OPENING NIGHT PROGRAM

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

ICONIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 107th SEASON 2026-27

OPENING NIGHT!

September 24, 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 Iconic season opener! It is hard to believe that two years have passed since this group of wonderful musicians and I began our journey together.

After seasons of New Beginnings and American Perspectives, we are embarking on an exciting year of big projects. We will also spread our wings and take the show on the road outside of Mississippi for the first time in nearly 20 years. What a year Greetings it will be! and welcome to the final performance

of our ambitious American Perspectives season.

What a year it has been! From a firm grounding in masterworks by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, we have stretched ourselves through new styles (like Mary Lou Williams’ jazz suite featuring the Aaron Diehl Trio), new languages ( John Adams’ rollicking minimalism comes to mind) and the just plain new (our recent Julia Wolfe residency for Her Story, representing a landmark achievement for our program). Tonight we finish our celebration of American Perspectives with a program of Americana that has something for everyone.

“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

OPENING NIGHT

September 24, 2026

Bennett Auditorium

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) William Tell Overture (1829) Carlos Tello, guest conductor

Jeffrey Wood (b. 1954) Different Bodies (2015) I. A Psalm of the Elephant Man II. In the Year of Our Lord 1875 III. First Meeting Treves IV. The Congregation V. Everything VI. A Pretty Lady VII. Going Out Jonathan Yarrington, tenor

INTERMISSION

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9 (1945) I. Prelúdio: Vagaroso e Mistico II. Fuga: Pouco apressado Two works played without interruption

Richard Wagner (1813-83) Prelude to Act I from Lohengrin (1850) Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Boléro (1928)

CONDUCTOR’S NOTES While Rossini’s overtures were originally written to raise the curtain for his operas, they have also served as brilliant openers for more than two centuries of symphonic concerts. This makes a great deal of sense because they generally contain no music from the operas.

Rather, he used them to set the tone for the evening and the drama that would follow. That is exactly what we will use the famous overture to William Tell for.

Rossini was a master of orchestration, which is the selection of the instrument or combination of instruments to be used for a passage. These miniature symphonies are noted for the distinctive way that he treated the different instruments of the orchestra. The opening divides the cello section into five solo parts and is among the most beautiful passages ever written for the instrument. The storm that follows serves to introduce the various sections of the orchestra. Our Swiss hero is depicted with a shepherd’s call by the English horn (which foreshadows our next concert, but that can wait for now).

The music that follows needs no introduction for audiences of any age with cultural references ranging from The Lone Ranger to Bugs Bunny. And we’re off!

Jeffrey Wood was a colleague of mine for 21 years in Tennessee, where he is a professor of composition and piano. I have taken great pleasure in premiering many of his works for a variety of types of ensembles.

When we presented Different Bodies in 2016, the response was immediate and overwhelming. Nashville Scene named it the premiere of the year at the time.

We were set to record this with the Gateway Chamber Orchestra, but like so many things, it was interrupted by the pandemic. I am so excited to welcome Jeff to Hattiesburg and to finally record this inspired work with my incredible colleague, Jonathan Yarrington.

Different Bodies explores poetry written by Kenneth Sherman about Joseph Merrick titled, Words for Elephant Man. This poignant text imagines a perspective based on accounts of Merrick and the doctor, Sir Frederick Treves, who spent years studying him. While the mood from the outset is solemn and even morose, the journey is inspired. These seven songs are

from a larger work for voice, piano and narrator. Each are self-contained except for the elision of Everything and A Pretty Lady. The latter of these is the emotional highlight of the work for me, and a song that I consider among the greatest written in the last 100 years.

When the National Endowment originally provided funding for the recording of Different Bodies, the League of American Orchestras celebrated it as an effort to recognize marginalized populations. It is certainly true that the work does that. However, as I explained to the musicians at our first rehearsal, it deals with a subject that all of us can relate to in some capacity. I don’t know the individual who hasn’t felt like an outsider looking in at some point over their lifetime. Jeffrey Wood connects us to these feelings through the imagined words of one of history’s most tragic figures. Yet the work closes with more than a whiff of nostalgia and even optimism. I know you will enjoy it.

