Contributed/JCSO

On March 21 at 7:30 P.M, the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra (JCSO) will bring its 2025-2026 concert season to a close with the event Appalachian Excursion, held at the Martin Center of the Arts. Conducted by Robert J. Seabacher, this program features internationally renowned violinist Melissa White, and the orchestra blends traditional works with the spirit of the Appalachian region.

This concert serves as the culminating event in the symphony’s current season titled “The Season of Us,” which has celebrated the cultural identity and shared heritage of the Appalachian Highlands. The orchestra will open the evening with the overture to Der Freischütz by Carl Maria Von Weber, a work most known for its vivid, Romantic-era storytelling. 

The program then shifts to the violin spotlight with Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 by Felix Mendelssohn. This concerto is praised as one of the most important violin works in the classical repertoire, allowing the soloist to showcase their technical and expressive range in full display. Guest Artist Melissa White is the founding member of the Harlem Quartet, whose artistry reflects the same balance of technical brilliance and expressive power that defines the concerto.

Following a brief intermission, the JCSO will perform a world premiere entitled Appalachian Hymns by Dr. Benjamin Dawson. This piece was created for the orchestra’s Appalachian-themed season, based on three American hymns: “Are You Washed in the Blood,” “Resignation” and “Pisgah.” 

The concert will wrap up with the piece “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland, which has been hailed as one of the most recognizable works in American orchestral music. The piece captures the open landscapes and hopeful spirit often associated with the American frontier and Appalachian culture, famously incorporating variations on the Shaker tune “Simple Gifts,” notably ETSU President Brian Noland’s favorite song. 

Together, the evening’s concert promises to take the audience on a musical journey from early European Romanticism through the distinct sounds of Appalachian identity. Appalachian Excursion offers the Tri-Cities area a night of celebration, of the artistic traditions that have shaped the foundations of East Tennessee through orchestral performance. 

Be sure to catch the final installment of the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-2026 concert season. Tickets are available through the Martin Center box office, as well as by visiting https://www.etsu.edu/martin-center/ 

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