Symphony of Northwest Arkansas Announces 2024-25 “SoNA Beyond” Music Series
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. (October 3, 2024) – The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) proudly announces the continuation of its fourth annual SoNA Beyond music series, with 10 free or low-cost performances across Northwest Arkansas produced with community partners and organizations set to take place through July 2025.
Sponsored by the Walmart Foundation and with additional support provided by other generous donors, this series goes beyond the concert hall and into the community with small ensembles from the orchestra performing innovative programs designed to be inclusive and welcoming for all. Not simply a chamber music series, SoNA Beyond concerts are unique live music experiences built on distinctive programming and special partnerships with other community organizations.
The 2024-25 SoNA Beyond series officially kicked off this past July with SoNA Beyond: Carnival of the Animals at the Siloam Springs Public Library, and continues this month with two performances in October.
"As our region continues to expand and evolve, it is more important than ever that we engage with our community in the shared spaces of Northwest Arkansas,” says Ben Harris, SoNA Executive Director. "The SoNA Beyond series is designed to break down traditional barriers of classical music and create memorable musical experiences for everyone."
On Sunday, October 6, 2pm, SoNA musicians will visit western Washington County for a sold-out debut performance by the Sequoyah String Quartet in Historic Cane Hill. This free event will take place in the 1891 Presbyterian Church, which was acquired and restored in 2018. The quartet will perform a specially curated program of music with Arkansas connections by Florence Price, William Grant Still, Scott Joplin and more. Performers include: Miho Sakon, violin; Andrew Chu, violin; Grace Clark, viola; and Michael Puryear, cello. Presented in partnership with Historic Cane Hill, this performance is made possible through additional support provided by Greenwood Gearhart Inc. and the Arkansas Arts Council.
After the Sequoyah String Quartet, the SoNA Beyond series continues on Saturday, October 12, 10am, with SoNA Beyond: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at the Fayetteville Public Library. For this free community event, SoNA Music Librarian and bassoonist Richard Bobo has written an exciting new arrangement of the timeless piece by Paul Dukas to be performed by SoNA musicians accompanied by a book reading of the classic tale. Experience the joy of live music and storytelling with this family-friendly event! Performers include: Ginny Hudson, flute/piccolo; Andrew Baker, oboe; Nophachai Cholthitchanta, clarinet; Richard Bobo, bassoon/contrabassoon and arranger; Andrew Chu, violin; and Pecos Singer, cello. This performance is made possible through additional support provided by Experience Fayetteville.
Additional performances of SoNA Beyond: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice will take place on Saturday, November 23, 10:30am, at the Springdale Public Library; on Saturday, January 25, 2025, 2pm, at the Rogers Public Library; Saturday, March 15, 11am, at the Bentonville Public Library; and on Tuesday, July 22, 10am, at the Siloam Springs Public Library. All dates are free and open to the public.
On Sunday, March 9, 2pm, SoNA and the Fayetteville Public Library team up with the University of Arkansas Program in Creative Writing & Translation for SoNA Beyond: Transcending Words – a free concert at the library celebrating sung and spoken poetry. Featuring the SoNA Singers, directed by choral conductor Terry Hicks, the group will perform beautiful choral works while UA poets share the original poetry that inspired the concert pieces. Local poets will also premiere newly commissioned works as part of the performance. Through this event, SoNA celebrates the transcendent ability of the written word, as well as the ability of music to transform words by providing color, context and emotion.
On Sunday, May 18, 2pm, the series continues with SoNA Beyond: Tone Painting at the Fayetteville Public Library. SoNA is proud to partner with Arts One Presents and the Fayetteville Public Library for this unique concert experience exploring the connection between music and visual art. A group of SoNA musicians will play a variety of pieces for chamber ensemble while local visual artists create new works in real-time inspired by the sounds they are hearing. This free performance is curated by SoNA keyboardist Tomoko Kashiwagi.
On Sunday, June 22, 2pm, SoNA musicians return to connect with nature at the beautiful Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, this time with SoNA Beyond: Echoes in Glass – a woodwind quartet curated by SoNA saxophonist Michael Hanna (featured musicians and additional details to be announced at a later date). This performance is made possible through additional support provided by the Northwest Arkansas Symphony Guild.
Additional SoNA Beyond events and appearances may be announced as the season progresses. To learn more about the SoNA Beyond music series, including more programming dates and details as they are announced, visit sonamusic.org/sona-beyond.
