Series Retrospective

For 73 years, Knox Concert Series has delivered world-class performances to local and regional audiences. Our retrospective includes a diversity of artists, music genres, and performing art forms. Do you have an all time favorite? Take a stroll down memory lane with our series restrospective below, then send us your story in the comments section at the end of this page.

April 12, 1946 The First Concert

• Stanley Fletcher, Pianist

1946-1947 The First Season

• Jennie Tourel, Mezzo Soprano
• Albert Spalding, Violinist
• Barlett & Robertson, Duo Pianists

1947-1948

• Eugene Istomin, Pianist
• Mia Slavenska and Ballet Variante
• Igor Gorin, Baritone

1948-1949

• Helen Jepson, Soprano
• Stanton Carter, Pianist
• Saidenburg Sinfonietta

1949-1950

• Vronsky & Babin, Duo Pianists
• Louis Roney, Tenor
• San Antonio Symphony
• Ballet: “Streetcar Named Desire”

1950-1951

• Eleanor Steber, Lyric Soprano
• Byron Janis, Pianist
• Don Cossacks Male Chorus
• Birmingham Civic Symphony

1951-1952

• The Philharmonic Piano Quartet
• Mary Hutchinson, Dramatist
• Longines Sinfonietta
• Eugene Conley, Tenor

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1952-1953

• Frances Yend, Lyric Soprano
• William Kapell, Pianist
• Ballet ‘52
• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

1953-1954

• Piano Playhouse, Milton Cross
• Michael Rabin, Violinist
• Columbus Boys Choir
• Eileen Ferrell, Dramatic Soprano

1954-1955

• George London, Metropolitan Opera
• Musical Americana in Dance and Song
• Amparo Iturbi, Pianist
• Saint Louis Sinfonietta
• David Gibson, Pianist (Bonus)

1955-1956

• Anna Russell, Concert Comedienne
• Ballet Espagnol
• Appleton and Field, Duo Pianists
• Walter Cassel, Metropolitan Opera
• Barbara Thomas and Lois Green Seas, Duo Pianists (Bonus)

1956-1957

• Jacques Abram, Pianist
• Chattanooga Symphony
• Aberkirchen Children’s Choir
• Robert Shaw Chorale
• Zinka Milinov, Metropolitan Opera

1957-1958

• Whittemore and Lowe, Duo Pianists
• University of Alabama String Quartet
• Jerome Hines, Metropolitan Opera
• Chicago Opera Ballet

1958-1959

• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Henry Sopkin, Conductor
• Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutti”
• Clifford Curzon, Pianist
• Casar Siepi, Metropolitan Opera

1959-1960

• Golden Curtain, Kurt Adler, Conductor
• Vronsky and Babin, Duo Pianists
• Rosalind Elias, Metropolitan Opera
• Chicago Opera Ballet

1960-1961

• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Brian Sullivan, Metropolitan Opera
• Sylvia Zaremba, Pianist
• Robert Joffrey Ballet

1961-1962

• The Zachary Solov Ballet Ensemble
• Luboshutz & Nemenoff, Duo Pianists
• St. Olaf Choir
• Jerome Hines

1962-1963

• The Little Orchestra of New York
• Joint Recital Metropolitan Opera
• Jacob Lateiner, Pianist
• Columbus Boys’ Choir

1963-1964

• Jacob Lateiner, Pianist
• Lynn Blair, Metropolitan Opera
• The National Ballet of Canada
• Roger Williams and His Company

1964-1965

• LaBoheme, Goldovsky’s Opera Theater
• Thomas Brockman, Pianist
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with Marina Svetlova, Prima Ballerina and Oleg Briansky
• Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians

1965-1966

• The Music of Richard Rogers
• Rosalyn Tureck, Pianist
• The National Ballet
• The Texas Boys’ Choir

1966-1967

• Lisa Della Casa, Metropolitan Opera
• James Oliver Buswell IV, Violinist
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Steicher & Horowitz, Duo Pianists

1967-1968

• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Richard Casper, Pianist
• Roger Williams and Company
• Ferrante & Teicher, Duo Pianists

