THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
ICONIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 107th SEASON 2026-27
FRIGHT NIGHT!
OCTOBER 29, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. Bennett Auditorium
SEASON PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL LIJEWSKI ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN BY MIKE LOPINTO
WELCOME
Greetings and welcome to our most terrifying concert to date. With the calendar bringing us to the end of October, we have decided to frighten you with some of the most haunting music ever written. A devilish new collaborator for our orchestra has written a ghoulish script to draw together works that are truly macabre. Please ask yourself – “Do you like scary concerts?” Anna Celenza was my first academic teacher in graduate school, and I was captivated by her energetic and engaging delivery of what could have been overwhelmingly academic content. One day, she brought in a box of her newly published children’s book, Haydn’s Farewell Symphony. She explained the Greetings and welcome thelearned final performance process that brought it to life.toWe of our ambitious American Perspectives season. about her interest in telling such stories as What a year it has been! From a firm grounding in a nannie during graduate school. She also masterworks by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, described her efforts to be sure the illustrator understood instruments werethrough actually new styles we have how stretched ourselves held by Mary musicians. effort and (like Lou The Williams’ jazzdetail suite she featuring the putAaron into this firstTrio), book spawned the series, Diehl new languages ( John Adams’ Once Upon aminimalism Masterpiece. comes In the years rollicking to mind) and the since, Anna has become a dear friend andresidency for just plain new (our recent Julia Wolfe treasured collaborator. We have presented Her Story, representing a landmark achievement for accompaniment while thewe beautiful our program). Tonight finish artwork our celebration of from the books is presented overhead. American Perspectives with a program of Americana We will be doing this very thing tomorrow that has with something for everyone. morning this evening’s first work.
“When the people sing, the soul of the nation stirs.” – John F. Kennedy
PROGRAM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES SCHOOL OF MUSIC PRESENT
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Gregory Wolynec, conductor
FRIGHT NIGHT!
October 29, 2026 Bennett Auditorium With an original script by Anna Harwell Celenza Featuring J. Taylor Hightower Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Danse Macabre (1874)
Kevin Andre Zerrate Arias, violin
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Der Doppelgänger (1828) Orchestrated by Franz Liszt (1811-86) J. Taylor Hightower, baritone Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020) Intermezzo for 24 Strings (1973) Eduardo Orta, guest conductor Franz Schubert Erlkönig (1815) Orchestrated by Franz Liszt J. Taylor Hightower, baritone Bruce Pulver, guest conductor
INTERMISSION Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Symphonie fantastique (1830) I. Rêveries – Passions (Reveries – Passions) II. Un bal (A Ball) III. Scène aux champs (Scene in the Country) IV. Marche au supplice (March to the Scaffold) V. Song d’une nuit de sabbat (Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath)
CONDUCTOR’S NOTES Danse Macabre is a perfect opener for this evening. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns originally wrote a song with the same melody in which Death summons the dead at midnight on Halloween. They dance for him until the rooster crows the next morning, at which point they return to their graves for another year. He orchestrated it with the violin ominously detuned instrument so the open strings contain the “devil in music” – the interval of the tritone. There is at least a hint of the ancient melody of the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath), a Gregorian chant from the 13th century and historically linked to death. Colorful orchestration abounds with an early use of xylophone imitating the rattling sound of dancing bones and woodwinds depicting the rooster’s call. This all serves to set the stage for the rest of our evening. Tonight we are fortunate to have my colleague Taylor Hightower as both soloist and MC. I approached him about the concept in the spring, and I was delighted to find a willing partner. My first thought was to present Erlkönig, which is perhaps Franz Schubert’s most famous song. This harrowing late night horse ride requires the singer to portray the narrator, a father, his son, and the supernatural Erlking. The fever-stricken son cries out in terror at the calls of the title character, which frightens the father. His paternal words attempt to comfort by blaming the wind in the trees and the deep shadows. As the song ends, the boy is lifeless in his father’s arms. Erlkönig is one of more than 600 songs that Schubert wrote for piano and voice. This lied, or German art song, personifies his craft and has frightened listeners for more than 200 years. Taylor introduced me to another song based on the Germanic doppelganger myth. In this haunting score, the narrator sees a stranger. The horror he expresses at recognizing his own reflection implies that he is in fact dead. In contemporary popular culture, the surprise ending of the 1999 film, The Sixth Sense starring Bruce Willis, contains a similar revelation. Both songs on this evening’s program were orchestrated by the great Hungarian composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt. Krzysztof Penderecki was a leading voice in late 20th century contemporary music. His Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima is among the most