In the spring of 2025, I surveyed our orchestra to see what pieces our musicians were interested in playing. Last season you heard works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Gershwin, Adams, Copland and others that all appeared in the students’ responses. However, there was a work that appeared no fewer than five times that I did not find an appropriate home for. Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos is among the most celebrated Latin-American composers in history. The Bachianas Brasileiras are Bach-inspired Brazilian pieces that blend the learned approach of the greatest of the Baroque masters with the rhythms of popular dance idioms along with the color (and dissonance) of 20th century Brazilian modernism.

In this case, Bach’s traditional pairing of Prelude and Fugue (the latter a complicated work based on imitation) is explored. Also characteristic, Bach’s traditional word is paired with Portuguese. This Prelude is “slow and mystical” while the Fugue is “a little hurried.”

We will conclude with two works in wildly different styles from two composers who were polar opposites. Richard Wagner’s operas were an all-consuming art form. He controlled every aspect of the multihour (and sometimes multi-evening) affairs. They were revolutionary and controversial, like the man who created them. Yet for all the ugly that the

person who created them was associated with, his music contains an indisputable beauty that is unlike anyone else’s. The sublime prelude shimmers from the first notes as Wagner portrays a vision of the Holy Grail descending to Earth.

The highest voices of the strings expand in one of music’s great crescendos. The Grail touches down with the climax featuring brass and cymbals.

The music recedes into the start of the opera, but tonight it will turn into a snare drum.

From a controversial composer to a controversial work, we leave Germany for France. This past spring, we presented Maurice Ravel’s tender Pavane based on a simple melody for smaller orchestra.

Boléro probably needs no introduction to many in our audience, particularly those who remember Dudley Moore and Bo Derek in the 1979 film 10 or the 1984 Olympic performance of Torvill and Dean. This work was written hastily in 1928. A commission for dancer Ida Rubenstein was to feature the composer’s orchestration of a work

by Isaac Albéniz. Unfortunately, those rights had already been secured by someone else. The ingeniously simple idea of Boléro was born of this necessity.

For about 15 minutes, a melody in two parts is heard on constant repeat without change. Thankfully, Ravel’s mastery of orchestration (remember Rossini?) is legendary. A castanet-inspired snare drum part is joined by flute before working its way around the entire ensemble. And what an ensemble it is! A huge orchestra of all the common instruments with more than a few guests (saxophones, oboe d’amore) continually grows in volume. When the work reaches a breaking point, Ravel changes keys to provide a rousing finale. “Orchestral tissue with no substance” is what the composer famously called it. While it was known to annoy him, it became his most famous work. Iconic!

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

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 ARTISTS-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 A native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, tenor Jonathan Yarrington is associate professor of voice and director of opera at The University of Southern Mississippi. Directing credits for the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company include Die Fledermaus, The Elixir of Love, Too Many Sopranos, Hansel and Gretel, Così fan tutte, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Trial by Jury, The Quest for Love, and Raise Your Glass. Yarrington has appeared with The Hub City Players as Joseph Pulitzer in Newsies, Chris Bean in The Play That Goes Wrong, and as Maurice in Beauty and the Beast.

Prior to joining the faculty at Southern Miss, Dr. Yarrington was a member of The Dallas Opera Studio from 2011-14, singing nearly 100 performances in the title roles of their education and outreach productions of Doctor Miracle and Jack and the Beanstalk. In 2012, he made his mainstage debut with The Dallas Opera as The Messenger in Aida. Dr. Yarrington has sung more than 15 leading operatic roles, including Jeník (Zápisník zmizelého), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), William Marshall (Regina), Jeník (Prodana nevĕsta), Stage Manager (Our Town), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Herman (The Most Happy Fella), Don Ramiro (Cinderella), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Marco Palmieri (The Gondoliers), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Nanki Pooh (The Mikado), and Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi).

He has performed on stage and in recital with Festival South, the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company, the Krewe of Zeus, the Radio Drama Club on WRKF, the Hub City Players, the Bluefire Chamber Players, Blue Lake Opera, The Blacksburg Master Chorale, Crescent Chamber Artists, The Choral Pickup, The Rapides Symphony Orchestra, The Plano Civic Chorus, The Dallas Chamber Orchestra, The Fort Worth Baroque Society, The Texas Camerata, The South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and The Utah Festival Opera Company. An active recitalist and concert performer, he has commissioned and performed new music for tenor and oboe, and he specializes in German and Czech art song.

