Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO), as part of its ongoing commitment to providing a safe experience for live performance audiences, performers and staff, will join a growing number of orchestras across the country and require that attendees show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before attending in-person performances beginning on September 1, 2021. Subscribers, members and single ticket holders may show proof of vaccination by presenting a physical vaccination card, a photograph of their vaccination card or digital confirmation of vaccination along with a government-issued photo identification.
“We are thrilled to share the upcoming 2021–2022 season with our community beginning with our free concert at the Robinson Center on September 16, but recognizing the current surge in cases, we want to ensure we are doing so responsibly and prioritizing the health and safety of our audiences, performers and symphony staff,” said ASO CEO Christina Littlejohn. “We consider the Robinson Center to be our home and want our guests to be able to celebrate this music together safely.”
ASO live performance attendees at the Robinson Center and Clinton Presidential Library will also be required to wear masks unless eating or drinking in accordance with City of Little Rock guidelines. Additional COVID-19 safety precautions for ASO performances at the Robinson Center include:
- Reduced contact for ticketed entry.
- Improved air circulation with the installation of HVAC ionization systems which provide 99.4% reduction of the virus within 30 minutes.
- Enhanced and frequent sanitization of high-traffic surfaces.
- Additional hand sanitizing stations across the campus.
All six Masterworks concerts for ASO’s 2021–2022 season will be recorded in high-quality audio with multiple cameras for an engaging, virtual experience that will be made available to all subscribers, members and single ticket holders on the Saturday following the concert weekend.
As the 2021—2022 concert season approaches, ASO continues to closely monitor the evolving situation related to COVID-19 and related variants impacting our communities. ASO musicians must provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative test before participating in the concert. To ensure the safety of patrons, musicians and staff, ASO will strictly adhere to these requirements as well as guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arkansas Department of Health.
About Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 56th full season in 2021-2022. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall. They perform more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, Acxiom Pops Live! Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools. ASO’s education programs include the Sturgis Music Academy, which provides violin and cello instruction to more than 350 students, and the ASO Youth Ensembles Program, which has nearly 200 students enrolled in two full orchestras and a strings-only ensemble. ASO employs 12 full-time musicians, more than 70 part-time musicians and 15 administrative staff members with an annual operating budget of $3.5 million. Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is a member of the League of American Orchestras and a partner orchestra of the National Alliance for Audition Support, an unprecedented national initiative to increase diversity in American orchestras.
For more information about the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra call 501-666-1761 or visit www.ArkansasSymphony.org. Program notes, artist bios and high-resolution headshots available upon request.
