WHEN BERTHA WALBURN CLARK first performed with her string quartet in 1910, she laid the foundation for what would become the Southeast’s oldest continuing orchestra and a pillar of East Tennessee’s cultural life – the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.  The KSO held its first official concert on November 24, 1935, performing for an audience of 300 at Church Street Methodist Church.

The KSO began a period of significant growth in 1947 when David Van Vactor assumed dual roles as Chairman of the University of Tennessee’s Department of Fine Arts and KSO’s Music Director. For the next 26 years, Van Vactor attracted many outstanding musicians to the community and nurtured the Orchestra’s burgeoning reputation for excellence.

In 1973, under the director of Arpad Joo, the KSO grew rapidly in musical quality. And as the orchestra’s proficiency rose to meet its conductor’s expectations, the financial support of the community grew as well.

Zoltán Rozsnyai was chosen in 1978 as the conductor and music director who could best prepare the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for the increased international attention it would garner as host orchestra for the 1982 World’s Fair. Rozsnyai took the KSO to a new level of professionalism in 1978 when he hired 16 full-time string players who eventually formed the nucleus of the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra.

In 1985 Kirk Trevor joined the orchestra as Music Director and Conductor. During his 18-year tenure the KSO was recognized as one of the finest regional orchestras in the United States. He broadened the musical spectrum of the KSO by adding the Pops and Chamber series to the orchestra’s regular season, as well as the highly-acclaimed Clayton Holiday Concerts.

Lucas Richman served as Music Director for the KSO from 2003 – 2015. His command of the core repertoire, coupled with his finesse in presenting new and contemporary works, illustrated Maestro Richman as a source of musical expertise and artistic excellence. In 2004, Richman helped establish the KSO’s award-winning Music & Wellness program, which continues to be a catalyst for providing integrated medicine options for the entire region.

In May 2016, Aram Demirjian was named the KSO’s eighth Music Director. A devoted champion of American music, Demirjian’s programming has grown the ensemble’s repertoire, particularly by emphasizing music by living composers, artists from underrepresented groups, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. In 2020, the KSO was selected as one of four orchestras to be featured at SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras, presented by The Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts.

Now, over 80 years later, the KSO reaches over 200,000 people annually in Knoxville and communities throughout East Tennessee. Over 70% of KSO events occur not in the concert hall but throughout the community, serving more than 50,000 people through its many education and community partnerships programs.

For more information about the KSO, visit https://knoxvillesymphony.com/ 

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