Concert at LMU

Tonight the KSO will travel to Lincoln Memorial University to give a concert. We will be playing holiday music as well as a few previews of things that are coming up later in the season. One piece that we'll be playing that doesn't quite fit into either of those categories is the middle movement of Vaughn-Williams' tuba concerto. In all my years of playing, I have never accompanied a tuba concerto. The tuba too often falls into the stereotype of playing oom-pahs. When it has the chance to play a melody it has a beautiful rich sound. Tonight's concert is a rare opportunity to hear the tuba featured as a solo instrument.

Other pieces we'll play include selections from the Nutcracker, a few movements from Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream (which we will perform in it's entirety at the February Masterworks), Korngold's Der Schneeman (The Snowman), a sing-along of Christmas Carols, and, of course, Sleigh Ride.

This concert will take place at 7:30 tonight and is free! More information on our concert at LMU can be found here.

Ijams

Last night the KSO played at Ijams Nature Center for the 24th annual Symphony in the Park fundraiser. It was a beautiful evening.

Cathy Leach, Principal Trumpet, warming up before the concert:


Jill Allard, flute:


John Michael Fox, violin:


The KSO viola section (minus yours truly). Jen Bloch, Bill Pierce, and Eunsoon Corliss:


A somewhat rare picture of me, courtesy of Eunsoon...


First violinists Lisa Muci, Sean Claire, and Yin Wu:


Timpanist Mike Combs with cellist Ihsan Kartal:


Ijams is a beautiful place.




Mark Tucker, our wonderful stagehand Paul, Maestro Richman, and Jennifer Barnett waiting for the concert to begin. Percussionist Clark Harrell is in the foreground looking suspicious of my picture taking...


It was a great night and I think we're all looking forward to the 25th anniversary concert next fall!

Play Ball!

The KSO's 2009-2010 season began on Monday! It's exciting to be back. Everyone looks well-rested and ready to start the season. Our first Masterworks concerts in the Tennessee Theater are on September 24th and 25th, but in the meantime, the KSO will be out and about in the community.

Tonight at 7:30 the symphony will perform at the Maryville Greenbelt Amphitheatre. This concert is always quite popular. Our audience in Maryville is passionate about classical music. In the past we have played in thunderstorms and still had a large audience braving the elements under umbrellas. The greenbelt is a beautiful park. The concert atmosphere is relaxed with many people bringing along picnic dinners. This is a good concert to bring children to because there is plenty of space to walk around away from other concert-goers if they start to fidget. There is also a play area nearby. You would be wise to bring chairs or a large blanket. This concert is free.

Saturday at 6:00 the Knoxville Symphony Brass Quintet will perform at The Cove at Concord Park. The KSO's small ensembles allow individual musicians to really shine. The KSO Brass Quintet is not heard in the community as much as the string quartets from the KSO, so take advantage of this somewhat rare opportunity to hear some great brass music. This concert is also free.

On Sunday the KSO will present the 24th annual Symphony in the Park at Ijams Nature Center. Featured soloists will be opera singers Andrew Wentzel and Karen Nickell. The concert is only part of the festivities on Sunday. The evening also includes a silent auction and a catered dinner. For more information, click here.

I hope to see you at one of these concerts this weekend, but if you cannot attend remember that WUOT is broadcasting performances from last season every Thursday beginning at 8:00.

Concert Smorgasbord

The Knoxville Symphony has several concerts coming up this week, including two free concerts.

Tonight at 7:00 the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra will perform their final concert of the season at the Tennessee Theater. Several orchestras of all levels will perform from kids who have only been playing a few years to high school students who have been seriously studying their instruments for many years. All the ensembles present a polished performance. This concert is free.

Tomorrow string players from the KSO will partner with the orchestra students at Farragut High School to present a side by side performance at Farragut High School. The concert begins at 7:30 at Farragut High School.

Wednesday at 6:30 we will be playing on Market Square. This concert was rescheduled from last Friday due to rain. This concert is free.

Finally, on Saturday Peter Cetera is coming for the KSO's final pops concert of the season. This is the concert I'm looking forward to the most this week. Peter Cetera has written hit after hit after hit. It should be a great evening.

The Great Outdoors

Did I miss something? Spring, for instance? It seems to me that we went from unusually cold weather to temperatures in the mid-80's and skipped everything in between. Ah, well, I won't complain. The truth is, I love this time of year. It's sunny and warm, but not too warm, and everything is lush and green: perfect weather for spending time outside.

The late spring warm-up has arrived just in time for two outdoor concerts the KSO has coming up later this week. At 6:30 on Friday, May 1st, we will be playing on Market Square as part of First Friday, and at 7:30 on Saturday, May 2nd, we will be performing in Maryville at the Greenbelt Amphitheatre. Both concerts are free. The program for these concerts is a good mix of light classical pieces including a Rossini overture, a few movements from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and selections from The Sound of Music.

For the Market Square performance there are usually some chairs set up near the stage. In Maryville, you would be wise to bring your own lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on. A picnic basket full of goodies is a nice touch, too.

By the way, these are excellent concerts to bring children to because of the relaxed atmosphere. If a child gets antsy, it's very easy to get up and walk around without disturbing your fellow concert-goers. My husband has been bringing our daughter to the KSO's outdoor performances since she was an infant.

Holiday Cheer

I find the weather we are having right now very strange. I grew up near Chicago and December always brought cold, snow, and ice. In Northern Illinois, it doesn't rain in December, it snows. Growing up, it was rare that we didn't have a white Christmas. I must say that I like winter weather here in the South much better. Still, a high of nearly 70 degrees like we had yesterday is oddly mild even for Knoxville. I think the warm weather along with the fact that Thanksgiving was very late this year is the reason why I'm not exactly in the holiday spirit yet.

I have no fear, though, because for musicians December is a month of immersion therapy in holiday cheer. As I mentioned in my last post, the KSO has quite a bit going on this month. Music is something that is unique to the winter holidays. There are not many songs that are sung at Thanksgiving, Halloween, or the 4th of July. There are hundreds of songs written for Christmas. Many are happy and cheerful, but even the pieces that are not fast and upbeat, such as the Mannheim Steamroller version of Silent Night, evoke the spirit of the season unlike anything else.

This evening the symphony will travel to Morristown to perform a holiday concert. I enjoy playing in Morristown because there is always a good turnout and the audience is enthusiastic. We will play holiday music including, by request, the aforementioned version of Silent Night. Also on the program are Carol of the Bells, Sleigh Ride, and excerpts from The Nutcracker. It ought to be a good shot in the arm for anyone needing a dose of holiday cheer.