Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s final chamber concert of its 80th anniversary Season Spectacular does present quite the spectacle — a revolving cast of musicians, up close and personal, in classical, contemporary, even current works, playing with all the spirit and virtuosity the music demands. The concert is March 29 at Tougaloo College’s historic Woodworth Chapel.
The logistics of Woodworth Chapel’s small stage and MSO’s deep bench of great players provides a prime opportunity to pass around the key ensemble roles and showcase more of the talents who make MSO such a stellar community draw.
“We have gotten to the point that we have such tremendous strengths in this orchestra,” MSO Conductor and Music Director Crafton Beck said. “The strings have great depth, as well as the winds. We need to be featuring all of these great violinists and these great cellists and violists and so forth…. We could not have done this kind of a project 15 years ago at Tougaloo — we didn’t have the depth. Now, we do.”
The program itself winds an engaging path between warm, familiar comfort and bracing freshness.
In Camille Saint-Saëns’ appealing Septet, an amazing ensemble handles the honors: violinists Ruvim Echiusciu and Daniel Jones, violist Julia Kirk, cellist Mert Ozkan, string bassist Susan Landry, trumpeter Davan Sagara, and pianist Stephen Sachs.
Violinists Zakary Joyner and Noelani Perry, violist Hristo Hristov and clarinetist Jorge Diez rotate in, with cellist Ozkan and pianist Sachs back on board for Nico Muhly’s exciting and energetic Motion.
The Mississippi Symphony String Quartet – violinist and Acting Concertmaster Vince Massimino, violinist Bonnie Brown, violist Ausra Jasineviciute, cellist Veronica Parrales – plucks and shines in Jessie Montgomery’s fine Strum.
Next, MSO Principal Clarinet Jorge Diez alone spotlights the atonal interest and jazz influence in Igor Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet. “What makes this work so captivating is that every time I interpret it, I uncover new ideas, making it even more intriguing with each performance,” said Jorge.
One of the earliest atonal works composed for solo clarinet, its three contrasting movements highlight the instrument’s capabilities – dynamic range, register, versatility and articulation. Listen for intense contrasts throughout. “The sound world is unique, stepping away from the conventional trends of traditional harmony and opening the door to new colors and sonorities.”
For Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, MSO Principal Oboe Julie Hudik is joined by violinist Massimino, violist Jasineviciute and violoncellist Parrales.
“It’s one of my favorite pieces for oboe – it’s delightful,” said Hudik, who first started working on this piece as an undergrad at Kent State University. She earned her Master of Music Performance at Baylor University and has held the principal oboe seat with MSO since 2011. She revisits the Mozart quartet every few years. “It’s so enjoyable, I just like to open it up and work on it because it’s so fun to play,” she said.
Full of joy, emotion and character, “The music is just so alive,” she continued, and it is every bit as fun to listen to as it is to play. Woodworth Chapel heightens the experience. “It’s nice to be close to the audience, but… with the high ceiling and all the wood, the sound resonates and it feels like a big space.
“It’s a nice place to play this kind of music, for sure.”
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Venue Reminder:
Woodworth Chapel at Tougaloo College — 6550 Tougaloo Blvd, Tougaloo, MS — is the location for MSO’s “Spirited Musique” concert at 7:30 p.m. on March 29, 2025. Seating is general. Tickets are $28 for adults and $5 for students, kindergarten through college (with valid student ID), available at msorchestra.com and at the venue box office at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the concert.