‘Swing, Strings and All That Jazz’: MSU faculty, students perform with Starkville-MSU Symphony
Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State music faculty and students performed toe-tapping, iconic jazz and big band hits during a recent concert with the Starkville-MSU Symphony.
“Wingo Pops: Swing, Strings and All That Jazz” featured the electrifying rhythms of Duke Ellington, the charm of Gershwin and the suave sophistication of Cole Porter, alongside melodies from Louis Armstrong, Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini and more. Under the direction of Daniel Stevens, head of MSU’s Department of Music, the concert celebrated the golden age of jazz with full symphonic color.
“‘Swing, Strings and All That Jazz’ was a celebration of the energy, elegance and timeless spirit of American music,” Stevens said. “Bringing together MSU faculty, students and community musicians on one stage created a vibrant collaboration that reflects both the educational mission of our university and the enduring power of live performance to connect audiences across generations.”
Faculty members in MSU’s Department of Music performed alongside MSU students representing a variety of majors, as well as members of the community, including Effia Wu, an “exceptionally talented” high school student who has been mentored under the music department’s partnership with the Jacket Strings program in Starkville public schools.
MSU music faculty performers included:
• Olivia Boatman, flute, principal
• Neilson Chen, piano, principal
• Jose Luis Cuellar Garcia, bass, principal
• Robert Damm, percussion, principal/drums
• Matthew Haislip, horn, principal
• Sara Miranda, violin, concertmaster
• Bret Pimentel, clarinet, principal
• Denise Rowan, bassoon, principal
• Clifton Taylor, trombone, principal
MSU student performers included:
• Darren Bass, percussion
• Jeremiah Clermont, tenor saxophone
• Carson Combs, horn
• Hannah Culp, violin
• Drake Estep, alto saxophone
• Holden Garner, flute
• Harley Gipson, percussion
• Dylan Hall, percussion
• Ellen Head, trumpet
• Holden Hebert, bass clarinet, principal
• Wesley Job, trombone
• Sarthak Khatiwada, violin
• Ryan Louden, percussion
• Andrea Mason, horn
• Lillian Patriquin, trumpet
• Alice Raffel, oboe and English horn
• John Smitherman, guitar, principal
• Robert Wade, horn
• Jordan Wayne, viola
• Maximus Young, bass trombone, principal
Now in its 57th concert season, the Starkville-MSU Symphony performance was led by Stevens, who served as conductor in addition to artistic director; Peter Infanger, community chorus director and conductor; and Kenn Beeman, guest conductor.
MSU’s College of Education, home of the Department of Music, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at www.educ.msstate.edu.
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