Fresh takes, unequivocal gold and MSO at Duling Hall

Jackson, Mississippi — The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (MSO) dives into the coolest, most thrilling recent works by hot, young composers with its first-ever concert at Duling Hall, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. The cozy, night club setting suits the program’s bold fusion of music and channels the genius of young composers creating new compositions at the very frontier of today’s music scene — from Viet Cuong’s can’t-miss Re(new)al to Daniel Bernard Roumain’s (DBR) mesmerizing Voodoo Violin Concerto.

This edgy, innovative program is packed with pieces quick to captivate but tough to label, as today’s composers absorb the influences of classical music, rock, jazz, blues, electronic, hip hop and Hollywood, fusing elements of each in unexpected, fun new ways.

“It’s all very much now,” MSO Conductor Crafton Beck said of a program he has been itching to present for years.

“Quad Fusion” is modeled after the late-night weekend scenes in Brooklyn, Chicago, L.A. and other urban hotspots, where bright composers and heavyweight musicians from across different genres gather to listen, jam and try things out. “It’s raw, it’s emerging, it’s experimental,” Beck said of the music coming out of these spaces. This concert captures that energy with an extraordinary lineup:

• Innovative percussion and funky sax shine in Re(new)al.
• Composer/arranger Thomas Adés’ modern musical verve infuses the mesmerizing Les Baricades Mistérieuses by Baroque composer François Couperin and the bracing jolt of Cardiac Arrest by ska/pop band Madness.
• Kinan Azmeh’s Ibn Arabi Postlude holds the allure of adventure.
• The rhythmic propulsion of Voodoo Violin Concerto by Emmy-winning Haitian American composer DBR drives it all to a fine finish.

The evening’s sociable setting, casual vibe and ready bar fuse into a hot ticket for this limited-capacity concert at Duling Hall. Tickets, $41.25 each, are on sale through msorchestra.com, ardenland.net, and ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The concert is presented in partnership with Ardenland and sponsored by Keesler Federal Union.

MSO is supported in part by the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Who: Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in partnership with Ardenland
What: Quad Fusion — a special edition concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
Where: Duling Hall, 622 Duling Ave., Jackson, MS
Website: msorchestra.com

###