Orion Weiss Joins Arkansas Symphony Orchestra For Annual Beethoven & Blue Jeans

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (Oct. 9, 2025) — The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) continues its 2025-2026 Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks season with the beloved “Beethoven & Blue Jeans” concerts featuring pianist Orion Weiss at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Robinson Center. An E. Lee Ronnel Artist of Distinction, Weiss will also join the ASO Quapaw Quartet for a River Rhapsodies: Bank of America Chamber concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center in Little Rock’s East Village.

Known for its relaxed atmosphere and high-energy performances, “Beethoven & Blue Jeans” is an annual celebration of one of the great composers in a fun, casual atmosphere. Before each concert, from 5:30-7 p.m. Saturday and 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, ASO will host a free street party with food trucks, a cash bar and live music on West Markham Street in front of the Robinson Center. Patrons are encouraged to dress casually, in blue jeans, and enjoy the festivities before heading inside for the performance.

The program opens with a suite from Silvestre Revueltas’ film score for “La noche de los Mayas” (“The Night of the Mayas”), followed by “Guadalupe” (or “Altarpiece”) by rising Mexican-American composer Marco-Adrián Ramos, inspired by the architecture and layered spiritual traditions of Mexican Catholic churches. Weiss joins the ASO after intermission for Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 4.” The concert concludes with Arturo Márquez’s “Danzón No. 2.”

“We’re thrilled to present a program that showcases the rich tradition of Mexican orchestral music alongside Beethoven at his most poetic,” ASO Music Director and Conductor Geoffrey Robson said. “With Orion Weiss joining us for Beethoven’s radiant 4th concerto, and music by Márquez, Revueltas and Arkansan composer Marco Adrián Ramos, this is ‘Beethoven and Blue Jeans’ at its best — accessible and unforgettable.”

One of the most sought-after soloists and chamber music collaborators today, Weiss has performed with all the major orchestras of North America, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic. The New York Times has called him a “brilliant pianist,” and The Washington Post has cited his “powerful technique and exceptional insight.”

Pre-Concert Conversations with Saul, Robson

All concert ticket holders are invited to a pre-concert lecture an hour before each show on the upper tier of the Robinson Center. These talks feature insights from Associate Conductor Valery Saul and guest artists and feature musical examples to enrich the concert experience. In addition, Robson will hold his own lecture about the Masterworks program a week before the performance, from 6-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center at 1101 E. 3rd St. in Little Rock. The lecture is free.

Masterworks Program (Nov. 15-16)

Silvestre Revueltas (arr. Hindemith) — Suite from “La noche de los Mayas”
Marco-Adrián Ramos — “Guadalupe”
Ludwig van Beethoven — “Piano Concerto No. 4”
Arturo Márquez — “Danzón No. 2”

Artists
Geoffrey Robson, music director (Bio)
Orion Weiss, piano (Bio | Press kit)

Metal Recycling of Little Rock is the concert sponsor for “Beethoven & Blue Jeans,” and Orion Weiss’ appearance is made possible through an anonymous gift in memory of E. Lee Ronnel. Tickets are $19, $30, $50, $77 or $92 (subject to change), with $15 tickets for active-duty military and college students. Thanks to Bank OZK of Little Rock, all Arkansas kids 18 and under get free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at arkansassymphony.org, at the Box Office in the Robinson Center an hour and a half before the concert, or by phone at (501) 666-1761, ext. 1.

Orion Weiss at River Rhapsodies

An E. Lee Ronnel Artist of Distinction, Weiss will also appear in an intimate River Rhapsodies: Bank of America Chamber series concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Susie and Charles Morgan Hall at the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center. The series, curated by ASO musicians in collaboration with Robson, offers audiences a close-up experience with exceptional chamber music.

River Rhapsodies Program (Nov. 18)

Benjamin Britten: “Phantasy Quartet for Violin, Oboe, Viola, Cello, Op. 2”
Leanna Renfro, oboe (Bio)
Katherine Williamson, violin, (Bio)
Timothy MacDuff, viola (Bio)
Jacob Wunsch, cello (Bio)

Gunnar de Frumerie: “Pastoral Suite for Flute and Piano, Op. 13a”
Carolyn Brown, flute (Bio)
Kazuo Murakami, piano (Bio)

Robert Schumann: “Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44”
Orion Weiss, piano (Bio)
Quapaw Quartet (Bios, photos)
Meredith Maddox Hicks and Charlotte Crosmer, violins
Tim MacDuff, viola
Travis Scharer, cello

This Artist of Distinction concert is made possible through the endowment of E. Lee Ronnel. Bank of America sponsors the River Rhapsodies Chamber Series, and UALR Public Radio (KUAR/KLRE) is the media sponsor. Tickets are $50 (subject to change). Tickets can be purchased online at www.arkansassymphony.org, at the Box Office in the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center beginning one hour before the concert, or by phone at (501) 666-1761, ext. 1. Patrons can purchase drinks at a cash bar and are invited to bring their drinks into the hall.

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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