Dr. Yarrington holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Dr. Stephen F. Austin. He is a former student of retired Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Ariel Bybee, and he won the Nebraska District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2005. His dissertation on Cornelius Reid has been downloaded thousands of times.

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 & 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 Perez Juan Lincango Grace Pineda

Bass Marcus Silva* Daniel Magalhaes Jas Flores Job Rosales Chad Rosolini Sabrina Coary JaLaan Dubose Manuel Jara

Violin 2 Ethne Killgore* Dexter Rodkey Carlos Eduardo Orta Orozco Lucas Gonzalez Alexander Zander Gilfour Paulo Victor Alves Christian Onyewuche Paloma Vieira Guillory Sofia Araújo Elizabeth Brown

Celesta Jiaqi Zhou

Harp Kristina Finch* Tess Fullerton

Flute Hallie Ward* David Reyes Chelsea Riches Piccolo David Reyes Chelsea Riches

Viola René Espinal* Renata Andrade Christian Avila Jordan Kendall Wayne Belda Phoebe Calvillo Natalia Escobedo

Oboe Juan Carlos Piedra Carvajal* Joshua Strobel* Miles Jones

Violoncello Cristian Sanchez* Mauricio Unzueta Salas Evelin Lopez Yitian Li Itzel Orellana Ayelén Bustos Marrero Kassandra Henriquez Vivian Herring Frank Palomino

English Horn Joshua Strobel* Zack Kahl

Oboe d’amore Juan Carlos Piedra Carvajal

Clarinet Brad Pilcher* Matt Barron Eb Clarinet Matt Barron

* denotes principal players

Bass Clarinet Cameron Nix Bassoon Osvaldo Redondo Alfaro* Gabe Flores Nancy Gabriela Diaz Contrabassoon Nancy Gabriela Diaz Saxophone Mickie Plunkett Preston Davis Horn Chance Rootes* Cristina Restrepo Paniagua Eli Wright Gracie Bridges Kallie Olivarez Trumpet Caleb Guilbeau* Ben Day* Anthony Leggio Micah Ingram Trombone Belle Tadlock* Lilly Moore Bass Trombone Sam Cerniglia Tuba Shandon Webb* Timpani Nathan Wright* Percussion Yu Chih Cherry Chen* Destiny Sims Zurielys Correa McKenzie Dillard Michael Golles

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

$40,000 and above Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Montague III $25,000 to $39,999 Dr. Beverly Dale $10,000 to $24,999 Dr. and Mrs. Arthur C. Martin

$5,000 to $9,999 Drs. Donald R. and Catherine R. Cotten $2,500 to $4,999 Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Conville $1,000 to $2,499 Mr. David C. Carroll Mrs. Mary J. Cromartie Mr. and Mrs. Alex Killgore Mrs. Virginia W. Morris

Mrs. Melinda O’Bryant-Brencick Mrs. Ardith Wolynec Drs. Gregory and Lisa Wolynec

$500 to $999 Dr. and Mrs. Robert Y. Lochhead Ms. Vicky A. Ward $250 to $499 Dr. David M. Cochran Jr. Ms. Cheryl L. Goggin Dr. and Mrs. Robert F. Heath Dr. and Mrs. Douglas S. Masterson Up to $249 Dr. and Mrs. Andrew L. Dickson Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Fromkin Lt. Col Jason Hillman Dr. Rebecca A. Turri and Mr. Steven P. Kingsbury

D O N AT E N O W

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ENDOWMENTS When it comes to making a long-term impact on Southern Miss, there are many giving options to choose from besides simply writing a check. To find a charitable gift that best meets your family's goals and supports Southern Miss for years to come, please contact us and join this family that will sustain the Symphony for generations.

