Symphony of Northwest Arkansas – SoNA

*SoNA performance at the Walton Arts Center*, *Fayetteville, Arkansas*

The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA), previously named the North Arkansas Symphony (NASO), was founded in 1954 and has provided over 60 years of musical performances and educational opportunities. SoNA is a non-profit, resident company of Walton Arts Center, and presents classical and pops performances across Northwest Arkansas, with an annual combined audience of 25,000.

The SoNA Oral History Project documents the foundations, principles, and future of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Starting in November of 2021, U of A students began filming these oral history interviews. All interviews were conducted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as part of the SoNA Arkansas Story Vault project at The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History in collaboration with the University of Arkansas Honors College.

D. Riley Nicholson is SoNA’s Executive Director. Nicholson previously served as a production manager and project manager for the Center for New Music in San Francisco. He completed his Master’s in Music Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Paul Haas has been SoNA’s Music Director since 2010. Haas is also the current Music Director for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, as well as a composer, installation artist, and the founder of Sympho. Haas is a graduate of Yale University and The Julliard School.

Karen Kapella previously was on the board of directors for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. She chaired the board in 2010 before being appointed as the Executive Director in 2011. Kapella left her role with SoNa in 2014 and now manages her family ranch in Oklahoma.

Ben Harris is the General Manager of SoNA. Harris served first as SoNA’s Production Manager then as Director of Operations and Annual Giving. He obtained his Bachelor’s in Music from UALR and earned his Master’s in Music Composition in Fayetteville.

Peter Lane is on SoNA’s Board of Advisors. Lane has served as President and CEO of Walton Arts Center for nearly 13 years. He has played double bass for the San Francisco Opera and served as Executive Director of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.

Matthew Herren is the former Executive Director of SoNA. Herren has been a member of the New York Chamber Soloists and Trio Fedele. He served as Operations Manager of the Helicon Foundation and is now Executive Director of Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.

Terry Hicks is the current SoNA Singers Director. Hicks also serves as Head Choral Director at Bentonville High School. Hicks obtained his Bachelor’s in Music Education from Ithaca College in New York and completed his Master’s in Music Education at the U of A.

Theresa Delaplain is SoNA’s Principal Oboeist. She has a Bachelor of Music from University of Michigan, Master of Music from Bowling Green State University, and Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Cincinnati. She teaches oboe and music theory at the U of A.

Fernando Valencia is SoNA’s Principal Percussionist. Valencia has a Bachelor of Music from the Universidad Javeriana in Columbia and a Master’s of Music from the U of A. He is a Percussion Instructor and Director of the Latin American Music Jazz Ensemble at the U of A.

William Mitchell is former CEO of Walton Arts Center. Mitchell was with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center before being hired by WAC in 1987 as their first Executive Director and CEO. Through this role, Bill helped shape the WAC and the NWA arts community.

Mary T. Benjamin is a Friend of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, as well as a Board member and former Board Chair. Benajmin has been involved with SoNA since 1974.

William A. Schwab is a longtime SoNA supporter. Schwab has been Executive Director for the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, a University Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, and Dean of Fulbright College at the U of A.