SoNA and the Momentary Present Virtual Concert
Virtually There: Sounds of a Moment with SoNA to be Broadcast Online Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.
The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) and the Momentary in Bentonville are delighted to co-present a virtual concert event featuring a 21-piece string orchestra performing a selection of works that peer through the lens of time – looking both to our musical past and future to find new meaning, peace, and groundedness as our world copes with an altered sense of time in this unusual year.
Performing under the baton of SoNA Music Director Paul Haas, Virtually There: Sounds of a Momeny with SoNA will be broadcast online at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21 from the Momentary’s Fermentation Hall, a state-of-the-art black box theater. A Q&A with three of the featured contemporary composers will follow the show. This is a free online broadcast premiere event to be streamed here on the SoNA website and via Facebook Live.
“This is going to be an exciting concert for me – and not just because it’s an opportunity to make music together in the same physical space again,” Haas said. “What’s equally rewarding is that we’re delving deep into the concepts of time, space, and music which combine into a profoundly beautiful experience for us as listeners.”
SoNA musicians will perform Appalachian Waltz by Mark O’Connor, Suite for Lower Strings by Clarice Assad, Lyric for Strings by George Walker, Pizzicato by Vivian Fung, Slo-Mo by Adam Schoenberg, Finale from Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten, Place by Haas, and Finale from Serenade in C for Strings by Tchaikovsky. Fung, Schoenberg, and Haas will participate in a post-show composer discussion.
SoNA Executive Director D. Riley Nicholson explains that this program features timeless music from the past, while also contemplating new meaning and interpretation by contemporary voices of today.
“For many of us, time seems to expand and contract in strange ways in this unusual year,” Nicholson said. “As a remedy, music has the ability to ground us in the present moment, while also allowing us to transcend distant eras. Sounds of a Moment highlights music's power to bring the present into focus through the lens of our musical past and future.”
Sounds of a Moment is part of the Momentary's “Virtually There” series that takes audiences into the homes, studios and lives of artists from around the world. Spanning different artistic mediums including dance, theater, and music, the series not only showcases artists’ works but also presents opportunities to engage in conversation with them – all virtually.
“We’re thrilled to present this virtual concert with SoNA as it very much speaks to this current moment in time,” said Stuart Rogers, head of music and festivals at the Momentary. “Music has a storytelling ability that brings people together in a very approachable way. Gathering together may look very different these days, but with ‘Virtually There,’ we’ve been able to still experience new sounds, discover new artists near and far, and allow audiences to connect with these artists on another level.”
Virtually There: Sounds of a Moment with SoNA is a free virtual concert. Follow the event on Facebook and make plans to tune into the online broadcast premiere starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21. The performance recording will remain available here on the SoNA website and on SoNA’s Facebook page following the video’s premiere.
