Never let it be said that Arkansas Living doesn’t have range!
Later in this issue, we’ll feature Hillberry Music Festival, a hippie happening in Northwest Arkansas. So, here, let’s discuss very different music resounding in another part of our state.
For the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO), September will be a key (get it — musical key?) month. Opening the new 20,000-square-foot Stella Boyle Smith Music Center in Little Rock’s East Village with a three-day celebration from Sept. 13 to 15, ASO will have its first permanent home since incorporating in 1966.
While larger concerts will continue to take place at Little Rock’s Robinson Center, the state-of-the-art Stella Boyle Smith building will feature spaces for music education, practice and performance, as well as a broadcast and recording studio. And it’s where nearly 300 Youth Ensemble students — representing 37 communities throughout the state — will pursue their passion for music.
Christina Littlejohn, ASO’s CEO, says, “We really want to be accessible to all Arkansans. We want this space to be a radically welcoming hub of musical activity for all . … Johnny Cash was from Arkansas, as well as Florence Price. Arkansas has a long tradition of great musicians, and we want this space to be a place where we can cultivate the next generation of great musicians from Arkansas.”
Can’t get to Little Rock for a visit, just yet? Littlejohn says, that’s OK — they’ll bring the symphony to you.
“We’ll be able to do more recording here and then make it accessible to people in hospitals, people in nursing homes, anybody who can’t get to us will still be able to hear us and be able to be part of the community in terms of hearing music and experiencing music and experiencing their own Arkansas symphony.”
If a trip to the state’s capital is something you’re planning in the next few months, consider adding an ASO performance to your itinerary. Some popular concerts in the 2024-2025 season are sure to include: “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back,” (Oct. 18-20); “Beethoven & Blue Jeans” (Nov. 2-3); “Home for the Holidays” (Dec. 20-22); “Broadway Rocks” (Feb. 8-9); and “Superheroes vs. Villains” (March 8-9). Visit arkansassymphony.org.
Have a happy, harmonious September,
