Arkansas Symphony shifts fall concerts into first half of 2021

Performances will be shorter; patrons can choose to attend in person or via livestreaming

FILE — Geoffrey Robson, interim artistic director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, stands at the podium for a children's concert at Robinson Center Performance Hall in this Feb. 8, 2019, file photo.
FILE — Geoffrey Robson, interim artistic director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, stands at the podium for a children's concert at Robinson Center Performance Hall in this Feb. 8, 2019, file photo.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra has scrapped plans to put on concerts in the fall of 2020 and moved its entire Masterworks and much of its Pops Live! and River Rhapsodies chamber series into the winter and spring of 2021.

Citing “an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our musicians, staff, and audience,” the orchestra’s schedule will feature hybrid in-person and live-streamed concerts “complemented by open-air family-friendly performances,” according to a news release.

Symphony Marketing Director Brandon Dorris said Interim Artistic Director Geoffrey Robson had lined up all of the guest conductors for the season’s Masterworks series — as well as most of the soloists, including violinist Gil Shaham, who will be headlining Masterworks concerts Feb. 20 and 21 at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall with Robson on the podium.

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Violinist Gil Shaham will solo with the Arkansas Symphony in February. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Luke Ratray)

The rest of the lineup:

• Jan. 16-17: Matthew Kraemer, guest conductor; Tessa Lark, violin.

• Jan. 30-31: Roderick Cox, guest conductor.

• March 20-21: Akiko Fujimoto, guest conductor; Martina Filjak, piano.

• April 10-11: Stephen Mulligan, guest conductor; Gabriel Martins, cello.

• May 1-2: Andrew Crust, guest conductor; Shannon Lee, violin.

Concerts will be shorter and without intermissions “to better facilitate social distancing,” the release notes. Robson is in the process of working out shorter-format programming with the guest conductors, which the orchestra will release after Labor Day.

Concertgoers can choose to attend, socially distanced, in person, or via a digitally streamed presentation. “The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra has invested in new equipment to provide excellent audio and video quality,” the release notes.

Masterworks ticketholders for concerts in September, October, and November will see those tickets automatically move to the new dates. The symphony will notify patrons later about plans for socially distanced seating.

The Acxiom Pops Live! Series lineup:

• Dec. 18-20: Kris Allen Holiday Spectacular.

• Feb. 6-7: Fascinating Gershwin.

• March 13-14: To be announced.

• May 8-9: Cirque de la Symphonie.

Fall concerts in the River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series — Sept. 22, Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 — will move from the Clinton Presidential Center to the Robinson Center. Spring concerts in the series will return to the Clinton Center on Feb. 23, April 13 and May 11. Those programs, too, will be available after Labor Day.

Meanwhile, the orchestra will offer a collection of free-to-the-public online programs featuring Arkansas Symphony Orchestra musicians, with some live and some live-plus-virtual performances in various Little Rock area venues.

The offerings include "mini" live concerts, virtual happy hours paired with short performances, and behind-the-scenes looks into rehearsal sessions and education programs. There will also be a continuation of the orchestra’s successful and popular “Bedtime with Bach” series, as well as pre-recorded lecture/recitals featuring orchestra players and local music experts. A schedule is available at arkansassymphony.org/fall-music.

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