Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra hosts String Serenade
The String Serenade featured musicians from MSU, and around the region, as they performed a strings only performance.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra is a local treasure for music lovers.
The musicians hosted their “String Serenade” this Super Bowl Sunday.
Daniel Stevens, the Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra artistic director said many of the musicians couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
“So many of us were born just for being musicians our entire lives,” Stevens said. “And so we couldn’t think of anything different than to be able to perform on the stage and to be able to work together.”
The symphony orchestra is comprised of a mix of different artists from MSU and surrounding communities.
For their “String Serenade” they rehearsed for about a day and a half ahead of the performance.
Stevens said the musicians rely on community support to thrive.
“It’s so unique for Starkville to be able to have a symphony orchestra of this size and magnitude,” Stevens said. “And it really takes the entire community embracing this type of organization to see it continue to thrive because the arts are our philanthropic type of discipline. And without those fans and without those supporters it just couldn’t exist in such a magnificent way.”
Leonard Ligon, the principal double bass player, said the community’s support is encouraging.
“Having everyone come in appreciate all the work you’ve put in, you know, it lets you know that you are doing it not just for yourself but for the community,” Ligon said.
Ligon said there is nothing like when the symphony orchestra has mastered a piece.
“In General what I love about it is that we all start to really breathe together,” Ligon said. “We all really play together. And so it’s like by the time we’ve done all the work through all the rehearsals and we get to that concert, it’s kind of like you’re all in sync. I think of it almost like we’re all coming together and becoming like one mass organism.”
One of the pieces being played for the first time by the symphony orchestra is Kilar’s Orawa.
Stevens said it’s distinctive in its modernity.
“It’s so unique in that it’s it’s a very they consider a minimalist work,” Stevens said. “But it kind of has this rocking beat to it and it really just engages the audience in a whole new way.”
Ligon said Kilar’s Orawa is meant to break down traditional classical music to rebuild it.
“They were trying to kind of break down classical playing and looking at all the small pieces and then doing something new with them,” Ligon said. “And so I think everyone’s going to say, ‘I didn’t know a string orchestra could sound like that’ when they hear that.”
Jose Ottonello, the principle cello player said he hopes the audience is enriched by the performance.
“Love and music for the soul and, you know, heal and anything they they mean having a good time,” Ottonello said.
Ligon said for the audience to enjoy music is the purpose of the performance.
“At the end of the day, you know, that’s what we want to do sit back relax and just enjoy the music,” Ligon said. “The great thing about art in general is that it means something different to every single person”
The next event the symphony orchestra will be hosting is “Gloria” on March 23.
