Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra: Sonic Blossom with Molly Pinson Simoneau

Join us in the Great Hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of LEE Mingwei’s Sonic Blossom and the opening of this one-of-a-kind experience.

In collaboration with the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, this live concert performance of Franz Schubert’s Lieder (Songs) features soprano soloist Molly Pinson Simoneau alongside conductor Steven Byess and the full orchestra of the APO.

Tickets are $50 ($10 for students), reserve yours online today on the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra’s website.

Molly Pinson Simoneau has performed LEE Mingwei’s Sonic Blossom at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 2018, and at MoCa Cleveland in 2019, and is excited to be performing the piece again at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Molly’s repertoire includes opera roles from Verdi’s Fallstaff, Puccini’s Il Tabarro, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, along with a variety of concert music from the canon and by local Washington DC area composers. Molly’s performance as Sharon in Terrence McNally’s Masterclass earned critical praise for her “gorgeous tone.”

Steven Byess is a dynamic and passionate conductor, hailed by critics as “masterful and brilliant,” “creating the epitome of instrumental elegance,” and capturing “the full spirit and vitality of the score perfectly.” Recognized for his musical versatility, multi-faceted presence on the podium, and passion for music education, he is devoted to promoting a life-long love and enthusiasm for music and the arts.

Steven is the music director of the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra (Oregon), and the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.

He conducted the US premiere of Russian violinist Alexander Markov’s Rock Concerto at Carnegie Hall in New York and was selected by Walt Disney World Entertainment to conduct the 2000 NFL E*TRADE Super Bowl Halftime show, where he performed for a television audience of 88 million fans.

As a passionate advocate for the arts, Steven is sought after for his speeches on the arts, music, and education, and has organized collaborations with numerous choruses, chamber music ensembles, and festivals. He wrote and co-directed a PBS presentation, Count On It!, designed to connect music and mathematics for children grades K–3. Since 2013, he has shared this passion with over 80,000 children around the country as a conductor of the Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute Link Up orchestral education concerts.

A prolific conductor of opera from grand to contemporary, his performances include Puccini’s La Bohème and a critically acclaimed production of Robert Ward’s The Crucible at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel; Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Greensboro Opera; Bizet’s Carmen with Emerald City Opera (Colorado); Copland’s The Tender Land, Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance, and a collaboration with composer Ricky Ian Gordon on his opera “27” with Intermountain Opera (Montana); and Weill’s Street Scene and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance with the Eastman School of Music Opera Theatre. Steven has been a guest conductor at the Pine Mountain Music Festival in Michigan for their productions of Le tragédie de Carmen (Bizet/Brook), a highly acclaimed production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, collaborating with the composer’s daughter Jamie Bernstein, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

Steven is the former associate music director of the Ohio Light Opera where he conducted over 80 productions and 21 commercial recordings, including repertoire ranging from well- to little-known operas and operettas to blockbuster classic American musical theater works.

In addition to over 60 symphonic performances in the 2022-2023 season, Steven will conduct ballet productions of The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Appalachian Spring.