In its 81st year of performances, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s “Season of Genius” is a testament to all the top intellect, skill, passion, craftsmanship and creativity that converge in a lineup of concerts designed to inspire and intrigue, excite and delight.
MSO branches out, too, adding a new venue to the mix with a fall concert at Duling Hall. The special-edition “Quad Fusion” concert offers cutting-edge music in a club-like setting, welcoming to Jackson the kind of hot-ticket evening you might find in cool urban spots around the country.
The thread of ingenuity weaving a spell through this season starts with brilliant source material sweeping throughout MSO’s series and concerts. The masterworks of legendary composers and contemporary works from the greats of our own time flesh out concert programs that leap to life with beloved classics and fresh, soon-to-be favorites.
Get ready for a romp through Russian artistry in an evening of Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff and bask in an evening devoted entirely to Beethoven. Warm to the monumental beauty of Mozart and brace for the drama of Brahms. Delight in Debussy, find the wonder in Wagner, and perk up for Prokofiev. The genius goes on and on!
Embrace the current relevance of works such as Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, and the regional reverberations in a piece by living legend Wynton Marsalis plus Margaret Walker’s poems set to song by MSO’s own Maestro Crafton Beck. Take pride in the presence of another global nod on the local concert stage – a full-orchestra presentation of Premier Orchestral Institute International Composition Competition-winner Emilio Villacis’ touching work, From a Brother to the World.
Welcome the chance to hear works by Thomas Ades, hailed by Beck as “the greatest composer of my lifetime.” Relish, again, the power of perennial favorite John Williams’ Star Wars selections and the memories they spark.
That’s all part of the programming in another layer of genius — Beck’s brilliance in carefully crafted evenings and creative pairings of pieces that will speak to each other and to the audience, connecting with listeners in thrilling new ways.
The top layer in this genius stack is the musicians themselves.
“MSO has never been better,” says Beck. “The depth of artistry in every section is unmatched, in MSO’s more than 80 years of performance. And that is what allows us to do this upcoming season,” he continued. “Not only do we have sterling international guest violinist William Hagen and pianist Alon Goldstein returning to shine again on the stage with MSO, but we also have featured spots for violinist Ruvim Echiusciu, violist Ausra Jasineviciute, bassoonist Taylor Shorey, clarinetist Jorge Diez, and the small ensembles.
“Because of all this talent, we’re not always using the traditional orchestra format with leadership coming from a person standing in front,” Beck explained. “Instead, it’s collective chamber music making, with leadership coming from within. You’ll see it playing out in intimate ensembles and informing the grand, full-orchestra concerts, too. That can only happen because of this tremendous musical talent, depth of artistry and genius that we now have within the orchestra itself.”
Explore MSO’s 81st season — A Season of Genius — here or download the concert guide.