From Jazz to Steel Drums, Music Department Fall Season Excites

A faculty chamber recital will be held 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in Nutt Auditorium. Jos Milton, associate professor of music, and Austin Smith, instructor in oboe, will perform together, marking one of several faculty performances scheduled throughout the semester.

The recital builds on a 2022 collaboration when the duo performed in Memphis with members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. For their September performance at Ole Miss, they've expanded the repertoire to include "The End," by English composer Jonathan Dove.

"I discovered 'The End' by accident when doing some listening practice for our original recital," Smith said. "I immediately fell in love with it, and on top of that, its unique instrumentation almost exactly matched the musicians who were playing on the program.

"Unfortunately, we did not have enough rehearsal time to add this wonderful piece to our Memphis performance, so we had the idea to perform a similar program at Ole Miss with our faculty colleagues and include the Dove."

Besides "The End," Milton will sing "Ten Blake Songs," by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and "Three Irish Folksongs," by American composer John Corigliano. Along with Milton and Smith, faculty members Philip Snyder, Selim Giray, Armee Hong, Kelsey Smith and graduate student Ilayda Ilbas will accompany.

"As a tenor, my most common partner in collaboration by far is a pianist," he said. "In choosing the repertoire for this program, I wanted to explore vocal chamber music possibilities with instruments other than the piano, and the three selections I will sing fall into that category."

On Oct. 1, Adrienne Park, assistant professor of collaborative piano, will present the first of two Sonic Explorations events planned for the fall at 7:30 p.m. in Nutt Auditorium. The piano-based series, which began in 2013, features themed musical performances and often includes guest artists from both music and visual arts. The second performance is set for Nov. 4.

The annual Veteran's Day concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in Nutt Auditorium. Donald Trott, professor of music and director of choral activities, organizes the event to recognize veterans within the community through musical performances.

The fall calendar also includes additional faculty recitals, student ensemble performances, guest artist appearances and master classes. Notable events include:

• UM Opera Theatre, "The Tie That Binds: Scenes of Love and Conflict," 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and 3 p.m. Oct. 20, both at Nutt Auditorium
• Concert: Percussion Ensemble and Steel Drum Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12, Band Hall
• Holiday Concert, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Most events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. A full list of fall 2024 events can be found at https://olemiss.edu/music/events/.

Top: The Department of Music will present its annual Veteran's Day concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in Nutt Auditorium. The event recognizes and honors veterans from across the community through musical performances. Photo by Christian Johnson/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services