October 15, 2018
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra continues its Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series with a program featuring Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian conducts the Orchestra on Thursday, Oct. 18, and Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Theatre. These performances are sponsored by The Trust Company and Jay and Marga McBride. View tickets and information here.
Musical selections include Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Guest artist Robyn Bollinger joins the KSO to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
Robyn Bollinger
Demirjian said, “Our second Moxley Carmichael Masterworks performance deals in music of historical and sociopolitical importance. Shostakovich’s music is inseparable from the circumstances in which he was composing: under the shadow of the oppressive Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union. Considered the premiere Russian composer of his day, Shostakovich wrote the Fifth Symphony under the weight of potentially life-threatening political scrutiny for recent compositions deemed ‘degenerate and decadent.’
“Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont models his progressive idealism, celebrating the spirit of the Count of Egmont, a 16th century martyr who led the Dutch people to victory against an oppressive Spanish Empire. In yet another parallel to Shostakovich’s time, the Overture became the unofficial anthem of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.
KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian
“In the midst of these two weighty pillars of the symphonic repertoire, we feature the music of another Russian, with the charming, exciting, virtuosic Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky, for which we welcome the spectacularly talented and charismatic Robyn Bollinger, making her Knoxville debut.”
Patrons can attend pre-concert chats at 6:30 p.m. in the concert hall before each performance. Guest performers will offer their personal perspective, and audience members will have a chance for a Q&A with the artists in a unique get-to-know-you opportunity.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 865-291-3310 or visiting the KSO website. Single tickets range from $15-$85. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate by calling 865-521-2337.
About Aram Demirjian
Aram Demirjian is the eighth Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and is internationally sought after for his dynamic performances and innovative programming. He served previously as the Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. A devoted educator, Demirjian has created and conducted education and family concerts for orchestras across the country. Demirjian has conducted The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Wichita symphonies, the Minnesota and Sarasota orchestras, the Louisiana Philharmonic and appearances at the Tanglewood Music Center and Breckenridge Music Festival. Demirjian is the winner of a 2017 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award and the 2011 Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize from the Aspen Music Festival, where he was a three-time Conducting Fellow in the Aspen Conducting Academy. Demirjian holds a joint Bachelor of Arts in Music and Government from Harvard University and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from New England Conservatory.
About Robyn Bollinger
A Philadelphia native and graduate of the New England Conservatory, Robyn Bollinger has established herself as a renowned soloist, collaborator, and chamber musician. In 2016, she received a Fellowship from the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship Fund for her own multimedia project, “CIACCONA: The Bass of Time.” She continues to tour as a soloist performing programs including works by Tchaikovsky and Paganini.
About the KSO
Established in 1935, and now under the leadership of Music Director Aram Demirjian, the KSO has contributed to the cultural life in East Tennessee continuously for more than 80 years, providing excellence in musical and educational programs. The Orchestra consists of 80 professional musicians and performs 300 programs throughout the region each season, reaching audiences of more than 200,000 people. The KSO performs in traditional venues such as the Tennessee Theatre, Bijou Theatre and the Civic Auditorium as well as non-traditional places like hospitals, schools, city parks and churches. For more information regarding the KSO, please visit www.knoxvillesymphony.com or call 865-291-3310.
