Born in Arkansas, Crafton Beck studied clarinet for many years before choosing a career in conducting. He joined MSO as Music Director in 2000 after concluding a 22-year tenure as Music Director and Conductor of Ohio’s Lima Symphony Orchestra.
Musicians
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Conductor
Violin I
Shellie Brown Kemp
Concertmaster, E.W. Taylor Chair
Vince Massimino
Assistant Concertmaster, Violin 1
Vince Massimino, Assistant Concertmaster of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, is a native of Annapolis, Maryland, where he received his early musical training from his parents, Rinaldo and Agnes Massimino, both professional music educators.
Milena Rusanova
Principal Violin I
A native of Bulgaria, Milena Rusanova joined the Mississippi Symphony in January, 2010.
Ty Maisel
Principal Violin I
Ryan Rogers
Violin I
Zakary Joyner*
Violin I
Daniel Jones
Violin I
Alejandro Junco
Violin I
Violin II
Xie Song
Principal Violin II
Ann McNally
Violin II
Ann McNally, a native of Wisconsin grew up in Milwaukee and Houston, Texas. She began to play the violin at age 11 in her 6th grade year in the Spring Branch, Texas instrumental music program. She was concertmistress of her Jr. High and Sr. High orchestras and was a member of the Spring Branch All-District High School Orchestra.
Mary Rogers
Violin II
Born in Wiggins, Mississippi, Mary (Hickman) Rogers grew up in Monroe, Louisiana where her father was a History professor at NLU. Her mother was a vocal performance graduate from Indiana University who had her own Chicago radio show for a time.
Emily Williams
Violin II
Carla Briggs
Violin II
Alex Sullivan
Violin II
Christine Cosnahan
Violin II
Elisabeth Sinclair
Violin II
Marlene Gentile
Violin II
Viola
Ausra Jasineviciute
Principal Viola
Ausra Jasineviciute was born in Lithuania, where she began her violin studies at age eight. Ten years later, while in college, she switched from violin to viola and in 1997 she earned her Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the Academy of Music in Vilnius.
Hristo Hristov*
Assistant Principal Viola
Hristo Hristov, assistant principal viola of Mississippi Symphony Orchestra since 2004 was born in Bulgaria. He holds a bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the State Music Academy in Bulgaria.
Tammy Mason Luke*
Viola
Tammy received her early training in the Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra as a student of Mickey Davis and Robert McNally.
Leslie Wood
Viola
Alejandro Encinas
Viola
Camila Patino
Viola
Wesley Cole
Viola
Violoncello
Veronica Parrales
Principal Violoncello
Veronica Parrales recently won the position of Principal Cello for the Mississippi Symphony and continues to serve as Assistant Principal for the Baton Rouge Symphony, as well as a substitute for the Louisiana Philharmonic
Janette Sudderth*
Assistant Principal Violoncello
Janette Sudderth was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Sylvan Elementary and Sylvan Hills High School there. She studied piano with her mother and cello with Martha Bishop.
Emily Stromberg Baker*
Violoncello
Emily Stromberg Baker began studying music at the age of seven in her native state of Connecticut. After two years of piano lessons, she began playing the cello in her elementary school’s orchestra program, and took cello lessons with Emily Metcalf, formerly of the Hartford Symphony.
Nancy Bateman
Violoncello
Nancy Bateman received both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Music from Wichita State University and pursued advanced musical studies at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Starkey Morgan
Violoncello
Stephanie Weldon
Violoncello
Margaret Pigott
Violoncello
Rebekah Miller
Violoncello
Bennett Randman
Violoncello
Bennett Randman, earned degrees at the University of Tennessee and Duquesne University. He studied with noted cellists Nathaniel Rosen and Leslie Parnas.
Bass
Susan Landry
Principal Bass
Susan Mathews Landry was born in Washington DC and holds degrees in Double Bass Performance from Brigham Young University (BMu) in Provo, Utah and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MMu) in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Glenn Hale*
Assistant Principal Bass
Steve Watson
Bass
Flute
Amulet Strange
Principal Flute
Amulet Strange joined the MSO as Principal Flute in 2015. A Texas native and Interlochen Arts Academy graduate, she received her Bachelor of Music degree studying with Timothy Day at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Gayle Entrekin
2nd Flute
Gayle Entrekin has been the 2nd Flute with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and 2nd Flute and Piccolo with the Mississippi Opera since September 2000.
