Top soloist back by popular demand, Bravo series’ Thalia Mara Hall return

Jackson, Mississippi — Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s “Ultimate Beethoven” concert, Saturday, February 28, at Thalia Mara Hall, toasts the master composer with a triumphal program highlighting all the drama, passion and power of his music. Popular concert violinist and audience favorite William Hagen returns in the guest artist spotlight, and the evening marks MSO’s Bravo Series’ return to the city’s grandest venue – the newly reopened Thalia Mara Hall.

“Get glamorous and walk the red carpet with us, as we listen to the beauty of Beethoven,” MSO President and Executive Director Janet Reihle said.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s sole Violin Concerto and his boldly imaginative Symphony No. 2 combine for the ultimate celebration of the composer’s revolutionary impact and timeless appeal – “80 minutes of genius,” MSO Orchestra Artistic Operations’ Richard Hudson described the program.

Young American violinist Hagen shines in Beethoven’s monumental Violin Concerto, hailed for its scale and lyrical beauty. “I can’t wait to be back,” Hagen said, as he praised the concerto’s dramatic, intense beauty. “The Beethoven Violin Concerto is such incredible music, so I’m just thrilled.”

Beethoven’s exuberant Symphony No. 2 commands the evening’s second half with a vitality and brightness that shows off MSO at its blissful best.

The composer is always a top draw. “He’s the Michelangelo of music… the Shakespeare of music,” MSO Conductor Crafton Beck said. “He’s the iconic artist who puts all of mankind, all of humanity right on the line in this brilliant way.”

Reserved-seat tickets for the “Ultimate Beethoven” concert are $43 and up for adults, available in advance: online at msorchestra.com or in-person at Ardenland in Duling Hall. For student discount use “StarStudent” code. For patron services call 601-414-6005. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the concert and tickets will be available at the door.

MSO’s Bravo Series is presented by the Selby & Richard McRae Foundation. This concert is sponsored by Grace Pouchu Lee and Sidney Shinn Lee, with recording and broadcast by Mississippi Public Broadcasting. 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
What: “Ultimate Beethoven” Bravo Series Concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 28, 2026
Where: Thalia Mara Hall, 255 E. Pascagoula St., Jackson, MS
Website: msorchestra.com

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