performed string orchestra compositions from the last half that century. It was also the piece that introduced me to this fascinating composer. In Intermezzo, solo lines starting in the violas turn into cascading figures with striking blocks of sound. The way the music is notated is unique and poses a huge challenge to the performers. There is a freedom to this music that makes it impossible to perform the same way twice. Our string musicians must perform difficult passages involving traditional notes, as well as some notes that fall “between the cracks” of the piano keyboard. At just over five minutes in duration, it is a fine introduction to a new musical language. It is also incredibly eerie. We are going to finish this season with Beethoven’s mighty ninth and final symphony. It is regarded as one humanity’s great creations and still speaks to us today. Just a few years after its creation, French composer Hector Berlioz’s was set to work on his first such work. It too is a remarkable creation of immense scope. As a first symphony, it has few equals. The musical material that Berlioz chose to utilize, and the effortless nature with which he set it for a large orchestra, sounds as if it came a century after Beethoven. The fantastic story, which will be narrated for you tonight, is more than a little autobiographical and details the composer’s obsession with a Shakespearean actress named Harriet Smithson. She spoke no French, and he spoke no English – a match made in heaven? Perhaps not.
In the opening “daydreams and awakening of passions,” the curtain is drawn back by the woodwinds. We are treated to several short but beautiful phrases in the strings. The music starts and stops, becomes animated, and dies away several times before we finally arrive at a fast tempo with our main melody accompanied by pulsing strings. The idée fixe (fixed idea) is a melody that appears in each of the work’s five movements. It depicts the idealized woman of the artist’s dreams and affections. He places her in several situations, all of which were sure to capture the imagination of Romantics from that age. While the opening movement is sprawling with many changes of tempo and style, the second movement is much more concise. Here, we find ourselves at a formal dance. The appearance of the heroine seems perfectly made for a movie soundtrack as all other characters seem to disappear into the background of our artist’s gaze. This evening, we will be performing from the recent critical publication by the German firm Bärenreiter. This is a recent edition that is based on painstaking historical research. At the end of this movement, Berlioz added an unusually difficult part for cornet. The presence of this instrument, borrowed from the military band tradition, is among the many unusual elements found in the score. This passage was added by Berlioz for Jean-Baptiste Arban, the legendary virtuoso of the new piston-valved cornet, and has only recently been restored in performances of this work. For trumpeters in the audience, this is the same Arban who authored the famous “bible” of trumpet technique. From the formal ball, we are transported to the Swiss countryside. Our last program began with a Rossini overture employing a Ranz de Vaches (a traditional shepherd melody) in the exotic sounding English horn. Here, we find the call of the English horn echoed by an offstage oboe before the two join for a brief duet. This turns into an inspired melody in the strings with flute that is repeated and seems to me to glow in the light of the Mediterranean (Berlioz did spend some time in Rome) before returning to the countryside. When the English horn calls this time, there is no answer. The distant sound of thunder speaks to our artist’s loneliness and the disturbing visions to come. The March to the Scaffold springs from an opium-induced dream. As approachable as this music might be for children, the story has no business being told to them! Our artist dreams that he has killed the object of his affections and is led to the guillotine. Two sets of timpani, a large collection of bassoons, and a huge brass section, including two tubas, set the menacing stage. Just before the blade drops, a glance into the crowd reveals a final view of the beloved in the form of the returning melody. The blade drops savagely, the head bounces down the stairs, and a proud executioner displays his work to the crowd. I think I had performed this work twice before the ending was ever explained to me. I made sure our musicians were aware at our first reading. I’m not sure they enjoyed the story. What could possibly come after this violence? Well, Berlioz had a tremendous imagination. Out to the woods at midnight we go for the Witches’ Sabath. Eerie sounds give way to a grotesque vision of the now-deceased beloved, who is mockingly played by the small E-flat clarinet. This was another import from the French band tradition, here making its debut in the symphony orchestra. This gives way to a great tolling of bells (this is just opera without words) and bass voices singing forth the previously mentioned Dies Irae. Berlioz calls for unique low bells that he rarely had the pleasure of hearing. Rather, he often heard them substituted by a piano, but we are fortunate to have found a pair that is on loan to us from California. What follows is a true bacchanal of virtuosic passages for strings and winds, explosions of brass and percussion, and the most innovative creative orchestral colors Berlioz could imagine. At one point, the strings flip their bows over and strike the strings with the wood (an effect called col legno) to give the impression of dancing skeletons. I cannot imagine the reaction of the first audience. Nothing they had ever heard before it could have prepared them for what they would encounter. What a truly FRIGHTENING way to end!!
