The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) has announced the 2024-25 MainStage Season concert lineup, set to take place at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. 

The new season, under the direction of Paul Haas, will begin on Saturday, September 21, 2024, and continue through Saturday, April 19, 2025. SoNA will present seven concert performances, all hosted in Baum Walker Hall at the Walton Arts Center.

“I am looking forward to this season with great anticipation,” SoNA executive director Ben Harris said. “We’ll take a journey through time and place to explore the evolution of the orchestral art form. From Western Europe, we’ll trace the beginnings of the modern orchestra through the classic work of Bach and Mozart; we’ll examine the connection between Europe and America through the prism of Dvorák and Gershwin; and we’ll present brand-new music by Cuban composer/pianist Aldo López-Gavilán. Along the way, we’ll also celebrate the holiday season together and explore the outer reaches of the universe with a sci-fi inspired pops program. And we’ll finish the season right back where we started – here at home in Arkansas, with native composer Florence Price.”

The season will feature distinguished guest artists including pianist Lara Downes, pianist Stewart Goodyear, and SoNA principal trombonist Cory Mixdorf.

The season opener, “Oceans of Time: Orchestral Evolutions,” takes audiences on an engaging journey from classical music’s European origins to the diverse cultural landscape of the Americas. The program includes Bach’s beloved “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3,” the world premiere of Aldo López-Gavilán’s “Oceans to Cross” featuring pianist Lara Downes, and Dvorak’s popular “Symphony No. 8.”

On November 9, SoNA ventures into the world of science fiction with “Futuristic Fantasia: SoNA Goes Sci-Fi!,” a pops concert featuring music from iconic sci-fi films like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “E.T.,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

SoNA celebrates the holiday season with “A Very SoNA Christmas” on December 7, featuring holiday classics performed by the SoNA Singers and special guest soloists. On December 8, SoNA and Walton Arts Center presents “The Snowman: A Family Concert,” with a live orchestral soundtrack accompanying a screening of the beloved film.

“Jupiter Rising,” a special Sunday matinee on February 16, pairs Mozart’s renowned “Symphony No. 41 in C Major (Jupiter)” with lesser-known pieces from three continents (Australia, Europe, and South America). The concert features SoNA’s principal trombonist Cory Mixdorf and concludes with Mozart’s “Jupiter.”

The season finale, “American Voices: Rhapsody in Blue,” on April 19, celebrates the explosion of American musical creativity in the 1920s and ‘30s. The program includes George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” performed by pianist Stewart Goodyear, William Grant Still’s “Afro-American Symphony No. 1,” and Florence Price’s “Symphony No. 1 in E Minor.”

The 2024-25 MainStage Season promises to be a rich and varied musical experience, celebrating the past, present, and future of orchestral music. Tickets, including single tickets, full season subscriptions, and sampler subscriptions, are now available for purchase.