Released January 27, 2005

HATTIESBURG – The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, which will accompany world-renowned tenor Placido Domingo in Biloxi in April, will perform a preview of that concert at First Baptist Church Mandeville in Mandeville, La., Wednesday, March 30.

Though Domingo will not join the orchestra until the weekend, fantastic voices from the acclaimed School of Music at Southern Miss will be featured in the North Shore preview.

The Symphony Orchestra at The University of Southern Mississippi is the oldest orchestra in Mississippi. Established in 1920, it has been under the direction of Dr. Jay Dean since 1988. A well-established musical leader in the state and region, the orchestra has performed with internationally known artists, from violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma to trumpeter/conductor Doc Severinsen and legendary pop icon Ray Charles.

The 84th Symphony Orchestra season, sponsored by BancorpSouth, has already brought flutist Sir James Galway, and on April 2 will present Placido Domingo to southern audiences in “The Concert Event of a Lifetime.” Cosponsored by the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Domingo’s appearance with the SMSO at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum is the single most significant arts event in the southeastern United States this year.

Dedicated to creating world-class and life-changing opportunities for its members and the community, the symphony is truly an international organization with more than 13 countries represented by its students. The ensemble provides experiences the students will long remember and educational opportunities that will benefit their careers as musicians and teachers of music. With its regularly sold-out seasons, the Southern Miss Symphony Orchestra is one of the most exciting orchestras in the South.

“We are very excited to bring the orchestra to North Shore audiences. It is a wonderful community with a great tradition of patronage to the arts. We hope this is the start of a regular venture for us,” Dean said. “I am grateful for the efforts of John and Carolyn Lopinto and the staff of FBC Mandeville that made this concert possible.”

The concert, which will begin at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. Tickets for the Placido Domingo concert at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum on April 2 are still available. For ticket information, contact the Southern Miss Ticket Office at (601) 266-5418 or 1-800-844-8425 or visit http://www.tickets.usm.edu.

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