Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra evolves to fit community needs with announcement of 26-27 season

The Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra (WFSO) has been a part of the community for 78 years. Across the decades, it’s seen several changes and obstacles but has always found a way to persevere and provide the community with an escape from stress and a platform for unity.

Maestro Fouad Fakouri has served as the Director of the WFSO since 2017. As the orchestra is coming up on their new season, which was formally announced at the August 6 Art Walk, Fakouri is reflecting on the various setbacks the Orchestra has had to overcome.

For the last few seasons, the WFSO has had to rely on the generosity of the community for venues for their concerts. The orchestra’s “home”, Memorial Auditorium, has been under construction and left them without a permanent place to perform. Several schools and churches in the community have offered their buildings as venues so the orchestra can continue to do what they love.

The construction came not long after COVID which has had lasting impacts on attendance to the WFSO concerts and in-person events as a whole, but Fakouri said that it improves each year. Additionally, the heavy societal reliance on technology has resulted in the WFSO, and orchestras in general, having to get creative to find ways to bring in audiences.

“I don’t think the demand for orchestral music has changed. I think what’s happened is you now have so many more outlets to engage with it. Used to, on a Saturday night, you’d go listen to the symphony orchestra. Today, you don’t even have to leave your house,” Fakouri said.

Fakouri noted that the way people engage with the arts, as a whole, has changed. However these changes have forced creatives to think deeper, and as a result many innovative and unique solutions to the problem have come about. Fakouri mentioned one example that the WFSO has utilized, which is concerts centered around screenings of well-known films while the orchestra plays the soundtracks live. They’ve tried this approach with Home Alone and a collection of Pixar animated films, which Fakouri said were received very well by the audience.

Fakouri said what has been most impacted by advancements in technology is not the sounds of orchestral concerts, but the visuals. He pointed out that many concerts now feature screens that better display the musicians or feature visual accompaniments. He did mention that the liberty the WFSO has to get creative with their visuals has been restrained due to not having access to Memorial and having to work with the spaces provided to them. Whereas, in the past, the WFSO had the space for grander displays, such as when they partnered with the ballet and provided the musical accompaniment for the Nutcracker performance.

Ultimately, audience expectations have changed and that’s something Fakouri must consider when planning the program for each season. The experience must justify the cost. That said, he feels digital audio and videos will never replace the excitement and uncertainty that come with live performances and the energy they ignite in the musicians and audience members alike.

“One of the most rewarding things for me in this job is the impact we have on the community. I think in a symphony orchestra today, the question that I always ask myself is why do we have a symphony orchestra? Why should we have a symphony orchestra in today’s world? This is, after all, an art form that, by modern standards, is an older art form. So why do we continue doing it? The reason you have a symphony orchestra is because it brings the community together,” Fakouri said.

Fakouri expanded on this, pointing out that today’s society is very disconnected from one another. He believes events like the WFSO concerts are an opportunity for neighbors to come back together. They create a sense of community, while providing a relaxing atmosphere to release the stresses and worries of everyday life.

The musicians also feel that community at the concerts. Fakouri said the concerts are similar to sporting events in that the musicians are just as impacted by the audience's response as the audience is impacted by the performance. 

Despite not being from Wichita Falls, Fakouri also feels that sense of community. He grew up in an art and music oriented family and has been passionate about composing and conducting music since he began, so to see a community that’s so receptive to the arts feels like home to him. He noted that there’s seldom a weekend in Wichita Falls that doesn’t have some kind of art event going on. Fakouri hopes this support for the arts will extend to the WFSO 2026-2027 season concerts.

“I am in the eye of a tornado when I’m conducting. I’m in the eye, where everything in the room is calm, but everything immediately surveying me is exciting and full of suspense. I have the best seat in the house,” Fakouri said.

The season will have five performances with varying sounds and themes:

1. 7:00 p.m. November 14, 2026 at the First Baptist Church - Rhapsody in Blue will be the first concert and will feature jazz age music, guided by the expertise of Kevin Cole. It will feature sounds from Brubeck, Gershwin, and Elgar. 
2. 7:30 p.m. December 12, 2026 at the United Methodist Church - Holiday Harmony will celebrate the holiday season with classical holiday selections and some new arrangements to bring a spirited twist to a Wichita Falls tradition.
3. 7:30 p.m. January 23, 2027 at Akin Auditorium - Currents of Sound will feature a range of sounds from Stravinsky, Rosario, and Bizet. The performance will bring a lively energy to a more immersive and personal concert experience.
4. 7:30 p.m. March 6, 2027 at Akin Auditorium - Unfinished Symphony will provide a lively and exciting performance that transitions into a beautiful tonal change as it comes to an end. It will have sounds from Kats-Chernin, Mozart, and Schubert.
5. 7:30 p.m. April 17, 2027 at Akin Auditorium - Beethoven Fire & Grace will include some of the notable works of Beethoven to reflect the wide range of emotion in his work. The performance will feature Artisto Sham, a gold medalist and “audience favorite” of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Fakouri said there are several variables to planning each program, including community interest, locations, and a balance of old and new songs. This attention to detail in planning is done with the hopes that regular audience members will keep coming back and new ones will be intrigued enough to check it out. He acknowledged that many potential audience members believe an outdated stigma about symphony orchestra performances, believing them to be stuffy and dry. He insists that’s not the case and that, like all things, symphony orchestras have had to evolve with the times and are intended to be comfortable and engaging for the whole community.

“Some of the people that attend our concerts have almost inherited the seats from their parents. There’s a history that goes that far back, and to have that is humbling for me, but it’s a responsibility that I take quite seriously,” Fakouri said. “It’s an obligation to maintain that but also grow it, because one day, like everything in life, things will end and I will leave, and I want to leave it better for the person who comes and takes it after me.”

Not only does attending WFSO orchestra concerts support the musicians that make it up, it also supports the community. Fakouri said a fundamental part of the orchestra’s mission is education. It aims to educate and inspire young musicians and achieves this through camps and classes at the Kemp Arts Center and the musicians visiting schools. Fakouri said he puts a strong emphasis on the future of the WFSO and inspiring students is part of that.

Fakouri expressed that he hopes support for the WFSO will continue to grow so it can provide further educational resources and more concerts. He noted that, as far as his own involvement, providing more opportunities for the community is the best way to leave the orchestra better for whoever takes over after him.

Supporting the Wichita Falls Symphony orchestra comes in many forms. Volunteering is one option that allows volunteers to perform roles (such as ushering at concerts and clerical work) that lessen the burden of a small team of organizers. Donating is another easy but impactful way to show support. Lastly, the best way to support the WFSO is to attend the concerts. Not only do ticket sales give the organization financial support, but it helps fulfil the purpose of the musicians to have an engaged audience to play for.

“There’s these experiences that we provide our audiences that are really appealing to any number of people. Come attend, give it a shot. I promise you’ll love it,” Fakouri said.

Tickets can be purchased and donations can be made on their website. Subscriptions are also available for the season.