Jackson Symphony Coming to Carroll County

JACKSON — Borne from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Jackson Symphony’s Symphony on the Move tour is launching its fifth season this month and has two performances scheduled in Carroll County—Friday, June 7 at Veterans Park in McKenzie and Thursday, June 12 on Court Square in Huntingdon.

“When the pandemic shut down performance venues across the country, including the Carl Perkins Civic Center and The NED, we knew the Symphony had to pivot to keep the music playing,” says Executive Director Sherry Freeman. “Patrons stepped up to sponsor outdoor concerts in neighborhoods, backyards, and parks— where ever we could find a place for people to safely social distance—and we took the music to them. Audiences kept growing over the next couple of years, and it’s now become a cherished annual concert tour.”

With more than 60 concerts played to date, Symphony on the Move was awarded the Challenge America Grant in 2023 by the National Endowment for the Arts for expanding live orchestra performances across West Tennessee. In addition, the League of American Orchestras highlighted Symphony on the Move when testifying before both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, one of only eight organizations in the nation recognized for innovation in expanding orchestral opportunities in their region.

“Symphony on the Move allowed our professional musicians to keep working while also bringing joy and hope in very difficult circumstances,” Freeman elaborated. “However, the bigger impact is that more audiences in West Tennessee are being exposed to and enjoying classical music in their own communities. That is a win-win for all of us!”