Member Spotlight: Erin Jones Sings the Praises of Midtown ATL + the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
03/18/2026
Native Atlantan Erin Jones loves Midtown and the work she does at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She and her team are using innovative approaches to make the symphony more accessible to groups across the city, including intensive study of the health benefits we derive from art experiences. When she’s not at work, Jones runs competitively in half-marathons and triathlons around the state, not to mention the Peachtree Road Race 10K. And for 25 years, she has been a soprano member of the ASO Choir, an all-volunteer group that performs with the orchestra.
We spoke with Jones about the work she does to bring more Atlantans under the tent and experience the symphony, her connection to Midtown Alliance, her singing, and lots more. Keep reading.
How long have you worked at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra?
I started at the ASO in 2020, three weeks into the pandemic shutdown. I was so excited to be on board, and I thought I would hit the ground running. But everything was shut down. So it was kind of a panic to be working in sales at the ASO when there were essentially no concerts. But the team pivoted and came up with creative ways to keep patrons engaged. So, between working there for six years now and singing in the chorus for 25 years, I feel like I'm part of the furniture.
Talk about the work ASO does to make the symphony more accessible to more of the Atlanta community.
A core mission for the ASO is to reflect the Atlanta community. And one of the things I love about Midtown is how diverse the people are who spend time here. So it's beautiful to watch how the community interacts with our offerings. We started the BRAVO Young Professionals group, and In Unison for our LGBTQ+ community. We also created Counterpoint, which is a broader membership for those deeply focused on Atlanta arts and culture specifically. But we also work with many community organizations, like the French consulate. And we produce an enormous Dia de Los Muertos festival every year, which brings out thousands from the local Mexican community, which is fantastic. We've also produced a Visions of India Festival, with food, dance, art, and community vendors before the concert. These experiences really create a holistic environment for groups to enjoy the symphony.
Talk about the work that Woodruff Arts Center is doing at the intersection of health, technology, and the arts in our city.
The Woodruff Arts Center is working on a brand new effort called the Arts and Health Laboratory. It's part of a national program called the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, which is studying how engaging in the arts in a live communal setting is good for your health. The health benefits can be as good for you as a walk or a run down the street. It's really fascinating work. We are engaging in research with local institutions like the Howard School, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, and Emory University. It’s another way that we are working within the greater Midtown community to raise awareness about this evidence-based research and how engaging with the arts is good for you.
What’s the experience like when people come to an ASO performance?
For starters, we have a beautiful campus. We're at the Woodruff Art Center, which is also home to the Alliance Theater and the High Museum. So when you walk in, it's a beautiful lobby. We've got several bars, plenty of places to sit and chat before the concert. It's a lovely space, very energetic, very lively. And inside, the concert hall is amazing. When you enter and take your seat, you just let the music wash over you. It's great.
Is there a dress code?
There is no dress code! You can come in a tux or jeans and flip-flops. It does not matter. It’s about enjoying the music.
What’s a great place nearby to get dinner before or after a performance?
We have an awesome new restaurant on campus called Elise. It's run by Chef Craig Richards, and he’s doing an awesome job with it. Lots of seafood, lots of homemade pastas. It's a beautiful space. So even just going in and having a glass of wine is an incredible experience because of how the overall vibe feels. And it's right here. So once you arrive, you can enjoy an excellent dinner and then walk over to the concert. Or get a table afterward for dessert or coffee. It's a really great space.
You have also been involved as a member of the ASO chorus for 25 years. Can you talk about that experience?
When most people think about ASO musicians, they think about professional violinists and cellists sitting in chairs and holding string instruments. But there’s also a group of 200 choral musicians, all of whom are volunteers. The ASO chorus started in the 1970s with Robert Shaw. And it was important to him and to our culture that the chorus be a volunteer element. It’s audition only. We rehearse every Monday night for two and a half hours, and we prepare for four to five concerts throughout our season. We have performed at Carnegie Hall. We've been to Berlin to sing with the Berlin Philharmonic, which was absolutely life-changing. Over many years, the ASO has earned 27 Grammys, with the majority of those awarded to sound engineering and choral performances.
How do the ASO and Midtown Alliance work together?
I've really loved the partnership with Midtown Alliance. We meet regularly just to talk through different strategies, how we can help one another, what events are coming up that we can share, and vice versa. We post all of our concerts on Midtown Alliance’s event calendar. We've created special offers through the IN*MidtownATL app, which has been really helpful. We're actually working with the Midtown Alliance’s Young Professionals of Midtown group to do a partner event. And even something as small as communicating with Midtown Blue about temporary street closures is helpful, so our musicians will know where they need to travel to get to rehearsal on time. It's a totally seamless partnership. I've really appreciated it!
Learn more about the work of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and find an upcoming performance to attend at https://www.aso.org/