Arkansas Symphony Orchestra slates six guest conductors for 2022-23 season, continues conductor search

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra announced its roster of guest conductors for the 2022-23 season, after which it expects to conclude its search for a music director. Geoffrey Robson has been the symphony’s interim artistic director since the departure of Philip Mann as music director in 2019. All but one of the guest conductors, Vladimir Kulenovich, have worked with the symphony before and are making a return visit. “Our guest conductors have been selected specifically by our own musicians because they are outstanding musicians themselves,” Chief Executive Officer Christina Littlejohn said. “We have truly appreciated their talents when they joined us previously or in some cases, we have long worked to schedule an opportunity to introduce them to our Little Rock community.”

Here’s the season program, with some smart-as-hell program choices to anticipate (Performances from Rachel Barton Pine! Hindemith! Margaret Bonds’ “Montgomery Variations!” A spotlight on the ASO’s harpist Alisa Coffey! Fanny Mendelssohn! New stuff I’ve never heard of!)

“Our guest conductors have been selected specifically by our own musicians because they are outstanding musicians themselves. We have truly appreciated their talents when they joined us previously or in some cases, we have long worked to schedule an opportunity to introduce them to our Little Rock community,” said ASO Chief Executive Officer Christina Littlejohn. “I know our Little Rock audiences will be excited for the concert season ahead.”

Guest conductors and their programs for the upcoming Masterworks season include:

Vladimir Kulenovic (Oct. 1–2)

Mozart: Overture to Nozze di Figaro

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Violin Concerto in A Major, feat. Rachel Barton Pine

Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, feat. Rachel Barton Pine

Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

Stephen Mulligan (Nov. 12–13)

James Lee, III: Beyond Sensorial Portals (ASO co-commission with Orlando Philharmonic)

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, feat. Geneva Lewis

Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

Akiko Fujimoto (Jan. 28–29)

Beethoven Lenore Overture No. 3

Pierné Concert Piece for Harp and Orchestra, feat. Alisa Coffey

Prokofiev: Selections from Romeo & Juliet Suite Nos. 1-3

Andrew Crust (Feb. 25–26)

Margaret Bonds: Montgomery Variations

Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, feat. George Li

Still: Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American Symphony)

Geoffrey Robson (April 1–2)

Fanny Mendelssohn: Overture in C Major

R. Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major, “Rhenish”

Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor, feat. Zuill Bailey

Matthew Kraemer (May 6–7)

Frederick Delius: Irmelin: Prelude

Doreen Carwithen: Concerto for Piano and Strings, feat. Samantha Ege

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

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