History

Located in Fayetteville, the North Arkansas Symphony performances serve Benton and Washington County communities, a population base nearing 400,000 people. In addition, the symphony’s educational outreach programming reaches a 50-mile radius to include 25 towns in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Johnson, Madison and Washington Counties, as well as Southeast Missouri and Eastern Oklahoma. The region is economically and socially diverse with a rapidly growing Hispanic population. Area cities enjoy an exceptionally low unemployment rate and better than average annual per capita income, which results in a wide range of opportunities connected to locally-based, major leaders in retail, industry and higher education. Founded in 1954 with financial and program support from the University of Arkansas, the Symphony has increased its size and number of services to reflect the region’s rapidly increasing population and diversity.

In 1988, the Symphony became an independent non-profit organization, but continues to maintain a strong relationship with the University of Arkansas. In the spring of 2003, the symphony formed a partnership with Walton Arts Center. The Walton Arts Center acted as an independent contractor to perform management and administrative services for the Symphony. In the spring of 2005, the symphony modified the arrangement with box office and financial operational duties contracted to Walton Arts Center, and all other operations and management returning to the Symphony’s Executive Director.

The Symphony’s innovative programming, artistic excellence, and collaboration with internationally-acclaimed artists have improved its status within the surrounding community and its credibility in the national musical world. Outstanding educational and family concerts designed to enhance the public school music curricula, and a growing, vibrant youth orchestra program have broadened the symphony’s influence on the area’s young people.

To provide North Arkansas with a fully professional regional orchestra presenting quality music, education and programs to enrich the communities. Programs are initiated and designed for the purpose of enlarging the symphony’s demographic audience, supporting the health and wellness of the region’s community and embedding the educational value of classical music within every aspect of the new and emerging cultural infrastructure.