TRANSLATIONS THE WRAITH
Translations by Richard Wigmore first published by Gollancz and reprinted in the Hyperion Schubert Song Edition The night is still, the streets are at rest; in this house lived my sweetheart. She has long since left the town, but the house still stands on the selfsame spot. A man stands there too, staring up, and wringing his hands in anguish; I shudder when I see his face – the moon shows me my own form! You wraith, pallid companion, why do you ape the pain of my love which tormented me on this very spot, so many a night, in days long past?
THE ERLKING
English translation © Richard Wigmore Who rides so late through the night and wind? It is the father with his child. He has the boy in his arms; he holds him safely, he keeps him warm. ‘My son, why do you hide your face in fear?’ ‘Father, can you not see the Erlking? The Erlking with his crown and tail?’ ‘My son, it is a streak of mist.’ ‘Sweet child, come with me. I’ll play wonderful games with you. Many a pretty flower grows on the shore; my mother has many a golden robe.’ ‘Father, father, do you not hear what the Erlking softly promises me?’ ‘Calm, be calm, my child: the wind is rustling in the withered leaves.’ ‘Won’t you come with me, my fine lad? My daughters shall wait upon you; my daughters lead the nightly dance, and will rock you, and dance, and sing you to sleep.’ ‘Father, father, can you not see Erlking’s daughters there in the darkness?’ ‘My son, my son, I can see clearly: it is the old grey willows gleaming.’ ‘I love you, your fair form allures me, and if you don’t come willingly, I’ll use force.’ ‘Father, father, now he’s seizing me! The Erlking has hurt me!’ The father shudders, he rides swiftly, he holds the moaning child in his arms; with one last effort he reaches home; the child lay dead in his arms.
SOUTHERN MISS
SCHOOL OF
Music
When you think music Think Southern Miss usm.edu/music
STRINGS Dr. Borislava Iltcheva, violin Dr. Hsiaopei Lee, viola Dr. Alexander Russakovsky, cello Dr. Marcos Machado, bass Dr. Nicholas Ciraldo, guitar WOODWINDS Dr. Danilo Mezzadri, flute Dr. Pablo Hernandez, oboe Dr. Jackie McIlwain, clarinet Dr. Kim Woolly, bassoon Dr. Dannel Espinoza, saxophone BRASS Dr. Rob Detjen, horn Dr. T.J. Tesh, trumpet Dr. Ben McIlwain, trombone Dr. Richard Perry, tuba PERCUSSION Dr. John Wooton, percussion PIANO Dr. Michael Bunchman, piano Dr. Ellen Elder, piano Dr. Hongzuo Guo, staff pianist Dr. Elizabeth Moak, piano Zhaolei Xie, staff pianist ORCHESTRAL ACTIVITIES Dr. Gregory Wolynec CHORAL ACTIVITIES Dr. Gregory Fuller Dr. Jonathan Kilgore VOICE Dr. Kimberley Davis Dr. Taylor Hightower Dr. Meredith Johnson Dr. Jonathan Yarrington MUSIC EDUCATION Dr. Ashley Allen Dr. Melody Causby Dr. Kellie Clark Dr. Jared Shulse PIANO TECHNICIAN Michelle Gray
UNIVERSITY BANDS Dr. Catherine Rand Dr. Travis Higa Dr. Cody Edgerton JAZZ STUDIES Larry Panella MUSIC HISTORY Dr. Vanessa Tonelli Dr. Edward Hafer Dr. Joseph Jones MUSIC THEORY Dr. Danny Beard Dr. Joseph Brumbeloe Dr. Douglas Rust ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Col. Bruce Pulver RIchard Burchard DIRECTOR Dr. Colin McKenzie ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS Dr. Joseph Jones Dr. T.J. Tesh ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR Laurie Rinko FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST Jennifer Knue ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALISTS Sinetta Bolton Madison Prattini ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT COORDINATOR Kristin Sheppard GRADUATE COORDINATOR Dr. Melody Causby ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN FOR ARTS ADMINISTRATION Dr. Mike Lopinto
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Anna Celenza is the author of eight children’s books, including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (Storytelling World Award Honor Title), Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony (Silver Medal, Parents Choice Award) and Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite (Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year). She has also published six scholarly books, including Jazz Italian Style (Bridge Book Prize), the Cambridge Companion to Gershwin, and Music and Human Flourishing. Her current book project, On the Record: Music that Changed America, was published by W.W. Norton in 2025. Trained as a musicologist, Celenza holds a joint appointment at the Peabody Institute and John Hopkins University. J. Taylor Hightower, baritone, is an associate professor of voice at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he teaches applied voice and two vocal literature courses. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from Furman University and both his Master of Music and Doctor of Music degree in voice performance from Indiana University. At home on the stage and in the recital hall, Dr. Hightower enjoys a wide variety of literature. Recent stage performances include Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata (Pensacola Opera), Lt. Brannigan in Guys and Dolls, the Father (Peter) in Hansel and Gretel, and Michele in Il Tabaro (Mobile Opera). Recent concert and oratorio performances include Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Southern Miss orchestra and the baritone solos in the Dubois Seven Last Words of Christ (Galloway UMC), Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (the Meistersingers), Fauré’s Requiem (Meridian Symphony), and Locklair’s Requiem (Parkway Heights UMC). This summer, he will portray Inspector Javert in the Hub City Players production of Les Miserables to open FestivalSouth 2027. Colonel (Retired) Bruce R. Pulver hails from Melbourne, Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from The University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied conducting with Dr. Thomas Fraschillo, and a Master of Music Education degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he studied with Dennis Zeisler. Colonel Pulver served the nation in uniform for over 32 years. He retired from active duty in May, 2026 as Leader and Commander of The United States Army Band (Pershing’s Own) in Washington, D.C., only the 12th person to hold this title in the band’s 100-year history. As commander of DoD’s Senior Service Band, Colonel Pulver regularly performed for Presidential events at the White House, Congressional events at the U.S. Capitol, for senior military leaders at the Pentagon, and memorial services and ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. He led Pershing’s Own in historic events, such as the State Funeral for President Jimmy Carter, the 60th Presidential Inauguration, the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit, and the Army’s 250th Birthday. In July, Colonel Pulver joined the music faculty at The University of Southern Mississippi as artist in residence.
Carlos Eduardo Orta Orozco is a Mexican-American conductor, pianist and violinist dedicated to expanding the modern musical landscape. Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, he holds a bachelor’s in music education from New Mexico State University and a master’s in orchestral conducting from Louisiana State University. He began his conducting career with the Amadeus Orchestra within the Las Cruces Youth Orchestras program, later co-founding the LSU Concert Orchestra and conducting for the Constantinides New Music Ensemble. A recipient of the Presser Foundation Award, Eduardo also earned first prize in the 2024 Conducting Competition with the Banda Sinfónica del Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz. He recently served as a teaching artist with Kids’ Orchestra and Red Stick Academy in Baton Rouge while performing as a violinist with various Louisiana ensembles, including the Acadiana Symphony, Rapides Symphony and Opera Louisiane. His work also extends into cross-genre projects, ranging from binational tours with the band Sonido Cachimbo to session recordings with artists like Estereomance and The Holy Knives at Sonic Ranch Studios. Currently, Eduardo serves as a graduate assistant for the orchestra program at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in orchestral conducting under the guidance of Dr. Gregory Wolynec. Gregory Wolynec is in his second year as director of Orchestral Activities at The University of Southern Mississippi. He directs the Symphony Orchestra, oversees the graduate program in orchestral conducting, and conducts performances of the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company. He is also the founder and music director emeritus of Middle Tennessee’s acclaimed Gateway Chamber Orchestra (GCO), which he directed for 17 years. Wolynec previously served as director of instrumental ensembles at Austin Peay State University (APSU) in Clarksville, Tenn., from 2003-24. Wolynec has sought to revolutionize the potential of the 21st century orchestra. His unique programming philosophy received national attention with GCO producer Blanton Alspaugh receiving two GRAMMY nominations and a win as Classical Producer of the Year. Ambitious multi-media family concerts have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras. He spearheaded pandemic projects, including the Magical Music and Timeless Tales video series, the YouTube broadcast of the Beethoven @250: Humanity in 2020 concert, and America’s Haydn Festival in May of 2021, featuring performances by GCO, as well as the St. Lawrence String Quartet, pianist Henry Kramer, and hosted by Bill McGlaughlin. In 2021, Wolynec also worked with composer Cristina Spinei to successfully launch the first NFT of a musical work commissioned by an American orchestra. This was profiled on NPR’s Marketplace Money. He also oversaw a multi-year project in collaboration with Nashville Ballet to create a new Nutcracker employing the music of Tchaikovsky, Duke Ellington and Vinico Meza. In 2025, Wolynec oversaw the groundbreaking release of recordings of Osvaldo Golijov’s massive La Pasión según San Marcos in audio, video and virtual reality formats. Wolynec holds a BM in music education and clarinet performance from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, as well as the MM and DMA in instrumental conducting from Michigan State University. He was a recipient of a Fulbright Grant to Prague, Czech Republic, where he studied conducting at the Prague Conservatory. There he also worked with the Karlovy Vary Symphony.
