HATTIESBURG -- Music lovers are in for a treat Feb. 9-12 when the University of Southern Mississippi Bands presents its annual installment of the Southern Instrumental Conductors Conference and All-South (high school) Honor Band program. 

The four-day weekend of events at Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus will feature three concerts by Southern Miss ensembles, five guest concert bands, and a finale concert by the All-South Honor Band.

“Over 500 students from across the Southeast gather for one of our largest programs of the year,” said Dr. Thomas Fraschillo, director of bands at Southern Miss.  “These students will learn from some of the finest conductors in the country and be entertained by Southern Miss jazz and concert bands.”

The gala performance for the weekend’s celebration features a concert by the university’s internationally recognized Wind Ensemble Saturday, Feb. 11 under the direction of Fraschillo. 

The 7:30 p.m. concert program, performed by the 55-member ensemble of the finest wind and percussion musicians of the School of Music, will feature a work, “In Remembrance,” by Southern Miss composer and professor of music Dr. Luigi Zaninelli.

Opening the weekend of concerts, the Southern Miss Jazz Lab Band I will heat up the stage Thursday, Feb. 9, joined by the All-South Honor Jazz Band at 7:30 p.m.  Larry Panella, director of jazz studies at Southern Miss and the All-South Honor Jazz Band program, will conduct.

New School of Music faculty artists will perform on the Jazz Lab Band I program, including Dr. Gregory Oakes, clarinet; Dr. Bruce Tychinski, trombone; and Dr. Marcos Machado, bass.

Friday evening (Feb. 10) will feature the university’s Symphonic Winds concert band at 7:30 p.m. under the direction of Dr. Gary Adam, associate director of bands at Southern Miss.

“The Symphonic Winds, which consist of predominantly music education and music performance majors, will present a strong program of concert band greats,” Adam said. 

Five guest bands will perform Saturday (Feb. 11), including Worthy County Middle School Band of Sylvester, Ga., at 9:45 a.m., conducted by Craig Bean; North Springs School Band of Atlanta, Ga., at 11 a.m., conducted by Dennis Naughton; Oak Mountain High School Band of Birmingham, Ala., at 3:30 p.m., conducted by Jim Duren; and the featured Mississippi ensemble, Stone County High School Band of Wiggins, at 2:15 p.m., under the baton of Southern Miss alumnus Mohamed Schuman.

At 1 p.m., the Mississippi Junior-Community College All-State Band will perform.

Culminating their work with guest conductors during the weekend, the All-South Honor Bands will give a finale concert at 1 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 12). In addition to rehearsals for the concert, the students will participate in master classes on their instrument with the Southern Miss music faculty.

“This is the longest running program of this type in the South and one that attracts the best high school musicians,” Fraschillo said.  “It is an opportunity for quality high school students to visit Southern Miss, see and hear what we have to offer, and make a connection with what we hope will be their future home.”

The 2006 guest conductors for the program include Dr. David Gregory, director of bands at Reinhardt College in Waleska, Ga; Jodie Piva, director of wind symphony at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; and Mary Land, director of bands at Pickens County Middle School in Jasper, Ga.

‘The All-South musicians have a real treat in store for them in being able to work with such noted band professionals,” Fraschillo said.  “No one else in the entire Southeast but Southern Miss has been able to provide such an experience for our young band students.”

All concerts are free of charge. For more information about the conference, call the Southern Miss Bands Office at 601.266-4990.

About The University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities. In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21^st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world. Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.