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 55-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.
1969
Orchestra Founded
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
56th Season
August 25th, 2024
New Beginnings Symphony Orchestra
Buy Tickets Bettersworth Auditorium, Lee Hall Mississippi State University 2:00 PM
To kick off the 24-25 season, the Starkville Symphony Orchestra plays on the theme of beginning at 1-2-3, through Beethoven's beloved Symphony No. 1, the invigorating Marquez Danzon No. 2, and the flowing melodies of Dvorak's Symphony No. 3. The Starkville-MSU Symphony Association Annual Meeting and Reception will follow the concert in the main lobby.
September 20th, 2024
Jazz at the Renasant Symphony Jazz Combo
Renasant Plaza Downtown Starkville 7:30 PM
An annual favorite and gift back to the Starkville community, the musicians of the Starkville Symphony Orchestra present an evening of jazz on the Renasant Bank plaza. There is no better way to kickoff football weekend than with dining and a concert in downtown Starkville.
September 29th, 2024
Robert Frost & Friends Community Chorus and Starkville High School Choirs
First Baptist Church Starkville, MS 2:00 PM
The concert features “Frostiana” - seven country poems of Robert Frost set for chorus and piano by Randall Thompson - with the Starkville High School Chamber Singers and guest pianist Roseangela Sebba and celebrates the friendship of the Community Chorus and the Starkville High choral department.
October 18th, 2024
John Paul White Symphony Orchestra
Buy Tickets Humphrey Coliseum Mississippi State University 7:30 PM
Four-time Grammy Award winning artist, formerly half of The Civil Wars, John Paul White joins us for a unique crossover performance reimagining the Southern Rock, Americana, and Country hits that made him famous. This stand-alone special event features John Paul White, his band, and the entire orchestra sponsored by MSU’s Lyceum Series, Music Makers
Productions, and the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association. This event has been held to rave reviews in multiple orchestras around the nation.
November 17th, 2024
With Thanksgiving Symphony Orchestra and Community Chorus
Buy Tickets Bettersworth Auditorium, Lee Hall Mississippi State University 2:00 PM
It is with thanks to the greater Starkville community that the orchestra, featuring Peter Infanger and the Starkville Community Chorus, brings a heartfelt symphonic pops event in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday. Featured works include Copland’s The Promise of Living, Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth, and Willberg’s arrangement of Simple Gifts.
January 25th, 2025
Annual Gala Fundraiser Symphony Friends and Patrons
Gathering Starkville 1437 Fire Station Road 6:30 PM
You are cordially invited to the Annual Symphony Gala Fundraiser, a night of music, fellowship and philanthropy. Please join us for live musical performances, hors d’oeuvres, and refreshments. Your presence and contributions will directly support our mission to enrich the community through music and education. The funds raised will help us continue to provide exceptional concert experiences and expand our outreach programs.
February 9th, 2025
String Serenade Symphony Orchestra
Buy Tickets Bettersworth Auditorium, Lee Hall Mississippi State University 2:00 PM
In a return engagement from the prior season postponed due to bad weather, the string section of the Starkville Symphony Orchestra presents chamber favorites, including Grieg’s Holberg Suite, the Elgar Serenade for Strings, and the Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings. In addition, the orchestra will perform a Starkville premiere of Kilar’s Orawa with 15 individual string parts!
March 23rd, 2025
Gloria Symphony Orchestra and Community Chorus
Buy Tickets Bettersworth Auditorium, Lee Hall Mississippi State University 2:00 PM
The annual choral masterworks performance, featuring the Starkville Community Chorus and MSU Choirs, will highlight Rutter’s famous Gloria. In addition, Maestro Stevens will conduct Shostakovich’s Suite for Variety Orchestra and welcome the MSU Solo Artist Competition Winner to the stage.
May 3rd, 2025
Wingo Pops Presents, Home of the Brave Symphony Orchestra and Community Chorus
Buy Tickets Bettersworth Auditorium, Lee Hall Mississippi State University 7:30 PM
As a salute to our military and civilian service for working tirelessly to keep our country safe, the Starkville Symphony Orchestra will perform music of America. From patriotic favorites of The Star-Spangled Banner and Stars and Stripes Forever, to an orchestral salute to Rocky Mountain Majesty (Brubaker) and John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen, you will be sure to bring family and friends to this powerful tribute.
The 2023-2024 Symphony Concert Season and Programs for Children are made possible through grants and support by these and other partners
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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.
2023 Contest Details Coming Soon!
Leadership
Daniel Stevens
Music Director and Conductor, SSO Symphony Orchestra
Peter Infanger
Conductor, SSO Community Chorus
Ryan Ross
SSO Symphony Manager
Daniel B. Stevens Music Director, Conductor of Symphony Orchestra
Daniel B. Stevens is the Conductor of the Starkville Symphony Orchestra, appointed to the position in 2023. He proudly serves with the faculty of Mississippi State University as the Department Head and Professor of Music.
Prior to MSU, Daniel enjoyed a lengthy tenure at two higher education institutions: first, at Southwestern College (Winfield, KS) for eight years as the Mazie Barnet Kilmer Chair for String Education and conductor of the South Kansas Symphony; and most recently as Professor of Music, Music Director and Conductor of the Shoals Symphony Orchestra, Director of the Peery Center for Orchestral Studies, and applied viola studio teacher at the University of North Alabama.
As a professional musician, Daniel had a 15-year career as violist with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and has recently performed with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. He has held esteemed positions in the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, the Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra, and the Colorado Springs Music Festival Orchestra. As a soloist, Daniel was an MTNA Regional Runner-Up, and has been a feature chamber musician in the Ameropa International Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. In March 2010, Daniel performed in a Carnegie Hall debut through Distinguished Concerts International, New York. Daniel's acclaim led to an instrument sponsorship from K.C. Strings Violin Shop. His professional violin and viola are premiere custom instruments made by Anton Krutz and family.
When asked about most memorable performances, Daniel has fond memories of appearing on a PBS special, Music for Life, with Bob McGrath of Sesame Street fame, playing with musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the NY Metropolitan Opera at the Aspen Music Festival, performing in an orchestra to accompany Luciano Pavarotti's farewell tour in a 10,000-seat arena.
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.
Board of Directors
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
Rex Buffington President
Vice President
Betsy Swanson Secretary
Blair Booker Treasurer
Rob Wolz Past President
Board Members
Kenn Beamon
Jan Bryant
Jennifer Davis
Andrew (starting in January) Gaston
Brandi Harrington
Elizabeth Hawkins
Robert Hawkins
Tonya Hays
Eric Hill
Kyle Jordan
Pat Lane
Dolton McAlpin
Jack McCarty
Michael Navicky
Denise Rowan
Arete Sprio
Phillip Stockton
Tommy Tomlinson
Steve Turner
Ex-Officio
Peter Infanger
Cathy Lammons
Ryan Ross
Daniel Stevens
Honorary Life Members
David Cornell
Trudy Gildea
Guy Hargrove
John Van Dyke Saunders
Emeritus
Donald Emerich
MM. Hawkins
Carolyn Katz
Lyle Nelson
Julia Vissotto
Robert Wolverton, Sr
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