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Violin 1 Kevin Andre Zerrate Arias* Carlos Suarez Allyson Gomes Amelia Brencick Keyu Zheng Dan Patten João Vitor Gonzaga Katarzyna Gwiazda Paúl Armijos Yambay Veronica Pérez Juan Lincango
Bass Marcus Silva* Daniel Magalhaes Jas Flores Job Rosales Chad Rosolini Sabrina Coary JaLaan Dubose Manuel Jara Harp Kristina Finch* Tess Fullerton
Violin 2 Ethne Killgore* Flute Dexter Rodkey Chelsea Riches* Carlos Eduardo Orta Orozco Tucker Uebersax Lucas Gonzalez Alexander Zander Gilfour Piccolo Paulo Victor Alves Tucker Uebersax Christian Onyewuche Paloma Vieira Guillory Oboe Sofia Araújo Joshua Strobel* Grace Pineda Juan Carlos Piedra Carvajal Viola René Espinal* Renata Andrade Christian Avila Jordan Kendall Wayne Belda Phoebe Calvillo Natalia Escobedo Elizabeth Brown Violoncello Cristian Sanchez* Mauricio Unzueta Salas Evelin Lopez Arguijo Yitian Li Itzel Orellana Ayelén Bustos Marrero Kassandra Henriquez Vivian Herring Frank Palomino
English Horn Juan Carlos Piedra Carvajal Clarinet Matthew Barron* Bradley Pilcher Bassoon Gabe Flores* Osvaldo Redondo Alfaro Nancy Gabriela Diaz Tanner Nitchin Contrabassoon Nancy Gabriela Diaz
* denotes principal players
French Horn Chance Rootes* Cristina Restrepo Paniagua Eli Wright Gracie Bridges Kallie Olivarez Trumpet Benjamin Day* Anthony Leggio Micah Ingram Drew Eisman Trombone Brandon Domingue* David Bretz Bass Trombone Josh R. Pendergraph Tuba Shandon Webb* Ember Evans Timpani Nathan Wright* Yu Chih Cherry Chen Destiny Sims Zurielys Correa Percussion Yu Chih Cherry Chen* Lane Allen Michael Golles Brenden Wickliffe Destiny Sims Zurielys Correa
BRINGING MISSISSIPPI TO THE WORLD
Last fall, we launched a series of ambitious new projects and an annual fundraising initiative to support them,“Bringing Mississippi to the World." Through the generosity and vision of several donors, our talented musicians shared the stage with internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Aaron Diehl and his trio in a program featuring Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite. Pulitzer-prize winning composer Julia Wolfe and the Bang on a Can team joined us for an incredible week, including a panel discussion and a performance of Her Story that the community is still buzzing about. Our livestream programs now feature sound produced by a GRAMMY-winning engineer. Our Symphony also gave its first out-of-Hattiesburg performance in several years, but we are just getting started. During 2026-27, we will build upon initiatives we started last year while also embarking on new ones. We will launch our first ever commercial recording project, bring the orchestra to New Orleans for the first time in nearly 20 years, and set the groundwork for a major tour during 202728. Activities like these provide a quality of education that our students could not find anywhere else, while they also celebrate the cultural vitality of our wonderful community. Please consider supporting the USM Foundation’s “Bringing Mississippi to the World” fund with a one-time or multiyear gift. I can think of no better cultural ambassadors for our great state than our musicians here in Hattiesburg! With gratitude, Gregory Wolynec, DMA Director of Orchestral Activities
THANK YOU TO DONORS
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Amy Antoinette Batiste 601.266.6114 amy.batiste@usm.edu BAND/DIXIE DARLING Dewey W. Camp Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0846 Billie and Homer Sullivan Jr. Pride Scholarship – Fund 1237 Martha and Noobar Odjakjian Memorial Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1250 Margaret and Warren Dunn Pride Scholarship – Fund 1426 Drs. Mark and Martha Stevens and Anna Stevens Swann Pride Endowment – Fund 1463 Barnes-Manning Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1716 Janet Sims Band Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1727 Band Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2482 Kappa Kappa Psi Gamma Chi Chapter Alumni Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2515 Charles and Diane Thomas Endowment in the School of Music – Fund 0511 Anita Joe “Butch” McDonald Endowed Dixie Darling Scholarship – Fund 0667
