Starlight Symphony coming up next week
Things have started well for The Jackson Symphony in its 64th season.
The season-opener in which the Symphony teamed up with Ballet Arts of Jackson was a fantastic experience, according to the Symphony’s executive director, Sherry Freeman.
Ticket sales are going well as season ticket sales are up, including balcony seats, which typically haven’t sold as well. But with the addition of different amenities to balcony seats including access to food and drinks before and during performances has added to the attraction of sitting in the balcony.
“We have more shows this season compared to past seasons at the Carl Perkins Civic Center, so there are more performances for the balcony seats to be sold for,” Freeman said. “And I think the changes we’ve made there along with different initiatives like Symphony on the Move concerts – which we’ve had more than 80 of now in five years – and reaching out to the community of all of West Tennessee in ways we haven’t before is having an impact.”
Freeman said that once the marketing is out there and people who’ve never attended Symphony events do so, they get hooked on the talent level of the performances.
“I don’t mind bragging on everyone involved in our productions, but we are a great symphony,” Freeman said. “Starting with Maestro Peter Shannon, to our musicians, to our guest musicians that perform with us to those working behind the scenes.
“Everyone is focused on providing the best performance possible for those who pay the ticket prices for those performances.”
Starlight Symphony is coming up on Sept. 28, and in many ways, it’s the biggest event of the Symphony’s season.
“It definitely gets the biggest crowd each year,” Freeman said. “But we’re glad to offer it as a free concert available to anyone who wants to be a part of it in Midtown Jackson.
“It’s a great experience for the people of Jackson to gather with their neighbors and enjoy a good time. I know years ago, I started texting two or three couples in my neighborhood about sitting together and having a picnic at the event. Well that’s grown from a handful of couples to more than 75 people. And I know hundreds of other people do something similar.”
This year’s Starlight Symphony will celebrate a decade with Shannon as the Symphony’s Maestro and they’ll go back over a few of his favorite moments from the past 10 years in Jackson.
The concert is set to begin at 7 p.m. on the lawn of First Presbyterian Church on Highland Avenue between Skyline Drive and North Parkway.
Hocus Pocus tickets selling fast: The Symphony’s event following Starlight Symphony is a production of Hocus Pocus with the orchestra playing the soundtrack of the movie as the movie is playing on a screen at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
Freeman said tickets are selling fast with fewer than 500 tickets remaining, so anyone wanting to be present for that performance might want to order those tickets online.
Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news
