A Season of Genius

Act now for savings and reserve your “best” seat before tickets go on sale to the general public July 15, 2025.

For assistance with season ticket purchases, contact MSO Patron Services by phone (601-414-6005) or email.

BIG CONCERTS
Bravo Series: Presented by The Selby & Richard McRae Foundation

Feel the impact of a full-orchestra performance through the vibrations on your skin and the hum in your heart with our flagship Bravo Series.

Sweeping masterworks, stellar guest artists and the virtuosic skills of MSO’s own are the hallmarks of these grand concerts that are the season’s glamorous go-to for music lovers. Dress up or dress down, it’s up to you, and enjoy free, interactive, pre-concert lectures by Dr. Timothy Coker sharing insights on the evening’s composers and music. Gather early with friends over refreshments in the lobby or at intermission. 

Bravo-I: RUSSIAN BRILLIANCE
10.4.25, Thalia Mara Hall, 7:30 pm
Experience the galloping, “Listen up!” pow of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and the crystal clear splendor of Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments, then get ready for the dazzling orchestral fireworks and intoxicating melodies of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. This concert’s collection of guilty pleasures, neoclassical innovation and monumental indulgence hits all the right notes for the start of a radiant season.

Bravo-II: EPIC DREAMSCAPE
11.8.25, Thalia Mara Hall, 7:30 pm
The sonorous and sparkling virtuosity of MSO Principal Clarinetist Jorge Diez holds the spotlight in two definitive works by Debussy and Weber. Plus, Berlioz’s daring blockbuster Symphonie Fantastique engages the senses and enlivens the imagination to deliver a bold genius-stroke of a finish, in a program that will take you places, you never knew you wanted to go.

Bravo-III: TRANSCENDENT VOICES
1.24.26, Thalia Mara Hall, 7:30 pm
The intensely moving prelude of Wagner’s Parsifal and ethereal beauty of Crafton Beck’s Passage set the stage for an extraordinary interwoven dialogue between Joel Thompson’s powerful and critically-acclaimed Seven Last Words of the Unarmed and Gabriel Faure’s serene and comforting Requiem. Jackson State University Chorale joins MSO in a program that will touch your soul and transform your spirit.

Bravo-IV: ULTIMATE BEETHOVEN
2.28.26, Thalia Mara Hall, 7:30 pm
You know the name, now brace for the impact of the master’s music live! Beethoven’s sublime Violin Concerto is among his most transcendent works, and international sensation William Hagen is back by popular demand to bring flair and consummate artistry to the task. Beethoven’s playfully imaginative and bold Symphony No. 2 makes this evening a perfect balance of genius.

Bravo-V: MIGHTY KEYS
3.28.26, Thalia Mara Hall, 7:30 pm
Pianist Alon Goldstein, an MSO audience favorite, is back in the solo spotlight, supplying all the drama, passion and expressive verve that Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 demands. Everything is kicked up a notch in this concerto, and Goldstein meets this monumental moment head-on. Lt. Kijé Suite, Prokofiev’s first film score, delivers the biting humor that made it his best-known and most-frequently recorded work.

COZY CONCERTS
Chamber Series: Unwind in smaller spaces with excellent acoustics around Jackson!

Imagine your living room could hold a couple hundred folks for a house concert, and you’ll have an idea of the special intimacy you’ll find in our Chamber Series.

These concerts at neighborhood venues in the metro area put you closer to ensembles and smaller orchestras, and shoulder to shoulder with fellow music fans for an exceptional and memorable experience. From Baroque and Beethoven to Mozart and marvelous newer works, this makes a fine outing for friends, dates, couples, families and, really, everyone with an ear for the expressive power of beautiful music.

Chamber-I: BELOVED BAROQUE 
9.6.25, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, 7:30 pm
Settle in for a lovely evening that starts with a Vivaldi string concerto and a Corelli concerto grosso and finishes in grand style with Bach’s stellar Orchestral Suite No. 2. In between, enjoy two fabulous Vivaldi bassoon concertos in the skilled hands of MSO’s own Taylor Shorey, cutting loose in spirited romps that show off the instrument’s melodic grace, jaunty nimbleness and undeniable charm.

Chamber-II: RESONANT SONG
10.26.25, Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 3:00 pm, FREE
Celebrate the capital city’s deep well of creativity, as Jackson soprano DeAnna Tisdale Johnson lends her stunning voice to Margaret Walker’s best-loved poems in three song-settings by Crafton Beck. Honor the Mississippi premiere of Carlos Simon’s powerful 2023 Grammy-nominated, multi-genre Requiem for the Enslaved – original compositions infused with African American spirituals and Catholic liturgical melodies. Stay for conversation and more.

Chamber-III: MOZART MAGIC 
1.10.26, Belhaven University Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm
Mozart’s dramatic Don Giovanni overture opens an evening wrapped in warmth and beauty, and his Symphony No. 39 triumphs at the close, revealing the master at the top of his game. In-between nestles Schneider’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, and the chance for MSO soloists Ausra Jasineviciute and Ruvim Echiusciu to really shine in showpieces for strings.

