The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra has at last given Knoxville audiences something Mahler to talk about—Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 was the sole work on the weekend’s Masterworks concerts. Judging by the impressive attendance, anticipatory buzz, and post-concert ebullience, the KSO audience was ready for an event—and they got one, thanks to an epic performance by Maestro Aram Demirjian and the orchestra that was sprawling and ultimately triumphant, yet carefully detailed in all the appropriate places.
The KSO This Week: Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra — Conductor Aram Demirjian “Mahler Symphony No. 5” Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Downtown Knoxville Thursday and Friday evenings, January 16-17, 7:30 PM Tickets and Information It was just one year ago that the Knoxville Symphony…
Review: ‘Shucked’ National Tour — A Musical Feast of Puns and Groaners
BY ALAN SHERROD All you probably need to know about the musical Shucked is in that title. The show, now on a National Tour following a nine-month run on Broadway, is at Knoxville’s Tennessee Theatre through Sunday, January 5,…
2024 Most Memorable Classical Music Performances in Knoxville
First, stepping onto the soapbox. As we reach the Winter Solstice of 2024 in Knoxville’s arts and music world, we can definitely feel positive and optimistic about the achievements of individuals, organizations, and of the arts scene as a whole.…
UT Music To Launch Distinguished Artist/Lecturer Residency Series with Akropolis Reed Quintet
It is difficult to believe that 11 years have passed since the University of Tennessee music world crossed a major threshold by moving into a new home, the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. Along with the natural growth and expansion…
Review: River & Rail’s ‘It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ – A New Holiday Tradition?
One of the most interesting ironies of the American cinema is that the now-classic holiday television vehicle, the 1946 Frank Capra film, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’ was not initially successful, either financially or critically, despite its director and its star, James Stewart. While it was nominated for five Academy Awards, it failed to win any; critics in the post-war years were generally complimentary, but found it too “simple-minded” and overly sentimental. Falling into Hollywood’s version of obscurity, the film languished and its copyright was eventually allowed to expire in 1974, an event that ironically set the stage in the 1980s for its subsequent television appearances and belated popularity.
The current River & Rail Theatre Company production, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’—an adaptation by Joe Landry— runs at the Old City Performing Arts Center through December 22.
Sunday: Amadeus Concert Ensemble Presents Chanukah Music Fest
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Knoxville Jewish Community Family of Funds, Amadeus Concert Ensemble is presenting a free community-wide CHANUKAH MUSIC FEST concert under the direction of Maestro Brian Salesky on Sunday, December 8 at 4:00 PM at the Arnstein…
Review: ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’ at the Tennessee Theatre
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, now in its second National Tour run, is making a stop in Knoxville this week for eight performances at the Tennessee Theatre. This quintessential biographical jukebox musical follows the rise and rock queen-dom of Anna Mae Bullock, who would eventually triumph as the super-star Tina Turner.
Review: KSO Kicks Off Christmas Season With Handel’s ‘Messiah’
Of all the creations of music in the “classical” realm, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is the perfect example of a beloved musical work that has survived a multitude of twisted traditions and misunderstandings, not to mention the performance abuse that comes with the well-meant intentions of over-popularity. Completed in 1741 and first performed in April of 1742 in Dublin, Ireland, at Neale’s Music Hall, Handel originally intended his oratorio Messiah for an Easter-time event. Handel also created the work with modest instrumentation, yet by the 1850s, Messiah was receiving lavish productions with huge choruses and orchestras and was often performed as a spectacle for Christmas audiences.
Review: CBT’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Returns — And So Should You
The current Clarence Brown Theatre version of A Christmas Carol which opened this past weekend is an adaptation by Edward Morgan and Joseph Hanreddy with music by John Tanner. This popular version first appeared on the CBT stage in 2016 and returned for three more years before the pandemic closure of 2020. It returned in 2023 and has now been freshened and energized for a 2024 run through December 21. Those theatre-goers who may have seen the production last year, or before, will certainly want to consider a return. This 2024 staging is CBT’s best by far—both in performances and visual delights.
