KSO Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary
Free Independence Day concert features community leaders, Metropolitan Opera bass-baritone David Crawford, Grand Ole Opry performer Wyatt Ellis, broadcasters Hallerin Hilton Hill and John Becker, and inaugural KSO Poet-in-Residence Rhea Carmon
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (June 17, 2026) – The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with its 42nd Annual Lawson Family Foundation Free Independence Day Concert on Saturday, July 4, at 8:00 p.m. on the Performance Lawn stage at World’s Fair Park. The free concert is part of the City of Knoxville’s Festival on the 4th and will be followed by fireworks launching from the Henley Bridge at approximately 9:45 p.m.
The concert will also mark the public debut of Knoxville poet, educator, and former City of Knoxville Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon as the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s first Poet-in-Residence. Carmon’s residency is a new collaboration that will explore the connections between poetry, storytelling, and music through performances, educational programs, and community events throughout the KSO’s 2026–27 season.
Led by Music Director Aram Demirjian, this year’s concert celebrates America’s semiquincentennial with patriotic favorites, American music, and appearances by East Tennessee community leaders and artists. Special guests include Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Tennessee State Senator Becky Duncan Massey, radio and TV host Hallerin Hilton Hill, WBIR anchor John Becker, Metropolitan Opera bass-baritone David Crawford, East Tennessee mandolin virtuoso Wyatt Ellis, and Carmon.
“Independence Day has always been one of Knoxville’s great community traditions, and this year carries special meaning as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary,” said Demirjian. “We’re honored to welcome an extraordinary group of guests who reflect the spirit, creativity, and civic leadership of East Tennessee. “We’re also thrilled to introduce Rhea Carmon as the KSO’s first Poet-in-Residence. Her creativity and perspective will add a new dimension to our performances and help us create new experiences for audiences throughout the season.”
The evening’s program will feature patriotic favorites including The Star-Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, Armed Forces Salute, and John Philip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever. Audiences will also hear John Williams’ Liberty Fanfare, Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and Variations on a Shaker Melody, Morton Gould’s American Salute, and selections featuring Crawford and Ellis.
As part of the concert’s celebration of America’s founding ideals, Kincannon, Jacobs, Massey, and Hill will join the orchestra for a special presentation incorporating excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. Carmon will be featured in Battle Hymn of the Republic, while Becker will serve as narrator for Lincoln Portrait and Armed Forces Salute.
Crawford, whose distinguished career has included nearly 400 performances with the Metropolitan Opera, will be featured in several selections celebrating the American experience. Ellis, a Maryville native, Grand Ole Opry performer, and one of bluegrass music’s most exciting young artists, will perform several of his original compositions, bringing a distinctly East Tennessee voice to the concert’s celebration of American music and culture.
A Knoxville native and former Poet Laureate of the City of Knoxville, Carmon is an award-winning poet, educator, author, and spoken-word artist whose work has inspired audiences across the country through performances, workshops, and community engagement. Her residency is sponsored by Julia Caroline White.
“I grew up loving orchestra music and poetry, even though many people didn’t see those worlds as belonging together,” said Carmon. “To have the opportunity to bring them together through the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is truly a dream come true. I’m honored to help create something that can touch lives in new ways.”
The concert is free and open to the public. No tickets are required. Picnic blankets, lawn chairs, food, and drinks are welcome. Pets, alcohol, personal tents, and tent canopies are not permitted.
The performance will also be broadcast and streamed by WBIR, allowing audiences throughout East Tennessee to experience the concert and fireworks celebration.
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.