MERIDIAN
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MAKES MOVE TO THE MSU
RILEY CENTER
Meridian, MS – The Board of
Directors of the Meridian Symphony Association announces that the Meridian
Symphony Orchestra will be moving its concerts to the MSU Riley Center beginning with the 2007-2008
Season. The Meridian Symphony Orchestra,
under the baton of Music Director Claire Fox Hillard,
will perform its regular subscription concerts and Annual Fourth Grade
Children’s Concert in the MSU
Riley Center’s
renovated Grand Opera House.
According to Thad Quarles,
President of the Meridian Symphony Association Board of Directors, “This will
be a great partnership for the Meridian Symphony Orchestra and the MSU Riley
Center. It will mean that our patrons will be able to
hear and experience for the first time the full orchestra from the Riley Center
stage, a world class venue. It will
enhance the MSO’s educational component by providing
an outstanding back-drop for our children's concerts and will further develop
our mission to inspire and enrich the lives of those in our community."
The opening concert of the Meridian
Symphony Orchestra’s 2007-2008 Season will be Saturday, September 29, 2007 and
will feature critically acclaimed violinist Tim Fain as guest artist. Fain’s appearance last season with the
orchestra was a spectacular and memorable success – his return engagement will
inaugurate the orchestra’s new home.
Double bassist, Marcos Machado will perform as soloist on the second
subscription concert, Saturday, December 1, 2007. He will perform a unique composition by Frank
Proto titled “Four Scenes After Picasso,” which will
include overhead projections of works by the famed 20th-century
artist Pablo Picasso. On Saturday,
February 9, 2008, two artists will be featured.
The first place Gold Medalist of the Wideman
Piano Competition in Shreveport,
LA will perform the piano
concerto with which they will become the winner on December 2, 2007 of this
outstanding international competition.
Additionally, the Meridian Symphony Orchestra will showcase its
concertmaster, Jenny Gregoire, in Rimsky-Korsakov’s
beloved orchestral masterpiece, Scheherezade. The season’s finale will be on Saturday,
April 19, 2008. It will be a complete
performance of Haydn’s biblical oratorio “The Creation” sung in English. The performance will include the combined
forces of the Meridian Symphony Chorus and the MSU Concert Choir along with the
Meridian Symphony Orchestra. Also
featured will be several vocal soloists including Meridian
natives, soprano Maryann Kyle, soprano Kristen Johnson, and tenor Eric van Hoven.
Claire Fox Hillard,
maestro of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra is particularly excited about the
orchestra’s move into the MSU
Riley Center. “I am overjoyed to be moving the orchestra
onto this wonderful stage and performing in a hall with such exceptional
acoustics. Not only will our audiences
be able to experience these fine acoustics, the musicians in the orchestra will
benefit greatly from the ability to better hear each other on stage.”
The Meridian Symphony Orchestra
will be the first orchestra to perform on stage at the new MSU Riley Center. “We are ecstatic that Meridian
Symphony Orchestra will be performing in our theatre,” said Dennis Sankovich, executive director of the MSU Riley Center. “This is a wonderful partnership
that supports our commitment to provide a diverse offering of performing arts
events in our theatre. We look forward to a long, rewarding relationship with
MSO, as well as other local arts organizations as we reach out to support and
enhance this community’s performing arts offerings.”
The Meridian Symphony Orchestra
was formed in 1961 and has been performing at Meridian Community College
for 16 years. “We are extremely
appreciative of all the support we’ve received over the years from our friends
at Meridian Community College. Dr. Scott Elliott and the administration at
MCC have been incredibly good to us, and we are deeply thankful for all they
have meant to our orchestra and our community.
Without their support, we would not be where we are today,” said
Quarles.
This MSU Riley Center / Meridian Symphony Orchestra
partnership is made possible with at grant from The Riley Foundation.
2007-2008
Season
Saturday, September 29, 2007-
8:00 p.m.
MSU Riley Center
Opening Night Gala
Tim Fain, violin
$30 & $25, student ticket
$10
Saturday, December 1, 2007-
8:00 p.m.
MSU Riley Center
Hear a Work of Art
Marcos Machado, bassist
$30 & $25, student ticket
$10
Saturday, February 9, 2008-
8:00 p.m.
MSU
Riley Center
1001 Nights
Wideman Piano Competition Gold Medal Winner
$30 & $25, student ticket
$10
Saturday, April 19, 2008-
8:00 p.m.
MSU Riley Center
The Creation
Meridian Symphony Chorus
MSU Concert Choir
Eric van Hoven-tenor
Maryann Kyle-soprano
Kristen Johnson-soprano
$30 & $25, student ticket
$10
Tickets to Meridian Symphony
performances will be sold through the MSU Riley Center box office. Season tickets will go on sale August 1,
2007. Prices for season tickets are as
follows: “A” seating $120, “B” seating
$100, student season ticket $40.
Individual tickets will go on sale September 15, 2007.
MSU Riley Center box office is located at 2200 Fifth Street in downtown Meridian. Box office
hours are Monday-Friday, 10 am – 6 pm. For more information about the MSU Riley
Center, call 601-696-2200
or visit www.msurileycenter.com