Guest soloist Shawn Leopard shines in Bach harpsichord concerto
Jackson, Mississippi — The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra launches ‘A Season of Excellence’ in its 82nd year, packing its popular opening concert with all-time greats Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and more, for an evening of “Baroque Splendor,” 7:30 p.m. September 19 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in downtown Jackson, MS.
This first concert of the Chamber Series each season unfailingly fills St. Andrew’s sanctuary with listeners eager for its combination of lovely setting, stellar acoustics and gorgeous compositions. Classical music of the era, about 1600 to 1750, is beloved for its dynamic energy and grand ornamentation.
“It’s perfect music,” MSO Maestro Crafton Beck said. “It’s always beautiful, it’s rhythmical.… It’s dance tunes. It’s melody. It’s just everything we expect music to be.”
Guest soloist Shawn Leopard, performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s first Harpsichord Concerto is the evening’s highlight. The work is famous for its drama, drive and virtuosity.
Antonio Vivaldi’s Sinfonia, called the “choir of the Muses,” starts the evening with breath-of-fresh-air appeal and Georg Philipp Telemann’s Overture Suite, known as “La Bizarre,” wraps up the close in witty delight. In-between, enjoy fascinating concerti grossi by Francesco Geminiani and Arcangelo Corelli.
“These pieces are gems — moment-to-moment great ideas that never linger,” Beck said. They offer a grand tour of the Baroque landscape through five unique composers and their creations. “Each piece is off to another world.”
Don’t miss a single musical moment of MSO’s “Season of Excellence.” Season tickets are on sale now for Masterworks, Chamber and Pops Series by contacting Patron Services at 601-414-6005 or patronservices@msorchestra.com.
General admission tickets for Baroque Splendor — $30 for adults, $15 for students kindergarten through college — are on sale through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com). The box office will open at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the concert.
The Chamber Series is generously presented by Keesler Federal Credit Union, and this concert is cosponsored by Kay and Charles Mortimer with Joe and Renee Lee. 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: Baroque Splendor, Chamber Series concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026
Where: St. Andrew’s Cathedral, 305 E. Capitol St., Jackson, MS
Website: msorchestra.com
Tickets: ticketmaster.com
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