Tag Archives: Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

ASO This Weekend: Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles

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The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presents the first concert of the ACXIOM Pops Live! Series – Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles – on October 6 at 8 p.m. and October 7 at 3 p.m. at the Robinson Center Music Hall, conducted by Geoffrey Robson, ASO Associate Conductor. This concert is sponsored in part by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Hear The Beatles live in concert with YOUR Arkansas Symphony Orchestra! These four musicians look and sound just like the real thing. Hear Eleanor Rigby with a live string section; experience the peace anthem All You Need is Love full of brass fanfare; and enjoy the upbeat and optimistic tune Here Comes the Sun. From early Beatles music through the solo years, this concert is the best of The Beatles as you’ve never heard them.

All kids through 12th grade can attend the Sunday matinee performances for free (with purchase of an adult ticket) using the Entergy Kids Ticket – available for download at http://www.ArkansasSymphony.org. Adult single tickets range from $18-$58 and can be purchased online at http://www.ArkansasSymphony.org or over the phone at (501) 666-1761. Student and military tickets are $10.

Featuring

Program:
Beatles Medley Overture arrangement by Martin Herman

Classical Mystery Tour will perform selections from the following:
A Day In the Life
All You Need Is Love
Beatles Medley Overture
Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Come Together
Eleanor Rigby
Golden Slumbers
Got To Get You Into My Life
Here Comes the Sun
I Am the Walrus
I Saw Her Standing There
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Imagine
Live and Let Die
The Long and Winding Road
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da
Penny Lane
Sgt. Pepper /Little Help From My Friends
Strawberry Fields Forever
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yellow Submarine
Yesterday

All songs written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, or George Harrison.

ASO Chamber Series starts Tuesday, October 2

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The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2012-2013 Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Music series tomorrow night.  Violinist Augustin Hadelich joins ASO musicians on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The program will feature Haydn’s “String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54 No. 2,” Webern’s “Langsamer Satz,” Ysaye’s “Solo Violin Sonata in E Major, Op. 27 No. 6” and Tchaikovsky’s “Sextet, Op. 70 ‘Souvenir de Florence.’”

In addition to Mr. Hadelich, the musicians will include Kiril Laskarov, co-concertmaster of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra; the Quapaw Quartet – consisting of Eric Hayward, violin; Meredith Maddox Hicks, violin; Ryan Mooney, viola; David Gerstein, cello – and the Rockefeller Quartet – consisting of Christian Baker, violin; Darby BeDell, violin; Katherine Reynolds, viola; Daniel Cline, cello.

ASO Kicks Off 2012-2013 with violinist Augustin Hadelich

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The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2012/2013 concert season with the return of ASO and audience favorite, violinist Augustin Hadelich, performing Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole on Saturday, September 29 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 30 at 3:00 p.m.

Music Director Philip Mann begins his third season with the ASO at the Robinson Center Music Hall – the first of the Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series. The program kicks off with Strauss’s Don Juan and continues with Dohnányi’s Suite in F-sharp minor before Augustin takes the stage for the second half of the concert. Concert-goers can hear more about Augustin Hadelich and the performance at the American Airlines Concert Conversation. Informances are free and are located in Robinson Room 102 one hour prior to each Masterworks concert. This concert is sponsored in part by American Airlines.

Tickets range from $14-$52 and can be purchased online at http://www.ArkansasSymphony.org or over the phone at (501) 666-1761. Thanks to the Entergy Kids Ticket, all kids are free on Sundays with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information, visit http://www.ArkansasSymphony.org.

Consistently cited in the press for his “gorgeous tone,” “poetic communication” and “fast-fingered brilliance,” Augustin Hadelich has confirmed his place in the top echelon of young violinists. After a stellar debut with the New York Philharmonic under Alan Gilbert at the Bravo! Vail Valley Festival in 2010, he was immediately re-engaged to play in Vail in 2011. He will return to Vail again in 2013. Mr. Hadelich just played a sensational debut with the Boston Symphony at the Tanglewood Music Festival, and will make his New York Philharmonic subscription debut in October.

