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KSO brings music back: Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” to stream on Sunday, Feb. 7

February 4, 2021

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra has announced the return of music with its first performance since the beginning of the pandemic last March. The concert on Sunday, Feb. 7, which will be livestreamed, will kick off the Chamber Classics Series.

The KSO performance of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” will be streamed from the Bijou Theatre starting at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday. The concert will be available for current season ticket holders at no additional charge, and the public may purchase tickets for $20 on the website at www.knoxvillesymphony.com.

“Our audiences are craving concerts, and I and the musicians of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra are eager to perform for them,” KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian said. “Right now, the safest way for us to do that is via livestreaming.”

A neoclassical theater piece, the concert relates the story of a soldier told through live music, storytelling and dance. The performance will include a seven-piece orchestra on stage along with Knoxville’s Marble City Opera and GO! Contemporary Dance Works performers.

The KSO will perform “The Soldier’s Tale” via livestream Feb. 7 at the Bijou Theatre.

“During the pandemic, many orchestras have been serving their communities virtually with outstanding results,” Demirjian said. “Technology has advanced rapidly, and we will provide our audience with a high-quality entertainment experience.”

The orchestra musicians and staff are able to safely rehearse and perform thanks to the sponsorship of Covenant Health, which has provided COVID-19 tests for the duration of the season.

“We have found ways to fulfill our mission even in difficult circumstances,” Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Rachel Ford said. “This community has been incredibly generous, and they deserve our best effort.”

KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian

In addition to “The Soldier’s Tale,” the KSO has livestreams scheduled in February with the Q Series’ Principal Quartet and Woodwind Quintet on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Bijou Theatre and the News Sentinel Pop Series’ “Ragtime Kings” on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Tennessee Theatre.

Bill Riley, the chairman of KSO’s board of directors added, “The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is an organization comprising very creative people. Aram, the musicians and the staff used their creativity to come up with an innovative solution to a difficult situation. We are excited to begin this foray into virtual performances and look forward to the day when we can once again safely welcome live audiences in the concert hall.”

To receive updates on the latest news and upcoming performances from the Symphony, visit knoxvillesymphony.com and sign up for the newsletter. Follow the KSO on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at twitter.com/KnoxSymphony, www.facebook.com/KnoxSymphony and www.instagram.com/KnoxSymphony.

About the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

Led by Music Director Aram Demirjian, the Knoxville Symphony 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 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.