Music This Week: February 17 - February 23

Time for another concert list! Get those concert reports done sooner rather than later. This is a sampling of upcoming events in Knoxville, as well as Maryville and/or Oak Ridge. Other concertgoing tools: Facebook events, my Twitter lists, and the Do's and Don'ts of Concert Attendance.

Check back throughout the week because I constantly update the blog as I learn of events. All events without specific ticket information are FREE.

Monday, February 17

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra (KSYO) Winter Concert
Featuring the Preludium, Philharmonia, Sinfonia and Youth Chamber Orchestras.
TICKETS: $5 adults, free students K-12; tickets may be purchased at the door.
Tennessee Theatre (LINK) - 604 S Gay St, 37902 

7:30 p.m. Oak Ridge Civic Music Association (LINK): Edgar Meyer 
Famed Oak Ridge native, double bassist Edgar Meyer, returns home to perform a special fundraising concert for ORCMA with his son, violinist George Meyer.
TICKETS: $35 for adults advance, $40 at the door; $15 for Youth.
First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge (LINK) - 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, 37830

Tuesday, February 18

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Ensemble event: Beethoven 250: The Piano Trios No. 2
In celebration of Beethoven’s birth, UT faculty members Kevin Class (piano), Geoffrey Herd (violin), and Wesley Baldwin (cello) perform the second of two programs devoted to Beethoven’s Piano Trios. This program features the Op. 70 trios including the “Ghost” and “Archduke.”
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

Wednesday, February 19

I will add events as I learn of them.

Thursday, February 20

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Junior recital: Dowe Cauthen, drums
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

7:00 p.m. Pellissippi State: Knoxville Jazz Youth Orchestra Concert
The Knoxville Jazz Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Tom Lundberg, will perform a concert featuring jazz pianist Bill Carrothers. An acclaimed educator, performer, and recording artist, Carrothers has worked with many notable artists including Dave Douglas, Gary Peacock, and Bill Stewart. He currently serves on the faculty of Lawrence University in Wisconsin.
Clayton Performing Arts Center, Hardin Valley Campus - 10915 Hardin Valley Rd, 37932

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven's "Eroica" (Performance 1 of 2)
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica” or “Heroic” will resound in the concert hall, celebrating his 250th year. “Eroica” is the first time Beethoven pushes the boundaries of the symphonic form, as the first two symphonies were more traditional and classical – similar to Haydn & Mozart. Two underrepresented but essential American composers comprise the first half of the program. George Walker was the first African American to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1996. His searingly emotional elegy, “Lyric for Strings,” will open the program, followed by Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 1. Knoxville audiences will remember violinist Bella Hristova from her 2017 Knoxville performance. Bella Hristova is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including a 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant and First Prize in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
TICKETS: $14 and up
Tennessee Theatre (LINK) - 604 S Gay St, 37902 

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Studio recital: UT Cello Night
The UT Cello Studio performs solo works.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Ensemble event: UT Concert Band, Symphonic Band, & Wind Ensemble
James R. Cox Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Building - 1408 Middle Drive, 37996

Friday, February 21

12:30 p.m. Pellissippi State: Spirituals in the Rotunda
Pellissippi’s Variations Choir will sing a set of three spirituals in celebration of Black History Month
Goins Rotunda - 10915 Hardin Valley Rd, 37932

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Joint junior recital: Logan Williams, soprano and Mckenzie Cutshall, flute
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

7:00 p.m. Ebony Embers: Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance
The Core Ensemble presents Of Ebony Embers: Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance, a chamber theatre work (cello, piano, percussion) celebrating African-American poets Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay, with Aaron Douglas, muralist, painter.
Clayton Performing Arts Center - 10915 Hardin Valley Rd, 37932