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ORCHESTRA Edna and Dave Perkins Endowed Scholarship in Strings – Fund 0515
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Harry Wells McCraw Violin Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0629
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Partners for the Arts Orchestra Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1779 Elizabeth M. Irby Orchestral Chair Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1780 John N. Palmer Foundation Orchestral Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1794 Richard Fabian and Katherine Smith McCarthy Violin Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1799
PIANO/VOICE Patricia Graham Gable Endowment in Music – Fund 0517 VOICE Angela Stevens Wallace Voice Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0697 AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2026
Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Symphony String Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1818 Orpheus Orchestral Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1869 The University of Southern Mississippi Opera Endowment – Fund 1939 Voice of the Century Centennial Orchestra Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1945 Rebecca Smart Montague Symphony Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1975 Sonya Rebecca Jordan Fox Symphony Orchestra and Opera Endowment – Fund 2099 Jay Dean International Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2281 Joe B. Price Horn Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2291 Dr. Toxey M. and Mrs. Virginia Wicke Morris Symphony Orchestra Scholarship Endowment– Fund 2602 PIANO Dr. Trelles Glenn Case Piano Performance Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2601 Fannie Godbold Ginn Piano Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0584 Melba Ough Ragsdale Memorial Piano Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2073 George Imbragulio Piano Memorial Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2240
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CONTACT
Amy Antoinette Batiste 601.266.6114 amy.batiste@usm.edu
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LEGACY LIFETIME MEMBERS Gold Legacy Society - $25,000 Gail and Larry Albert Becky and Doug Montague Dr. Steven Moser Ms. Sandra and Dr. R. Greer Whitacre
Silver Legacy Society - $12,500 Dr. Shannon Campbell Tammy and Arthur Martin Pam and Doug Rouse
Bronze Legacy Society - $5,000 Alexander Brady Foundation Linda Boutwell-Griffith and John Griffith Jennifer Brannock and Dr. David R. Davies Dr. Amy Chasteen Iris Easterling Erin and Dennis Granberry Lt. Col. Jason Hillman in honor of Carole Marshall Amy and Don Hinton Carole Marshall in memory of John Ivany Marshall Stace and Andy Mercier Drs. Stacey and Michael Miles Ruth and Dr. Lance Nail Dr. and Mrs. Joe Paul Eula and Dr. Roderick Posey Dee and Toddy Tatum in memory of Dr. and Mrs. A.T. Tatum Becky and Doug Vinzant
ANNUAL MEMBERS PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE - $5,000+ Cadence Bank Beverly Dale
GRAND BENEFACTOR - $2,500 Catherine and Donald Cotten Dr. and Mrs. Chris Winstead
BENEFACTOR - $1,000
Myrle-Marie Bongiovanni Gwen and Perry Combs Mo and Dick Conville Iris Easterling HCS Trading, LLC Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Leader Jane and Charles Lewis The Linda Becker Smith Revocable Trust Dr. Keith and Carolyn McLarnan Dr. Steven and Anita Murphey Dr. and Mrs. Tom Puckett Southern Miss Alumni Association Mrs. Sandra and Dr. R. Greer Whitacre
