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and positive attitude are really unique, and the culture he has built in the orchestra makes it so great to be a part of. The town: I love all the shops, restaurants and cafes, and of course the amazing community that supports our performances. Overall I feel really valued as a member of the Fort Smith Symphony. All of that makes it totally worth it!" On Sept. 10, Kent will be the soloist on Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1, one of three pieces that will make up the orchestra's season opener. The 7 p.m. concert also includes Max Richter's cinematic "On the Nature of Daylight" and Antonin Dvorak's thrilling New World Symphony. "Our season opening concert is our only 'traditional' program of classics all season," says Jeter, the orchestra's music director. "Max Richter's music is immensely popular. Although his music can be very complex, he is also brilliant at taking simple harmonic and melodic ideas and making them extremely compelling. 'On the Nature of Daylight' is his most well-known work. It is for string orchestra and combines three simple melodic elements into an incredibly emotional and hypnotic work. The music's gripping emotional content has resulted in it being featured in 22 movies and television shows — most notably 'Shutter Island' and 'Stranger Than Fiction.' "The Haydn concerto — written around 1765 for Joseph Weigl, whom the composer knew well and worked with often — is one of the most popular of all cello concertos, and of course Dvorak's New World Symphony is performed more often than most any other symphony." Kent's relationship with Haydn's concerto goes back to when she was 13, but she started playing the cello at the age of 3. "I don't have any memories of choosing music, or even starting to play the cello, since I was so young," she says. "The story that I'm told is that my mom asked if I wanted to play cello and I said 'sure!' I probably didn't even know what a cello was." It has been a joy to work on the Haydn concerto again, she adds. "I always try to embody the character and feeling of whatever piece I am preparing, so working on something with so much fun and joy in the music has made for very cheerful practicing," says Kent, who grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. "What has been an interesting challenge is that I first learned the first movement of this concerto when I was 13. So in preparing that movement for this performance I noticed myself getting caught up practicing things that were hard as a 13-year-old that are no longer hard for me." After the concert, guests are invited to an 8:30 p.m. after-party at the Bakery District next door to the ArcBest Performing Arts Center. "Audience and musicians alike love this opportunity to hang out and celebrate post concert," says Jeter. "The entire audience and orchestra are invited. Concert tickets can be be used for a free beverage at this event, [and] there is always excellent live music for everyone to enjoy. 'After-Party' music throughout this season will feature the Fort Smith Symphony String Quartet, Kool Cats Jazz Quartet, Fort Smith Symphony Brass Quintet, The Crumbs and more." 479-443-5600 www.waltonartscenter.org IN CONCERT SEPTEMBER 15 HERB ALPERT AND LANI HALL Concert Series Sponsor: 4 WHAT'S UP! SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2022 COVER STORY Symphony Continued From Page 3 FYI Fort Smith Symphony's 99th Season Sept. 10 — From the New World: Featuring Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight"; Franz Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1 performed by Tess Crowther Kent; and Antonín Dvorák's thrill- ing New World Symphony. Oct. 15 — Symphonic Superheroes: A heroic night featuring the best superheroes on film, including X-Men, Captain America, Robin Hood, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Transformers and more. Dec. 3 — The Joy of Christmas: With holiday favorites such as "Sleigh Ride," "We Three Kings," "The Nutcracker" and "Amaz- ing Grace." March 4 — What a Rush!: A classics concert spanning the 20th century and beyond with Cristina Spinei's "Ode to Tornado Alley, Whirl"; Kenneth Fuch's "Rush for Saxophone and Orches- tra," performed by Damian Cheek; and Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2. April 22 — Native American Legends: A thrilling and historic evening of orchestral works written by the first recognized Native American concert composer.