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JACKSON, TN - October 4, 2024 -  Peter Shannon, conductor of The Jackson Symphony, announced the 2024-25 concert season will be his last, marking the end of a transformative ten-year tenure with the orchestra. Shannon, who has become a beloved figure in the Jackson arts community, leaves behind a legacy of artistic achievement and community engagement.

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 “After 10 wonderful years, I feel that now is a good time to step back and allow the orchestra to engage in a new artistic vision and direction,” said Shannon. “I am honored that the Symphony is choosing this concert season to celebrate the many successes that we have achieved together over the past decade. I can honestly say that I enter every rehearsal and concert with a great affection for this orchestra, and this decision was not an easy one to make.” 

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Shannon’s tenure with the orchestra has been hallmarked by artistic excellence and enormous growth. As the third conductor of The Jackson Symphony, he has led the organization to year over year audience growth. The orchestra and affiliated ensembles currently perform for a total of over 35,000 annually, employing 65-70 musicians from throughout the region, with an annual budget of $1.6 million.   

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Greg Alexander, president of the Symphony’s Board of Directors, remarked, “Peter’s impact cannot be overstated. He has assisted in taking this organization to new heights, and we are profoundly grateful for his contributions. We look forward to celebrating all of his accomplishments during his final season and continuing the legacy he has built.”

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In Shannon’s first year with The Jackson Symphony, he started the orchestra’s first integrative medicine program and used his expertise in this area to train orchestral musicians to work effectively in healthcare settings. Shannon is a world leader in this field, and his work has been recognized by leading academic institutions including the Department of Medicine at Stanford University where he was visiting instructor in 2024. In 2022 he was appointed Affiliate Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Mercer University School of Medicine in Georgia, and in 2024, Shannon joined the research team at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, which serves as Harvard’s Medical training hospital.

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The Jackson Symphony’s Music & Healing program has grown significantly over the last ten years, with musicians playing weekly at Kirkland Cancer Center, at Jackson Madison County General Hospital, and in senior residential and rehabilitation facilities. The demand for this program has led to many substantial donations over the years.

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Symphony musicians have been quick to acknowledge the profound and positive impact that Shannon’s leadership has had on the orchestra. 

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Stan Head, the orchestra’s longest playing musician, remarked that “playing under Peter Shannon has been inspirational, both personally and professionally. His insight into the music and the joy he expounds to the players is invigorating.”

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Those sentiments were echoed by principal trumpet Fred Sienkiewicz. “Peter always has a very specific and wonderful vision for the music, and he is very good at enrolling the orchestra into that vision. We have a great atmosphere. The music only works if we are all on the same page, and I love the vibe in the orchestra … it’s a pleasure to be a part of the team.”  

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Shannon has used his international connections and experience to bring soloists from all over the world to perform with The Jackson Symphony. Some of these include violinist Elmar Oliveira, tenor Anthony Kearns, soprano Tara Erraught, cellist Konstantin Heidrich (Fauré Quartet), and double bass player Joseph Conyers (principal bass, Philadelphia orchestra.) 

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Peter Shannon’s commitment to contemporary music has been consistently strong throughout his tenure, which has included the commissioning of new works. Contemporary pieces have included:​

• Richard Sortomme “Violin concerto” (soloist Elmar Olivera/world premiere)

• John B. Hedges “Prayers of Rain and Wind” (soloist Joseph Conyers)

• Eric Huang "Odyssey Suite" (world premiere)

• Lowe Finney “Frontier Overture” (world premiere)

• Daniel Musselman “Old Hickory at the East Portico” (world premiere)

As part of their 2023-24 season, Shannon and the orchestra performed Michael Tippett’s 4th symphony.

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Maestro Shannon first studied conducting in his native Ireland, and then continued in Germany at the Franz Liszt Hochschule für Musik, founded by the great pianist Franz Liszt. After receiving his second postgraduate degree at the Karlsruhe Hochschule für Musik, he was appointed at age 26 to be conductor of the Collegium Musicum Orchestra at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, the country’s oldest and most revered university. He held that position for ten years.  From 2007 to 2019 Maestro Shannon spent 12 seasons as conductor and artistic director of the Savannah Philharmonic. He remains active as a guest conductor in both operatic and symphonic music in Europe and the USA. 

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Media Contact:  Tracey King, (731) 427-6440

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