The opening concerts of A String Fort Smith’s 2023 Fall Season will take place on Thursday, November 16, at 6pm, at JKC Cellars, 7709 Ellis Street, Fort Smith, and on Friday, November 17, at 7pm, in the sanctuary of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 2701 Old Greenwood Road, Fort Smith. The performance will also be offered virtually on A String Fort Smith’s YouTube Channel. Repertoire to be performed, includes: Centennial Flourish by local composer Cory Winters; Serenade from String Quartet in F, Op. 3, No. 5 by Franz Josef Haydn; String Symphony No. 10 in B Minor by Felix Mendelssohn; Horn Concerto in D Major, TWV 51:D8 by Georg Phillipp Telemann; and Danzas de Panama by William Grant Still.
“Our upcoming Fall concerts – marking the opening of our fourth season – will offer a variety of beautiful chamber music by composers spanning nearly four centuries. I’m so pleased 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 free and open to all, and I look forward to welcoming everyone to the popular JKC Cellars and gorgeous sanctuary of St. Bartholmew’s Church!” enthuses 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 and violin; Nathan Boyd, double bass; Barbara Godette, violoncello; and Cory Winters, viola – A String Fort Smith participants are selected based on an audition.
The ensemble consists of the most advanced and dedicated students – approximately twelve to fifteen (12 to 15) per semester – who make a commitment to rehearse for one hour once per week, on Monday evenings at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Fort Smith. Members of A String Fort Smith’s 2023 Fall 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. Southside participants include: Luis Galdamez, double bass; Justin Han, violin; Hieu Le, violin; Thanh Lu, viola; Alejandro Morales, violoncello; Tzideny Romero, violoncello; and Adren Stahl, double bass. Northside participants include: Isaac Edwards, violin; and Trieu Le, violin. A String Fort Smith is delighted to welcome back alumni Gregory Allen, violin, and Allijah Rutherford, viola, and extends an enthusiastic welcome to Tru Reynolds, viola.
Members of the general public cherish performances by A String Fort Smith, not only because of Fay’s striking programming and the talented student participants, but because of outstanding guest artists and student soloists. The upcoming November 16 and 17 performances will be no exception.
Among the many highlights of the upcoming concerts by A String Fort Smith, will be an appearance by guest artist Evan Mino, acclaimed French horn player, in a performance of Georg Phillipp Telemann’s extraordinary Horn Concerto in D Major, one of the most popular pieces of the French horn repertoire. Mr. Mino will be joined by members of A String Fort Smith and guest artist Ben Henderson, harpsichord. Audiences will also be treated to a performance of Centennial Flourish, composed by Cory Winters in celebration of Maestro John Jeter and the 100th anniversary of the Fort Smith Symphony.
Evan Mino is in high demand as a performer throughout the state of Arkansas and the surrounding area. He holds the positions of Assistant Principal Horn with the Fort Smith Symphony and 2nd Horn with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, and performs on a regular basis with other orchestras such as the Arkansas Symphony, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, and Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Evan also serves as the horn professor at Arkansas Tech University, where he maintains one of the largest and most successful horn studios in the state. Mr. Mino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UA–Fort Smith and a Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Memphis, nearing completion on his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in horn performance. He has participated in summer festivals such as the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the Kent Blossom Music Festival, and the International Festival Institute at Round Top. An active keyboardist and church musician, he also serves as the organist for First Lutheran Church in Fort Smith.
Ben Henderson is the Director of Music and Organist at First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith. He received his Master of Music in organ performance at Rice University in the studio of Ken Cowan, his Bachelor of Music in organ performance from The Eastman School of Music in 2020, and at Eastman, was awarded the Performer’s Certificate while in the studio of Nathan Laube. He is an aspiring composer and enjoys singing.
Cory Winters began his musical studies as a violin student with the public-school orchestra program in his hometown of Fort Smith. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Music in 2010 and continued his education at Belmont University earning a Master of Music in 2012. Cory’s musical influences include Irish and American folk music, shape-note singing, blues, country, and a variety of art music.
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 nearly 20 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. JKC Cellars and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church are accessible for the physically impaired. For patrons who are unable to attend an in-person performance by A String Fort Smith, the November 2023 concert – and all A String Fort Smith concerts – 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]