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven's "Eroica" (Performance 2 of 2) LINK
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica” or “Heroic” will resound in the concert hall, celebrating his 250th year. “Eroica” is the first time Beethoven pushes the boundaries of the symphonic form, as the first two symphonies were more traditional and classical – similar to Haydn & Mozart. Two underrepresented but essential American composers comprise the first half of the program. George Walker was the first African American to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1996. His searingly emotional elegy, “Lyric for Strings,” will open the program, followed by Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 1. Knoxville audiences will remember violinist Bella Hristova from her 2017 Knoxville performance. Bella Hristova is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including a 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant and First Prize in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
TICKETS: $14 and up
Tennessee Theatre (LINK) - 604 S Gay St, 37902 

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Jazz Orchestra (LINK): Live at Lucille’s with Keith Brown's NYC Trio 
Live at Lucille’s brings the tradition of exciting and innovative PBS music programming right here to East Tennessee. Featuring local, regional and national jazz artists performing in an intimate setting, these shows will be taped in front of a live audience at East Tennessee PBS’ studios near downtown Knoxville.
TICKETS: $38 general; $15 student if seating remains available after the season ticket offering. Complimentary beverages provided by Sugarlands Distillery and Fanatic Brewing Company for patrons over 21.
East Tennessee PBS Studio - 1611 Magnolia Avenue, 37917

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Graduate recital: Sarah-Clementine Mire, soprano
Performance includes pieces by Hugo Wolf, R. Hahn, and B. Britten.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

Saturday, February 22

I will add events as I learn of them.

Sunday, February 23

4:30 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Senior recital: Taylor Phelps, jazz guitar
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

7:30 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) - Beethoven250: Symphony No. 9
In one of the biggest events of the School of Music’s Beethoven250 Celebration, the University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra, Choral Ensembles, and student soloists present Beethoven's epic monument, his Symphony No. 9.
Tennessee Theatre (LINK) - 604 S Gay St, 37902 https://tennesseetheatre.com

Music This Week: February 10 - February 16

Time for another concert list! Get those concert reports done sooner rather than later. This is a sampling of upcoming events in Knoxville, as well as Maryville and/or Oak Ridge. Other concertgoing tools: Facebook events, my Twitter lists, and the Do's and Don'ts of Concert Attendance.

Check back throughout the week because I constantly update the blog as I learn of events. All events without specific ticket information are FREE.

Monday, February 10

I will add events as I learn of them.

Tuesday, February 11

6:00 p.m. Maryville College: Student Repertoire Recital
A performance featuring Maryville College music majors. Free and open to the public.
Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall, Clayton Center for the Arts - 502 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, 37804

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Guest artist recital: Justin Stowe, tuba
Justin Stowe of the United States Army Bands Program presents a program of solo tuba ranging from baroque to modern music.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

7:00 p.m. Pellissippi State Spring Faculty Recital
This performance features members of Pellissippi's music faculty, including voice, strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion.
Clayton Performing Arts Center, Hardin Valley Campus - 10915 Hardin Valley Rd, 37932

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Ensemble event: Choral Arts Concert
An annual celebration of the Choral Arts featuring UT Chamber Singers, UT Concert Choir, and outstanding selected area high school choirs.
James R. Cox Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Building - 1408 Middle Drive, 37996

Wednesday, February 12

I will add events as I learn of them.

Thursday, February 13

8:00 p.m. Knoxville Jazz Orchestra presents Jazz Is For Lovers with Brianna Thomas (LINK)
Brianna Thomas started turning heads with her precocious vocal abilities in her hometown of Peoria, Illinois while still in grade school. She had toured Europe before reaching her teens, and has since established a reputation as one of the most formidable singers in jazz. The New York Times declared that “Ms. Thomas has a strong voice and a big range, descended from Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter and routed through Dianne Reeves, with clarity and confidence and a little dirt.” Her debut appearance with the KJO is sure to be the perfect Valentine’s treat for your special someone.  
TICKETS: $16.50 and up
Bijou Theatre - 803 South Gay Street, 37902

Friday, February 14

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Opera: Gounod's Romeo & Juliet (Performance 1 of 2) LINK
In 16th century Verona, passionate, star-crossed lovers are doomed by their feuding families and conspiring circumstances. This unique presentation of the opera includes dramatic readings from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in English throughout the performance. Yulan Piao and Mackenzie Whitney star as the ill-fated paramours. Charles Gounod’s sensuous, thrilling opera is the perfect accompaniment to a romantic Valentine’s weekend! Students are invited to take photos with the cast on stage immediately following the performances!
TICKETS: $25 and up
Tennessee Theatre - 604 S Gay St, 37902

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Senior recital: Sam Lee, composition
A recital of works composed by senior Sam Lee.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

Saturday, February 15

I will add events as I learn of them.

