JUL 21 · BY CHELSEA DARTEZ

Bryan Symphony Orchestra’s 63rd Season Strikes a Nostalgic Chord at Derryberry Hall

When Cookeville’s Bryan Symphony Orchestra opens its 63rd season this fall, it won’t just be a change of venue, it will be a return home.

For the 2026-2027 season, themed “A Season of Connections,” the symphony will perform in Derryberry Hall while its longtime home in Wattenbarger Auditorium undergoes a multimillion-dollar renovation.

“Derryberry Hall is where the magic of the Bryan Symphony Orchestra first took hold,” said Dan Allcott, conductor of the BSO and director of orchestras at Tennessee Technological University. “Before the Bryan Fine Arts Building opened in 1981, this was where the symphony performed. Returning for our 63rd season feels especially meaningful.”

Among the guest performers slated to join the concert lineup are Jeff Midkiff and Katie Wolfe, who will appear at a special BSO Valentine’s Day concert.

Founded in 1963 with strong support from the Tennessee Tech community, including former First Lady Joan Derryberry, the BSO remains the only professional symphony in residence outside of a major urban center anywhere in Tennessee.

The orchestra is named for the late Charles Faulkner Bryan, a McMinnville native, celebrated composer, and former chair of Tennessee Tech’s music department who is widely regarded as one of Tennessee’s greatest musicians.

The symphony’s first concert in Derryberry Hall featured a performance of Rhapsody in Blue with Joan Derryberry on piano, beginning a decades-long relationship between the orchestra and the university it still calls home.

For BSO board president and Tennessee Tech alumna Mendy Richards, the move also brings back personal memories. Richards performed in Derryberry Hall as a percussion student during the symphony’s early years, when it was still known as the Tech Community Symphony Orchestra.

“In a very real sense, this will be a homecoming for me,” Richards said. “There is a lot of nostalgia that I have for that concert hall.”

While the performance venue may temporarily move up the street, audiences can still expect the same artistry and rich sound they’ve long associated with the BSO. Renovations to Wattenbarger Auditorium will include new seating, carpets, curtains, and updated accessibility features.

“There’s something special about being part of this moment in the BSO’s history,” said Executive Director Susan Miranda. “We are a symphony for all, and everyone deserves the chance to be uplifted, enriched and entertained by the arts.”