There are some concert program combinations that are simply too intriguing to pass up, for any number of reasons. Maestro Aram Demirjian and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra unlocked one of those combinations this past weekend, cutting an enjoyable swath through music history from early Romanticism through turn-of-the-century Impressionism, then finally introducing a compelling new work by a living American composer.
Next for the KSO — Geneva Lewis: Tennis Champ Turned Violin Star
In a tennis family where Lewis’ two brothers were also pros, it’s not surprising that daughter Geneva Lewis would excel at the sport. What is surprising is that she replaced her racket for a violin. And her career rise in the classical music world has been no less stunning than that of her father’s in the sports arena.
A Musical Balancing Act: Studying, Performing, and Listening
It’s both heartening and heartbreaking that our music schools and conservatories are filled to the brim with arguably the most talented generation of music students yet. Heartening that so many understand and value a solid arts education. Heartbreaking that so few will be able to have a career in this field.
Review: KSO Concertmaster Series Looks at the Legacy of Violinist Jascha Heifetz
In the second Concertmaster Series outing of the 2023-24 season at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster William Shaub and his KSO colleagues chose to make the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz the connecting force for their recital.
Review: KSO’s Present and Future Meet in a Celebration of Musicianship and the Mahler Fourth
The title given to this weekend’s Knoxville Symphony Orchestra concerts was “The Heavenly Life: Mahler Symphony No. 4.” A less poetic, but perhaps equally accurate title might have been “Musicianship: Now and in the Future.”
KSO This Week: Why William Shaub Needs Two Violins for Mahler’s Symphony No. 4
BY DIANA SALESKY William Shaub plays on one of the finest violins in the world – an 1865 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. When he takes the stage of the Tennessee Theatre on January 25-26 as Concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra,…
On Sunday: KSO’s Chamber Classics Features Flutist Devan Jaquez
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Classics Series concert on Sunday afternoon at the Bijou Theatre will feature KSO Principal Flute Devan Jaquez in Malcolm Arnold’s Flute Concerto No. 1. James Fellenbaum will conduct.
Most Read ARTS KNOXVILLE Stories of 2023
If one was looking for a definite sign that the peripheral effects of the pandemic had at last faded away, 2023 was an almost perfect answer. Readership of articles on Arts Knoxville grew some 20% over 2022, paralleling the increase…
Most Memorable Classical Music Performances of 2023
BY ALAN SHERROD We’ll probably look back on 2023 as something of a threshold year. With the pandemic restrictions and precautions fading into a dusty corner of our concert-going memory, we embraced the idea that a combination of luck…
Aram-isms: When the Conductor Speaks
BY DIANA SALESKY Editor’s Note: Diana Salesky was the alto soloist in the recent Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at the Tennessee Theatre. There are moments during rehearsals and concerts when one connects with another performer for…