Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to Name Morgan Hall in Honor of Little Rock’s Susie and Charles Morgan
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) announced that it will name the performance hall in the future ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center in honor of Little Rock’s Susie and Charles Morgan. Morgan Hall will recognize the generosity and leadership of the Morgan family who recently made their second donation of $500-thousand dollars to help make the city’s community music center a reality.
“The symphony is incredibly humbled by the generosity and trust of the Morgan family,” said ASO CEO Christina Littlejohn. “They were leaders in this capital campaign to establish a permanent home for the ASO, live music and music education in Central Arkansas. Now, as we approach our final goal, they have stepped forward once again to help the performing arts flourish in our city and state. The strong support of the Morgans and our entire community of donors is why the symphony is in such a strong position today.”
The Stella Boyle Smith Music Center will be a radically welcoming hub of musical activity for all Arkansans, greatly expanding ASO’s capacity to serve Arkansas children and adults through outstanding programming and engagement opportunities. In addition to the recitals, concerts, and rehearsals that will take place in Morgan Hall, the center will include a broadcast/recording studio, multiple practice spaces, music classrooms, climate-controlled instrument storage and additional flexible space to serve future generations of Arkansans.
"Live music brings the community together in joy. Creating those times for Arkansans has always been important to Charles and me,” said Susie Morgan, Life Member of the ASO Board of Directors. “The ASO provides ways for children as young as four to learn an instrument and make music with others. Through music participation, our young people learn teamwork, communication and new ways of seeing the world, skills that make our communities stronger. We are happy to support the ASO and its service to our state for the next 50 years and make the future brighter for generations to come.”
The donation by Susie and Charles Morgan also completes a $3-million fundraising goal to unlock an additional $1.5-million challenge grant by the Windgate Foundation. ASO has successfully raised $11 million to date and now has less than $800,000 remaining to break ground on the ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center planned for development in the heart of Little Rock’s East Village. The original $9-million estimated project cost has grown due to significant changes in inflation, interest rates and construction expenses since the campaign was publicly announced in January 2022.
About The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 57th season in 2022–2023. The ASO is the resident orchestra at The Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than 60 concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, First Orion Pops Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas. In addition, the ASO offers numerous community outreach programs and brings live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools through Central Arkansas. The ASO employs 12 full-time musicians, more than 70 part-time musicians and 15 administrative staff members with an annual operating budget of $4-million. The ASO is a member of the League of American Orchestras and a partner orchestra of the National Alliance for Audition Support, an unprecedented national initiative to increase diversity in American orchestras.
