NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Yacht Rock Symphony will bring its blend of classic soft rock and live orchestral music to the Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater in Nashville on June 23, 2026.
The show features original hitmakers Ambrosia, John Ford Coley of England Dan & John Ford Coley, Peter Beckett — the voice of Player — and, for select future tour stops, Elliot Lurie of Looking Glass.
Producer Steve Selak said he wanted to create something fresh for legendary artists and their fans.
"Yacht Rock has continued to explode in popularity… everyone I spoke to felt the next logical step was to add an orchestra," Selak said. "Fortunately, our gamble has paid off."
Booking agent Randy Chaplin, known for arranging adult contemporary artists in symphony pops series, said the concept was an easy sell.
"This one was an immediate yes," Chaplin said. "I always look for new and exciting artist ideas to bring to the symphony world."
The setlist is expected to include Ambrosia's "You're the Only Woman" and "How Much I Feel," Coley's "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" and "Nights Are Forever Without You," Beckett's No. 1 hit "Baby Come Back," and Lurie's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)."
Ambrosia's Joe Puerta said the music has proven more durable than anyone expected.
"These songs contain some of the strongest hooks of their era," Puerta said. "Seeing younger faces in the crowd — fans we never thought we'd be reaching after 50 years — speaks to how timeless the music is."
Bandmate Burleigh Drummond said the cross-generational appeal is on full display every night.
"You have some original fans alongside their children… every night I'm impressed at how many younger audience members know all the lyrics," Drummond said.
For Coley, the symphony setting offers a chance to restore what was missing from years of touring.
"Many of these songs originally included strings or horns that touring artists couldn't bring on the road," Coley said. "Now we can present the fuller sound."
Beckett credited the genre's staying power to strong songwriting and craftsmanship from the late '60s through the early '80s. Lurie said yacht rock's rise began "as a bit of a joke" but endured because of quality musicianship and production.
Beckett said he hopes longtime fans hear "a whole new dimension" to their youth's soundtrack, while Lurie promised "smoothness stacked on smoothness" thanks to the symphony.
Additional tour dates for the Yacht Rock Symphony will be announced. For artist bios, photos and videos, visit YachtRockSymphony.live.
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