Calendar of Events

Please join us for a wonderful night of music as Knoxville Classical Guitar presents Duo Mantar in Concert. Please consider staying for a social with refreshments after the concert.

Duo Mantar is comprised of two virtuosos, American classical guitarist, Adam Levin, and Israeli Mandolinist, Jacob Reuven. They are described as “visceral and imaginative” and “transcendental and exuberant,” respectively. This novel pairing is rare in the chamber music world, however, the two plucked instruments are complimentary and are natural extensions of one another. Levin and Reuven began playing together in 2017 and share a passion for Israeli Music, Hebrew, and Jewish songs. Both are committed to expanding the repertoire available for mandolin and guitar by actively commissioning today’s most sought after composers. In June 2021, they released Music from the Promised Land on the Naxos Label. It charted number one on the Billboard Traditional Classical Albums Chart. They have toured Israel, Spain, and across the United States. Upcoming projects include the commission, study, premiere, and recording of several double concerti by some of Israel’s most respected composers: Avner Dorman, Ziv Cojocaru, and Ittai Rosenbaum.

Where: The Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, 425 North Cedar Bluff Road, Knoxville, TN 37923
When: Saturday, March 2nd at 7:00 PM
Tickets available at https://knoxvilleclassicalguitar.com/events

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM ET
At Dragonfly Aerial Arts Studio, 509A Dutch Valley Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918

Dragonfly Aerial & Circus Arts Studio was founded by 6 local aerial performers in 2010. They sought to bring elements of the circus to Knoxville & have been performing & teaching in the community ever since. The mission of the organization is to promote aerial & circus arts through education & community involvement. We are committed to improving the lives of those in the Knoxville community, without regard to finances, age, fitness level, race, class, gender orientation, or physical ability. We value diversity & work to create it in our student population & performers. We believe the circus arts have room for everyone.

Studies have shown circus arts can improve mind, body, & spirit. We create spaces where each student is celebrated for their uniqueness & can express their creativity. We share these benefits with adults & youth – under-served youth in particular – through our community-outreach programs, tuition scholarships, children's circus camps / classes, & our annual Circus Extravaganza. Additionally, as part of our mission, we sponsor the creation of new multidisciplinary opportunities & shows in the Knoxville community & beyond. Dragonfly brings circus performance to new heights for the benefit of the entire community.

https://www.betterunite.com/dragonflygala-dragonflysparklessequinsgala

Pellissippi State Community College’s annual literature conference returns! The James Agee Conference for Arts and Literature will be held Saturday, March 2, from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on the college’s Strawberry Plains Campus, 7201 Strawberry Plains Pike, Knoxville. The event is free and open to the public.

Presenters will focus on poetry, creative nonfiction, young adult fiction, rare book collecting and musical performance. The day will end with a book signing with the authors and an open mic for any attendees who want to read their own work.

“We always feature talents in our region, and we are pushing out to see a different view,” said conference founder Charles Dodd White, an author and professor of English at Pellissippi State. “This is the first year we’ve had a young adult fiction writer, and our creative nonfiction presenter, Arwen Donahue, not only writes but illustrates her books, which adds a mixed media voice to the conference.”

Also new this year is a session on rare book collecting with Micah McCrotty, who will bring some of his finds. White created the James Agee Conference in fall 2016 to give Pellissippi State students an opportunity to attend a scholarly conference while also celebrating the literature, culture and arts of Appalachia. The conference transitioned into an online-only reading series in 2021 and 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conference organizers request that participants register beforehand. To see the list of presenters and the schedule, and to register, visit www.pstcc.edu/agee.

Learn from a master of the guitar! Adam Levin will offer a masterclass on the morning of his concert with Duo Mantar.

When: 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 2, 2024
Where: LeGrand Music Studios. 213 Hotel Road, Knoxville, TN 37918.

Players: $75 per class participant. Spectators: $15 to audit the class.
https://donorbox.org/masterclass-with-guitarist-adam-levin

Bearden Middle School chorus presents Aladdin Jr, the Musical!

March 1st at 7pm
March 2nd at 7pm
March 3rd at 3pm
*Tickets purchased online will be available at the Will Call at the selected performance.

Join us as 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” for young performers!

https://app.memberhub.gives/aladdinjr2024/Campaign/Details
Bearden Middle School, 1000 Francis Road, Knoxville, TN 37909
865-539-7839

Akima Club of Knoxville will present Akima Cabaret 2024 80's MIXTAPE on Friday, March 1st & Saturday, March 2nd at The Mill & Mine. This professionally scripted and staged show performed by Akima members and associates will feature lots of 1980s big hair, neon accessories and unforgettable music and dance. Proceeds from the event will fund the Akima Grant program which provides financial aid to area non-profit agencies covering Arts, Culture and Science; Children and Youth; Medical and Social Services; Senior Assistance and a variety of other fields. Akima is a 501(c)(3) organization. Go to AkimaClub.org for tickets and more information.

Fri at 7 PM, Sat at 2 PM, tickets are $75. https://events.handbid.com/auctions/akima-auction-2024/tickets

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