Calendar of Events

February 29, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
$27.50 – $47.50

Boys have been singing at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel since 1296. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I (HRR) moved his court to Vienna, thus founding the “Hofmusikkapelle” (Chapel Imperial), and the Vienna Boys Choir. Throughout history, such noted composers as Heinrich Isaac, Philippe de Monte, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Anton Bruckner have worked with the choir. Jacobus Gallus and Franz Schubert were themselves choristers, and brothers Franz Joseph and Michael Haydn were members of the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, but frequently sang with the imperial boys choir as well. Until 1918, the boys sang exclusively for the imperial court. In 1924, the Choir was reestablished as a private organization.

Today, there are 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14, divided into four touring groups. Each spends 11 weeks of the year on tour. Between them, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by almost half a million spectators around the world. Since 1924, thousands of boys have experienced the joy of making choral music, on over 1000 tours, to 98 different countries. The boys’ first tour of the USA took place in 1931, their first world tour in 1934-35.

Clayton Center for the Arts, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

The Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra Association is proud to present its Winter Concert at the Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Central Street, on Monday, Feb. 29, at 7:00 p.m. This performance will also feature the KSO’s 2023 Concert Competition winner.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://knoxvillesymphony.com/concert/ksyoa-winter-concert/ or at the door for $5 (NO CASH – card or check ONLY). Students K-12 are free. Guests who purchased tickets online will check in at the lobby.

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

The University of Tennessee College of Music’s annual Contemporary Music Festival celebrates contemporary music through concerts of new music, workshops, and paper presentations each spring. It welcomes guest performers, scholars, and composers from around the world.

Wednesday, February 28
5:30 – 6:30 PM | The Emporium Downtown (100 S. Gay Street) -- Alejandro Rutty (6-string bass) and Jorge Variego (clarinets)

Thursday, February 29
12:55 – 2:10 PM | Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Room 40 -- Ian Dicke presentation

5:30 – 6:30 PM | Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall -- Ian Dicke presents “Cowboy Rounds,” his debut album that reimagines a collection of folk songs from the John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip archive at the Library of Congress. Using the text and vocal contours of the original field recordings as a foundation, each track weaves an intricate sonic tapestry of processed loops that reflect the source material’s grit. The multidimensional songs explore themes of loneliness, oppression, and paranoia that form alarming parallels to the issues plaguing contemporary American society today.

Friday, March 1
9:10 – 10:00 AM | Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Room 40 -- Lecture by Rodrigo Sigal (Supported by the Fulbright Foundation). Sigal joins us from Mexico where he teaches at the Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia.

10:20 – 11:10 AM | Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Room 40 -- Eunmi Ko, Anruo Chen, Ania Vu, and Chen-Hui Jen discuss the MUTED project

2:30 – 3:30 PM | Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall -- Rodrigo Sigal (monographic concert of electronic music).

5:30 – 7:00 PM | Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall -- Eunmi Ko presents MUTED, featuring music of composers Anruo Cheng, Grace Ann Lee, Chen-Hui Jen, and Ania Vu.

University of Tennessee College of Music
117 Natalie L. Haslam Music Center
1741 Volunteer Blvd.
Knoxville TN 37996-2600
Phone: 865-974-3241
Email: music@utk.edu
https://music.utk.edu/events/cmf/

Disney’s Aladdin JR. is based on the 1992 Academy-Award®-winning film and the 2014 hit Broadway show. The story you know and love has been given the royal treatment! Aladdin and his three friends, Babkak, Omar, and Kassim, are down on their luck until Aladdin discovers a magic lamp and the Genie who has the power to grant three wishes. Wanting to earn the respect of the princess, Jasmine, Aladdin embarks on an adventure that will test his will and his moral character. With expanded characters, new songs, and more thrills, this new adaptation of the beloved story will open up “a whole new world!”

Performed Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; and Sundays at 3 PM.

KCT is East Tennessee’s leading producer of plays for children and families.
Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler is the first retrospective exhibition of Carl and Pearl Butler, the iconic country music duo whose timeless lyrics and harmonious melodies left an indelible mark on country music. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl and Pearl Butler became celebrated figures in the world of country music. “Carl made scores of major-label records during the 1950s,” says Bradley E. Reeves, the exhibition’s guest curator and author of the new book Honky Tonkitis: On the Road with Carl Butler and Pearl. “These are some of the best bluegrass, gospel, and hard country records ever made, although none could be called a massive hit.” That honor would come in 1962, when Carl and Pearl recorded “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” The song remains among the fastest ever to ascend to No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Carl and Pearl’s unique “Knoxville sound,” along with heartfelt lyrics, earned them a dedicated fan base who supported them at performances across the United States and Canada through the 1970s. The exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the lives of these music legends.

Key highlights of the exhibition include:
1. Rare Family Archives: Museum guests will have the opportunity to view the Allen “Junior” Butler Family Collection, which has been made publicly available for the first time and includes never-before-seen photographs, home movies, original instruments, and stage costumes that belonged to Carl and Pearl Butler. “I’m grateful to Allen Butler and his family for opening their home and archives to share with us,” says Reeves.
2. Musical Journey: Explore the duo's musical journey through a feature film, which transports visitors through various periods of their career and traces their unfiltered, raw singing style, one that derived from and advanced the “Knoxville sound.”
3. Behind-the-Scenes: Gain insight into the lives of Carl and Pearl Butler through never-before-seen family photographs and recently uncovered anecdotes from the family and fellow musicians, including Dolly Parton who viewed the Butlers as her “second parents.” “Despite their successes,” says Adam Alfrey, Assistant Director for Historical Services at Knox County Public Library, “Carl and Pearl faced personal and professional struggles, which are intimately documented through the family’s photographs.”
4. Interpretive Experience: Engage with the exhibition to understand how both Knoxville and Nashville played a role in the development of country music. Also, learn how chart-topping artists can quickly become all but forgotten, even in their hometown. “The Butlers somehow fell through the cracks,” reflects Reeves. “It’s my hope that this book and exhibition will contribute to a reappreciation of their great body of work.”
They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler promises to be a heartfelt educational experience for country music enthusiasts and fans of all ages. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Carl and Pearl Butler on the world of music.

At 5:00 pm, Friday, October 6, 2023, there will be an opening reception for They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler. The event will include a meet and greet with Carl and Pearl Butler’s family, a book signing by guest curator Bradley E. Reeves, and an exhibition of Appalachian musical pioneer paintings by artist Amy Campbell. At 7:00 pm, there will be a “Tribute to Carl and Pearl,” opened by a performance of the Paul Brewster and Friends Band, comprised of 14-year-old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis and Grand Ole Opry performers Daniel Grindstaff, Kent Blanton, Stephen Burwell, and John Meador. A screening of 8mm home movies shot by the Butlers (watch for an appearance by 10-year-old Dolly Parton), as well as some of the Butlers’ rarest television appearances, will conclude the evening.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.eastTNhistory.org/lights-camera