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The Hot Springs/ Hot Springs Village Symphony Guild- Welcome
- Program Notes
THE JOHN WILLIAMS-STEVEN SPIELBERG COLLABORATIONS:
A FILM MUSIC LECTURE/PERFORMANCE
By Members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
The Hot Springs/Hot Springs Village Symphony Guild is pleased to conclude its 2025–2026 Classic Concert Series with “The John Williams-Steven Spielberg Collaborations: A Film Music Lecture/Performance by Members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.”
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra music librarian, violinist, and String Academy faculty member Dr. Geronimo Oyenard has created a special lecture-performance featuring his original arrangements for string quartet to celebrate over 50 years of the unique partnership between composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg. The presentation will combine a live performance of many of John Williams’ most famous themes with Dr. Oyenard’s commentary on the music and films of these legendary artists. The performance will be enhanced by a projection of the corresponding film clips shown on multiple overhead screens.
The program will take place on Sunday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m. at Village Bible Church, 100 Ponderosa Way, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.
General admission: $10. Tickets are available at symphonyguild.org (your email confirmation serves as your ticket) or at the door. The event will last approximately one hour.
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About the Program
Step behind the scores of one of cinema’s greatest creative partnerships — composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg. Spanning over five decades and 30 feature films, with the upcoming release of “Disclosure Day” in June 2026, their collaboration has produced some of the most iconic and beloved soundtracks in film history. In this engaging lecture-performance, Dr. Oyenard will be joined by ASO musicians Leanne Day-Simpson (violin), Lauren Pokorzynski (viola), and Joanna Klett (cello). Together they will perform and explore some of John Williams’ most well-known film compositions, including Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List, as well as some of his lesser known yet underrated scores, such as 1941, Hook, Catch Me if You Can, Munich, and Lincoln. The program will also include rare interview clips, offering audiences a deeper understanding of how Williams’ music elevates Spielberg’s storytelling, as well as the secret to their working relationship.
About the Speaker
A passionate scholar of film music, Dr. Oyenard has presented similar lectures and pre-concert talks for the Arkansas Symphony, the University of Central Arkansas/Conway Symphony, and the University of Oklahoma, as well as several pop culture conventions in the United States and his native Uruguay. Recent topics have included: Batman on film (“The Music of the Knight: From Elfman to Giacchino”), Elmer Bernstein (“An American Original”), music from the original Star Wars Trilogy, the Superhero genre, and Jaws (“The Shark (Theme) is Still Working”). He has also recorded at the legendary Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros. (“The Hollywood Collection” Vols. 1-2) and pursued research on film music at JoAnn Kane Music Services, home of the 20th Century Fox archives, in Burbank (CA).
About the Artists
Dr. Geronimo Oyenard is a violinist, educator, arranger, independent scholar, and orchestra librarian, currently affiliated with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Uruguay, Dr. Oyenard holds degrees in performance and music history from the College of Charleston, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and the University of Oklahoma. His DMA document, Issues in Late Classical Violin Concerto Literature culminated in a lecture recital with performances of Mozart’s apocryphal and seldom-heard Violin Concerto in E-Flat, K. 268, and Beethoven’s early and unfinished Konzertsätz in C Major, WoO 5. Dr. Oyenard has performed as soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician in four continents and has been invited to festivals in Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, and Austria. He currently directs and plays in Camerata Little Rock, a dynamic and unconducted string ensemble specializing in 18th century repertoire. He frequently lectures on film music, and his arrangements of popular film, television, and video game music have been performed around the world.
Leanne Day-Simpson (violin) hails from Brisbane (Australia) and has been a violinist in the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra since 2005. She is currently the ASO’s Artistic Operations Manager and has also served as Orchestral Librarian and Education Coordinator for the orchestra. Beginning her violin studies at age three, Leanne toured Europe twice as a soloist with the Stoliarsky School of Music. The first tour, at age eight, encompassed Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, including a performance for Pope John Paul II at Vatican City. The second tour, at age thirteen, was predominantly in Germany. In 1998, Leanne came to the U.S. to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati with Professor Kurt Sassmanshaus. She continued her studies at CCM with the late Professor Constantine Kiradjieff, a former member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and graduated with an Artist Diploma in 2005. In 2003-2004, Leanne traveled the country as the violinist on the U.S. National Tour of the popular musical “The Sound of Music.” Also in 2004, she was the violinist on the U.S. National Tour of “Fiddler on the Roof.” In 2014, Leanne was the soloist for Astor Piazzolla’s Primavera Porteña (Spring) performing it three times on the ASO’s I.N.C. series. She has also participated several times on the ASO’s River Rhapsodies chamber series since joining the orchestra.
Dr. Lauren Pokorzynski (viola) is a versatile violinist/violist and dedicated educator known for her artistry as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader. She currently performs with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and serves as Principal of the Conway Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, she was appointed violinist of the Quapaw Quartet in Little Rock. She has also served as Guest Concertmaster with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Lauren was Principal Second Violin of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and held leadership roles with ensembles including the Texas Tech University Orchestra, West Texas Symphony, and Chamber Music Amarillo. As a soloist, she’s performed with Camerata Little Rock, the Lubbock Chamber Orchestra, the Benzie Symphony Orchestra, the Texas Tech University Orchestra and Texas Tech’s New Music Ensemble. Lauren teaches and performs at festivals nationwide, including the Bellingham Music Festival, Mozart in the Knobs, and the Faulkner Chamber Music Festival. She holds degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder and Texas Tech University, where her D.M.A. research explores a holistic approach to tension and violin playing. A Michigan native, she finds peace near water and shares life with her partner, James, and their three dogs: Mabel, Eleanor, and Ida.
Joanna Klett (cello) began her music studies on piano at the age of 6. Studies on the cello began a few years later through the University of Northern Iowa Suzuki School. Joanna completed a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at Western Michigan University with a Minor in Philosophy and a Master of Music in Cello Performance at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In addition to her collegiate studies, she attended several summer music festivals, including Encore School for Strings (Cleveland Institute of Music), Meadowmount School of Music, and the National Orchestral Institute (University of Maryland). Her principal cello teachers include Jonathan Chenoweth, Bruce Uchimura, Owen Carmen, and Pansy Chang. Upon completing her Masters, Joanna taught cello and piano in Cincinnati, Ohio and Oxford, Ohio. In Cincinnati, she developed and maintained an active studio of over fifty cello and piano students at West Chester Academy for 10 years, which included group piano classes and an adult cello performance class. In Oxford, Ohio, Joanna was the cello instructor for Miami University’s Young Musicians’ Program for 9 years, teaching private lessons, group classes, and summer cello camps. In 2018, Joanna moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and joined the staff of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra as Education Coordinator. In 2019, she became the Cello Instructor for the ASO’s String Academy. She plays regularly with the ASO as a substitute cellist.
About the Hot Springs/Hot Springs Village Symphony Guild
Founded in 1986, the all-volunteer Hot Springs/Hot Springs Village Symphony Guild has grown into one of the largest symphony guilds in the nation. While the HS/HSV Symphony Guild offers a variety of engaging programs for its members, its primary focus is philanthropic — supporting the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, promoting a love for fine music in the community, and serving as the region’s largest organization dedicated specifically to advancing music education in local schools. This three-fold mission is key to attracting members and financial backing. Our members value not only quality programming but also the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students through music education, a vital part of the academic experience. As a member, you'll enjoy early access to event tickets and have the chance to volunteer in support of our educational initiatives. Annual membership is just $25, and you can join at symphonyguild.org.