Contact: Sasha Steinberg
Photo by: Megan Bean
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Starkville Symphony Orchestra Big Band will present "Jazz at Renasant" during a Tuesday [Oct. 7] evening concert at the city's Renasant Bank plaza.
Free and open to the public, the 6 p.m. outdoor performance sponsored by the Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Association features selections from the libraries of jazz greats Count Basie (1904-84), Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Stan Kenton (1911-79).
The bank is located at the intersection of East Lampkin and South Montgomery streets.
Seating is limited, and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to lawn chairs and blankets, patrons are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy during the twilight performance.
The Big Band group includes university faculty members and other principal players from throughout the community. Music professor and orchestra director Michael Brown will conduct the band.
Cliff Taylor, MSU associate director of bands and associate music professor, will perform Jimmy Van Heusen's 1941 song, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," first popularized by Frank Sinatra.
Doug Thomas, Starkville High School assistant band director, will perform Johnny Mercer's 1941 ballad, "Skylark."
Founded March 2, 1969 in the home of Starkville residents David and Barbara Cornell, the symphony association is a non-profit volunteer organization whose members work to educate, enlighten and share classical music with the city, university campus and other communities in the Golden Triangle region. Producing high-quality musical events and increasing awareness for the arts are its primary missions.
In addition to MSU and the City of Starkville, major symphony association contributors include the J.W. Criss Foundation, Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Renasant Bank, Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Columbus-based Gildea Foundation.
The association accepts tax-deductible donations via the MSU Foundation. To contribute, contact Lynn Durr at 662-325-8918 or ldurr@advservices.msstate.edu.
For additional information, contact Michael Brown at 662-325-3070 or mbrown@colled.msstate.edu.
Learn more about the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association at www.starkvillesymphony.org and www.facebook.com/StarkvilleSymphony.
MSU is online at www.msstate.edu, www.facebook.com/msstate, www.instagram.com/msstate, and www.twitter.com/msstate.