Since 1969, the Starkville-MSU Symphony has provided the greater Starkville area and the Golden Triangle with a true community grown experience of classical music. With the goal of introducing this vibrant genre to an audience reflecting the entire Starkville community, every concert has remained free and open to the public throughout the Symphony's entire 53-year history.
As a testament to the community's commitment to exceptional music, Starkville stands as one of the only cities of its size in the nation to support a continuing symphony orchestra for over fifty years.
Each year the Symphony Concert Season showcase the talents of musicians from Mississippi State University, Starkville, and the surrounding communities, along with guest musicians from across the state.
The Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Association was established March 2, 1969, in the home of David and Barbara Cornell.
1973
Chorus Founded
The Symphony Chorus was organized in October 1972, and the first concert was performed February 10, 1973.
1975
Children's Program Founded
The first program for children was presented October 2, 1975.
Schedule
54th Season
September 17th, 2022
Opening Concert Orchestra Strings // Feat. Guest Conductor Richard Montalto
First Baptist Church 106 E Lampkin St, Starkville, MS TBD
Details Coming Soon!
October 18th, 2022
Jazz at Renasant Symphony Jazz Combo
Renasant Plaza 500 E. Lampkin, Starkville, MS 6:00pm
Next, we have our popular jazz concert! Come to the outdoor Renasant Plaza near downtown Starkville, and enjoy an evening of appealing jazz standards performed by our combo led by MSU Associate Director of Bands, Dr. Clifton Taylor.
Music Director and Conductor, SSO Symphony Orchestra
Peter Infanger
Conductor, SSO Community Chorus
Ryan Ross
SSO Symphony Manager
Barry E. Kopetz Music Director, Conductor of Symphony Orchestra
Barry E. Kopetz is the Conductor of the Starkville Symphony Orchestra, appointed to the position in 2016. He serves as the Head of the Department of Music at Mississippi State University. Previously, he was Professor of Music at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where he conducted the Symphonic Winds, Wind Symphony, Chamber Winds, and taught courses in conducting and wind literature.
Prior to his appointment at Capital University, Kopetz was Professor of Music at the University of Utah for ten years, previously holding positions at the University of Minnesota, and at Bowling Green State University (Ohio). He has taught in the public schools of South Carolina and Ohio. He founded the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds in 1993 and served as their conductor for eight years, and founded the Columbus Youth Symphonic Band at Capital University and served as conductor for ten years.
Kopetz received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Ohio State University and he holds a doctorate with distinction from the School of Music at Indiana University. He studied conducting with Frederick Fennell in Tokyo in 1988, and his previous conducting teachers include the late Frederick Ebbs, Ray Cramer, and the late Donald McGinnis.
Kopetz is active as a composer and arranger, with one hundred-fifteen published works to his credit.
Peter Infanger Conductor, SSO Community Chorus
Peter Infanger is the full-time Director of Music Ministries at Starkville's First United Methodist Church and is an adjunct teacher in the department of music at Mississippi State University. He holds a bachelor's degree in vocal music performance from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a master's degree in choral conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. While in Starkville, Infanger has been the director of the Men of State and has worked intermittently with the Symphony Chorus. Active in the community music scene, he has been an organizer of a series entitled Bluegrass and Baroque and the community Christmas celebration, "A STAR(k)filled Christmas" which is sponsored by several of the downtown churches. It is in this spirit that he comes to the Starkville/MSU Symphony Association's chorus to continue it's traditions of musical excellence and community service.
Ryan Ross Symphony Manager
Ryan Ross teaches music appreciation and history courses at Mississippi State University. Prior to his appointment at MSU, he served for three academic years as an adjunct instructor of music at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, as well as M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in musicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign respectively.
Professor Ross's scholarly interests center around northern European and American music of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as scores for films and other media. His writings have appeared or are forthcoming in several periodicals, including the Journal of the American Music Research Center, Twentieth-Century Music, Notes, Carl Nielsen Studies, and The Musical Times. He is currently completing Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Research and Information Guide, to be published by Routledge.
Programs for Children
Each year the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association presents its Programs for Children. Part of the program includes a contest to create individual art work about the images associated with the song, "Hush Little Baby". Since the theme of the 2019 Programs for Children is "Dance, Clap, Sing and Draw," this contest has been created to promote excitement about the program on November 8, 2019.
2021 Contest Details Coming Soon!
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Our Sponsors
The 2019-2020 Symphony Concert Season and Programs for Children are made possible through grants and support by these and other partners
Leadership
The Starkville-MSU Symphony Association is a not-for-profit voluntary organization affiliated with Mississippi State University and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Executive Committee
Haley Montgomery President
Rob Wolz Vice President
Ania Debicka-Dyer Secretary
Mary Beck Treasurer
Eric Hill Past President
Board Members
Jennifer Blackbourn
Blair Booker
Jan Bryant
Rex Buffington
Jennifer Davis
Misty Francom
Charles Freeman
Amanda Gronewold
Elizabeth Hawkins
Robert Hawkins
Tonya Hays
Lynn Infanger
Anthony Kirkland
Pat Lane
Dolton McAlpin
Shahram Rahimi
Phillip Stockton
Betsy Swanson
Ex-Officio
Peter Infanger
Barry Kopetz
Cathy Lammons
Ryan Ross
Honorary Life Members
David Cornell
Trudy Gildea
Guy Hargrove
John Van Dyke Saunders
Emeritus
Donald Emerich
M.M. Hawkins
Carolyn Katz
Lyle Nelson
Julia Vissotto
Robert Wolverton, Sr.
Mark Anderson Director, ABC
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Contact
We would love to hear from you! Thank you for supporting the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association.
Address
Starkville-MSU Symphony Association
P.O. Box 1271
Starkville, MS 39759