Beethoven, Blue Jeans, and Brats Street Party in Little Rock April 14

The program features works inspired by visual art, including Finding Rothko by ASO's Composer of the Year, Adam Schoenberg, Ravel's  Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite), and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral."

As ASO performs the "Pastoral" Symphony, American Impressionist Barry Thomas will paint on-stage in real time. The concert, including Thomas’ process, will be filmed to be projected for audiences in Robinson Center and streamed live for audiences on the lawn of the Arkansas Arts Center. The concert is the culmination of ASO's CANVAS festival, which began in January and presents music and visual arts together. The Masterworks Series is sponsored by the Stella Boyle Smith Trust.

Patrons are invited to enjoy free brats, low-priced local beer, and live music from the Episcopal Collegiate School Steel Band preceding the concerts. The party begins at 5:30PM and ends at 7PM on Saturday and begins at 1:00PM and ends at 2:30PM on Sunday. The party is located on the 400 block of West Markham Street in front of the Robinson Center and admission is complimentary with tickets to Beethoven and Blue Jeans.

The League of American Orchestras and Feeding America are partners in a program called Orchestras Feeding America. As part of this program, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Arkansas Foodbank will again work together for a food drive at ASO concerts, beginning with Beethoven & Blue Jeans and ending with the ASO's final 2017-2018 concert in May. Any patron who brings at least 12 food items to the Beer & Brats Street party, or any concert for the rest of the ASO season, will be given a voucher good for two free tickets to any upcoming ASO subscription concert.

The CANVAS Festival combines visual arts with the performance of live symphonic music, allowing both art forms to influence the experiences of audiences and musicians. The festival, which began in January, is made possible by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. CANVAS will culminate in the performance of Beethoven & Blue Jeans at Robinson Center. Ahead of the concert ASO will present education programs for Arkansans of all ages, collaborative community outreach, and performances throughout Little Rock that will feature visual art thematically combined with symphonic music.

 All concert ticket holders are invited to a pre-concert lecture an hour before each Masterworks concert. These talks feature insights from the Maestro and guest artists, and feature musical examples to enrich the concert experience.

Tickets are $15, $35, $55, and $65; active duty military and student tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Robinson Center street-level box office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 100. All Arkansas students grades K-12 are admitted to Sunday’s matinee free of charge with the purchase of an adult ticket using the Entergy Kids’ Ticket, downloadable at .arkansassymphony.org/freekids.

Please note: the Entergy Kids' Ticket Voucher much be redeemed for a reserved seat by calling the Box Office in advance or presenting it at the Box Office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert.