After wrapping up an extraordinary inaugural season earlier this year, with sold-out concerts and rave reviews, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas announces its 2012-13 season lineup.
Under the baton of acclaimed Music Director Paul Haas, SoNA will kick off the new season Sunday, Sept. 16. The opening event, which starts at 3 p.m. at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, is Masterworks I performance including Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture, Barber’s Violin Concerto, Op. 14, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major.
“We have something for every musical taste this season,” Haas said. “From Verdi’s colossal and operatic Requiem and symphonic masterworks by Brahms and Prokofiev, to movie classics by John Williams and a spectacular Christmas concert, we’ve got it all.
“But it’s more than just breadth of repertoire,” Haas continued. “It’s the greatest music ever written, performed by a local orchestra that ‘plays as well as or even better’ than those in bigger metropolitan areas, according to SoNA’s fans. Every concert will take your breath away. That’s our goal, and our audiences tell us we’re succeeding.”
Sharing the stage with SoNA musicians for both the Christmas concert and Verdi’s Requiem will be the SoNA Chorale, anchored by the SoNA Singers and including choirs from throughout the region.
The season:
• Masterworks I*
Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, 3 p.m.
Featuring Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture; Barber’s Violin Concerto, Op. 14; Winona Fifield, violin; Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major
• Christmas Concert
Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Featuring the SoNA Singers and regional choirs, and including a variety of Christmas and holiday favorites
• Masterworks II*
Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Featuring Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto in B-flat Minor, Op. 23; Ching-Yun Hu, piano; Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major
• Masterworks III*
Saturday, March 9, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Featuring Verdi’s Messa da requiem, SoNA Singers and regional choirs
• A John Williams Tribute
Saturday, May 18, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Selections from “Star Wars,” “ET,” “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List,” “Harry Potter” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” among others
*Creative conversations with Maestro Paul Haas will be held prior to each of the Masterworks concerts at 6:30 p.m. in Starr Theater.
To purchase single tickets ($28, $38, $48), call the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 443-5600 or visit www.sonamusic.org. Season subscriptions ($115, $165, $215) include all five concerts. Children’s tickets are available for $5 each with the purchase of an adult ticket; college student tickets are $10 each with a valid student ID. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.
