Barbara Deegan

WEST PLAINS, Mo.– There will be “something for everyone” when the Mountain Home Symphony performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the West Plains Civic Center theater, according to the group’s conductor Barbara Deegan.

Tickets for the performance, sponsored by Missouri State University-West Plains’ University/Community Programs Department, are $8 each and available at the civic center box office, 110 St. Louis St.  Children 13 years of age and under will be admitted free, as will Missouri State-West Plains students who show their BearPass ID.  Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Mountain Home Symphony, formerly known as the Mozark (Missouri/Arkansas) Regional Orchestra, is a 45-member volunteer orchestra that draws its performing musicians from southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.  The group offers concert programs that feature major works from classical and romantic era composers, and frequently offers programs of contemporary work by modern composers.  The spring concert is normally devoted exclusively to American composers, Deegan said.

“We try to have something for everyone on our programs,” Deegan said.  “It is a testament to the versatility of orchestra instruments that we have something from the classical period (Mozart), the romantic period (Tchaikovsky), rock and roll, and pop.  We would like our concerts to be a family experience, and we try to plan our programming with this in mind.”

The group generally performs two to three concerts a year and plays for significant community events such as the Arkansas State University and Mountain Home (Ark.) High School graduation ceremonies.

The orchestra was formed in 1991 to provide performance opportunities for the many accomplished musicians who reside in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, and to provide educational experiences for young players and audiences.  The group has grown to become a significant asset to the cultural life of the Mountain Home area.

Deegan has been the orchestra’s conductor for the past eight years.  She joined the group in 1992 and currently teaches music in the Ava, Mo., school district, where she oversees the Ava String Project, a violin program for rural students.  She is currently working on her doctorate degree in musical arts from Boston University.

Prior to the 7 p.m. concert, the orchestra’s viola section will give a pre-concert performance.  “It will be a great way to welcome the community to the West Plains Civic Center for a special night,” Deegan said.

“We’re thrilled to present the Mountain Home Symphony at the civic center,” said U/CP Theater and Events Coordinator Deborah DeWitt.  “It is a great opportunity for area residents to experience the sounds of a true symphony orchestra at a very reasonable price.  It will be exciting to have them in West Plains, and I hope area families will take advantage of this performance.”

For more information about the Mountain Home Symphony, visit http://www.mountainhomesymphony.com/.  For more information about the April 28 concert and other U/CP programs, call 417-255-7966 or visit the department’s website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/ucp/default.htm.

Filed Under: Theater and Events