Cheri Waite
Flute & Piccolo
Sybil Cheesman
Flute
Piccolo
Cheri Waite
Flute & Piccolo
Oboe
Julie Hudik
Principal Oboe
Ohio native Julie Hudik received her bachelor’s degree in music performance from Kent State University, studying with Jeff Rathbun and Danna Sundet. She then became a student of Doris DeLoach at Baylor University, earning a Master of Music Performance degree.
Linda Naef
Oboe & English Horn
Linda Naef, Oboe II/English Horn, developed an early interest in music, beginning piano at age 5. A native of Jackson, she grew up surrounded by choral and symphonic music as the daughter of parents who were very involved in the musical life of the city.
English Horn
Linda Naef
Oboe & English Horn
Linda Naef, Oboe II/English Horn, developed an early interest in music, beginning piano at age 5. A native of Jackson, she grew up surrounded by choral and symphonic music as the daughter of parents who were very involved in the musical life of the city.
Clarinet
Ken Graves
Principal Clarinet
Ken Graves currently serves as Principal Clarinetist for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Alabama, Baton Rouge, Pensacola, Huntsville and Meridian Symphonies and performs regularly with the Mississippi Opera and Mississippi Chorus.
Lowell Hollinger
Clarinet
Jackie McIlwain
Eb Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Jackie McIlwain
Eb Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Saxophone
Bassoon
Jon Wenberg
Principal Bassoon
Jon Wenberg has served as the Mississippi Symphony's Principal Bassoonist since 1993. He is also a member of the Mississippi Symphony Woodwind Quintet, the Meridian Symphony, the Magnolia Bassoon Quartet, and several other ensembles around the state.
Elaine Maisel
Bassoon & Contra bassoon
After switching from trumpet to bassoon in high school, Elaine quickly took to the double reed instrument, subsequently earning bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in bassoon performance from Alma College, The Hartt School of Music, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Nathan Livingston
Bassoon
Contra Bassoon
Elaine Maisel
Bassoon & Contra bassoon
After switching from trumpet to bassoon in high school, Elaine quickly took to the double reed instrument, subsequently earning bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in bassoon performance from Alma College, The Hartt School of Music, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Horn
Mimi Draut Linehan*
Principal Horn
Mimi Draut Linehanis Principal Horn with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and plays in the MSO Wind Quintet and in Capital Brass. She also performs with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Mississippi Opera.
Richard Hudson
2nd Horn
A native of the Washington, DC suburbs, Richard Hudson began his musical instruction on piano and French Horn while in elementary school.
Lisa Davis
3rd Horn
Lisa Davis has been has been third horn for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra since 1990. She has also performed with the Alabama Symphony, Tupelo Symphony, Meridian Symphony, Mobile Symphony, and other ensembles around Mississippi.
Rob Detjen
Horn
Meade Entrekin
Horn
Trumpet
Darcie Bishop
Principal Trumpet
Darcie Bishop, has held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Mississippi Symphony since 1988. A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, she holds the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education from The University of Mississippi, and Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Trumpet Performance from The Juilliard School in New York.
Wayne Linehan*
2nd Trumpet
Wayne Linehan holds degrees from The State University College at Fredonia, New York (Bachelor of Music in Education) and the State University of New York at Buffalo (Master of Fine Arts in Trumpet Performance), and is currently working on his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Bob Cheesman
Trumpet
Ben Bullock
Trumpet
Trombone
Adam Almeter*¹
Principal Trombone
Adam Almeter joined the Mississippi Symphony in 2015 after graduating from Indiana University. At Indiana, Adam performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble while studying with Peter Ellefson.
Jonathan McNeer*
Interim Principal Trombone
James Wilson
Trombone
Ken Lyon
Trombone
Tuba
Wade Rackley*
Principal Tuba
Wade Rackley has been the principal tubist with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and the MSO Brass Quintet since 1993. He is the Adjunct Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Mississippi State University and is a member of the Golden Triangle Brass (the faculty brass quintet of MSU).
Timpani
Bud Berthold*
Principal Timpani
Mr. Berthold has been the Principal Timpanist in the Mississippi Symphony and Mississippi Opera Orchestras since 1981, and is also the current Principal Timpanist of the Meridian Symphony.
Percussion
Anne Berthold
Principal Percussion
Bruce Golden
Percussion
Jason Mathena
Percussion
Kraig Goreth
Percussion
Justin Sherrod
Percussion
William Berthold
Percussion
Harp
Kristina Finch
Harp
Hope Cowan
Harp
Piano & Celeste
Stephen Sachs
Piano & Celeste
Shawn Leopard
Harpsichord/Keyboard
Harpsichord/Keyboard
Shawn Leopard
Harpsichord/Keyboard
Concertmaster Emeritus
Robert McNally
Concertmaster Emeritus
1928-2022