Knoxville tribute to veterans, ABBA part of next symphony season — plus, 'Jurassic Park'

Ryan Wilusz, Knoxville News Sentinel
·4 min read

Classical and popular music will share the stage in harmony throughout the upcoming Knoxville Symphony Orchestra season.

The lineup includes tributes to war veterans, soulful legends and one larger-than-life film in a monthslong "feast for the ears."

While the current season won't wrap until May, the Symphony is already preparing to bring "the spirit of our community into the concert hall," KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian said in a news release.

"It's always exciting when we announce the symphony season," he told Knox News. "It's the culmination of a long process of planning. So many ideas and dreams that we've had, (we) finally get to see come to fruition.

"And certainly the next season has a great deal of variety, which is what we always strive for."

A brief look at what's in store

Fans of classical music should enjoy the Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series, bookended by Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4" in September and "Beethoven and The Rite of Spring" in May 2023.

The series also includes "Service and Spirit: A Salute to Veterans," happening Nov. 10-11.

The Clayton Holiday Concert will return with a 36th annual event, in addition to the Q Series, Chamber Classics Series and the Merchant & Gould Concertmaster & Friends Series.

Tributes to ABBA and Whitney Houston will take place as part of the Thermal Label Warehouse/Shaw Family Pops Series. The series also will reimagine songs by 1970s songwriters like Jackson Browne, and an evening dedicated to "Jurassic Park" will include John Williams' score performed by KSO as the film is projected.

"We want everybody to be able to experience the symphony in the way that's right for them," Demirjian said. "It's always such a joy to be able to play (Williams') music. And then also, there will be an organization called Cirque de la Symphonie, which is sort of a Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatic presentation in front of and over the orchestra playing live music."

Although the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is still performing its 2021-2022 season, music director Aram Demirjian is preparing for the upcoming season announced Monday. Demirjian met with Knox News at the Bijou Theatre on Feb. 25 to talk about some of the highlights, from classical pieces to a live "Jurassic Park" score.
Although the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is still performing its 2021-2022 season, music director Aram Demirjian is preparing for the upcoming season announced Monday. Demirjian met with Knox News at the Bijou Theatre on Feb. 25 to talk about some of the highlights, from classical pieces to a live "Jurassic Park" score.

KSO performances will take place across multiple venues, including the Bijou and Tennessee theaters, as well as Elks Lodge, Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Knoxville Museum of Art.

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Check out the full list of performances

Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series - Tennessee Theatre

  • Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 – Sept. 15-16, 2022

  • Michelle Cann Plays Rachmaninoff – Oct. 13-14, 2022

  • Service and Spirit: A Salute to Veterans – Nov. 10-11, 2022

  • Dvořák Cello Concerto – Jan. 19-20, 2023

  • Brahms Violin Concerto – Feb. 23-24, 2023

  • Appalachian Journeys – March 23-24, 2023

  • Mozart’s Requiem – April 20-21, 2023

  • Beethoven and The Rite of Spring – May 18-19, 2023

Chamber Classics Series - Bijou Theatre

  • Mozart and Ginastera – Sept. 25, 2022

  • Classical Christmas: Messiah – Nov. 27, 2022 (Tennessee Theatre)

  • Jeff Midkiff’s Mandolin – Jan. 29, 2023

  • Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 – March 5, 2023

  • Beethoven Symphony No. 8 – May 7, 2023

Thermal Label Warehouse/Shaw Family Pops Series - Knoxville Civic Auditorium

  • Fire and Rain – Oct. 7, 2022 (Tennessee Theatre)

  • Jurassic Park – Jan. 14, 2023

  • Cirque Broadway – Feb. 11, 2023

  • The Music of Whitney Houston – March 11, 2023

  • ABBA: The Concert – April 15, 2023

  • The Doo Wop Project – May 13, 2023

Merchant & Gould Concertmaster & Friends Series - Knoxville Museum of Art

  • Carmen Fantasy – Oct. 5-6, 2022

  • The Call of the Hunt: Brahms’ Horn Trio – Jan. 25-26, 2023

  • The Late Genius: Beethoven’s Final Days – April 5-6, 2023

Q Series - Elks Lodge

  • Six performances with KSO's Principal String Quartet - Sept. 28, 2022 through March 29, 2023

36th Annual Clayton Holiday Concert – Dec. 16-18, 2022

Is a ticket or subscription best for you?

Subscriptions are now on sale at knoxvillesymphony.com or by calling 865-291-3310.

Each series offers a subscription, which includes savings compared to purchasing tickets for each show. Current subscribers can keep their seats if they renew by April 30.

Subscriptions range from $56 for the Merchant & Gould Concertmaster & Friends Series to $115 for the Thermal Label Warehouse/Shaw Family Pops Series.

The remaining series start out around $110.

Ryan Wilusz: Knoxville's downtown explorer and urban reporter
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville Symphony Orchestra announces new season at downtown theaters