The Marietta-based Georgia Symphony Orchestra distributed the following announcement about the upcoming opening of its 2026-2027 season:
The Georgia Symphony Orchestra (GSO) opens its 2026–27 season with American Tapestry on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Kennesaw State University’s Bailey Performance Center. Led by Music Director and Conductor Timothy Verville, the concert brings together works by six American composers whose music reflects the energy, complexity and diversity of the American experience.
Joining the GSO as narrator for Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait will be longtime Atlanta broadcaster and community leader Condace Pressley, who was named the 2026 Broadcaster of the Year by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters just days ago. The honor recognizes Pressley’s nearly four decades in Georgia broadcasting and her extensive service to the community. Pressley currently serves as Director of Community and Public Affairs for WSB-TV.
“We could not imagine a more fitting voice for Lincoln Portrait,” said GSO Executive Director Suzanne Tucker. “Condace has spent her career using her voice to inform, connect and serve this community. Having her join us—especially at this extraordinary moment in her career—adds another meaningful layer to a concert centered on the many people, experiences and voices that make up the American story.”
Copland’s Lincoln Portrait combines orchestral music with spoken excerpts from Abraham Lincoln’s writings and speeches and will serve as a powerful conclusion to an evening spanning generations and styles of American music.
The program opens with James Stephenson’s Fanfare for Democracy and includes Joan Tower’s Made in America, Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, William Grant Still’s Festive Overture and Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout before concluding with Copland.
“This program asks us to think about American music as a tapestry rather than a single sound,” said Verville. “Each composer brings a distinct voice and perspective. Put together, those voices create something richer, more complicated and ultimately more interesting. That is the story we wanted to tell with this concert.”
A Community Tapestry Beyond the Concert Hall
That idea of individual contributions becoming part of something larger will extend beyond the stage through a partnership with the Marietta Arts Council, which will serve as the GSO’s featured nonprofit partner for the season-opening concert.
The Marietta Arts Council, a volunteer-based nonprofit dedicated to enriching Marietta’s artistic and cultural landscape through advocacy, education and public art, recently invited community members to participate in a collaborative weaving project using contributed shirts and fabric. Individual pieces were woven together to create a colorful visual representation of interconnected cultures and community.
The community-created tapestry was featured during Marietta’s Art in the Park celebration over Labor Day weekend and will be displayed at American Tapestry, creating a visual counterpart to the musical tapestry unfolding onstage.
“The partnership between the GSO and Marietta Arts Council gives us another way to explore the central idea behind this concert,” Tucker said. “An orchestra itself is made up of individual voices creating something together. This community artwork does the same thing visually—many individual threads, histories and contributions becoming one work of art.”
Representatives from the Marietta Arts Council will be on hand during the evening to share more about their work and opportunities to engage with Marietta’s growing arts community.
Explore the Music Before the Concert
Ticket holders are invited to arrive early for a complimentary Maestro Talk with Timothy Verville at 6:30 p.m.Verville will offer a 30-minute introduction to the composers, stories and musical connections behind the program and share what audiences can listen for during the performance.
American Tapestry begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Bailey Performance Center at Kennesaw State University, 488 Prillaman Way, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
Tickets range from $15 to $49.50.
For tickets and additional information, visit GeorgiaSymphony.org/american-tapestry.
About Condace Pressley
Condace Pressley is Director of Community and Public Affairs for WSB-TV and the 2026 Georgia Association of Broadcasters Broadcaster of the Year. During a career spanning nearly four decades with WSB-TV and WSB Radio, Pressley has become a respected leader in Georgia broadcasting and community engagement. Her service has included leadership and board roles with organizations including the National and Atlanta Associations of Black Journalists, Girls Inc., The Georgia Ballet, YWCA of Northwest Georgia and Hosea Helps.
About the Marietta Arts Council
The Marietta Arts Council is a volunteer-based Georgia nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the artistic and cultural landscape of the City of Marietta through advocacy, education and public art. Its initiatives include experiential public art installations, community arts programming and events that support and celebrate Marietta’s creative community.
About the Georgia Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1951, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra has served the community for more than 75 years through orchestral, choral, jazz, youth, family and educational programming. Based in Marietta, the GSO brings people together through the power of live music while working to remove barriers to participation and create welcoming musical experiences for audiences of all ages.