The annual Artosphere: Arkansas’ Art + Nature Festival spotlights artists and performers from around the region who are inspired by nature, and brings those performances out into the community. With dozens of free and low cost performances from all genres of music, this multi-week festival is the perfect way to enjoy the sounds you love.
Rowdy on the Ramble
Upper Ramble, Fayetteville | May 1, 7:30-10:30 pm
FREE
Expect the unexpected when we take the arts beyond our theater walls. Rowdy in the Ramble is Artosphere’s newest event that boasts lively music, spectacular entertainment and a high-energy festival atmosphere. Bring your friends, bring a blanket and bring your dancing shoes. Arkansauce and Jumpsuit Jamey & the Can’t Wait to Play Boys will provide the soundtrack for the evening, and Inspyral Circus lights up the night with a thrilling fire art performance.
Crafted goods from local vendors, food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase throughout the evening.
Jazz in the Garden
Botanical Garden of the Ozarks | May 5, 6:30 pm
FREE, register here
Little Rock-based jazz band Langiappe performs with singer Genine LaTrice Perez in the beautiful Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. Hailing from Little Rock, Lagniappe is a local musical family that has brought joy to crowds and special gatherings regionally and nationally for nearly 20 years. Led by Perez, a genre-blending vocalist, this group brings heart, power, warmth and soulful storytelling to every performance.
Bring your chairs or picnic blanket. Food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are available for purchase.
Chapel Series: Chamber Music at Hunt Chapel
Hunt Chapel, Rogers | May 6, 6 pm
Experience an inspiring evening of music that brings together the vibrant talent of Northwest Arkansas. Curated by Tomoko Kashiwagi, this special concert unites students from the University of Arkansas, outstanding regional musicians and distinguished professional artists in a collaborative celebration of artistry and community. The program features repertoire that will make your heart dance, highlighted by the delightful Suite Antique for solo flute and string ensemble by John Rutter, featuring flutist Cristina Ballatori. Audiences will also enjoy an array of chamber works showcasing the richness and intimacy of small ensemble performance. Featured performers include the professional cello duo DJ Celli, alongside a dynamic string quartet and other ensembles. From lyrical elegance to vibrant interplay, each performance invites listeners into a shared musical experience where sound resonates across generations of musicians. This concert celebrates not only artistic excellence but also the power of connection through music.
Chapel Series: The Crumbs at Cooper Chapel
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, Bella Vista | May 11, 6 pm
Enjoy Americana bluegrass music from Arkansas-local band The Crumbs in a beautiful architectural marvel.
Hailing from Ft. Smith, The Crumbs harken back to a time when iron men played wooden instruments. Between their three original albums, this group is known for their easy-listening, folk tunes.
Jazz on the Mountain
Mount Sequoyah’s Vesper Point, Fayetteville | May 14, 6 pm
FREE
Performer and composers Marco Wimer and Dylan Wenino met at the University of Arkansas and discovered a common thread of interest in taste and the ambition to create their own music. Their group, the Wimer-Wenino Project is comprised of Northwest Arkansas musicians who have been heavily inspired by the jazz/ gospel/rock recordings of ‘70s on the iconic ECM, especially the works of Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Keith Jarrett and John Scofield. They began playing and composing together, both emerging from the jazz tradition, to create something new. Enjoy their unique sounds outdoors at Mt. Sequoyah’s Vesper Point.
Broadway, Bacharach and Bossa Nova
Starr Theater at Walton Arts Center | May 17, 6 pm
Tickets: $10 tiered, $25.30 cabaret seating
In the concrete jungle of New York, vocalist Marcy Harriell and pianist Jeannine Wagar both found great success...but found greater inspiration in the lush green hills of Fayetteville, where kismet placed them three doors apart. After years of combined experience learning the rules of music, this eclectic duo is happily breaking them. Come see the maiden performance from this wildly experienced pair, covering everything from Bossa Nova to Broadway to Bacharach!
Curtis Chamber Orchestra
Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center | May 19, 7 pm
For 15 years, the Curtis Chamber Orchestra has maintained an unparalleled presence at top international concert halls, performing more than 450 concerts in over 120 cities, from New York to Berlin and Hong Kong to Santiago. Now, for one night only, you can see them at Walton Arts Center. The ensemble, composed of students, alumni and faculty of the prestigious Curtis School of Music, will perform an exquisite selection of Barber, Mozart and Beethoven.