The Saline Symphony Orchestra spring concert, featuring the works of prominent composers from their homelands, will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 6 pm. Featured in the program will be the talents of Mr. Cesar Blas on piano and original compositions of Mr. Paul Fei. This is your unique opportunity to attend the premiere of a composition right here in Bryant, Arkansas!

Among the other featured composers are Beethoven, Verdi, Smetana, and Sibelius, among others.
Conductor George Fu will lead the orchestra. This event will also feature young musicians joining the orchestra for this special performance.
The event will be held at Love Auditorium in the Bryant High School Fine Arts Building and is free to the public.

The program is appropriate for all ages. Donations are accepted.

Cesar Blas was born in La Paz, Bolivia and began his piano studies at age eight. Since then, he has been an active recitalist and accompanist in his native Bolivia and in the United States. Mr. Blas has been a top prize winner in the La Paz International Piano Competition, the Eduardo Caba Competition, and the Santa Cruz Youth Symphony Orchestra Competition, among others. He has performed the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Bolivia. In January 2020, Mr. Blas won First Prize in the Piano Division of the Monroe, Louisiana Symphony Concerto Competition. A fine oboist, Mr. Blas is a member of both the UCA Wind Ensemble and the Conway Symphony Orchestra. 

As an active member of the piano studio of Dr. Neil Rutman, Mr. Blas graduated from UCA with a bachelor's degree in piano performance and a master's degree in oboe performance. Currently, he works as a collaborative pianist at University of Centrall Arkansas in Conway, and Arkansas Tech in Russellville. 

Paul Fei, composer and arranger of Rhapsody of Passion and Simple Gifts, graduated from East China Normal University and earned a bachelor's degree in the city of Shangai. For now, Mr. Fei lives and works in the city of Suzhou. He had several music instructors like composer Yong Du in Beijing, harp master Jason Zhang, and theory master Daqun Jia in Shangai. He also studied with composer and orchestrator Yue-xian Dong in Changchun. 

Paul Fei is an expert in harp playing and piano improvisation. 

The Saline Symphony Orchestra is pleased to premiere two new pieces by Mr. Fei. The Rhapsody of Passion is inspired by Yanni's New-Age music. Mr. Fei composed a new arrangement of Simple Gifts for the SSO; the middle part is inspired by the melody of Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland.

 

The Saline Symphony Orchestra, located in Bryant, Arkansas, is a community-based organization with volunteer musicians from Saline County, as well as Little Rock, Hot Springs, and Sheridan areas. All of our performances are free to the public and appropriate for all ages. Donations are accepted, both in person and online.

Our next event is Saturday, May 31st, 2025; our spring rehearsals started on January 12th, 2025. If you are interested in joining the Saline Symphony Orchestra, please see our Events Page for more information.

Love Auditorium is a state-of-the-art facility with free and handicapped parking on the grounds of Bryant High School. To find the latest information, see the Saline Symphony Orchestra’s Facebook Page at https://fb.me/SalineSymphony. 

2025 Music Camp Scholarship Recipients Announced!

We are pleased to announce our 2025 Music Camp Scholarship Recipients! These fine young student musicians were recommended by their instructors and wrote wonderful essays, sharing how important this learning opportunity will be to them - and they will each head off to the Arkansas music camp of their choice this summer.

A huge thanks to the Saline Symphony Orchestra's donors for allowing us to double the number of scholarships offered this year! Thanks go to Drs. Greg & Kay Reed, a generous anonymous gift in honor of music educator and musician Susan Antonetti, and Walmart #336 in Sheridan.