The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and the Knox County Health Department are partnering to bring live music over a four-week span to the health department’s vaccine clinic in North Knoxville.
String ensembles from the KSO will perform one-hour concerts in the observation area of the clinic, located at 4216 N. Broadway, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. from April 27 to May 21. The musicians, who will comprise string duos, trios and quartets, will be masked and socially distanced.
“We are delighted to work with the Knox County Health Department to bring live music to the vaccine clinic,” KSO Executive Director Rachel Ford said. “After a long, strenuous year of dealing with a pandemic, we want to both support the local vaccination efforts of our community and return to providing soothing music in different settings for audiences.”
The performances will celebrate the vaccination efforts of Knox County’s citizens and the health department and serve as an extension of the KSO’s award-winning Music & Wellness program, which provides live music performances to patients, visitors and staff in healthcare settings but was halted during the pandemic.
“The exceptional music of the Knoxville Symphony at our vaccination clinic will be enjoyed by our clients, volunteers and team members,” said Dr. Martha Buchanan, the director of the Knox County Health Department. “Protecting yourself during a global pandemic with a vaccination is indeed a momentous occasion, and KSO’s partnership will bring even more joy and celebration to these special circumstances.”
The musicians will vary by performance and include Jeffrey Brannen, violin; Bing Kuang Fang, violin; Alicia Keener, viola; and Alice Stuart, cello.
The specific concert dates are April 27-28 and April 30; May 4-5 and May 7; May 11-12 and May 14; and May 18-19 and May 21. All performances are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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.
