Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall - News - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Fifth Annual Chancellor’s Concert

Samantha Koros — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:06:48 +0000

The Chancellor’s Concert is the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s signature annual music event, bringing together student musicians from across the music program for an evening of performance. This year’s concert also marks the reopening of the newly enhanced , giving attendees the first opportunity to experience the venue’s updated capabilities.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock will host its fifth annual Chancellor’s Concert on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.

A performance unlike any other on campus, the Chancellor’s Concert features nearly every student ensemble in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock music program. The concert highlights the depth, range and collaborative spirit of the School of Literary and Performing Arts, offering audiences a wide variety of musical styles and ensemble settings in a single program.

Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall has been reimagined to provide a more immersive concert experience for both performers and audiences. Recent upgrades include enhanced audio and visual systems and the addition of a portable stage build-out, allowing for greater flexibility in staging and ensemble configuration. The concert serves as the debut for these improvements, reinforcing the university’s commitment to high-quality live performance.

“The Chancellor’s Concert, now in its fifth year, is the music program’s largest event of the academic year,” said Justin Bunting, director of instrumental activities. “It’s an opportunity to showcase the remarkable work our students and faculty accomplish across all ensembles.”

Free and open to the public, the concert highlights the talent, dedication and collaboration that define ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s music program, from large choral and instrumental ensembles to intimate chamber groups.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Present Spring Jazz and Wind Ensemble Concert April 23

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:58:09 +0000

The School of Literary and Performing Arts will host the Spring Jazz and Wind Ensemble Concert on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s campus.

The concert will feature joint performances that start with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Wind Ensemble, led by Dr. Nickolas Doshier, director of music education, and end with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Jazz Ensemble, led by Instructor Dr. Michael Underwood.

“We intend for it to be music’s call for joy and peace and the bringing together of people,” Underwood said.

Songs to be performed include:

“Waltz No. 2” by Dmitri Shostakovich (arranged by Michael Brown)
“Dusk” by Steven Bryant
“Song and Dance” by Philip Sparke (arranged by Geoffrey Brand)
“Lights Out” by Alex Shapiro
“Kiss of Fire”
“One by One” by Wayne Shorter
“Ms. Bird” by Dan Haerle
“Scott’s Place” by the Count Basie Orchestra
“Gaza Strip” by Joseph Scianni

The performance of “Song and Dance” will feature ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s new trumpet instructor and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s second trumpet, Dr. Andrew Stadler.

Admission to the concert is free and is open to the public. For more information, contact the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291 or slpa@ualr.edu.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock Presents “Conversations From the Choral Canon”

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:50:08 +0000

The School of Literary and Performing Arts will showcase the talent of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs during the spring choir concert “Conversations From the Choral Canon” on Saturday, April 27 at 2 p.m.

The concert will take place in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s campus.

This semester’s concert features performances by a number of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs—Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorus, and Night Shift—who will be performing selections by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and more.

While the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs have typically performed more contemporary pieces, Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, shares what it means to perform works from the traditional canon.

“Exploring these ideas reveals that we are not so different from those who lived and worked in other places in the world and in ages past,” Mason said. “To be human carries with it a sense of wonder and beauty, pain, relationships, artistry, inspiration, struggle, and triumph, and to share this music brings us closer together and closer to the brilliant human beings who dedicated their own lifetimes to composing it.”

During rehearsals, Mason has found herself not only appreciating each piece among the selection, but also appreciating the excitement from students as they perform works from centuries ago.

“This is the music that welcomed me into the world of choral music, and sharing it with these singers has been a joyful journey,” Mason said. “Hearing students talk about how fun it is to sing Mozart or how enlightening it is to learn about Brahm’s ‘Requiem’ is rewarding, and it opens the door to enriching conversation with students.”

“Conversations From the Choral Canon” is a free concert and is open to the public. For more information, contact the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291 or slpa@ualr.edu.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Spring Percussion Concert to Feature Guest Artist Master Christopher

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:52:28 +0000

The School of Literary and Performing Arts will present its spring percussion concert featuring the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Percussion Ensemble and the Trojan Steel Band on Thursday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.

This semester’s concert features special guest Chris Thompson, also known as , who will be performing pieces from his album “Music Desegregation.”

“Master Christopher composed the music and lyrics for the album, which aims to blend classical styles and classical percussion instruments with hip-hop,” said Dr. Justin Bunting, director of instrumental activities.

In addition to special guest Master Christopher, the ensemble and band will also be joined by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock voice, saxophone, and piano students, along with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock string faculty Meredith Maddox Hicks on viola.

