Arkansas Symphony Orchestra holding free outdoor concerts in Little Rock
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra announced they are ending the 20-21 season with three free outdoor concerts around the Little Rock area on May 26th, 27th, and 28th. Author: THV11 Digital Updated: 8:58 PM CDT May 11, 2021
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra announced they are ending the 20-21 season with three free outdoor concerts around the Little Rock area on May 26th, 27th, and 28th.
The concerts will feature the Rockefeller String Quartet, the ASO Brass Quintet and the Quapaw String Quartet, respectively. We couldn t think of a better way to close this unusual but rewarding season than with three free outdoor Pop-Up concerts as a thank you to the community that supported us through this past year, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Christina Littlejohn said.
ittle Rock, ARK, March 11, 2021 – The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presents their annual children’s concert, “Peter and the Wolf,” on April 1, 2021, at 10 a.m. The concert will be virtual and available to all registrants for free.
The ASO is proud to present this program featuring children’s classic, “Peter and the Wolf,” narrated by LaSheena Gordon, and Vivaldi’s “Spring” with violin soloist Samuel Garcia.
Interim Artistic Director Geoffrey Robson is excited about the concert. “This program will introduce school kids to the instruments of the orchestra shortly before many start to learn an instrument at school, giving a lifelong boost to their listening, critical thinking, and collaborative skills. We’re so happy to be able to provide this broadcast to every school in the state and to work with LaSheena Gordon, herself an experienced educator and performer, and Samuel Garcia, one of the most promising young violinists in the state,” Robson said.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presents the second concert of the 2020-2021 Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series. Serenades will be streamed from the Robinson Center on February 27 at 7:30 p.m. and February 28 at 3:00 p.m. Due to health and safety precautions, the program will be presented virtually, available for a minimum donation of $10. Concert information and the stream are available at www.ArkansasSymphony.org/serenades. The Stella Boyle Smith Trust is the Masterworks Series sponsor.
The ASO will perform music from Romantic composers Richard Strauss and Antonin Dvorak. Strauss’s work for strings and Dvorak’s work for wind ensemble are “serenades,” a genre of orchestral writing that flourished during the Classic period, with the most famous example
Listen to the full program here.
The sights and sounds of classical music are even more welcome after months without in-person concerts.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, while still abiding by public health guidelines, is taking full advantage of that with their new Masterworks concert, titled A Lyric Return.
ASO interim artistic director and associate conductor Geoffrey Robson returns to the
Arts Scene to talk about the show, which includes works by Claude Debussy, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Walker and Jessie Montgomery.
The show is Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Robinson Center.
Long-time host of UA Little Rock Public Radio s program,
Arts Scene, Ann Nicholson (1932-2020) created over 1000 episodes of her program during her 35 year career.
On this episode, we offer a rare interview with our colleague Ann where she recounts personal memories and stories from her past. With her long-time producer William Wagner by her side, we discussed her background and how she came to radio.
Interviewing Ann in the Nicholson home. (L-R) Ann Nicholson, William Wagner, and J. Bradley Minnick.
Credit M. E. Kubit
Ann in the KLRE studio in the 1990s
She was never one who liked to be interviewed; she prefered to be the one asking the questions. However, after she retired in November of 2019, we finally convinced her to sit down for an interview with J. Bradley Minnick, William Wagner, and Mary Ellen Kubit in late February of 2020. With the pandemic quickly approaching, this was her final recording.