Following a stellar lineup of packed houses over the last few months, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas will officially close its 2025-26 mainstage concert season with Behind the Mask: Romeo and Juliet on March 7 at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, performing under the baton of guest conductor Tamara Dworetz.

With SoNA’s longtime music director concluding his tenure with the organization last spring, the orchestra has presented a bold new season of discovery featuring six different guest conductors — four of whom are finalists to become SoNA’s next artistic leader, including Dworetz.

“We are now nearing the conclusion of not only our season but also our search for a new music director — a process that has made for a unique and exciting season,” said Ben Harris, SoNA executive director. “Each guest conductor has brought their own artistic perspective to the podium, revealing new nuances in the music and fresh dimensions within the ensemble. It has been tremendously rewarding to see our orchestra continue to perform at such a consistently high level throughout the season, no matter who is leading the performance. Our audiences have also played an essential role in this journey, engaging enthusiastically and offering thoughtful feedback. We are looking forward to working with our next candidate, Tamara Dworetz.”
 

For Behind the Mask, audiences are invited to experience yet another example of orchestral storytelling at its best, as Dworetz leads an evocative program that explores the drama and romance of masked identities. It will feature Sergei Prokofiev’s epic Romeo and Juliet, alongside Antonín Dvořák’s exuberant Carnival Overture, Carl Nielsen’s playful Maskarade Overture, Anna Clyne’s kinetic Masquerade and Aram Khachaturian’s opulent Masquerade Suite: Waltz & Galop.

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“In my humble opinion, the music from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet suites is some of the most beautiful, haunting and open-hearted music ever written,” Dworetz said. “While the concert title Behind the Mask points toward the secrecy in these stories’ narratives, the music itself wears its emotions on its sleeve, completely unmasked — the power of Prokofiev’s writing will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride.”