OUR HISTORY
Enriching and inspiring audiences through the power of live orchestral music for 66 years.
Nestled in West Tennessee between Memphis and Nashville is Jackson, home of The Jackson Symphony. Jackson is a city that’s unique, vibrant, and offers high value living, and The Jackson Symphony has anchored the region’s performing arts for 65 years. What began as a small community orchestra in 1961 has developed into a professional symphony, employing 140 musicians from throughout the southeast. The orchestra’s season includes a seven concert subscription series, encompassing three symphonic presentations, three Pops performances, and one film concert. In addition, the annual free community concert, Starlight Symphony, draws 5000 each season, has been beloved for 45 years, and has been named the city’s “Best Annual Event” for multiple years in a row.
As the only arts organization in the region designated a “Major Cultural Institution” by the Tennessee Arts Commission, The Jackson Symphony has experienced year over year audience growth performing for over 35,000 annually. The Jackson Symphony has more than doubled its revenue in the last decade moving from a Level 8 to Level 5 orchestra with The League of American Orchestras.
The Jackson Symphony is strongly committed to offering a robust array of classical and Pops entertainment options for its audiences. Over the past few seasons, The Jackson Symphony has continued to expand its programming with ambitious productions and exceptional guest artists. The orchestra presented its first live film concert, Disney’s Hocus Pocus In Concert, to a sold-out audience, followed the next season by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas performed live to film. Recent seasons have also featured contemporary works, including the Tennessee premiere of Paul Haas’s The Father, alongside performances by acclaimed guest artists including violinist Simone Porter and Tamás Kocsis, cellists Konstantin Heidrich and Willard Carter, and pianist George Li.
Founded in 1961 by a group of civic leaders, The Jackson Symphony began as a community orchestra under its first Music Director, James Petty. Dr. Jordan Tang succeeded Petty in 1986, helping establish the Symphony as a leading cultural institution in Jackson and West Tennessee. Peter Shannon became the organization’s third Music Director in 2014, guiding a decade of artistic growth and expanding the Symphony’s community impact through initiatives such as Music & Healing, which has brought live music to thousands of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
In 2025, internationally acclaimed conductor and composer Paul Haas was appointed the Symphony’s fourth Music Director and Conductor. Under Haas’s leadership, The Jackson Symphony has entered a significant new era, transitioning to a fully auditioned professional orchestra and strengthening its artistic standards through a national audition process. The Symphony also appointed violinist Tamás Kocsis as Concertmaster in 2025-26 and Director of Strings in 2026, making him the first full-time musician in the organization’s history.
Music education has been central to The Jackson Symphony’s mission for decades. Through school concerts, youth ensembles, workshops, and community-based instruction, thousands of young people have experienced classical music and live orchestral performance. Along the way, students develop not only musical skills, but also confidence, discipline, creativity, teamwork, and a sense of belonging.
The Symphony’s youth ensemble program began in 1989 and expanded over the years to serve beginning through advanced string, orchestral, and choral students. In 2023, these programs became The Jackson Symphony Music Academy, creating a unified pathway for students of every experience level. Today, JSMA includes four levels of string instruction, a Symphonic Band, Children’s and Youth Choirs, and advanced orchestral opportunities. Under Director of Strings Tamás Kocsis, select string students also receive private instruction at no additional cost.
The Music Academy’s Regional Music Centers extend these opportunities into communities across West Tennessee, providing professional string and choral instruction at no cost to participating families. Since launching during the 2023–24 season, the program has expanded to nine counties and serves hundreds of students. Participants rehearse in their own communities before joining other JSMA ensembles to perform on some of West Tennessee’s largest stages. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, private foundations and generous donors, the Regional Music Centers remove financial and geographic barriers so more young people can experience the life-changing power of music.
The Jackson Symphony is governed by a 30-member board of directors and is supported by a nine-member professional staff. The Jackson Symphony League comprises more than 150 volunteer members who support the orchestra through fundraising, special events, and educational activities while increasing visibility throughout the community. The Jackson Symphony operates debt free with a balanced budget. The operating budget for 2026-27 is right under $1.9 million, with a recently established endowment fund of more than $700,000. With only four conductors/music directors over its history, The Jackson Symphony is recognized as a foundational and leading cultural organization throughout the region.