By Alan Sherrod Since its humble beginnings in the backroom of a coffee house, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster Series has evolved organically, continuing to dazzle with small ensemble virtuosity, while also exploring the music’s connections to history and…
Tuesday Arts Miscellany: January 21, 2020
This may be the last week before the big winter crush of performances and shows that inundate us with conflicting choices. Take these events in while you can. “William Shaub and Friends”, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster Series concert…
Review: Baroque Excitement from KSO Concertmaster William Shaub and Friends
By Alan Sherrod One of the themes that musical Baroque-ophiles love to espouse about their adored Baroque era—after the impassioned joy it produces in them as musicians or listeners—is the inspirational effect that the music has had on subsequent…
Review: Singin’ In The Rain, Knoxville Opera Shapes ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ Into An Audience Adventure
By Alan Sherrod We generally consider operatic performance to be one of singers with uncommonly rare voices offering vocal beauty and power, supported by a great orchestra, in productions featuring impressive and elaborate sets and delightful theatrical magic. But,…
Review: Shaub, Chen, and KSO Combine for An Evening of Symphonic Delights
By Alan Sherrod It is something of an understatement that Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor is a vehicle for violinist stardom—either for those who already have acclaim and reputation, or for those who seem destined for acclaim…
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…
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…
Review: William Shaub and Friends Illuminate a Treasure of Baroque Gems in KSO’s Concertmaster Series
By Alan Sherrod Many Baroque composers are known for prolific output—J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel among them—but none so much as Antonio Vivaldi. His concerto output alone totals more than 500 works, yet none of these have been rewarded…
Review: Pianist Tanya Gabrielian and KSO Uncover Russian Passion
Given the current revelations of the past week, I couldn’t help feeling that Maestro Aram Demirjian and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra may have wished they had titled the week’s Masterworks concerts something other than “Russian Passion.” On the other hand,…
Review: KSO Brings Ecstasy and Enlightenment with Bach and Shostakovich
After Sunday afternoon’s Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Chamber Classics concert, several things should now be readily apparent to the KSO’s audience.