The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is proud to welcome Knoxville poet, educator, author, and spoken-word artist Rhea Carmon as its inaugural Poet-in-Residence for the 2026-27 season. The Poet-in-Residence program is sponsored by Julia Caroline White.
A longtime friend and collaborator of the KSO, Carmon will contribute original poetry, narration, and artistic projects across performances, educational programs, and community events.
As the KSO’s first Poet-in-Residence, Rhea Carmon brings poetry and storytelling to the 2026-27 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,” said Music Director Aram Demirjian. “Rhea is an extraordinary artist, educator, and storyteller. Her creativity and perspective will add a new dimension to our performances and help us create meaningful experiences for audiences.”
Carmon’s first appearance as Poet-in-Residence will take place at the KSO’s 42nd Annual Lawson Family Foundation Independence Day Concert on July 4, where she will be featured in a special performance of Battle Hymn of the Republic as part of the orchestra’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
In September, Carmon will join the opening MoxCar Marketing + Communications Masterworks concert, Gershwin’s American in Paris. As part of William Grant Still‘s landmark Afro-American Symphony, she will perform poetry by Paul Laurence Dunbar before each movement, illuminating the literary inspiration behind one of the most important works in American symphonic music.
One of the residency’s central projects is Carmon’s work with the Sheena McCall Young People’s Concerts in October. In collaboration with Demirjian, KSO musicians, and local students, she is developing an original narration inspired by Benjamin Britten‘s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. The process began at KSO’s Summer Music Camp in June, where Carmon led workshops inviting students to share what inspires them about their instruments and their experiences with music. Those conversations are helping shape a new narrative designed to introduce young audiences to the orchestra through poetry and imagination.
Carmon will also co-curate with Demirjian the KSO’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert in January, helping develop a program that reflects themes of history, identity, and community.
In February, Carmon will appear in the Roy Cockrum Chamber Series presentation of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals. She will serve as narrator for both family favorites and will revive a collection of original poems she created to accompany the animal characters in Carnival of the Animals, first developed during an earlier collaboration with the KSO.
Together, these projects, and others that will emerge during the season, illustrate the breadth of Carmon’s role as the KSO’s first Poet-in-Residence.
“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 symphony is truly a dream come true. I’m honored to help create something that can touch lives in new ways.”
About Rhea Carmon
Known professionally as RheaSunshine, Rhea Carmon has spent more than 20 years writing and performing spoken-word poetry throughout Tennessee and beyond. A Knoxville native and former Poet Laureate of the City of Knoxville, she is an award-winning poet, educator, author, and performer whose work has inspired audiences through performances, workshops, festivals, and community programs.
Carmon serves as a Mathematics Instructor at the University of Tennessee and is a doctoral candidate in Children’s and Young Adult Literature. She is also a Tennessee Teaching Artist and the founder and Executive Director of The 5th Woman Cohort, a poetry and performance collective dedicated to amplifying stories and creating opportunities for artists to share their voices.
