Orchestras Offer The Classics Plus The Unexpected
Photo Courtesy Marc F. Henning
Maestro Paul Haas has been at the helm of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas since its reinvention seven years ago.
You might know Northwest Arkansas as the home of George’s Majestic Lounge and the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion. And that might be enough. But the region also boasts three professional orchestras, in addition to the ones on campus.
SoNA
WHAT — The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas is in its seventh season with New York conductor Paul Haas but dates back much further as the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
WHERE — Performs at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
COST — Season subscription prices are $125, $185, $235 (includes all five Masterworks and Pops concerts); single ticket prices are $30, $42 & $52
INFO — 443-5600 or sonamusic.org
BONUS — This season includes works by Tchaikovsky, Mozart & Mendelssohn, a Christmas concert, a collaboration with the Fayetteville Jazz Collective and a performance of “La Boheme.”
Fort Smith Symphony
WHAT — The theme for the 2017-18 Fort Smith Symphony season is “Frontiers,” and music director John Jeter, now in his 21st year, is as excited as he’s ever sounded about the selections and the guest stars.
WHERE — Performs at the Arkansas Best Corp. Performing Arts Center in downtown Fort Smith
COST — $100-$195 season tickets; single tickets are $17-$45
INFO — 452-7575
BONUS — This season includes the first time African-American composer Florence Price’s Symphony No. 4 in D Minor (1945) has “ever been performed, ever,” along with a collaboration with the Crumbs and the Ben Miller Band.
Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra
WHAT — “The APO has seen tremendous growth the past couple of seasons and we plan to ‘Celebrate’ during our upcoming eighth season,” says Executive Director Jason Miller.
WHERE — Arend Arts Center in Bentonville
COST — Single tickets $35-$45 adults; $10-$20 college; $5-$15 K-12
INFO — 841-4644 or www.arphil.org
BONUS — In November, the APO will perform an exciting and entertaining new piano concert by PDQ Bach — aka Peter Schickele — the “21st of J.S. Bach’s 20 children,” titled “Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra” featuring pianist Jeffrey Biegel.
— Becca Martin-Brown
bmartin@nwadg.com
FYI
Down State
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is the resident orchestra at Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Rock and performs more than 30 concerts each year through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series and River Rhapsodies Chamber Series, in addition to bringing live symphonic music education to more than 200 schools. INFO — 501-666-1761
