The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) is a professional orchestra in the Northwest region of Arkansas, founded with support from corporate, foundation and private donors. SoNA performs as a resident company of
Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas and frequently collaborates with area ensembles and institutions, including the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
,
John Brown University
John Brown University (JBU) is a Private university, private, interdenominational, Christianity, Christian university in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Founded in 1919, JBU enrolls 2,343 students from 33 states and 45 countries in its traditional und ...
and
Crystal Bridges Museum of Art.
History
SoNA is an independent 501(c) 3 organization, and is the new name for the former North Arkansas Symphony (NASO), which was founded in 1954. After a 3-year hiatus and restructure of the organization in 2008, SoNA returned to the stage in the spring of 2011. SoNA has an active Board of Directors and Advisors composed of community leaders from throughout Northwest Arkansas.
In the fall of 2013, SoNA launched an
arts integration
Arts integration differs from traditional education by its inclusion of both the arts discipline and a traditional subject as part of learning (e.g. using improvisational drama skills to learn about conflict in writing.) The goal of arts integrat ...
educational program, ImagiMusic, which has enabled SoNA to reach over 3,000 students from ten regional Tier 1 schools.
Conductors
1981 - 1997 - Carlton Woods
1999 - 2008 - Jeannine Wagar
2010–Present - Paul Haas
References
External links
SoNA Official PageSymphony of Northwest Arkansas - Facebook
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American orchestras
Musical groups established in 1954
Performing arts in Arkansas
Musical groups from Arkansas