Founded in 1996, the Hot Springs Music Festival (HSMF) has mentored thousands of emerging classical musicians, offering them the opportunity to perform side-by-side with professional artists in venues throughout historic Hot Springs. In August 2024, after nearly three decades of impact, the HSMF Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the organization.
In June 2024, a new chapter began with the announcement of the Ozark Music Festival (OMF), a summer music event set to debut in June 2025 in Northwest Arkansas. Organized by the newly established nonprofit Ozark Music Initiative, the OMF will expand upon the legacy of its predecessor by presenting robust concert offerings and comprehensive educational and training programs for classical musicians, all in support of music performance and education.
On Saturday, June 21, at 3 PM, the OMF will present a special concert at Woodlands Auditorium in Hot Springs Village. The concert will feature the Ozark Music Festival Orchestra under the baton of Sunny Xia, Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony. The program will include Respighi’s Fountains of Rome, Ravel’s La valse, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Tickets are available at https://hotspringsvillage.thundertix.com/.
The Ozark Music Festival is co-led by Artistic Director Tomoko Kashiwagi, Emily J. McAllister, Endowed Associate Professor of Piano and Co-Associate Chair at the University of Arkansas Department of Music, and Brittany Cooper-d’Orsay, a Hot Springs Music Festival alum and the Executive Director of the Ozark Music Festival.
Inspired by the Hot Springs Music Festival, the Ozark Music Festival intends to maintain close ties with the Hot Springs community.
The Ozark Music Initiative is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and relies on community support to fulfill its mission. To learn more or contribute, please visit ozarkmusic.org.
