“ ‘Playing Florence Price’s violin concerto is so empowering,’ says Er-Gene Kahng, concertmaster for the Fort Smith Symphony,” writes Becca Martin-Brown in last Sunday’s (8/29) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock). “She … has already performed it with four different orchestras.’ … John Jeter, the Fort Smith Symphony’s music director, chose Price’s 1952 Violin Concerto No. 2 to open the symphony’s 2021-22 season on Sept. 11, along with the ‘Masked Ball Waltz’ (1894) by Amy Beach and Symphony No. 8 (1889) by … Antonin Dvořák …. ‘We wanted to present masterworks composers as well as showcase female composers and composers of color,’ [Jeter] explains.… [During the 2021-22 season], ‘Concerts will be given without intermission and will last about 1 hour and 15 minutes [and] all orchestra members, guest artists and stage crew are immunized and will wear masks at the concert,’ Jeter elaborates. ‘Wind players will remove their masks only when playing. All audience members are requested to wear masks at the concert. [And] the ArcBest Performing Arts Center high air-change-rate air system will be utilized during this event.’ … New this season will be a post-performance party, an idea born of the concert’s earlier starting time [featuring] Latin music … performed by Duo Capriccioso.”
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