Sunday, February 16

2:30 p.m. Knoxville Opera: Gounod's Romeo & Juliet (Performance 2 of 2) LINK
In 16th century Verona, passionate, star-crossed lovers are doomed by their feuding families and conspiring circumstances. This unique presentation of the opera includes dramatic readings from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in English throughout the performance. Yulan Piao and Mackenzie Whitney star as the ill-fated paramours. Charles Gounod’s sensuous, thrilling opera is the perfect accompaniment to a romantic Valentine’s weekend! Students are invited to take photos with the cast on stage immediately following the performances!
TICKETS: $25 and up
Tennessee Theatre - 604 S Gay St, 37902

3:30 p.m. Oak Ridge Community Band: A Tennessee Tribute
The band will perform musical selections in tribute to the rich musical history of Tennessee.
Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center - 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, 37830

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Joint junior recital: Sarah Troy and Andrew Duggins, french horns
Sarah Troy performs the Hidas Concerto and Lied for Horn and piano. Andrew Duggins performs Schumann's Adagio and Allegro, The Effervescent Ballroom by Gulino, and Cinq Pieces Poetiques by Barboteu. Both students will be accompanied by Bernadette Lo, piano.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

Music This Week: February 3 - February 9

It's the first concert list of the semester! Get those concert reports done sooner rather than later. This is a sampling of upcoming events in Knoxville, as well as Maryville and/or Oak Ridge. Other concertgoing tools: Facebook events, my Twitter lists, and the Do's and Don'ts of Concert Attendance.

Check back throughout the week because I constantly update the blog as I learn of events. All events without specific ticket information are FREE.

Monday, February 3

I will add events as I learn of them.

Tuesday, February 4

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Guest artist recital: Xiaofeng Wu, piano
Featurting Schubert's four impromptus, Op. 90, Barber’s Excursions, and Scriabin’s Sonata No. 3 and 4.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

7:00 p.m. Pellissippi State Guest Artist Recital: Will Boyd, saxophone and flute
Local jazz sensation Will Boyd will perform selections from his album “Freedom, Soul, Jazz” which features hymns, spirituals, and songs.
Clayton Performing Arts Center, Hardin Valley Campus - 10915 Hardin Valley Rd, 37932

Wednesday, February 5

I will add events as I learn of them.

Thursday, February 6

I will add events as I learn of them.

Friday, February 7

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Graduate Recital: Justin Aponte, trumpet
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

7:00 p.m. Maryville College Faculty Recital: Dr. Sheri Matascik, guitar
In October 2009, Matascik released her first solo guitar CD, At the End of the Day, a collection of guitar compositions that celebrate classical, contemporary folk, Appalachian, jazz and Celtic styles. In October 2011, she released her second solo guitar CD, Spirit Wood, which features a “classical/pop fusion” style of music. Digital downloads of Matascik’s music can be found on iTunes and Amazon.
Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall, Clayton Center for the Arts - 502 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, 37804

7:00 p.m. Cathedral Concert Series (LINK): Violinists of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
Complete Violin Sonatas and Partitas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Featuring the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Violins led by Mr. William Shaub, KSO Concertmaster. Please Respect our Sacred Space: No Food/Drink/Gum
TICKETS: TBA
Sacred Heart Cathedral - 711 S Northshore Dr, 37919

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Senior recital: Vicki Nguyen, composition
Come experience a night of premiers for a varied array of soloists and ensembles!
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