Dr. Chris and Missy Crenshaw Drs. Jeremy Deans and Alyson Brink Allyson Easterwood Althea and Raoul Jerome in memory of Dr. Patricia Malone Lee-Way Financial Robert Lochhead John M. and Carolyn Lopinto Sr. Missy Warren McGee Mrs. Virginia W. Morris Kathryn and Robert Morrow Pinebelt Realty Enterprises, LLC and Mason and Magnolia Real Estate Kathy and Randy Pope Rion Snowden Architect, PLLC Dr. Edward Sayre Russ Willis
DONOR - $250
Linda and Larry Basden Mary Glenn and Todd Bradley Lt. Col. Raylawni Branch Drs. Marvin and Bitsy Browne Miller Rachel and Nicholas Ciraldo Joelle Crook in memory of George T. Crook Kimberley Davis Beejee and Andy Dickson Katherine and Chad Driskell Kim Gallaspy Cheryl L. Goggin Dr. and Mrs. Robert Heath Rebekah and Jeff Johnson Richard and Elizabeth Johnson Dr. Mike Lopinto in honor of Carolyn and John Lopinto Tammy and Steve Mansfield Carole Marshall Maureen K. Martin in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Aubrey K. Lucas Cody and Joan McKeller Dr. Colin and Mandie McKenzie Becky and Doug Montague Drs. Suzanna and Andrew Nida Hal E. Odom Dr. Derek and Mrs. Stephanie Patton Denise and Richard Ratcliffe Mr. and Mrs. William K. Ray Dr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Rust Mary and Eric Sumrall Martha and Tommy Thornton Debra and Richard Topp Carey and Sharon Varnado Sharon Weathersby
CONTRIBUTOR - $150
Anonymous Dr. Jenna and Mr. Daniel Barton Dennis Baum Mitch and Marcia Cochran Dr. Veronica Dzugan
Barbara Jane Foote Howard and Liz Fromkin John and Susan Howell LuAnn Knight Lorinda Krhut Vicki R. Leggett Milo McCarthy Bebe McLeod and Bill McLeod in memory of Dr. John A. McLeod III LTC and Mrs. E. Walker Nordan Betty and Bob Press George and Jann Puckett in honor of DeAnna Douglas Ann and Bill Simmons in honor of Dr. Jay Dean and Dr. Mary Ann Kyle Carol and Ken Simpson David Sliman Nancy Steen
FRIEND - $50
Anonymous Donors Elizabeth and Chris Bedenbaugh Drs. Diana and Joshua Bernstein Dr. Cherie and Mr. Lance Bowe Joe Brumbeloe Darcie Conrad Jennifer Courts Mr. and Mrs. Charles Daughdrill Bethanie and Jerry DeFatta Diane Dobson Carol and Gardner Fletcher Lauren and J.R. Gerhart Harry and Marcia Goff Heather and Ken Graves in memory of Jeremy Lespi
Bridget Hayden Brenda Hesselgrave Clark and Kathia Hicks Emily and Dale Holmes Dr. Luis A. Iglesias Jane W. Jones Nicolle Jordan and Tom O’Brien Linda and Mike Kuykendall Karen LeBeau Hsiaopei Lee Linde and Jeff Lynn Marcos Machado Jackie and Ben McIlwain Louise and John Meyer Danilo Mezzadri Dr. Mark Miller Jeremiah Parker Ellen Price-Elder Terry and Julie Puckett Julie Reid Sherrie Mitchell Richmond Mark Rigsby and Melanie Eubanks Barbara Ann Ross Dr. Alexander Russakovsky Joseph Steadman Susan Straus Lorraine A. Stuart Jennifer Torres Joanne Tran Donnie and Barbara Tynes Brittney Westbrook Cory R. Williams Dr. John Wooton AS OF JANUARY 1, 2026
If you would like to join PFTA, visit usm.edu/partners-arts or call 601.266.5095.
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 7, 2026 – 1 p.m. Sunday, November 8, 2026 – 3 p.m. The Thomas V. Fraschillo Stage at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium
Holiday Choral Spectacular December 1 and 3, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. Main StREET Baptist Church
Future Stars
February 18, 2027 – 7:30 p.m. Bennett Auditorium
La Pasión!
March 19, 2027 – 7:30 p.m. The Thomas V. Fraschillo Stage at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium
Ode to Joy!
May 6, 2027 – 7:30 p.m. Main Street Baptist Church
800.844.8425 601.266.5418 southernmiss.com/tickets
ILITY EOE/VETS/DISAB EOE/VETS/DISABILITY
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