THE ASO String Quartets create four interactive programs each year that are designed to teach and reinforce musical concepts. Each program is accompanied by specific teacher supplements to help introduce the material covered during the quartet performance. Through listening and their interaction with the quartet, children learn to identify connections between music and the other arts, as well as science, history, literature, and math. These interactive performances also focus on learning about different periods of music, composers and culture, as well as the basic elements of music. This musical exposure lays the foundation for success in other subjects, such as mathematics, language, and science. Music education and participation also helps strengthen individual self-esteem and cognitive skills. In preparation for the annual Children’s Concert, the ASO provides online materials for teachers and students. The String Academy provides private lessons, group classes, and beginning violin lessons in local schools.

Now in their 58th season, the ASO, comprised of 75 of Arkansas' finest musicians, performs over 40 concerts each year in the Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks series, Acxiom Pops Live series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music series, INC series, Children's Concerts, and Run Out Concerts. The ASO also collaborates and performs with several other local arts organizations, including the Arkansas Choral Society, Ballet Arkansas, and Arkansas Chamber Singers. Education is also a focal point of the ASO. Through the two resident string quartets (Quapaw and Rockefeller Quartets), the Arkansas Symphony Youth Ensembles Program, and the E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy, the ASO has been able to enrich the musical education of students in Arkansas, both locally and across the state.