Saturday, February 8

7:00 p.m. Beijing Guitar Duo
Composed of guitarist Meng Su and Yameng Wang, the Beijing Guitar Duo has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. This past season took them to countries such as Germany, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, China, Panama, and the United States. The duo has toured extensively with their mentor Manuel Barrueco, appearing in such countries as Germany, Finland, Spain, Russia, as well as the United States.
TICKETS: $20 adults, $5 students 12 to 18, Children under 12 FREE with adult admissions
Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan - 425 N Cedar Bluff Rd, 37923

Sunday, February 9

2:30 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK): Guest artist recital - Young Pianist Series No. 2: Alexey Trushechkin
Russian pianist Alexey Trushechkin performs the second concerts in this special piano series. Featuring works by Chopin, Debussy, Grieg, Haydn, Rachmaninoff, and Scriabin.
TICKETS: $25 for adults, FREE for students with valid ID. Purchase tickets at youngpianistseries.com.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Boulevard, 37996

3:00 p.m. Oak Ridge Symphony presents "Musical Firsts" with Derek Reeves, viola
Special guest artist Derek Reeves helps us all pay tribute to musical firsts in this concert featuring trailblazing African American composers.
TICKETS: $25 adults, $10 young adults/students, FREE youth 18 and under
The Grove Theater - 123 Randolph Rd, Oak Ridge, 37830

Music This Week: November 18 - November 24

Y’all know the drill by now: Check out the events happening this week in Knoxville and Maryville! Other concertgoing tools: Facebook events, my Twitter lists, and the Do's and Don'ts of Concert Attendance.

Check back throughout the week because I constantly update the blog as I learn of events. All events without specific ticket information are FREE.

Monday, November 18

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Joint junior recital: Joanna Chih-An Lin & Songkun Yang, piano
Featuring works by Schumann, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

7:00 p.m. Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra (KSYO) Fall Concert
Tennessee Theatre (LINK) - 604 S Gay St, 37902

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Studio recital: Viola Studio Recital
UT viola students perform the repertoire they've been working on throughout the fall semester.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

Tuesday, November 19

6:00 p.m. Maryville College Recital: Keyboard Night
A student performance. Free and open to the public.
Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall, Clayton Center for the Arts - 502 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, 37804

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Studio recital: Fall Violin Night
A showcase of violin masterpieces by the students of Dr. Miroslav Hristov.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Ensemble event: UT Concert Band, Symphonic Band, & Wind Ensemble
James. R. Cox Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Building - 1408 Middle Dr, 37996

8:00 p.m. Knoxville Jazz Orchestra (KJO) 20th Anniversary Celebration and CD Release (LINK)
In the fall of 1999, the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra convened its first rehearsal. Everyone present knew that something special was happening, but no one could have foreseen the ways that this ensemble would shape the next two decades of their professional lives. In this special event, we revisit some of the music that brought the band together, celebrate the release of our new CD The Road Less Traveled, and introduce some of the young members of the community who hold the promise of shaping the next 20 years of music in Knoxville and beyond.
Bijou Theatre (LINK) - 803 South Gay Street, 37902
TICKETS: $16.50 and up

Wednesday, November 20

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Senior recital: Jake Byrd, guitar
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

8:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Studio recital: Geoffrey Herd Studio Recital
Violin students of Geoffrey Herd perform works that they have studied throughout the semester.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

Thursday, November 21

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Guest artist recital: Alan Theisen, saxophone & Marianne Parker, piano
Enjoy an exciting recital program of new works for saxophone and piano by composer/saxophonist Alan Theisen and pianist Marianne Parker.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

7:00 p.m. Pellissippi State Fall Jazz Concert
Featuring the sounds of the school's student jazz ensemble.
Clayton Performing Arts Center, Hardin Valley Campus - 10915 Hardin Valley Rd, 37932

