Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Players Association Reach New 3-Year Contract with Salary Increases

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 3, 2025) — The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and the ASO Players Association said Thursday that they have signed a new three-year contract that includes pay raises for musicians each year as the organization continues its artistic growth, adding programs and making orchestral music more accessible for the Arkansas community.

In conjunction with the contract announcement, the ASO Board of Directors launched “Every Note, Every Neighbor,” this season’s fundraising campaign for Amplify: The ASO Annual Fund, which supports orchestra operations. The campaign theme emphasizes a core purpose of the fund — employing professional musicians to live and work in Arkansas, play at concerts and community events, teach music and make orchestral music integral to Arkansas life.

The contract agreement, effective Sept. 25, comes as the ASO Board continues to invest in its musicians, including base wages, benefits, travel reimbursements, hotel accommodations for visiting musicians and expanded employment opportunities through the new ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center and its growing youth music education programs.

“We are excited to have reached a contract agreement and are fully united with the ASO’s vision of a thriving orchestra that pursues artistic excellence and reaches more community members through expanded programming and innovative initiatives,” said Gabriel Vega, flutist and president of the ASO Players Association. “This agreement positions us to continue serving fans of Arkansas orchestral music while ensuring the organization remains financially sustainable.”

CEO Christina Littlejohn, who has led the ASO since 2009, said the orchestra and its musicians are committed to keeping ASO performances and programming accessible while building a sustainable future.

“Our musicians are anchored in serving our community,” Littlejohn said. “And the trust we’ve built over 16-plus years allows us to have transparent conversations and reach mutually beneficial agreements. Together, we share a vision for an orchestra that will serve Arkansas for decades to come — through transformative performances, comprehensive music education and programs that welcome everyone.”

Last month, ASO marked the one-year anniversary of the grand opening of its Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, a radically welcoming hub of musical activity in Little Rock’s East Village. The 18,500-square-foot facility houses programs of the E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy, a broadcast studio and River Rhapsodies: Bank of America Chamber Series, providing state-of-the-art spaces for performances and education.

The new music center has enabled ASO to expand opportunities for musicians to teach and earn additional income while deepening their connections to local communities. In September, ASO announced a transformative five-year, $1 million grant from longtime supporters Susie and Charles Morgan to expand youth education programming. The grant immediately launched a free Children’s Choir, free introductory violin classes, expanded chamber music coaching and continued violin instruction in Title I elementary schools — efforts led by ASO’s professional musicians. Over five years, ASO expects to grow from hundreds of youth participants to more than 1,000 students across multiple programs.

Additional momentum comes from growing concert membership through ASO’s innovative $9 per month program, making its flagship performances — the Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks series and First Orion Pops series — accessible to more audiences, and its Bank OZK Kids Ticket program, which allows kids through high school free admission when an adult purchases a ticket.

“The relationship between the musicians and management at ASO is truly special,” Vega said. “The addition of the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center has created exciting opportunities for us to teach and mentor young musicians, and we’re thrilled about the expansion of our youth programs through the generous Morgan gift. When we see full houses at our concerts with diverse audience members who are taking advantage of our innovative $9 per month membership program, we know we’re part of something truly special and meaningful.”

The ASO Players Association represents all ASO musicians. The ASO is the leading employer of professional performing artists in Arkansas.

Supporting ‘Every Note, Every Neighbor’

Also Thursday, the ASO Board of Directors said it’s committed to increasing Amplify: The ASO Annual Fund by 5% per year — or $328,000 over the next five years — as part of a comprehensive strategy that also includes doubling the endowment to $25 million by 2035 and investing in professional development opportunities to recruit, retain and develop musicians who will make Arkansas their home.

Individual giving to the annual fund supports:

• Professional Musicians: Hiring top professional musicians to perform transformative concerts, teach Arkansas youth and live in local communities where they play for church services, weddings and other major life events.
• Music Education: Providing music education for thousands of Arkansas youth through school concerts, music lessons, youth ensembles, private lessons, chamber music coaching and free introductory violin classes.
• Accessible Programming: Keeping all programs accessible through initiatives like $9/month concert memberships with free admission for children, scholarships for youth program participants and free activities at the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center.

To learn how to support ASO’s mission to connect, enrich, inspire and advance Arkansas through the power of music, visit arkansassymphony.org/give-support.

About The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is the leading employer of professional performing artists in Arkansas and is celebrating its 60th season in 2025-2026. 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, 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 $4.5 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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