Tag Archives: Karen Fannin

Little Rock Wind Symphony: CARMEN and Clarinet

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The Little Rock Wind Symphony kicks off the 2012-2013 season tonight with an evening entitled “Carmen and Clarinet.” Under the baton of musical director Dr. Karen Fannin, the LRWS will be joined by guest soloist Kelly Johnson, clarinet.

The program for tonight includes Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Rodrigo’s Adagio para Orquesta de Instrumentos de Viento, McAllister’s Black Dog Rhapsody for Clarinet and Bizet’s Carmen Symphony.

The program begins at 7:30pm tonight at Second Presbyterian Church.

Dr. Fannin has been music director of LRWS since 2006. She is also Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Hendrix College, where she conducts the wind ensemble and teaches conducting, low brass, and courses in twentieth-century music and fundamentals of music.

The Little Rock Wind Symphony gave its first performance in February 1994.   It now performs concerts each fall, winter, and spring in addition to its vastly popular Christmas Concert in December. All concerts are held at Second Presbyterian Church. Another annual seasonal highlight is the “Stars and Stripes Celebration” in honor of Flag Day, held  outdoors in June in MacArthur Park.

Stars and Stripes — LR Wind Symphony Flag Day Concert

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The Little Rock Wind Symphony’s annual Flag Day concert will take place this evening in MacArthur Park.  Sponsored, in part by the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, the concert is the LRWS’s annual salute to the red, white, and blue.  Picnics are encouraged. There will also be free ice cream and free American flags to wave throughout the concert.

Under the baton of Music Director, Karen Fannin, the musicians of the Little Rock Wind Symphony will perform the following selections:

George Gershwin / Barker: Strike up the Band
Scott Joplin / arr. Frackenpohl: Maple Leaf Rag
Scott Joplin / arr. Bourgeois: Sunflower Slow Drag
Thomas Allen / Cramer: Whip and Spur Galop
Jerry Bilik: American Civil War Fantasy
John Philip Sousa: The Thunderer
Henry Fillmore: Rolling Thunder
Irving Berlin: God Bless America
Bob Lowden: Armed Forces Salute
Samuel Ward / Carmen Dragon: America the Beautiful
John Philip Sousa: The Stars and Stripes Forever

Arts & Humanities Month: Sunday Afternoon Music Little Rock Wind Symphony; Arkansas Chamber Singers

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Little Rock audiences have two options for Sunday afternoon music today. The Little Rock Wind Symphony presents its first concert of this, its 19th season at 3pm at Little Rock’s Second Presbyterian Church.  Under the direction of Dr. Karen Fannin, music director since 2006, the program is entitled Warhorses for Winds.  The featured soloist will be Andy Wen on Alto Saxophone.  His appearance is underwritten by Fran and Dr. Al Nelson.

A highlight will be the world premiere of a new composition commissioned by the Little Rock Wind Symphony – Karen Griebling’s “Moduli Mundi” (“Tunes of the Cosmos”).

The program also consists of:

  • Samuel Barber: “Commando March”
  • Camille De Nardis: “The Universal Judgment”
  • Gustav Holst: “Second Suite in F”
  • Percy Grainger / Sousa: “Country Gardens”
  • Gustav Holst: “Mars”

Also at 3pm, the Arkansas Chamber Singers will be presenting their first concert of the season. Their performance will be in the Great Hall at the Clinton Presidential Center.  (They actually presented this concert as well this past Friday evening at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.)  Since 1979, the Arkansas Chamber Singers have been presenting a variety of classic and contemporary vocal works.

This season has the theme: “Masters in the Hall.”  The first concert is appropriately titled “Masters in Hall, Masters in the Fall.”  Under the direction of artistic director and conductor Dr. John Erwin, the singers will perform works by the Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi.  The singers will also perform selections by Brahms and Schubert.  To conclude the program, they will present “Five Hebrew Love Songs” by Eric Whitacre. Joining the singers in this concert will be cellist Stephen Feldman and violinist Israel Getzov.