In celebration of the KSO’s 90 th Anniversary Season, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (KSO) and Music Director Aram Demirjian created the 9 for 90 season-long commissioning initiative that welcomes the world premieres of nine works, each composed specifically for the KSO and performed across the full range of its artistic programming, spanning the KSO’s Masterworks, Chamber, Q Series, Youth Ensembles, and Concertmaster series.
“9 for 90 celebrates the KSO's recent history and looks to the future by investing deeply in a core aspect of our mission: driving the symphonic art form forward through artistic invention and collaboration,” said Demirjian. “I am so proud that when we perform new music at the KSO, we center it, and our audience now seeks out the chance to discover something new.”
That philosophy is reflected in the range of composers participating in the project and in the broad engagement across the organization. “We have emerging stars to established international voices, some of whom are old friends of the KSO, and others with whom we are working for the first time. It means so much to me, too, that three major pillars of our organization - the musicians, the board, and the staff - have played vital and active roles in bringing 9 for 90 to fruition,” said Demirjian.
“From the beginning, our board was excited to support the opportunity to bring new music to life,” said KSO CEO Rachel Ford. “We’re proud to stand behind Aram’s artistic vision and to help make these nine new works possible. While 9 for 90 marks a milestone season, it’s ultimately forward-looking and reflects how the KSO continues to invest in the artistic life of this community.”
The commissioning initiative was made possible through a board-led fundraising effort that raised approximately $110,000 to support the creation and presentation of the new works, including composer travel and residency expenses.
The 9 for 90 project builds on a decade of sustained commitment to new music under Demirjian’s leadership. Over the past ten years, he has introduced 115 works to the KSO’s repertoire, including 70 by living composers and representing a wide range of contemporary voices. During that time, the orchestra has commissioned or co-commissioned 41 works, including projects such as Michael Schachter's Violin Concerto: Cycle of Life, a collaboration between the KSO, Schachter, Knoxville Museum of Art, and glass artist Richard Jolley, and Between Suns: A Concerto for West African Drums and Orchestra by Derrick Skye developed in partnership with Knoxville-based drum ensemble Indigenous Vibes.
The first two premieres of the 2025-26 season - XC Blast by Jennifer Higdon in September and Sing to the Moon by Kevin Day in December - marked the launch of the 9 for 90 project. Beginning in March 2026, the remaining seven commissions will receive their world premieres over an eight-week period.
Higdon, who has been a frequent collaborator with the KSO, emphasized the importance of new work in shaping the future of the art form. “New music gives people alive today a reflection of their own time, their energy, and their sound world,” said Higdon. “New compositions are how music history moves forward. It’s the way it has always been. Even Beethoven was once considered radical.”