Mozart by Candlelight
January 16, 2027 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Candles’ glow plus irresistible music make this concert a midwinter must. Saint-Georges was a virtuoso violinist and a pioneering composer to which his vibrant L’amant Anonyme Overture attests. Mozart’s Divertimento is a crowning achievement from the master and a Sinfonia Concertante by Johann Sebastian Bach’s youngest son features MSO’s own Alexander Ilchev and Mert Özkan. Mozart’s sparkling Symphony No. 29, embodying both his youthful vigor and early maturity, commands the concert’s second half.
Sponsors
Series Sponsor: Keesler Federal Credit Union
Concert Sponsor: Emerson (Bud) & Judy Robinson + StateStreet Group
Talent Bio
Alexander Ilchev, violin
MSO Concertmaster Alexander Ilchev, of Bulgaria, possesses a virtuosic approach to performance, greatly influenced by his father Professor Alexander Petrov Ilchev, and has a wide-ranging repertoire from Baroque to Contemporary music. Winner of multiple competitions, he holds two Masters Degrees and has performed at notable venues including Chamber Hall Bulgaria, Library of Congress, and Carnegie Hall.
Mert Özkan, violoncello
Acting Principal Violoncello Mert Özkan, of Turkey, has Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from Trakya University State Conservatory plus a Masters from Southeastern University, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate at University of Southern Mississippi. He serves in several orchestras in the Southeast, including Louisiana Philharmonic, and is a devoted cello instructor.
Music Program
First Half
- Joseph Bologne Saint-Georges — Overture to L’Amant Anonyme (1780)
- Wolfgang Mozart — Divertimento in Eb, K. 113 (1771)
- Johann Christian Bach — Sinfonia Concertante in A Major for Violin and Violoncello with Orchestra, W.C. 34 (1775), Alexander Ilchev, violin; Mert Ozkan, cello
Second Half
- Wolfgang Mozart — Symphony No. 29, in A, K. 201 (1774)