The Mountain Home Symphony Orchestra will present its annual “A Holiday Concert” on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 2:30 p.m. in the Ed Coulter Performing Arts Center at The Sheid on the Arkansas State University-Mountain Home campus, located at 1600 S. College Street.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online through the symphony’s website. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. The holiday concert is a signature event for the symphony and serves as a festive start to the Christmas season for many families in the Twin Lakes area.
Last year’s performance filled the 824-seat hall and featured music from the orchestra’s 55 volunteer musicians, accompanied by the 30-voice Mountain Home Symphony Singers. Musicians come from across northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Bruce Shaver, who serves as conductor of the symphony, is a north Arkansas native and Arkansas Tech University graduate. Shaver, based in Lone Rock, has taught music to students ranging from elementary school to high school. His wife, Joy, is a flutist with the orchestra, and the couple has four children.
The Mountain Home Symphony Singers, founded by orchestra violinist Charlotte Jackson, will join the orchestra again this year. Jackson created the group to give local vocalists an opportunity to perform outside of traditional settings like church choirs. The chorus debuted at the 2023 holiday concert and has performed with the orchestra at every event since then. Jackson, who teaches K-12 music at Norfork Public Schools, also directs her school’s high school band and choir. She holds a master’s degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Houston.
The symphony originated as the Mozark Regional Orchestra in 1991 before transitioning its nonprofit status to Arkansas. It performs two to three formal concerts annually and provides music at ASU-Mountain Home graduation ceremonies. Past concerts have included pieces from popular films such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Lord of the Rings,” as well as traditional selections like Leroy Anderson’s holiday and Irish arrangements.
The all-volunteer orchestra consists of musicians spanning all ages and occasionally has open positions in various sections. High school students who play with the group can also qualify for scholarships based on their participation in performances.
For more information about the upcoming concert, attendees can contact James Briesmeister at 870-613-5822.