The Trojan Steel Band will open the concert with “Jean & Dinah,” “Jamaican Farewell,” “Steampipe Rhumba,” “Try Jah Love,” and “I Melt With You.”

Pieces featured in the Percussion Ensemble portion of the concert are:

“Humming Chorus”
“The Gospel”
“F�𲹰��”
“Caged Birds The Most Heard”
��𱹱��پ��ǲԲ�”
“M��ٱ��”

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Bunting at .

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School of Literary and Performing Arts to Host Shakespeare in Song Nov. 30

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 20:11:29 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts will host its fall choir concert, Shakespeare in Song, on Thursday, Nov. 30.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chamber Ensembles will perform pre-concert music beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The performers include the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs, solo vocalists, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Clarinet and Flute Ensembles, and faculty from the School of Literary and Performing Arts.

“The event highlights the correlation between Shakespeare texts and their connection to song,” said Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities. “For centuries, Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays have been a fruitful source of texts for composers of song, both in choral literature and solo vocal repertoire. This event features vocal and choral settings of such texts from a variety of Shakespeare plays.”

Students from Dr. Paul Crutcher’s Teaching English class have worked diligently writing program notes to represent the music and literary content, with editorial help from Dr. Kris McAbee, co-director of the School of Literary and Performing Arts. Music selections include songs from “The Tempest,” “Hamlet,” “As You Like It,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “Twelfth Night,” and more.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Fall Percussion Concert Nov. 2

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:30:22 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Percussion Ensemble and Trojan Steel Band will host its Fall Percussion Concert on Thursday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, located in the Fine Arts building on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus.

Both the Percussion Ensemble and the Trojan Steel Band are directed by Dr. Justin Bunting, the music program’s Director of Instrumental Activities in the School of Literary and Performing Arts.

“These students have worked hard to prepare our largest program since my arrival in Fall 2019,” Bunting said. “The Percussion Ensemble portion of the concert consists of six pieces representing a wide variety of percussion repertoire. We are excited to showcase the diversity of the percussion ensemble genre, as well as the talents of our students.”

Works to be performed include “Opening Remarks,” a marimba quartet by Jeffrey Dennis Smith, “Drums of Moria” by Nathan Daughtrey, and “memory” by Evan Chapman for children’s desk bells (emulating a wind chime) and live, electronic accompaniment.

The program will also include “M��ٱ��” and “F�𲹰��” by Chris Thompson, also known as Master Christopher. These two pieces are a preview of the ensemble’s March 2024 concert where Thompson’s album “Music Desegregation” will be presented with Thompson on stage as both a guest artist and soloist.

The Trojan Steel Band will close the concert with a mix of tunes including “Mary Anne,” a traditional soca tune by Roaring Lion, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” originally by Elvis Presley, and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

“Who doesn’t like Steel Band music?” Bunting said. “It’s fun to listen to and, perhaps, even more fun to play. This group is musically challenging but also a way to put aside your stress and enjoy playing these beautiful instruments. You will see students rotating from one type of steel drum to another between tunes. This is because I want as diverse of a learning, and musical, experience as possible for them.”

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Bunting at jbunting@ualr.edu.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Jazz and Wind Ensemble Concert Oct. 5 Featuring First Performance with Professor Doshier

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 12:39:57 +0000

Music lovers will have the opportunity to experience twice the fun and talent Oct. 5 with a concert featuring both the Jazz Ensemble and the Wind Ensemble at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

The Jazz Ensemble, led by Dr. Michael Underwood, advanced instructor of music, will jump start the program with three big band pieces: “A Nasty Bit of Blues” by Doug Beach; “Hay Burner” by Sammy Nestico, and “Kid Charlemagne” arranged by Mike Tomaro.

In a new twist, the Jazz Ensemble will next divide up into three jazz combos with one piece each, including “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Cannonball Adderley, “The Preacher” by Horace Silver, and “Blue Bossa” by Kenny Dorham.

The Wind Ensemble will follow with a concert titled, “Portraits of the Sky.” Selections include “Sunscapes” by Chandler Wilson, “Aphelion” by Giovanni Santos, “Sheltering Sky” by John Mackey (arranged by Patrick Dunnigan), and “Rolling Thunder” by Henry Fillmore. Wind Ensemble students had the opportunity to virtually meet and work with composers Chandler Wilson and Giovanni Santos.

“Through the beauty of daybreak, agitating storms, and looking beyond the night’s sky, the Wind Ensemble’s performance will feature music from multiple genres and styles, each reflecting a unique take on the mysterious nature of our atmosphere,” said Dr. Nickolas Doshier, assistant professor of music.

This concert serves as Doshier’s first performance at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. He joined the music program this fall, where he also serves as the director of music education, coordinates the music education internship program, and directs the Wind Ensemble.