Among his 2012/13 season highlights are debuts with the symphonies of Dallas, National/Washington, D.C., New Jersey, St. Louis, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Toronto, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Augustin Hadelich has also appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as the symphonies of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Houston, to name a few. He has also performed extensively in Europe, South America and the Far East.

Little Rock Responds to September 11

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The Little Rock arts and culture community responded to September 11 as all sectors did.

Two of the groups in particular come to mind. When airspace was closed on September 11, several flights were grounded in Little Rock. The passengers on those planes became unexpected visitors to Little Rock.   The Arkansas Rep had opened its production of You Can’t Take It with You on Friday, September 7. The show was already scheduled tonbe dark on September 11, but on Wednesday, September 12, 2001, the performances resumed. That night the Rep offered these unexpected Little Rock guests free tickets to the performance.  Seeing a play which was both heartwarming, comic and full of Americana was the perfect balm for audiences who were weary, confused and nervous in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Also on September 12, 2001, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presented a previously scheduled concert with Michael Bolton.  He had been traveling by bus so was able to get to Little Rock.  His concert was cathartic for the 2000 plus attendees at Robinson Center Music Hall. It offered not only a communal experience but also a welcome break from 24 hour coverage.  Three days later, on September 15, the ASO kicked off its MasterWorks series.  As has been tradition since the days of Francis McBeth as conductor, that first concert of the season began with the National Anthem.  The audience and musicians gathered and sang and played with unprecedented gusto that night.

Four Reps Farewell tomorrow night

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THE FOUR REPS: Askew, Melhorn, Morley, Dowden

Fittingly, the farewell will take place where it all began.

Since their introduction in the 2009 SMTI production of Follie Holidays, The Four Reps have been entertaining audiences with their  accappella/rock/doo-wop/barbershop group sounds.  For those who don’t know, The Four Reps are Charlie Askew, Henry Melhorn, Jack Dowden and Matt Morley.

Since 2009, they have representing The Reps’ young artists program and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre as they have performed all over Central Arkansas including the Clinton Library, the Governor’s Mansion, Little Rock City Hall, Barton Coliseum and The Rep’s Saints and Sinners Ball.

The Four Reps have also spent time cutting two albums, winning the Arkansas Democrat Gazette’s Pops on the River competition to sing the National Anthem with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and recently opening for the nationally recognized Yale University Whiffenpoofs.

But all good things must come to an end.  The Four Reps will give their farewell concert on Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s MainStage on Sunday, July 29 at 7 p.m. 

Produced by Nicole Capri, Karen Q. Clark and Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Four Reps will entertain with audience favorites from their repertoire as we say goodbye to two of their members, Jack Dowden and Matt Morley, who recently graduated from high school.

Following the concert will be a screening of the film “Cain and Abel” (mentioned on yesterday’s Culture Vulture entry).
A few tickets still remain, but they are going fast.  Call the Arkansas Rep box office at 501-378-0405 or visit www.therep.org.

Pops on the River

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Pops on the River, presented by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is the state’s largest Fourth of July celebration and takes place this year on Wednesday July 4th in downtown Little Rock.

Bale Chevrolet, Honda and Kia of Little Rock sponsor the event.

Pops on the River, in it’s 29th year, is FREE to the public and will begin at noon outside the main gates of the Riverfest Amphitheater in the River Market Pavilions with a Kid’s Pavilion and Car Pavilion.

The event will also have a marketplace with shopping, food trucks, a classic car show and other activities below the River Market Pavilions.

Pops on the River activities inside the Riverfest Amphitheater gates will begin at 5:30. The Oh Say! Can You Sing? Top 5 finalists will perform in addition to the Happy Tymes Jazz Band. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will close out the night with a beautiful performance. Fireworks will be finale at 9:30 p.m.

Please remember:
-No Coolers
-No Pets
-No Outside Food or Drink
-No Fireworks
-No Smoking

Architeaser – May 25

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Yesterday’s Architeaser featured some gilded flowers in the lobby of the Capital Hotel.  This afternoon visitors can view these flowers while listening to the Quapaw Quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. The concert will start at 5pm.

Today’s Architeaser is another band of flowers.  These surround a doorway downtown.