What a nice way to end a season with a wide variety of music from France, Spain and America! Gershwin’s “American in Paris” is a fun piece describing the clamor and beauty of Paris, a city that has been on our minds a lot recently. Part of the clamor comes from traffic noises that are […]
Category: Knoxville Nightlife
Tony Award Winner Leslie Odom, Jr. in Knoxville this week – and he’s a nice guy, too
Leslie Odom. Jr. is a “Triple Threat” (singer, dancer, actor) and he’s done everything from the TV screen to Broadway, and he’s coming to Knoxville for one night only. “The world will never be the same…” (Yes, that’s a lyric from Hamilton…) If you’re not familiar with the Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” it’s a spellbinding work, […]
Morph into Spring with this week’s music (Mendelssohn and More)
Just because it’s an interesting transition between playing the music of Pink Floyd on Saturday and moving on to Masterworks this week doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. The Pink Floyd crowd loved the concert, and it’s always nice to play for an appreciative audience. (Picture a rock band backed by a full orchestra playing […]
You Always Have Better Ballet Tickets Than I Do…
I always have a seat under the stage for ballet, so while I get some interesting views of fog, I never get to see whatever is going on in the show. This week changes everything because we have the Appalachian Ballet Company performing while we play romantic music. I always marvel at the dancers and […]
Soiree and Swoon
This past Tuesday, as part of the Knoxville Symphony League’s Elegant Dining Series, the musicians of the KSO hosted a “Symphony Soiree” where we musicians cooked the food and provided the entertainment. The event was a unique chance to get to hear somewhat different music from fellow classical musicians in the orchestra along with the […]
Violins That Bring Hope
As a musician, I enjoy it when people trust me enough to allow me into their world for important events in their lives. We see them at weddings, funerals, church services, and sometimes in the hospital. It’s a privilege to be invited into someone’s world. I’ve enjoyed being a part of the city’s Martin Luther […]
Exploring “New Worlds”
Part of our jobs as musicians is to get others excited about what we do, whether it’s a pops concert, opera, ballet, masterworks, or a new electronic piece that no one’s ever heard. I’m really excited about the January Masterworks concert this week for several reasons. The first piece that we are playing is by […]
It’s the Most Musical Time of the Year
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” For most businesses, planning for the holidays begins early, even before Autumn. So in October and November, people ask the musicians if we’ve started working on the music for the Christmas concert. Because we don’t see the music until about ten days before the first concert, it’s […]
Holiday Greetings from the Maestro
December means tradition, family and music. As we renew our KSO tradition with the 32nd Annual Clayton Holiday Concerts, we are immensely grateful for you, our audience, and for our extended musical family here in Knoxville, from the Knoxville Choral Society to Go! Contemporary Dance Works, and our sponsors, the Clayton Family Companies, especially Jim […]
Casting a vision for the next three years
KSO announces extension of Aram Demirjian contract The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra announced on Monday, Nov. 12 that the KSO Board of Directors has extended Maestro Aram Demirjian’s contract as Music Director for three years beyond the current three year contract that began in 2016. This extension takes Maestro Demirjian through the 2021-2022 season. Highlights of […]