Kick off your holiday season with A Conway Christmas, presented by the Conway Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Performance Hall in Conway. The CSO annual Christmas concert is always a crowd favorite and is guaranteed to get your family in the holiday spirit! This year’s performance features the return of special guests Arkansas Festival Ballet and Central Arkansas Children’s Choir. The performance is underwritten by Conway Corporation, with guest artist sponsorship from Smith Ford, Inc. and Morgan Keegan and Co.
Tickets are $6 for children and students, and $20-$38 for adults, with a discount rate of $15 for groups of 10 or more. Purchase tickets at the Reynolds box office, (501) 450-5506, toll free 866-810-0012 outside of Conway, or at ConwaySymphony.org.
Under the direction of Israel Getzov, the Conway Symphony will perform holiday favorites such as “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Sleigh Ride,” among many others. “Music is inseparable from Christmas. It instantly puts us in the holiday mood and without it, the holidays just wouldn’t be the same,” says Getzov. Santa Claus will also make a special guest musician appearance, and will be available for photos at intermission, so parents are encouraged to bring a camera.
The concert will also feature the Central Arkansas Children’s Choir performing “One December, Bright and Clear” by Mack Wilberg,. The CACC is an award-winning, auditioned choral program for 4th-9th grade treble voices, which has performed at events across the state and in national music festivals, under the direction of Ryan Fisher and Paige Rose.
For the second half of the performance, the Conway Symphony will be joined once again by Little Rock-based Arkansas Festival Ballet for selections from The Nutcracker, including the well-known “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” “Trepak”, “Arabian Dance,” “Chinese Dance,” and “Waltz of the Flowers.” Principal dancers are Alexander Maryianowski, of Abilene, Texas (courtesy of Abilene Ballet Theatre); Emily Karnes, Calvin Chester, and Alexandra Herring of North Little Rock; Rachel Powell, Allison Stearns, Anthony Bryant, and Mersey Fulper-Smith of Little Rock; Sara Williams, of Roland; Meredith Short, of Maumelle; and Matthew Morley, of Sherwood. “Arkansas Festival Ballet is delighted to perform Nutcracker highlights with the Conway Symphony Orchestra and add the beauty of ballet to the holiday season,” notes Janet Aronson, AFB executive director.
A special children’s event, Nutcracker Sweets, will be held before the concert, from 6:00-7:00 at AETN on the UCA campus, hosted by the Conway Symphony Orchestra Guild. Children can meet the dancers and the conductor, hear the stories of The Nutcracker, plus enjoy cookies and coloring activities. Tickets are $5 for children, and free for adults accompanying a child. Call (501) 269-1066 to reserve your ticket, or visit www.ConwaySymphony.org. Seating is limited and reservations must be made by Nov. 30.
The Conway Symphony Orchestra exists to create meaningful experiences through performances and education. For a video preview of the concert, and more information on performances and other musical and educational programs, visit www.ConwaySymphony.org or call (501) 269-1066.
