The Bentonville Community Orchestra drew a packed house and received a standing ovation at its debut performance Tuesday night at the Bentonville Public Library.

About 25 musicians of varying ages performed a mix of classical pieces and more contemporary selections, including the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song.

Cellist Jessica Tharp said the orchestra fills a gap for adult musicians looking for a group setting.

“There's not as many opportunities for adult amateur musicians to get together and do things like this,” she said. “It’s really cool to have opportunities like this coming up.”

Avery Mae, one of the orchestra’s younger members and a violinist, said she thought the first performance went “pretty good.” As a homeschooled student, she doesn’t participate in a school-based orchestra.

The group began rehearsals in January, meeting weekly. Members pay $40 a month to help cover facility and operations costs.

The orchestra is now recruiting musicians for a summer concert featuring music from movies, TV, musicals, and video games, as well as for its upcoming fall season.

The idea for the orchestra grew out of a collaboration between co-directors Lisa Fried and Ben Weir, who both teach lessons at Palmer String Studio in Bentonville. Some orchestra members take lessons there, though many do not.

Fried spent three decades as an orchestra teacher in Iowa before retiring and moving to Northwest Arkansas in 2023 to be closer to her grandchildren. She started teaching private lessons again but missed the community aspect of orchestra.

“I was really missing the whole idea of an orchestra,” she said. “Because in orchestra, you don't just learn music—it's a community and a family.”

They weren’t sure where they’d perform or how much interest there would be but decided to give it a go anyway.

“We said, let's just try it. Let's see what happens,” Fried said. “And it far exceeded our expectations with the number of students.”

Weir is a Bentonville native in the early stages of his career. During his time at Bentonville Schools, he participated in the orchestra program. He now attends the University of Arkansas and has performed with the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra.

“We saw plenty of opportunities for kids, but not much for adults – especially those who aren’t professional musicians but still want to play,” Weir said. “The community orchestra was born from that idea.”