MSO opens 80th season with ‘Beloved Baroque’
Viola da gambist Lisa Terry returns, Principal Trumpet Davan Sagara debuts
Jackson, Mississippi — The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra heralds its milestone 80th season with the ever-popular “Beloved Baroque” Chamber concert, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 7 in the beautifully appointed, acoustically resonant setting of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Jackson.
Along with a celebratory start of MSO’s 2024-25 “Season Spectacular,” this concert shines with the return of acclaimed viola da gamba specialist Lisa Terry as guest artist, the debut of new MSO Principal Trumpet Davan Sagara, and a featured solo by MSO Principal Flute Amulet Strange.
Terry is from Mississippi and lives in New York City where she specializes in Renaissance and Baroque era music. She is a member of the Parthenia Viol Consort and the Dryden Ensemble, as well as an in-demand soloist. Here in Jackson, she will take center stage in Marin Marais’ captivating Couplets des Folies d’Espagne. The 1701 work was originally written for solo instrument and accompanist, yet Terry hired orchestrator Brady Lanier to transform it into an orchestra piece that will be heard for the first time at this concert.
Sagara, a native of Hawaii and graduate of the Eastman School of Music, holds his first MSO spotlight at the concert’s start and finish with the bright joy and flourish of Giuseppe Torelli’s Sinfonia in D Major, G. 14 and Sinfonia in D Major, G. 3.
Flute soloist Strange brings Antonio Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto No. 1 (“La tempesta di mare’) to vivid, charming life. Pietro Locatelli’s Concerto Grosso No. 5 and Giuseppe Valentini’s Concerto Grosso No. 11 make this evening’s indulgence in beloved early music just that much richer.
“It’s just so easy to listen to, it’s like drinking water,” MSO Maestro Crafton Beck said of the refreshing delight of Baroque masterworks that were written to be enjoyed.
“There’s something about this Baroque music that just touches people’s souls,” said MSO President and Executive Director Jenny Mann. “The presentation in the lovely, intimate comfort of St. Andrew’s combines warmth and festivity to kick off a spectacular 80th season in a highly memorable way.”
Season tickets to any of MSO’s performance series – Chamber, Bravo and Pops – are on sale now and the best way to secure discounts over single ticket sales, choice seating (where applicable) and regular MSO updates.
Individual concert tickets are $28 general admission and $5 for students, kindergarten through college (with valid student ID). Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.msorchestra.com. Tickets will be on sale at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m., if seating is available.
This concert, the first in the Chamber Series sponsored by Communication Arts Company, is made possible by Nora-Frances and Vaughan McRae. MSO’s 80th season is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
What: Beloved Baroque
Who: Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 7, 2024
Where:St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral, 305 E. Capitol St., Jackson, MS