50th Celebration   |   Fundraiser Details   |   Upcoming Events   |   Winter News
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You're Invited!

General Membership Meeting
March 8
Home of Carl Miller
1400 South Spring Street
11:30
$12 for lunch to Fran Nelson
See below for details
MAKING MUSIC:
MATTER

50th CELEBRATION!
ASO Guild was celebrated in style after the February 24th concert.

DESIGNER HOUSE
Volunteers will be staffing the gift shop and Concerto Cafe as well as manning the rooms as docents - 24 per day. We need you!

UPCOMING GUILD EVENTS
Three great general membership meetings are still ahead as well as the Stella Boyle Smith Young Artists competition and three Designer House parties.

WINTER NEWS
A lovely holiday party, a late afternoon general membership meeting, Bare Bones party to kick off Designer House, Orchestra & You and the 50th celebration.
FUNDRAISER UPDATES

Designer House:  April 13 - May 13
Designer House 2018 will be at 8 Valley Creek View in West Little Rock, pictured above. Bare Bones was a fun party, with the house filled with art, designers and merry makers. Designers are hard at work transforming the house into Designer House XXIV. Save the date for parties: Crescendo on April 12; Girls' Night Out on April 19 and Tres De Mayo on May 3.

$50 for the 50th:
Over 80 Guild members and friends contributed $5,150 toward this fundraiser. Funds have already been used to purchase 5 violins for the Sturgis Academy students, very much appreciated. Money raised will also be earmarked to fund the Stella Boyle Smith Young Artists Competition.

Playing Cards:
Our playing cards are now being sold in 15 locations. Please look for them at: Museum of Discovery, Clinton Library gift shop, Old State House gift shop, Catering to You, Rhea Drug, Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars, Arkansas Arts Center, Heifer gift shop, State Capitol gift shop, Pinnacle Mt. State Park gift shop, UAMS' two gift shops, Green Corner Store and Shop the Rock in River Market. Cards sales have brought in almost $3,000 since June, with more coming in all the time.

At Home in Arkansas:
We raised $260 selling subscriptions and renewals until last year's cut off. We will continue to sell subscriptions at Designer House, so start thinking of who you would like to delight with a gift subscription.

Kroger Community Rewards:
We have 48 people who have signed up to have a portion of their Kroger purchase donated to the Guild using their Kroger Plus Shopper's Card. Signing up is easy and costs you nothing. Instructions for signing up are on our website:  arsymphonyguild.org
Amazon Smile:
Amazon.com will also donate a portion of any purchase made on their website to the Guild for those who have signed up. Full information on how to get signed up is on our website:  arsymphonyguild.org

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 8: General membership meeting, 1400 South Spring Street, 11:30

April 7:  Stella Boyle Smith Young Artists Competition, time TBA

April 12: General membership meeting, 50 Chenal Circle, 11:30

April 12: Crescendo party, Designer House, 8 Valley Creek View, 6:30

April 19: Girls' Night Out party, Designer House, 8 Valley Creek View, 6:30

May 17: Spring Luncheon, Arkansas Governor's Mansion, 11:30


Meet Katherine Williamson, ASO violinist, Rockefeller Quartet member and on faculty for the Sturgis Music Academy and the Faulkner Chamber Music Festival. She has her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and has played with the Minnesota Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony and the Mill City Summer Opera. She grew up in a family of orchestral musicians, a frequent family game being 'drop the needle' playing along with the local classical radio station.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Our next ASOG meeting will be March 8th at 11:30 at the home of Carl Miller, in downtown Little Rock. His address is 1400 South Spring Street, 72202.  You will enjoy being in one of Little Rock's loveliest and most beautifully decorated old homes.  We will not only have our meeting and lunch but will be able to tour the home and have the pleasure of seeing and playing Carl's collection of unique, little "music machines".  Lunch will be available for $12.  Please make reservations by March 5th to Fran Nelson at fr.nelson35@gmail.com or phone 501-351-4044.

