“Members of the Fort Smith Symphony are challenging themselves to raise the musical bar for the benefit of all audience members,” writes Scott Smith in the Southwest Times Record (Fort Smith, Arkansas). “Led by music director and conductor John Jeter, the symphony will commemorate its 91st year by performing six concerts for its 2014-15 season. All six performances will display a ‘larger, improved orchestra,’ Jeter said…. ‘We’ve continued to improve the orchestra and the programs, and for this season, we are playing a lot of well-known classics,’ ” including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Ravel’s Bolero, and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien. Also planned are three pops programs and an additional presentation—up to three from two—of the orchestra’s annual “Earquake!” educational program in schools. “Area children also will benefit from the symphony’s new ‘Storybook Strings’ program, which is an expansion of the symphony’s on-going Symphony in the Schools program and will feature a narrator and the symphony’s string quartet, he said. The program features music originally composed by FSS concertmaster Elizabeth Lyon. ‘This music will go along with popular kids’ books, with the narrator kind of acting out the story while accompanied by the music,’ Jeter said.”
Posted July 22, 2014
Pictured: John Jeter conducts the Fort Smith Symphony, June 2012