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Symphony presents Beethoven and the Art of Rhythm (LINK), Performance 1 of 2
The first of four programs celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, this concert features Beethoven’s rhythmically pulsating Symphony No. 7, which Beethoven considered one of his best and Richard Wagner dubbed “The Apotheosis of the Dance.” Israeli-born composer Avner Dorman’s percussion concerto “Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” is a multicultural tapestry of 21st century rhythms utilizing over 20 instruments, performed by members of Knoxville’s own Nief-Norf. Nief-Norf is a multi-tiered contemporary music ensemble devoted to the performance, scholarship, and commissioning of adventurous musical works. With percussionists at its nucleus, the ensemble seeks opportunities to challenge and expand their ideas about what contemporary classical music is and can be in the 21st Century. Founders Andrew Bliss and Kerry O’Brien took the ensemble’s name from a descriptor of strange sounds: some say “bleep-blop,” they prefer “nief-norf.” A program with this much musical fire would not be complete without Beethoven’s Overture to Prometheus, the mythological hero who gave fire to humankind.
TICKETS: $14 and up*

Friday, November 22

7:30 p.m. Knoxville Symphony presents Beethoven and the Art of Rhythm (LINK), Performance 2 of 2
The first of four programs celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, this concert features Beethoven’s rhythmically pulsating Symphony No. 7, which Beethoven considered one of his best and Richard Wagner dubbed “The Apotheosis of the Dance.” Israeli-born composer Avner Dorman’s percussion concerto “Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” is a multicultural tapestry of 21st century rhythms utilizing over 20 instruments, performed by members of Knoxville’s own Nief-Norf. Nief-Norf is a multi-tiered contemporary music ensemble devoted to the performance, scholarship, and commissioning of adventurous musical works. With percussionists at its nucleus, the ensemble seeks opportunities to challenge and expand their ideas about what contemporary classical music is and can be in the 21st Century. Founders Andrew Bliss and Kerry O’Brien took the ensemble’s name from a descriptor of strange sounds: some say “bleep-blop,” they prefer “nief-norf.” A program with this much musical fire would not be complete without Beethoven’s Overture to Prometheus, the mythological hero who gave fire to humankind.
TICKETS: $14 and up*

8:00 p.m. Scruffy City Orchestra presents Bohemian Romance
Again led by conductor Ace Edewards, this year’s Scruffy City Orchestra fall concert lineup is: Verdi – Overture to La forza del destino, Dvorak – Silent Woods, Smetana – The Moldau, Dvorak – Romance in F Minor, Op.11, and Dvorak – Symphony No. 8.
Sacred Heart Cathedral (LINK) - 711 S Northshore Drive, 37919
TICKETS: Free, donations welcome.

Saturday, November 23

6:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Junior recital: Rylee Worstell, mezzo-soprano and Dustin Lin, piano
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie Haslam Music Center - 1741 Volunteer Blvd, 37996

7:30 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) presents The Nutcracker, Performance 1 of 2
The Nutcracker with the UT Symphony Orchestra and the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association.
Oak Ridge High School - 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, 37830

Sunday, November 24

3:00 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) Ensemble event: Chamber Singers Outreach Concert
The UT Chamber Singers Outreach concert in collaboration with the Farragut Presbyterian Chancel Choir.
Farragut Presbyterian Church - 209 Jamestowne Blvd, 37934

3:30 p.m. UT School of Music (LINK) presents The Nutcracker, Performance 2 of 2
The Nutcracker with the UT Symphony Orchestra and the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association.
Oak Ridge High School - 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, 37830

5:00 p.m. Knoxville Handel Society concert
J.S. Bach’s Magnificent and G.F. Handel’s Messiah (Part 1). The Knoxville Handel Society, under the direction of Dr. Wendell Boertje, is dedicated to the performance of classical masterworks through collaboration with the finest choral musicians in the Knoxville Metropolitan area.
Ticket Prices: Adult $20.00, Group Rate (4 or greater) $15.00, University Student $10.00, Student K-12 grades FREE. All tickets are General Admission. (Prices do not include any service charges or handling fees).

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* All students grades K-12 can attend this concert FREE with purchase of one adult ticket as part of the Penny4Arts program. Up to 3 students per adult ticket; some restrictions apply. Must redeem by visiting or calling the KSO Box Office at 865-291-3310 prior to the day of the concert (M-F, 9-5). Offer not available online or at the door. Questions: boxoffice@knoxvillesymphony.com.