Bright Lights, Big City

The bright lights of New York City were enough to draw Nicole Cotton there a decade ago, but the allure of Razorback red -- and a new performing arts center -- were enough to bring her back.

Cotton, who grew up in Conway, earned a bachelor's degree in music education at the University of Arkansas, then went to New York University for a master's degree in clarinet performance. After "freelancing" in the city for a while, she happened onto a job with a company that produced shows at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and then joined the Lincoln Center staff full time.

"I remember walking up to Carnegie Hall for the first time and just standing there shaking," she says. "It was a great experience."

But as the completion of the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center neared, the UA reached out to Cotton, and she returned to Fayetteville last fall. This fall, she will shepherd the first FPAC Presents Series, featuring two "high-caliber" musical guests and a holiday movie in addition to the performances by UA musical groups.

"A season was part of the vision when the Faulkner Center came about," Cotton explains. "Obviously it's an educational setting, but part of it is intended to bring in professional artists who can also do master classes with our students."

The selections this year start with "Fayetteville's piano man," Jonathan Story and his wife, jazz singer Kara Story, who have just returned from performances in Austria, Greece and the Middle East.

"They're both alumni, so kicking off with very high-caliber musicians who are also alumni is very meaningful for us," Cotton says.

Next will be the holiday film, "Elf" starring Will Ferrell, which will also be a benefit for the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry.

"We actually did a holiday film -- 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' -- last year, but it happened very suddenly," Cotton says. "I worked to make sure it became part of the canned food drive, and everybody that came really loved it. We saw such a broad audience, from 40-something couples on dates to parents with kids to grandparents, that we wanted to continue that tradition.

"It's free, and it brings in people who wouldn't necessarily come to campus for a concert. We want to break down that barrier," Cotton says. "We're here for everybody. And a film is a good way to get them in the door so we can say, 'Hey, we want you here.'"

The series culminates with a performance by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, a group described by The New York Times as having "a sound that has just about everything one wants from a quartet, most notably precision, warmth and an electricity that conveys the excitement of playing whatever is on their stands at the moment."

Their performance will feature their unique "Haydn Discovery," where the group explores and "unpacks" composer Franz Josef Haydn's "Joke" quartet from various perspectives and then performs the work in its entirety, Cotton explains, and the concert will include a side-by-side performance with members of the Arkansas Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

Audiences can look for the series to expand next year, Cotton promises.

"I want to reach out to the community more, bring in different types of music, expose everybody to every type of culture and music out there," she says enthusiastically. "The acoustics are amazing, the stage is so versatile, and the facility is just beautiful. I love to see people who remember the old men's gym, to see their faces when they walk in. They're just blown away."

NAN What's Up on 08/19/2016