It should come as no surprise to anyone that Dolly Parton knows how to put her own spin on anything—even the symphony.
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A few years ago, the country icon’s music publishers pitched an idea to the Nashville Symphony. They wanted to create a “symphonic homage” to Parton’s life and work. Enrico Lopez-Yañez, the Pops Conductor at the time, didn’t need to hear much more than that to get on board.
“There’s not really anyone that’s a bigger legend than her,” he told American Songwriter of Parton. “She’s someone who has had such an impact, not only in the music world, the entertainment industry, but just on a global scale, as a human being, as a philanthropist, as a figure for good and change.”
Soon, Parton worked to curate the music in the show, film her parts, and assemble a group of musicians. And thus, Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony was born.
Dolly Parton’s Show at the Nashville Symphony
It premiered in March 2025 to rave reviews. Now, it’s completing a three-show encore lap at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
American Songwriter was in the crowd for the first of the three March dates. It was easy to see why the show’s been a smash.
From the second Lopez-Yañez stepped on stage, the audience found itself captivated. The musicians he conducted—all 80 of them, one of whom is Parton’s touring bassist—were each an important thread that made up the fabric of the show.
While Parton wasn’t there in person for the performance, her presence—one that Lopez-Yañez described as “larger than life”—was unquestionably felt throughout the show. She frequently appeared on the screen hanging above the orchestra, conducting them in her own way.
Whether it’s the story of her childhood that plays out in “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” her disagreement with Porter Wagner about singing “The Bridge” on his show, or the red headed woman at the bank who inspired “Jolene” after a too-close conversation with her husband, Parton laid bare all the inspirations behind her songs, just before the audience got the chance to hear them in an all-new way.
What Makes Dolly Parton’s Threads So Special
That combination of storytelling and orchestration brought “new emotion and new passion to all of the songs,” Lopez-Yañez said. So too did the impressive singers—Katelyn Drye, Hollie Hammel, and Julie Williams—who took turns taking the lead in each number.
Together, the singers and orchestra’s movements—from a sway of the hips to the rise of a bow—were choreographed in a way that felt intentional.
“Our role is almost like interpreters of Dolly’s intention,” Lopez-Yañez explained. “We’re taking her incredible songwriting, and then the work of David Hamilton—who’s the orchestrator and arranger for the show—and piecing those two elements together. We’re trying to make it come to life in this very special, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
As part of the experience, the musicians didn’t just stick to classic orchestrations throughout the night. There’s one moment around an acoustic guitar. Another number with the whole symphony—and audience—clapping along. A banjo and a fiddle even made an appearance.
In other words, it’s not exactly what one might think they’ll get at the symphony.
“There are a lot of really unique moments that are very powerful, just because of how they’re either orchestrated or not,” Lopez-Yañez said. “It’s calling upon the musicians to do all these unique things to really bring to life this song book in a new way.”
Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony Will Return This Summer
March 2026 won’t be the last chance fans have to catch the show in person. This summer, the symphony will premiere a shortened version of the concert, which will have both daytime and evening showings.
“The summer residency was an idea of giving more people the opportunity to celebrate and be a part of Dolly’s music,” Lopez-Yañez said. “You can still have your fun on Broadway at night, but hear some amazing live musicians playing some of the best country songs out there [during the day]. It’s a really cool concept that we’re hoping a lot of people will be interested in.”
Parton’s show is also one that the symphony hopes will introduce more people to their work. It can show guests that the symphony is not limited to classical music.
“This is a great example of how symphonies can truly transform music of any genre,” Lopez-Yañez said. “What a lot of people don’t often realize is that, yes, of course, we play classical music regularly, but also in between our classical weeks, we’re playing film music, we’re playing country, disco, rock, hip hop, jazz. Any genre can be enhanced by an orchestra.”
“To experience something like that live is really special,” he added. “All of these things are only possible when you are adding literally 80 more musicians on top of what the normal format is for these songs. It’s really cool.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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