Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Hosts Free Juneteenth Jazz Concert
Outdoor Performance to Feature Art Porter Minors, Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue'
Media Advisory
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 8, 2026) — The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will celebrate Juneteenth with a free concert from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, June 18, on the grounds of the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center in downtown Little Rock. Presented in partnership with Mosaic Templars Cultural Center’s “Juneteenth in Da Rock” celebration, the event honors the legacy of African American emancipation through the power of jazz.
The evening will include a performance and presentation by the Art Porter Minors in Music, an organization dedicated to jazz education for youth. Following a community update from the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the ASO Jazz Combo will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. to perform Miles Davis’ legendary 1959 album “Kind of Blue” in its entirety.
The public is invited to bring folding chairs and umbrellas to enjoy this family-friendly outdoor event. Local vendors Stones Throw Brewing, The Dessert Lab and Haygood BBQ will have refreshments and food available for purchase. The ASO will provide free water.
WHAT: Free Juneteenth Jazz Concert on the grounds of the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, honoring the legacy of African American emancipation through the power of jazz.
WHEN: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, June 18
WHERE: ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center
1101 E. Third St.
Little Rock, AR 72202
Outdoor performance, south side near ASO parking.
WHO: ASO Jazz Combo
- Curtis “JJ” Adams, piano
- Slavek Bolubah, drums
- Matt Dickson, tenor sax
- Jose Holloway, trumpet
- Ricky Howard, alto sax
- Brian Wolverton, bass
WHY: This Juneteenth concert is part of ASO’s commitment to diversity in music and community celebration. It provides a family-friendly and engaging opportunity to experience some of the greatest jazz music ever written, performed by top Arkansas musicians in a welcoming outdoor setting. The event is part of the citywide “Juneteenth in Da Rock” festivities in partnership with the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center of Little Rock. For more information on other Juneteenth events in Little Rock, visit: arkansasheritage.com/juneteenth.
About The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is the leading employer of professional performing artists in Arkansas and is celebrating its 61st season in 2026-2027. The ASO recently opened its first permanent home, the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, in the East Village between Heifer International and the Clinton Presidential Library. The state’s first music center is a radically welcoming hub of musical activity for all Arkansans, housing programs of the E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy, a broadcast studio, and the River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series. ASO is the resident orchestra at Robinson Center and performs over 60 concerts yearly for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, First Orion Pops Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts throughout Arkansas. The E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy reaches over 30,000 Arkansans in over 200 schools from ages 4 to 104 through the string academy, youth ensembles, bucket band, community orchestra, ASO Children’s Choir, the annual Children’s Concert, and more. In 2020, over 1 million people in over 30 countries viewed the ASO musician-led Bedtime with Bach series. The ASO employs 14 full-time musicians, over 70 part-time musicians, and 16 administrative staff members with an annual operating budget of $4.9 million. The ASO is a member of the League of American Orchestras and a partner orchestra of the National Alliance for Audition Support, an unprecedented national initiative to increase diversity in American orchestras. For more information about the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, call 501-666-1761 or visit www.arkansassymphony.org.
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Press Contact: Lance Turner
Mobile: 501-944-4889
Email: lance@ghidotti.com
