Etched In Stone

Plans are already being made for the Fort Smith Symphony’s 91st season, which will begin about this time next year. Guest artists are being lined up, and a budget for the season was set for approval onThursday.

But there’s a lot of celebrating to do between now and then.

Starting on Oct. 5, theorganization and its supporters Chow will begin a yearlong party of sorts, honoring the symphony’s beginnings and highlighting its future. Oct. 5 is the date for a gala celebration at the Arkansas Best Corp. Performing Arts Center in Fort Smith, and a 90th anniversary concert will follow at the same venue.

From humble beginnings, the orchestra has grown, not always in great leaps but always steadily, says John Jeter, who has served as musical director for 18 years and director of the organization for about five.

Even a few years ago, the orchestra was not as large as it is currently, Jeter says. The organization’s budget was about a quarter of its current allotment when he arrived, and more money now means more musicians onstage and betterknown guest artists.

“The artistic quality started to change, and be a lot stronger. We spent more resources to make more resources. We improved the quality of our promotional material. It really just snowballed,” he says.

But at the heart of the growth, Jeter says, is the organization’s commitment to the quality of the music it produces. It’s largely perceived as a regional orchestra, andmost performers come from with a five- to six-hour radius of Fort Smith. But that’s not always true. Musicians, who are hired on a per-show basis, come from as far away as New York to perform with the symphony. Randy Harper, who plays second clarinet and is one of the longest-tenured players at more than 25 years with the group, has watched that artistic growth.

“I know people who come here (to watch) from out of state. They are always taken aback by the level of musicianship. We can hold our heads high,” Harper says.

Those who attend the concert on Oct. 5 will hear three pieces, each with a specific purpose. The debut of composer Charles Booker’s “Borderline” will share stories about Fort Smith from the Wild West era to more modern times. The symphony’s take on Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 will reflect on the type of show that has brought the organization success in the past and features an old friend.

Pianist Alan Chow, who was previously on the University of Arkansas faculty, will performwith the orchestra for the concerto.

“He was a personality on KUAF, a very upbeat, positive guy who is also a wonderful performer,” Jeter says. Chow is currently an associate professor of piano at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

The last piece, Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 op. 27, will highlight what the orchestra is currently capable of playing, Jeter says.

It’s something the maestro calls“a Russian romantic symphony on steroids,” and it will feature about 95 players.

In both the 90th celebration concert and the anniversary season that follows, there’s some musical excitement. And that will propel the Fort Smith Symphony forward as well as anything, Jeter says.

“Ultimately, there is some really fantastic music. And I really am hoping it’s a springboard for the next 90 years,” he says.