1968-1969

• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Stephen Manes Pianist
• The National Ballet of Washington
• Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians

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1969-1970

• Mary Costa, Metropolitan Opera
• David Bar Illian, Pianist
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Wayne King, The Waltz King

1970-1971  25th Anniversary

• Ferrante and Teicher, Duo Pianists
• John Alexander, Metropolitan Opera
• National Ballet of Washington, D.C.
• Jorge & Morel, Guitarist and Percussionist

1971-1972

• Peter Nero
• Don Cossack, Chorus and Dancers
• An Evening of Opera, Quartet with Piano
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

1972-1973

• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• David Bar Illian, Pianist
• Joffrey Ballet
• Der Rosenkavalier (On film)
• Richard Tucker

1973-1974

• Victor Borge
• Pete Fountain and his Jazz Group
• Leonard Pennario
• Gerald Goodman, Troubador Harpist

1974-1975

• Van Cliburn, Pianist
• Roberta Peters and Raymond Gibbs
• The Big Band Cavalcade, Bob Crosby
• Vienna Johann Strauss Ensemble

1975-1976

• The New Christy Minstrels
• Eddy Arnold
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with Lorin Hollander, Pianist
• The Royal Winnipeg Ballet

1976-1977

• Ferrante and Teicher, Duo Pianists
• Robert Merrill, Metropolitan Opera
• The Canadian Opera Company
• Robert de Gaetano, Pianist

1977-1978

• The Royal Ballet of Flanders
• The Young Americans in West Side Story
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra of Budapest

1978-1979

• Woody Herman and Young Thundering Herd
• The Canadian Opera Company
• Lorin Hollander, Pianist
• Misha Dichter, Pianist
• Chet Atkins

1979-1980

• Gilbert & Sullivan a la Carte
• Birmingham Pops, Johnny Green Conductor
• Roberta Peters, Metropolitan Opera
• The Nutcracker Ballet, UAB Ballet
• Vienna Chamber Orchestra 
• Burl Ives

1980-1981

• Ray Price
• Eugene Fodor, Violinist
• Goldovsky Opera Company
• Atlanta Ballet
• Marvin Hamlisch

1981-1982

• Santiago Rodriquez, Pianist
• Carlos Montoya
• Erie Mills and Michael Ballam
• New Orleans Philharmonic, with Leonard Rose, Cellist
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Henry Mancini

1982-1983

• Prague Symphony Orchestra
• North Carolina Dance Theatre
• Itzhak Perlman
• Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Mitch Miller
• Canadian Brass

1983-1984

• Bamberg Symphony
• Steven DeGroote, Pianist
• James Galway
• Chet Atkins

1984-1985

• Johann Strauss Orchestra of Vienna
• The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
• Liberace
• North Carolina Dance Theatre

1985-1986

• Ransom Wilson, Flutist
• Philippe Bianconi, Pianist
• Isaac Stern
• Texas Opera Theatre, Die Fledermaus
• Wynton Marsalis

1986-1987

• Roy Clark
• Leontyne Price
• The Ballet de France
• London Royal Philharmonic, Vladimir Askenazy, Pianist

1987-1988

• The Oak Ridge Boys
• The Belgrade State Folk Ensemble
• Emanuel Ax and Yo Yo Ma
• Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Paul Polivnik, conductor
• The Canadian Brass

1988-1989

• Rudolf Nureyev and Stars of Paris Opera Ballet
• Roberta Peters
• The Alabama Symphony  Orchestra, with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Violinist
• Glen Campbell
• Vladimer Viardo, Pianist

1989-1990

• Marvin Hamlisch
• Western Opera Theater Carmen
• Masters of Blue Grass
• Nettle & Markham, Duo Pianists
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

1990-1991

• Ballet Francais De Nancy
• Wayne Newton
• Christopher Parkening, Guitarist
• The Scottish Chamber Orchestra
• Roger Williams, Pianist

1991-1992

• Lee Greenwood
• Gypsy
• Juilliard String Quartet
• Alabama Symphony Orchestra

1992-1993

• Willie Nelson & Friends
• Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Dmitri Ratser, Pianist
• The Washington Ballet
• The Summit Brass
• B.J. Thomas