Doshier enjoys working with musicians throughout the country as a clinician, adjudicator, and coordinator of music festivals. He is also an active researcher in the areas of conducting performance and pedagogy, life-long musicianship, and music teacher education.

“I’ve had a wonderful time getting to know the students in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble,” Doshier said.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Wind Ensemble Concert April 25

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:38:46 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble will hold its spring semester concert on Tuesday, April 25.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus.

The Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Michael Underwood, advanced instructor of music, will perform music from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” John Philip Sousa’s “El Capitan March,” as well as the “Neo-Classic Suite” by the Frank Erickson. The concert will also showcase the conducting debut of Elijah Jennings, a senior music education major, who will conduct the “October” by Eric Whitacre.

For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Weekend Featuring Percussion Ensemble Concert, Percussion Day

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 12:41:48 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Percussion Ensemble and Trojan Steel Band will host a concert, which is free and open to the public, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus.

The Spring Percussion Concert will include performances by the Percussion Ensemble with special guests Dr. Andy Smith of the University of Texas at El Paso and Blue Line Duo (Justin and Cassie Bunting).

The Percussion Ensemble will perform “Get Hyped!” by Angela Kepley, “Shell” by Emma O’Halloran, “Kibo” by Andrea Venet with Dr. Smith as a guest soloist, “Vertical River” by Blake Tyson, and the world premiere of “Daily Grind” by Dr. Justin Bunting,” professor of percussion at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Dr. Smith and Blue Line Duo will perform “Catching Shadows” by Ivan Trevino.

The Trojan Steel Band will perform two tunes: “Underneath the Mango Tree,” a traditional calypso tune, and “Save Your Tears” by the Weeknd. The concert will close with an arrangement of the traditional West African rhythm, “Djole.”

It will be a weekend full of percussion fun as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will also host its second annual Percussion Day on Saturday, April 22. The event will bring high school percussionists from around the state to campus for a free day of performances and clinics.

Groups from Springdale Har-Ber High School, The Academies of West Memphis, and Star City High School will perform during Percussion Day. Students will also have the opportunity to receive instruction and feedback and attend clinics by guest artist Dr. Smith and Dr. Bunting.

The day will also include free literature, materials, and door prizes from some of the most recognizable percussion companies in the world. Interested high school seniors can audition for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Music Program while they are on campus.

Those interested in attending ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Percussion Day can .

For more information on these events, contact Dr. Bunting at jbunting@ualr.edu.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Second Annual Chancellor’s Concert April 13

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 13:47:37 +0000

The School of Literary and Performing Arts is hosting its second annual Chancellor’s Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13.

The concert is free and open to the public and will take place in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall located in the Fine Arts Building.

A performance unlike any other, the Chancellor’s Concert features every student ensemble in the music program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, including selected student soloists.

“You may attend a Wind Ensemble concert, Choirs concert, or Percussion concert other times during the year, but this concert features all those groups and more,” said Dr. Justin Bunting, assistant professor of percussion and Chancellor’s Concert creator.

Groups performing at this year’s Chancellor’s Concert include the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Choir, Percussion Ensemble, Piano Ensemble, and Flute Ensemble.

Pieces to be performed at the concert include “At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners” by Williametta Spencer, “Fantasy on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen” arranged by Mack Wilberg, “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter, “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” by David Mann, “Shell” by Emma O’Halloran, “Sing, Wearing the Sky” by Jake Runestad, and “Porgy and Bess Suite” by George Gershwin.

“This concert showcases the culmination of the work of music students and faculty across the whole year,” said Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. “It’s a great event for learning about all the exciting work going on in the music program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Andrew Battie, Stephen Graham, Kaitlyn Kendrick, Analise McKenzie, and Christian Waldron have been selected as individual student soloists who will also be performing.

“The diverse nature of each individual ensemble lends itself to the creation of unique concert experiences each spring when you come to the Chancellor’s Concert,” Bunting said.

For more information or questions regarding the event, please contact the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291.

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Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall - News - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Fifth Annual Chancellor’s Concert

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Present Spring Jazz and Wind Ensemble Concert April 23

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Presents “Conversations From the Choral Canon”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Spring Percussion Concert to Feature Guest Artist Master Christopher

School of Literary and Performing Arts to Host Shakespeare in Song Nov. 30

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Fall Percussion Concert Nov. 2

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Jazz and Wind Ensemble Concert Oct. 5 Featuring First Performance with Professor Doshier

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Wind Ensemble Concert April 25

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Weekend Featuring Percussion Ensemble Concert, Percussion Day

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Second Annual Chancellor’s Concert April 13