“Unearthing music created by forgotten composers. Exposing children to orchestra music. Boosting quality of life in the River Valley. Those are just a few of the things that the Fort Smith Symphony is known for,” writes in Alex Gladden in Sunday’s (8/1) Times Record (AR). “The symphony’s three-person staff wants to continue to expand that reach of the organization, making it more accessible to the community…. Damian Cheek, the manager of finance and audience services … is the newest member of the symphony staff, joining the group weeks ago. Cheek’s [ideas include] smaller music events that are not as expensive as symphony concerts, giving the public more of an opportunity to become familiar with the symphony…. Laken Emerson, the director of development, education and community engagement for the Fort Smith Symphony … started her career at the symphony amid the pandemic. She said that the pandemic forced the symphony to jump about five years into the future in terms of the technology that it uses, and Emerson led the charge…. ‘They’re young, so they’re going to bring a lot of really great ideas,’ said John Jeter, the music director and conductor of the symphony.”
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