
Mike Anderson, tuba
Camille Saint-Saëns – Carnival of the Animals
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Tuba Concerto
Sergei Prokofiev – Classical Symphony
Sergei Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf

Tchaikovsky’s Serenade
April 25, 2027 at the Bijou Theatre
James Fellenbaum, conductor
Michael Tilson Thomas – Street Song
Louise Farrenc – Sextet for Piano and Winds
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Serenade in C

About Aram Demirjian, Music Director:
Aram Demirjian is Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and a frequent guest conductor with leading orchestras across the United States. Winner of the 2020 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award from The Solti Foundation U.S., he has been praised for his “rejuvenating” leadership (Washington Post) and “even electric” presence on the podium (San Francisco Classical Voice). Now in his 11th season with the KSO, Demirjian has strengthened the orchestra’s artistic profile through audience-centered programming and a sustained commitment to American music and living composers. Under his leadership, the KSO was selected for SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras at The Kennedy Center and has been featured nationally on PBS’s Craft in America. Demirjian holds degrees from Harvard University and the New England Conservatory.

About the KSO: Led by Music Director Aram Demirjian, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra shares extraordinary music and meaningful experiences across East Tennessee. Founded in 1935, the KSO is the oldest continually performing orchestra in the Southeast and presents hundreds of concerts and events each year in concert halls, schools, hospitals, libraries, parks, and community spaces. The KSO’s education programs reach more than 17,000 students annually, and its Youth Ensembles program serves more than 500 young musicians from 93 schools across 18 counties. Nearly 60,000 people experience the KSO’s free community concerts each year, and Music & Wellness programs bring live music to more than 6,000 individuals in healthcare settings. Online at www.knoxvillesymphony.com