Important parking instructions:  There is an empty Service Station just behind the house on Broadway.  Several cars can park there but do NOT park on Broadway Street.  If you park at the Service Station you may enter the house at the side door.   Other parking is on South Spring Street.  From there it will be a rather steep climb of steps up to the house.  For those who may have  difficulty with steps you may park and then walk around to the side entrance on Broadway. We will have someone out front to show you where to go.
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WINTER NEWS

Holiday Party
December 14
Home of Mary Millsap

Lana Bethune, Nikki Lawson & Joyce Hendricks

Mary Millsap, Mary Wildgen, Dale Ronnel & Michael Upson
Alice Pfeiffer & Michael Upson
Phyllis Barrier
Nikki Lawson & Mary Millsap
Guild members loaded the table with festive food
















General Membership Meeting
February 8
Home of Mary Wildgen

Nancy Crow & Beth Nyhus
Linda Holbert












Lee Lee Doyle, Mary Wildgen & Patti Tanner, accompanist

Fran & Al Nelson, Jerry Herron

Orchestra & You

O&U has presented in ten schools this year so far, with five more scheduled this spring.

An ASO musician shares his/her craft at every presentation. Here principal cellist David Gerstein has the attention of exactly one pictured child.
ASO cellist Ethan Young is also a member of the Rockefeller Quartet.

















Bare Bones Party
February 15

Designer House XXIV kicked off with an art-filled party.
Linda Tetter of Phoenix Interiors, Michael Upson, Jim Aukstuolis & Mary Wildgen
Stephanie Gardner, Interim Chancellor at UAMS
Joshua Plumlee & Jacob Ponder with Ransom Interiors






















Larry West, Jenn Cook, Paige James & Will James

50th Celebration
February 24

The ASO Guild celebrated 50 years of service after the fabulous ASO concert of The Planets and Also sprach Zarathustra.
Michael Upson provided the beautiful arrangements.
Nan Squire & Elisa Ross













Anna Cooney (harp), Sandra McDonald (violin, assistant concertmaster) & Kater Reynolds (principal viola & member of Rockefeller Quartet)
Blake Taylor (principal percussion), Diana Norwood (violin) & Joe Joyner (viola)
David Gerstein (principal cellist) & Meredith Maddox Hicks (violin)
Beth Robison (viola), Beth Massa (violin) & Joe Joyner (viola)
David Renfro (principal horn), Elisa Ross & Ethan Young (cello)
Beth & Paul Nyhus, Art Squire
Betty Herron & Maestro Philip Mann

The 50th anniversary committee started meeting in August, 2017.  The committee members are:  Betty Herron and Beth Nyhus, Co-Chairs.  Debbie Bass, Tandy Cobb, Nancy Crow, Brigita Gardner, Pauline Gerstein, Dale Ronnel and Elisa Ross.  A special campaign was initiated to raise funds to support music education; instruments for young students in the Sturgis Music Academy and to underwrite music education for young students in the future.  A goal of $5000 was established and the goal was reached by Dec. 2017.  

McLarty Companies donated $1000 towards the 50th anniversary reception to be held at LR City Hall, immediately following the concert.  Sherwood Liquor donated wine and champagne at cost and Michael Upson provided flowers for the pub tables and serving tables for the reception.  Party Time Rentals gave us a nice discount towards rentals of tables, chairs, etc.  

Debbie Bass designed the invitation that was sent to ASO Guild members, ASO Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, Musicians and ASO staff.  Beth Nyhus selected a pin to wear with a ribbon indicating former past presidents of the Guild.  

President Ouida Keck spoke before the concert announcing the 50th year for the Guild and "presented" a check for $2,184, 078 that represented the total amount that the Guild has donated to the ASO in the 50 years.  

The reception at LR City Hall followed the concert and everyone had a wonderful time.  

Beth Nyhus & Betty Herron, 50th celebration chairs, along with ASO Executive Director Christina Littlejohn and ASO Guild president Ouida Keck present 'the check' before the concert before the celebration.



































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