SoNA’s Season Continues Jan. 7 at Walton Arts Center
Symphony of Northwest Arkansas Presents “Mother and Child”
Featuring the SoNA Singers and Award-Winning Soprano Miriam Khalil
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. (December 12, 2022) — Fresh on the heels of three sold-out performances in December, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) continues its 2022-23 Season in January at Walton Arts Center, featuring internationally renowned soprano Miriam Khalil.
Performing under the baton of SoNA Music Director Paul Haas, the SoNA season continues with Mother and Child on Saturday, Jan. 7. The concert, set for 7:30 p.m. in Walton Arts Center’s Baum Walker Hall (495 W. Dickson Street), will feature Khalil performing the classical billboard hit Symphony of Sorrows by Henryk Górecki in a program that also includes Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms featuring the SoNA Singers, and William Grant Still’s Mother and Child.
This cathartic, emotional program touches a core human experience – each piece evokes the love that exists across time, between a mother and her child.
“Simply, but powerfully put, William Grant Still’s Mother and Child is one of the most beautiful pieces you’ve likely never heard,” says Haas. Dubbed the ‘Dean of African American Composers’ and the first African American composer to be performed by a major symphony orchestra, as more and more of Still’s music is discovered, the composer is posthumously getting the recognition he so richly deserved.
“The SoNA Singers join us in Chichester Psalms, perhaps Leonard Bernstein’s most popular choral work, and it’s absolutely pure Lenny,” Haas adds. “Biting chords, pungent colors, awe-inspiring harmonies, and masterful orchestration make this music one-of-a-kind.”
“And did you know that the best-selling contemporary classical album of all time is Henryk Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrows? It’s true! We will play this huge work that contains an entire world of human emotions: love, sorrow, sadness, loss, and an ecstatic enveloping beauty.” In Górecki’s third symphony, award-winning soprano Miriam Khalil will join SoNA musicians to sing haunting Polish texts spanning centuries, giving perspectives from both a mother having lost her child, and a child separated from their parents.
The Season Continues:
Following the January concert, on March 11, the season continues with New Canons, a concert featuring new works that will be presented on SoNA’s upcoming debut album release. In April, SoNA presents two concerts: On April 8, Battle of the Bands brings SoNA and the Fayetteville Jazz Collective together for an evening of genre-defying music that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of music lovers. And on April 29, the season wraps with Evoking Folklore featuring captivating storytelling of folklore from cultures near and far.
Single ticket prices for SoNA’s mainstage performances range from $36 to $60, based on seating preferences. Discount student tickets are available with a student photo I.D. Children under 18 are free with the purchase of an adult ticket (limited quantities).
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sonamusic.org or call the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 443-5600.