The opening concerts of A String Fort Smith’s 2022 Spring Season – An Outdoor Concert and A Spring Concert – will take place on Friday, April 8, 2022, at 6pm, in the Outdoor Pavilion, ARCOM (Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine), 7000 Chad Colley Boulevard, Fort Smith, and on Saturday, April 9, 2022, at 3pm, at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 2701 Old Greenwood Road, Fort Smith, respectively. The Saturday, April 9 performance will be recorded and offered virtually in perpetuity, on A String Fort Smith’s YouTube Channel. Repertoire to be performed, includes: Suite for Strings by Marc-Antoine Charpentier; Theme from “Schindler’s List” by John Williams; Concerto in G Major for Viola and Strings by Georg Philipp Telemann; Music from “Pride and Prejudice” by Dario Marianelli; and Grand Sonata in A Major by Niccolò Paganini.
“As we welcome the arrival of spring, I’m thrilled to share the accomplishments of A String Fort Smith – a truly remarkable ensemble of young musicians, faculty, and guest artists – in two public performances which are sure to delight! Both programs offer a variety of beautiful and captivating music by composers spanning nearly four centuries. Our performances are free and open to all, and I look forward to welcoming everyone – safely and responsibly – on these two occasions!” states Lori Fay, Founder and Director of A String Fort Smith.
A String Fort Smith, founded in the summer of 2020 by Lori Fay, is aimed at fostering excellence and unprecedented performing opportunities for junior- and high-school-aged students interested in pursuing careers in the performing arts. Assisted by four devoted colleagues – Anthony Verge, Assistant Director, violin & viola; Jayne Jostad, violoncello; and Josue Saucedo, double bass – A String Fort Smith participants are selected based on an audition.
The ensemble consists of the most advanced and dedicated students – approximately eight to twelve (8 to 12) participants per semester – who make a commitment to rehearse for one hour once per week, on Monday evenings at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Fort Smith. Members of A String Fort Smith’s 2022 Spring Semester – all of whom won a spot in the ensemble based on their outstanding audition – are from a combination of Southside and Northside High Schools. Participants include Southside High School students Rin Ahlert, Andrea Ortega, Iana Perry, Samuel Tran, violin; Jedidiah Lightner, viola; and Myles Flanders, violoncello, as well as Northside High School students Gregory Allen, Adrian Mazariegos, and Emaline Pendleton, violin;
Angel Duron, viola; and Liberty Vasquez, violoncello. The ensemble is delighted to welcome back Blair Ranells, violin – a graduate of Southside High School, and current student at UAFS – to its roster of fine players this semester.
Friends and fans have come to cherish performances by A String Fort Smith, not only because of Fay’s striking programming and the talented student participants, but because of an impressive array of guest artists and student soloists. The upcoming April 8 and 9 performances will be no exception. Among the many highlights of the upcoming concerts by A String Fort Smith, will be appearances by guest artists Jay Shepherd, guitar; Elijah Slaton & Gavin Green, percussion; and Marissa Caufield, harp.
The concerts will also feature three extraordinarily talented student soloists, including Gavin Holland, piano; Gregory Allen, violin; and Jedidiah Lightner, viola.
Noted guitarist, Jay Shepherd returns by popular demand in a dazzling performance of Paganini’s Grand Sonata in A Major. Mr. Shepherd is an Arkansas-born guitarist, singer, and composer. Currently living in Fort Smith, Jay performs with several of his own groups including his jazz fusion trio and British style brass band, Arkansas Musicworks, Brass Band, which he co-founded several years ago. Shepherd first appeared on the ASFS concert stage in April of 2021.
Student piano soloist Gavin Holland will be joined by percussionists and guest artists Gavin Green and Elijah Slaton, performing excerpts from the popular motion picture “Pride and Prejudice” by Marianelli. Mr. Holland was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and currently resides in Mansfield. He started piano in the second grade, and has since grown into an accomplished musician; Gavin recently attained a superior rating for his piano solo performance at the Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs. Mr. Green is currently a sophomore at UAFS (University of Arkansas – Fort Smith), where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education under the instruction of Dr. Ryan Patterson. He currently serves as the Instructor of Percussion for the Ramsey Middle School Band and the Southside Freshman Band in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Mr. Slaton is a junior percussionist at UAFS, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education. He graduated from Charleston High School in 2020 and is a member of the Percussive Arts Society and National Association for Music Educators
Student viola soloist Jedidiah Lightner will perform Telemann’s beloved Concerto in G Major for Viola and Strings, one of the most famous compositions in the string repertoire. Mr. Lightner, a senior at Southside High School, plays viola in Southside’s orchestra and chamber orchestra; he recently performed with the Arkansas all-state orchestra as assistant principal violist. His current plan is to attend the University of Alabama in the fall to pursue a degree in computer science while minoring in music.
Another highlight of the program will be a performance of the Theme from “Schindler’s List” by John Williams, featuring student violin soloist Gregory Allen, guest artist and harp player Marissa Caufield, and A String Fort Smith Director and violinist Lori Fay. Gregory Allen, currently a senior at Northside High School – who recently attained a superior rating for his violin solo performance at the Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs – plans to attend either UCA (University of Central Arkansas) or UAFS to pursue a career in the medical field. Marissa Caufield, a freshman at the UAFS, started learning to play piano when she was only 5 years old and went on to pursue harp soon after she turned 6. During her 12 years of playing harp, she has won multiple competitions and enjoys performing at banquets, weddings, churches, nursing homes, and hospitals, and with a
variety of ensembles.
Founder and Director Lori Fay, is a widely respected violinist, and brings years of symphony orchestra, chamber music, solo performing, and recording experience to the Fort Smith area where she resides. Ms. Fay received a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University (Houston, TX), as well as a Master of Music in Teaching from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (Oberlin, OH). Since settling in Fort Smith over 15 years ago and establishing a career as Associate Concertmaster of the Fort Smith Symphony, Co-Founder and Co-Director of DuoBrava (www.duobrava.com), private violin, viola, and piano instructor, and more, her passion remains working with young string players interested in improving their skills and deepening their love of music.
A String Fort Smith concerts are FREE and open to the public. The Outdoor Pavilion at ARCOM and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church are accessible for the physically impaired.
For patrons who cannot – or chose not to – attend a performance by A String Fort Smith, the Saturday, April 9 performance taking place at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, will be offered virtually in perpetuity, on A String Fort Smith’s YouTube Channel.
For more information about the work of A String Fort Smith, or for string players interested in auditioning for A String Fort Smith, please send an email to [email protected]
