The audience won't be live in the room this weekend when Paul Haas and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas perform. But it should feel very much like it, even from the other side of a computer or television screen.
"Virtually There: Sounds of a Moment with SoNA" was rehearsed and recorded in person at the Momentary for streaming at 8 p.m. Saturday. And Haas, SoNA's music director, says "the most incredible part of this whole experience was the joy and thrill of being together with my colleagues again, making beautiful music live and in the same room. It's an experience I've truly missed.
"This is going to be an exciting concert for me -- and not just because it's an opportunity to make music together in the same physical space again," Haas adds. "What's equally rewarding is that we're delving deep into the concepts of time, space and music, which combine into a profoundly beautiful experience for us as listeners."
SoNA musicians will perform "Appalachian Waltz" by Mark O'Connor, Suite for Lower Strings by Clarice Assad, Lyric for Strings by George Walker, "Pizzicato" by Vivian Fung, "Slo-Mo" by Adam Schoenberg, Finale from Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten, "Place" by Haas, and Finale from Serenade in C for Strings by Tchaikovsky. Fung, Schoenberg and Haas will participate in a post-show composer discussion.
Haas says he wanted to "explore the idea that music -- even if it unfolds through and is bound to time in performance -- allows us to access a kind of timelessness and attention to self and place." His composition "Place" was written to "commemorate an experience I had in my journey of self-discovery -- a moment where timelessness allowed me simply to be, to enjoy being alive without any analysis or judgment."
"Sounds of a Moment" is part of the Momentary's "Virtually There" series that takes audiences in to the homes, studios and lives of artists from around the world. Spanning different artistic mediums including dance, theater and music, the series not only showcases artists' works but also presents opportunities to engage in conversation with them -- all virtually.
-- Becca Martin-Brown
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FAQ
‘Sounds of a Moment’
With SoNA
WHEN — 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE — SoNA and the Momentary, via Facebook and sonamusic.org
COST — Free
INFO — sonamusic.org
FYI — The performance recording will remain available on both SoNA and Momentary Facebook pages, on SoNA’s website, and on the Momentary’s YouTube channel following the video’s premiere.