The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is starting the year in grand fashion with Liszt’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” Taking place on the Robinson Center stage this weekend, the piano concert will continue the 2024-2025 season’s Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series and will be led by guest conductor Joseph Young.
The lineup kicks off with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Ballade in A minor.” Next up is Franz Liszt’s “Piano Concerto No. 1,” which will feature ASO’s artist of distinction, the celebrated pianist Zee Zee.
“Liszt is such an important composer, especially for pianists,” Zee Zee says. “His concertos are among my favorite ones, and I frequently play his pieces in recitals as well. I’m looking forward very much to playing Liszt ‘Piano Concerto No.1’ with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.”
Closing out the program is William Dawson’s “Negro Folk Symphony,” a piece inspired by African American spirituals that is bold, expressive and memorable.
“Liszt, Coleridge-Taylor and Dawson are from vastly different places, periods and compositional styles, but they share a reputation as influential boundary-pushers,” Young says. “In this particular program, we also have a throughline of youth and ambition as each work was written early in their respective careers. I’m looking forward to sharing this vibrant, energizing program in my Arkansas Symphony debut.”
Before each performance, the ASO will host a pre-concert conversation with Young and feature select musical samplings. These are open to all ticket holders and begin an hour before each concert.
You have two chances to see the show: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Click here to secure your spot.
Learn more about the ASO on the symphony’s website and follow along on Facebook, X and Instagram for updates.
Find a full rundown of the ASO’s 2024-2025 season here.
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