Category Logo

Knoxville Symphony to celebrate July Fourth with free concert in World’s Fair Park

Jun. 27, 2022

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will present the 38th Annual Free Pilot Company Independence Day Concert on Monday, July 4, at 8 p.m. on the World’s Fair Park performance lawn. Music Director Aram Demirjian will lead the KSO in this family-friendly concert as part of the City of Knoxville’s Festival on the Fourth celebration.

No tickets are necessary to attend. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets. View event details here.

Enjoy familiar classics such as “Rocky Top” and Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and patriotic tributes including the “Armed Forces Salute” and Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” John Wilkerson, the radio voice of Vols baseball, will provide narration for Steven Reineke’s “Casey at the Bat,” and the KSO will perform a suite from Mark Isham’s “42” in honor of the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.

“The KSO and I are thrilled to be presenting musical fireworks again this year on July Fourth,” Demirjian said. “We cannot wait to play all the great patriotic tunes, especially my favorite part of the program each year – the ‘Armed Forces Salute.’ Many people also may not realize that I’m a big sports fan, so I’m particularly excited to be celebrating America’s national pastime with a performance of ‘Casey at the Bat.’ ”

The KSO will partner with the City of Knoxville, Pilot Company and WBIR Channel 10 for the concert. The concert also will be broadcast live on WBIR-TV.

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.