By Alan Sherrod A collision of the present and the future occurred on the stage of the Tennessee Theatre this weekend—an experience that was noticeably transformative for both performers and audience. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and its Knoxville Symphony…
Review: “The Music of John Williams” – Fellenbaum and the KSO Summon the Force
By Alan Sherrod It is said that everyone has at least one awakening moment in their life when music and culture collide at a particular time and place. For those in their pre-teen years, such a music/culture moment is…
Review: Virtuosity and Warm Reflection Highlight January’s Concertmaster Series Concert
By Alan Sherrod If Tchaikovsky’s ballets, symphonies, and operas tell us anything, it is that the composer gravitated to the richness and complexity of orchestral textures as a main vehicle for musical creation. Chamber music seems to have had…
Review: KSO Ensembles Heat Up the Chamber Music Scene
By Alan Sherrod For the last several years, it has felt like something of a triumph to report that Knoxville’s chamber music scene, once merely an under-attended curiosity for the most dedicated listeners, has grown by leaps and bounds,…
January Classical Music: Hope for a New World
The month of January has been known in recent years to have the mysterious ability to inspire notable—dare I say, sublime—music performances for Knoxville audiences. The schedule for January 2019 gives a hint of what wintertime concertgoers might possibly expect…
Top Ten Most Read Arts Knoxville Stories of 2018
By Alan Sherrod Over the last week, we’ve taken a look back at 2018 and its memorable music performances, as well as the enlightening Top Ten lists from film critics Andrew Swafford and Reid Ramsey. But what stories and…
Most Memorable Classical Music Performances of 2018
By Alan Sherrod Although every music season differs in the performers involved and their artistic choices, each year has its unmistakable trends and distinctive personalities. Themes emerge, certain composers or music become trendy for one reason or another, and…
Preview: Two Weekends of Appalachian Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’
This weekend and next – it’s the 47th season for Appalachian Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. One American holiday tradition that sparkles with timelessness is that of productions of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker during the winter season. The Appalachian Ballet Company…
Review: A Feast of Variety in “Classical Christmas” from KSO and Knoxville Chamber Chorale
By Alan Sherrod In 2015, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra took a chance and moved its November Chamber Classics concert to the weekend following Thanksgiving and titled it “Classical Christmas.” That incredibly popular concert took a different direction from the…
Review: An Exciting Circle – Conductor Eric Jacobsen and Pianist Gabriela Martinez Join KSO For “Schumann’s Circle of Friends”
By Alan Sherrod It begins and ends the same way, simply enough, with four chords from woodwinds building onto each other. Yet, that four chord progression is one of the most magically captivating in all of music history and…