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Van Cliburn Concert | SoNA Beyond presents: The Dirty South

Music/Performance
Great Hall
$45 ($36 for members, $10 for students)
This event has passed
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be closed Monday, May 13, to prepare for the visit of Antiques Roadshow. We will return to normal hours of operation Wednesday, May 15.
Prefer to join us virtually? Keep an eye on this page to watch the event via livestream on June 24.

The stream will begin 15-20 minutes before the scheduled start of the event. Please allow for small delays as we work to provide the best virtual experience possible.

 

Unfortunately, Trevor New will be unable to join Friday’s performance. The concert will instead feature additional works curated by Rod Vester and SoNA.

We invite you to join us for an evening of evocative performance by guest musical curator Rod Vester and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) chamber orchestra as they create a musical program inspired by our temporary exhibition The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse.

Conducted by SoNA Music Director Paul Haas and featuring works chosen especially for the evening, the program will include a mixture of chamber orchestra and chamber music inspired by artworks in the exhibition. Weaving a narrative that centers Black voices, the performance will mirror and amplify themes in the The Dirty South by connecting visual art with music’s ability to bridge the physical and emotional worlds.

Co-presented with SoNA as part of their new series SoNA Beyond and set against the backdrop of the Great Hall and Crystal Bridges’ own natural setting, this latest installment of the Van Cliburn Concert Series is not one to miss. And, to enhance your visit even more, we’re offering free admission to The Dirty South to all concert-goers in the week leading up to the event. We hope to see you there.

Tickets are $45 ($36 for members, $10 for students), reserve your seat online or with Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 today.

Ticket reservations include free admission to The Dirty South between Friday, June 17 and Friday, June 24. Check-in with Guest Services when you arrive to receive your complimentary exhibition ticket.

About the Artists

Rod Vester

Recently named as one of the top 30 professionals by Musical America, Rod Vester is an educator, researcher, entrepreneur, pianist, organist, composer, conductor, and producer who excels in gospel, jazz, classical and contemporary music. He has performed with numerous artists, across genres, including Grammy Award winners CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin and the late Aretha Franklin. As an arts consultant, Dr. Vester has helped expand the educational and artistic programming for many organizations and remains an active performer, clinician and speaker who has presented at Chamber Music America, Sphinx, and at state and national music education conferences. Vester is committed to creating spaces where all artists feel valued, voiced, and visible.

 

About SoNA

Founded in 1954, SoNA has provided 67 years of musical performances and educational opportunities. Under the musical direction of nationally-recognized Paul Haas, SoNA presents classical and pops concerts throughout the region and arts integrated education in area schools. While it is a resident company of Walton Arts Center, and most mainstage concerts take place there, SoNA also performs in Benton County in locations as varied as John Brown University, the AMP, and Crystal Bridges. Other important collaborations include those with the Jones Center for Families, Ballet Arkansas, the Momentary, the Fayetteville Roots Festival, the Bentonville Film Festival, the University of Arkansas, and libraries in Springdale and Fayetteville.

SoNA Beyond, the symphony’s latest concert series, aims to explore new avenues for accessibility and focus on new ways for music to provide insight and inspiration in unexpected ways. SoNA Beyond moves of the symphonic mainstage and out into the community, partnering with powerful artistic forces like Crystal Bridges to highlight music’s versatile ability to move beyond traditional boundaries.

SoNA’s commitment to its mission has generated support from a broad array of community members. In addition to the funding received from the Walmart Foundation, philanthropic organizations who have supported SoNA include the Walton Family Foundation, Baum Charitable Foundation Trust, Arkansas Arts Council, Bogle Family Foundation, Starr Foundation, Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Endeavor Foundation, and the League of American Orchestras.

Sponsored by: The Van Cliburn Concert Series Endowment Fund supported by Kelly and Marti Sudduth, Reed and Mary Ann Greenwood, Ellis and Kay Melton, Chip and Susan Chambers, Alice L. Walton. Special thanks to Tommy Smith and Steinway & Sons.

SoNA’s appearance is sponsored by:

Roost Springs logo
Walmart.org logo