CONTACT

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

Sherman and Mildred Hong Percussion Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2419 Pep Band Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2213 CHOIR Charles and Diane Thomas Choral Tour Endowment – Fund 1465 Steffan Myers Spirit of Southern FFE – Fund 2366 Drs. Mark and Martha Stevens and Anna Stevens Swann Choir Endowment – Fund 1463 CHOIR/VOCAL Tennessee Ernie Ford Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1218 GUITAR Elmo and Mary Glenn Harrison Guitar Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0931 Pat and Brett McKenzie Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2564 JAZZ M. Ashley DuBoise Scholarship Endowment in Jazz Studies – Fund 0570 Jerald S. and Christine B. Hughes Jazz Studies Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1273

Carl and Margaret Alesio Dixie Darling Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1421

MUSIC Frank Earl Marsh Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0690

Kristen Margaret Warren Memorial Scholarship – Fund 1591

Raymond and Karen Mannoni Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0737

Linda Smith Abner Dixie Darling Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2108

Kathryn Swetman Page Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0821

Alma Murphy Dixie Darlings Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2155

Mabel Ve. Shannon Silver Memorial Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0864

Joe Barry Mullins Scholarship – Fund 0905 Mary Lillian Peters Whitten Music Endowment – Fund 0968 Thad and Gerry Waites Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0980 Dr. Nancy O’Neal Tatum Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0982 Edna and Dave Perkins Music Faculty Enhancement Endowment – Fund 1261 Lorena Bessey Mangin Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1270 Zackery Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1750 James O. and Mary Ann Schnur Lower Brass Scholarship – Fund 1278 J. Larry and Linda B. Smith Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2063 Jim and Jamie Self Tuba Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2488 Dr. Patricia Ann Sharpe Malone Memorial Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2526

Harold Luce Orchestra Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0659 June Ross Vardaman Violin Chair Orchestra Endowment – Fund 0669 John P. and Ellene C. Moseley Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0966 Hilda and George McGee Endowed Music Scholarship – Fund 0979 Tom and Claire Brantley Trombone Scholarship – Fund 1364 William T. Gower Orchestra Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1499 Thomas D. and Lorraine Smith Ott Wind Scholarship – Fund 1539 Jaime Jiménez Endowed Cellist Scholarship – Fund 1638 Beau Rivage Orchestral Chair Scholarship – Fund 1688 Beau Rivage Endowment for the Mississippi Gulf Coast – Fund 1689 Mary Jordan Symphony Orchestra Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1702

MUSIC EDUCATION Dr. Jack P. Donovan Memorial Scholarship – Fund 1153

Gertrude C. Ford Orchestral Scholars Endowment – Fund 1735

Charles and Carolyn Elliott Endowed Scholarship in Music Education – Fund 1162

Chisholm-Lindsey Orchestral Chair Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1747

Dorothy and Laurance Cunningham Endowment in Music Education – Fund 1167

Garland and Sally Sullivan Symphony Orchestra Brass Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1764

Mississippi Orchestra Teachers Association/Sara Dean Music Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1608

Herbert Allen Hart Symphony Percussion Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1765

Agnes and Joseph “Bud” Hillman Scholarship Endowment – Fund 2127

Allen Hale Southern Mississippi Symphony String Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1766

ORCHESTRA Edna and Dave Perkins Endowed Scholarship in Strings – Fund 0515

Jay Dean USM Symphony Woodwind Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1767

Harry Wells McCraw Violin Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0629

Hattiesburg Civic Association Orchestra Scholarship Endowment – Fund 1778

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 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

PIANO/VOICE Patricia Graham Gable Endowment in Music – Fund 0517 VOICE Angela Stevens Wallace Voice Scholarship Endowment – Fund 0697

The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to serving the University community by overseeing fundraising efforts to raise private support for scholarships and other academic needs at Southern Miss. The Foundation manages donor dollars to provide the most advanced educational opportunities available to students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Southern Miss.

CONTACT

Amy Antoinette Batiste 601.266.6114 amy.batiste@usm.edu

MUSIC AT SOUTHERN MISS Placing successful performers and educators around the globe for more than 100 years, Southern Miss is not only a reliable choice, it’s also one of the most affordable.

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SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION

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PATRON - $500

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

If you would like to join PFTA, visit usm.edu/partners-arts or call 601.266.5095.

Fright Night!

October 29, 2026 – 7:30 p.m.

Bennett Auditorium

Natasha, Pierre & 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

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