Staying safe from the ravages of the current pandemic while also laying the groundwork for the eventual return to normalcy has been an ongoing conundrum for musicians, artists, and their organizations. While we wait for live performances to return, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra has taken a major step in that direction. The KSO in collaboration with East Tennessee PBS have taped a new KSO Concertmaster Series performance which will broadcast on East Tennessee PBS June 26 at 9 PM. In the meantime, the performance is now available digitally on the ETPBS streaming service.
The concert features KSO Concertmaster William Shaub and his regular Concertmaster Series collaborator Kevin Class on piano. Their program is an eclectic one:
• Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne for violin and piano
• Mozart’s Sonata for violin and piano in E minor, K. 304
• Selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess arranged by Jascha Heifetz that include “Summertime,” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”
The concert was recorded in the historic Tennessee Theatre, but with an interesting twist. The camera is on stage with Shaub and Class, turning the interior of the Tennessee Theatre into a breathtaking backdrop.
Shaub commented on how the gorgeous—but empty—theatre becomes something of a metaphor for our current performance circumstances.
“For me and for our incredible audience at the Merchant and Gould Concertmaster Series,” Shaub offered, “our performances represent an artistic journey, an exploration of great composers, and a musical story with an arc. Pianist Kevin Class and I were so delighted to take our next “Series” performance digital through the efforts of ETPBS and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. This tremendous opportunity was a joy from start to finish: from working with the amazing recording team at ETPBS to performing music that Kevin and I are especially passionate about in a gorgeous, yet completely empty, Tennessee Theatre. This recording was also a stark reminder to us that a hall can be stunningly beautiful, yet not truly a “hall” in the most important sense without our audience to fill its rows.”
To access this performance online, free of charge, click here. The concert will premiere on ETPBS on June 26 at 9 PM.
