Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Holiday Fantasy

Blame it on the Ghost of Christmas Past. Every year at this time, our minds–and more poignantly, our hearts–start flashing images of favorite Christmases to us. And that’s the past coming back to you. Welcome to the feeling you’ll get watching and listening to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s performance, Holiday Fantasy. Part of the Symphony’s Pops Series, the concert will feature many beloved Christmas songs.

“The holiday concert is something we look forward to playing from the beginning of our season,” says ASO Music Director and Conductor Philip Mann. “Symphonic music is a wonderful way to kick off the holidays. Our program is built around the wonder that comes this time of year, and it’s the kind of concert event that makes cherished holiday memories.”

Since we’re talking about Christmases past, a little background on the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is in order. Here’s a brief timeline:

In 1933 the Little Rock Civic Symphony became part of the music program at Little Rock Junior College (now UALR). An all-student, all-volunteer group, the LRCS lasted for six years before disbanding due to financial difficulties.

In 1941 the State Symphony Orchestra performed by itself and accompanying ballet and opera presentations. This version of the Symphony lasted until 1952, a total of eleven seasons, before disbanding. Clearly, orchestral music was gaining a foothold in Central Arkansas.

By 1956 the Little Rock Philharmonic began playing in various parts of Arkansas, folding in 1959.

In 1966 the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is incorporated as a business entity. With support from two critical organizations–the Arkansas Orchestra Society, a governing and sponsoring group; and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild, the fundraising arm of the Symphony–stability was achieved and sustainable seasonal performance of classical music in Central Arkansas began in earnest.

During the last few years, ASO Music Director Philip Mann has assembled a formidable roster of world-class musicians to conduct. Superstar guest artists frequently perform with them, bringing new artistry and depth to the stage at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Music Hall.

The Orchestra does schedule what it calls “run out” concerts in cities outside Central Arkansas; cities like Helena-West Helena, Harrison and Monticello. Its home and heart, though, are only twenty minutes from Saline County.

Which brings us back to the holidays, and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Fantasy. Conducted by the Symphony’s Conductor and Music Director Philip Mann, and written by Nicole Capri, Holiday Fantasy is a Christmas extravaganza befitting the season. Christmas carols, comedy sketches and audience sing-alongs are part of the program, with over 60 guest performers on stage. An acapella group, the Little Rock Company, performs much of the non-instrumental portion of the show.

In addition to the Pops series of which Holiday Fantasy is part, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performs the Masterworks series of concerts. These are the concerts where, as the Masterworks name implies, the music of classical composers like Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky is brought to life for contemporary audiences. “I happen to have this great art form,” says Mann, “that I get to share with my colleagues in the Symphony and work in that.”

The Symphony also presents works by contemporary masters, including its Composer of the Year selections in collaboration with artists like Jennifer Higdon and Christopher Theofinidis—some of whom compose pieces which debut at Robinson Center Music Hall.

Nearly 20 Saline County students are members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Orchestra. These students, from the Benton and Bryant School Districts, are part of the over 1,000 students who attend the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s yearly Children’s Concert. The Orchestra and You Program and the Symphony’s curriculum related Quartet Demos bring Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s small ensembles to schools throughout Arkansas, impacting students of all ages in the state.

Furthering its mission to showcase their art beyond the walls of the concert hall, the ASO has a series of performances in Little Rock churches in late winter and early spring. Known as Intimate Neighborhood Concerts (INC), these concerts aim at immersing audiences in the symphonic experience inside small, resonant houses of worship.

Looking ahead to next Christmas and beyond, the Symphony is temporarily moving out of Robinson Center while the concert hall undergoes a multimillion dollar renovation. The remodeled Robinson Center Music Hall curtain raiser, anticipated for the 2016 season, ushers in a new state-of-the-art performance space for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to make new memories and traditions for decades to come.

For more information go to arkansassymphony.org or call the ASO box office at 501-666-1761.