SHARP #1: Ottorino Respighi: Composer & Musicologist Extraordinaire

SHARP #1: Ottorino Respighi: Composer & Musicologist Extraordinaire

By: Justin Craig On March 10th at 7:00 pm, the ASO will be presenting Something “Old” at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in North Little Rock. This concert will feature the music of Bach, Respighi, and Vivaldi. I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable classical music fan. I’m generally familiar with the works of Bach. I own…

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Scheduling, Budgeting, Negotiating, Planning, Practicing, Performing

Scheduling, Budgeting, Negotiating, Planning, Practicing, Performing

One of my main jobs as ASO’s Orchestra Personnel and Operations Manager is to create the orchestra’s rehearsal and performance calendar and ensure we have all of the musicians we need for each concert we perform. The orchestra schedule is very full, which means we have to carefully negotiate dates with all of the venues…

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ASO’s Capital Hotel Concerts

ASO’s Capital Hotel Concerts

While the ASO continues to offer this programming through the Quapaw and Rockefeller quartets, I am pleased they have expanded their repertoire into other forms of outreach. My favorite of these new endeavors is the series of free concerts in the lobby of the Capital Hotel. It is a gorgeous setting, to be sure. The…

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Learning the Ropes

Learning the Ropes

Coming to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra as the Public Relations & Digital Strategies intern was/is an absolute blessing to me. When I first heard that the ASO offered internships, I knew that interning at the ASO would be a perfect fit for me. Interning at the ASO would be a place where I was still…

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Finding Your Note

Finding Your Note

I was weeping as I sat in the shadows of the music-filled auditorium. I thought to myself, “What is wrong with me? Why am I crying?” I felt embarrassed. Here I am, a grown man crying for no apparent reason. My heart raced and beads of perspiration formed on my forehead as I tried to…

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man pointing in direction

Preparing for Concerts

By Christian Eddings – Development Coordinator Seeing things from the other side has helped me gain a new appreciation and respect for the people who set the stage for me and other artists alike. Preparing for opening night of an ASO concert kind of felt like preparing for my own performance. I felt the same…

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desk area

Getting Ready for Opening Night

Have you ever heard the story about the stone masons working on a cathedral? You could say I work on budgets, or that I make sure the numbers add up, but I prefer to think that I’m helping “build a cathedral” – which in this case happens to be the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Work for…

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holiday concert

By Leanne Day-Simpson –  Orchestra Librarian and Education Coordinator

By Barbara Burroughs –  Director of Education and Outreach Moving from the position of Executive Assistant 16 years ago, when there were 8 people on staff to my current position as Director of Education and Outreach with a staff of 15, means that over this time I’ve done a little bit of everything. During these…

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sheet music

From the Shelves to the Stage

By Leanne Day-Simpson – Orchestra Librarian and Education Coordinator As the ASO’s orchestra librarian and education coordinator (as well as being a violinist in the orchestra), work doesn’t come to a standstill over the summer months. While there is a sense of respite, preparation for the upcoming season continues. This is when some important work…

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