1993-1994

• Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra
• Peter Nero and The American Pops Orchestra
• Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg
• Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick

1994-1995

• Principal Dancers of the NYC Ballet
• Oliver
• Dudley Moore with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra
• Monte Carlo Symphony Orchestra

1995-1996 50th Anniversary 

• Marilyn Horne and Marvin Hamlisch
• The Manhattan Transfer
• Liverpool Symphony Orchestra
• The Bolshoi Ballet Ensemble

1996-1997

• ALABAMA
• Louis & Perry, duo pianists
• The Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra
• Moscow Festival Ballet

1997-1998

• Julio Iglesias
• Stuttgartt Philharmonic with Mischa Dichter, pianist
• Vienna Boys Choir
• Grease

1998-1999

• The Statler Brothers
• St. Petersburg Symphony
• London City Opera, Die Fledermaus
• Russian National Ballet, Sleeping Beauty

1999-2000

• Crystal Gayle
• Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
• The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Ballet De L’Opera de Bordeaux Romeo and Juliet

2000-2001

• The Black Watch and Prince of Wales Band and Choir
• The Temptations
• London City Opera, Carmen
• Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra

2001-2002

• My Fair Lady
• BBC Concert Orchestra
• The Grigorovich Ballet, Swan Lake
• Marvin Hamlisch and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra

2002-2003

• Georgian State Dance Company
• South Pacific
• Hungarian National Philharmonic
• Ray Charles and the Alabama Symphony Pops

2003-2004

• The Beach Boys
• Verdi Opera Company
• The Moscow Orchestra
• Moscow Festival Ballet, Cinderella
• Alabama Symphony Orchestra Pops

2004-2005

• Neil Sedaka
• Fiddler On The Roof
• Prague Symphony Orchestra
• Spirit Of The Dance
• Opera Verdi Europa La Boheme (Extra)

2005-2006

• Compagnia Espansol José Porcel
• Orchestra Europa
• “Mame”
• Helikon Opera, Die Fledermaus
• Amy Grant

2006-2007

• AIDA
• Air Supply
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales with Lyr Williams pianist
• Moscow Festival Ballet, Giselle
• Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller
• Bulgarian State Opera, The Marriage of Figaro

2007-2008

• LeAnn Rimes
• The Ten Tenors
• State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico
• Evita
• America

2008-2009

• Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
• Marvin Hamlisch: Broadway Gala
• Dublin Symphony Orchestra
• Russian National Ballet, Don Quixote
• CATS

2009-2010

• Sarah Evans
• CAMELOT
• Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Bernadette Peters 
• Alabama Symphony Orchestra

2010-2011

• Aaron Neville and his Quintet
• Opole, Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland
• Russian National Ballet, Romeo & Juliet, Chopiniana
• Bowfire
• Vince Gill

2011-2012

• Chicago
• My Fair Lady
• Tschaikovsky St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra
• Gladys Knight

2012-2013

• Ronnie Dunn
• Celtic Woman, A Christmas Celebration
• China National Symphony  Orchestra
• Russian National Ballet, A Gala Program
• A Chorus Line

2013-2014

• Michael McDonald
• Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel
• Amy Grant and Vince Gill
• Smokey Robinson

2014-2015

• Natalie Cole
• National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico
• Russian National Ballet, Sleeping Beauty
• RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles
• Michael Bolton

2015-2016

• Martina McBride
• The National Circus and Acrobats of China
• Celtic Woman, Home for Christmas
• Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra
• The Midtown Men

2015-2016

• Peter Cetera
• The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
• Moscow Festival Ballet. Cinderella
• Fire Irish Tenors
• Patti LaBelle

2016-2017

• Kenny Loggins
• Jason Isbelland the 400 Unit
• Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra
• Dublin Irish Dance
• The Commodores

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2018-2019

• Old Crow Medicine Show
• Don Felder
• KC and the Sunshine Band
• ArtRAGEous
• Czech National Symphony Orchestra
• Rockland Road