Chamber-IV: SPRING DELIGHTS 
3.7.26, St. James’ Episcopal Church, 7:30 pm
Breeze into spring with Stravinsky’s delectable Pulcinella, then bask in the beauty and heart of From a Brother to the World, Ecuador-born Emilio Villacis’ winning top-prize selection in MSO’s 2024 Premier Orchestral Institute Competition. The joys keep coming with Haydn’s Symphony No. 82, nicknamed “The Bear” for its rustic finale’s kinship to popular 18th-century carnival accompaniment for dancing bears.

Chamber-V: DVOŘÁK TO DEBUSSY
4.11.26, Woodworth Chapel at Tougaloo College, 7:30 pm
Hear Taylor Shorey and the jazzy, off-the-rails surprise of Wynton Marsalis’ Meelaan for Bassoon and String Quartet in an extraordinary musical conversation not to be missed. Plus, savor the dawn of modernism in an evening centered on the comforting serenades and old-world charm of Dvorák’s famous Wind Serenade and Debussy’s propelling and compelling String Quartet.

LAIDBACK CONCERTS
Pops Series: Enjoy musical hits you know and love with casual ambience!

Popular music holds the spotlight in our Pops Series – pop, blues, jazz, rock and R&B faves, plus movie music and show tunes get full orchestra treatment for an experience like you’ve never heard before.

Deeper, richer, fuller and all-around fantastic! Jeans and kicks are fine, festive attire is welcome, and cosplay action is always a win – just come for the pops music party and bask in all that sumptuous sound! It’s a fun date, a fab family outing and a cool evening out on the town with your circle.

Pops-I: STAR WARS
2.14.26, Thalia Mara Hall, 7:30 pm
May the Force be with you as MSO covers nearly the entire Star Wars saga across the span of a single evening – truly an Olympic-level effort – with top selections from almost every film, plus Rogue One to boot. Cosplay enthusiasts should feel free to fly their fan flag, and come in costume as their favorite characters. It’s fun for all, sweeping you down a memory lane of movie music magic.

Pops-II: PEPSI POPS
5.8.26, Old Trace Park on the Rez, 7:30 pm
Presented by Brown Bottling Group
Grab a friend, neighbor, date, parent – heck, the whole extended family – and embrace this beloved tradition of picnicking and soaking up the sunset on the banks of the Reservoir with MSO. Share time-honored movie-score favorites, including music from Frozen and the Twilight Saga, plus more from the Great American Songbook, then stick around for the spirit-swelling patriotic tunes and thrilling fireworks finale saluting 250 years of America!

KICKIN’ CONCERT
Special Edition: Chill out with novel works in a cool hangout! 

Think nightclub and new wave plus table seating and service for an experience that can’t get any cooler or closer than our special edition concert at Duling Hall! 

Sit back and order up, as MSO delivers bold, stimulating, and novel works from the international scene.

Not part of any series, general admission tickets for this limited seating concert go on sale July 15, 2025, so jump on your ticket purchases, come early, and kick back for a night to remember!

QUAD FUSION
10.18.25, Duling Hall, 7:30 pm
It’s a fusion of reggae, classical, jazz and blues! Come for the unexpected and whimsical in casual, club-like quarters as MSO explores classical and unconventional instruments in cutting-edge works. Viet Cuong’s fascinating percussion quartet concerto Re(new)al brilliantly opens an evening that tucks into Thomas Adés’ intriguing arrangements of François Couperin’s Les Barricades Mistérieuses and Madness’ stress-test hit Cardiac Arrest. Brace yourself for the fab finish of DBR’s Voodoo Violin!

9.6.25 – BELOVED BAROQUE – bassoon love with Taylor Shorey

9.11.25 – SYMPHONY ON THE GREEN* – lakeside picnic + pops classics

9.18.25 – SUNDOWN AT RENAISSANCE* – fall edition with MSO

9.25.25 – SYMPHONY AT SUNSET* – neighborhood picnic + chart-toppers

10.4.25 – RUSSIAN BRILLIANCE – festive fanfare + Rach 2 Symphony

10.18.25 – QUAD FUSION – fresh music takes + cool space

10.26.25 – RESONANT SONG – soprano DeAnna Tisdale Johnson

11.8.25 – EPIC DREAMSCAPE – clarinet showcase with Jorge Diez

1.10.26 – MOZART MAGIC – Ausra Jasineviciute & Ruvim Echiusciu

1.24.26 – TRANSCENDENT VOICES – poignant eloquence + spiritual journey

2.14.26 – STAR WARS – epic sound + galactic fun

2.28.26 – ULTIMATE BEETHOVEN – violin concerto with William Hagen

3.7.26 – SPRING DELIGHT – full-orchestra premier + Haydn’s Bear

3.28.26 – MIGHTY KEYS – passionate piano with Alon Goldstein

4.11.26 – DVOŘÁK TO DEBUSSY – Taylor Shorey & string quartet

4.17.26 – MOONLIGHT, MUSIC, & METEORS* – playground pops + celestial wonders

4.23.26 – SUNDOWN AT RENAISSANCE* – spring edition with MSO

5.8.26 – PEPSI POPS – blast in the park + celebrating USA’s 250th

* open-air partner concert

Download Concert Guide