Spirited works, solo standouts, winning draws for MSO
Vibrant works and virtuosic turns resonate in Woodworth Chapel
Jackson, Mississippi — Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s 80th anniversary season wraps up its popular Chamber Series with “Spirited Musique,” a program brimming with festive French flavor and stellar selections of classical and contemporary works, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at Tougaloo College’s historic Woodworth Chapel.
An evening of highlights by Saint-Saëns, Mozart and Stravinsky, along with captivating works by current American composers Nico Muhly and Jessie Montgomery, make the most of the venue’s intimate warmth, charm and exceptional acoustics. The lineup is also a celebration of great MSO musicians, whose skill and verve make the music leap to life.
“It’s very traditional – we’ve got Mozart’s Oboe Quartet and Saint-Saëns’ Septet – flanking the program… but nestled between are two living composers and their very current pieces, then Stravinsky who is thought of as modern,” MSO Maestro Crafton Beck said. “So, we have traditional mixed side by side with contemporary, but in a very creative way.
“It’s going to be a very rich evening,” he added.
Listen for 17th century French dance forms echoing through Saint- Saëns’ popular, neoclassical Septet and its intriguing combo of trumpet, strings and piano. Mozart’s only piece for oboe, a treasured showpiece for MSO Principal Oboe Julie Hudik, sings with irresistible delight. Hear a jazz influence as MSO Principal Clarinet Jorge Diez holds the spotlight in Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet. And embrace the freshness of Muhly’s Motion and Montgomery’s Strum and their reassurance that more brilliant music is always on the horizon.
MSO’s Chamber Series is generously sponsored by Communication Arts Company, and this concert is sponsored by Lesly Gaynor Murray in memory of Stephen C. Edds. The orchestra’s 80th anniversary Season Spectacular is supported in part by the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Tickets to the “Spirited Musique” concert are general admission – $28 for adults and $5 for students, kindergarten through college (with valid student ID).
For tickets or more information visit msorchestra.com, email patronservices@msorchestra.com, or call 601-414-6005. The onsite box office will open at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the concert.
Who: Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
What: Spirited Musique, MSO chamber concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 2025
Where: Woodworth Chapel, Tougaloo College, 6550 Tougaloo Blvd, Tougaloo, MS