Cutting-Edge Symphonic Works Highlight First Orchestra Appearance at Tatum Theatre

On Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m., FestivalSouth will present Psycho: Music on the Cutting Edge, the first orchestral concert ever performed in the Martha R. Tatum Theatre. The venue, located in The University of Southern Mississippi’s Theatre and Dance Building on Ross Boulevard, offers an intimate yet highly professional setting that fosters a unique connection between performers and audiences.

Under the direction of Jay Dean, the concert features the FestivalSouth Chamber Orchestra in a program that explores music at the intersection of beauty, tension and the human psyche through works by Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg and Bernard Herrmann.

Dr. Chris Winstead, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, emphasized the significance of the occasion.

“We are delighted to welcome FestivalSouth’s first orchestral concert in the Martha R. Tatum Theatre,” Winstead said. “This event offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce this special venue to new audiences while celebrating Southern Miss’ vibrant performing arts community and adding another dimension to an already compelling program.”

At the center of the program is music from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” one of cinema’s most influential films. Herrmann’s score, written entirely for string orchestra, transformed the sound of suspense and horror. Its shrieking violins and stabbing motifs in the infamous shower scene remain among the most recognizable moments in film history, demonstrating how music can shape fear and psychological tension as powerfully as the images on screen.

Providing a striking contrast is the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, a work of extraordinary intimacy scored for strings and harp. Often described as a love letter to his wife Alma, the movement balances soaring lyricism with an unmistakable awareness of mortality, creating music that is at once tender, beautiful and deeply moving.

The program concludes with Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” (“Transfigured Night”), inspired by Richard Dehmel’s poem of confession and forgiveness. Originally composed in 1899 and later arranged for string orchestra, the work journeys from darkness and despair to forgiveness and transcendence, blending lush Romanticism with the bold harmonic language that would help define the modern era.

Though separated by generations and genres, the concert’s three composers share a fascination with emotional intensity, orchestral color and musical innovation. Mahler expanded the expressive possibilities of the symphony through psychological depth and sweeping emotion. Schoenberg revolutionized twentieth-century music with daring harmonic language and modernist ideas. Herrmann, whose film scores drew inspiration from both composers, bridged the worlds of the concert hall and Hollywood through music charged with dramatic tension and emotional power.

“The arts have long been a defining part of the identity of The University of Southern Mississippi,” said Dr. Colin McKenzie, director of the School of Music. “Bringing a performance of this kind to the Tatum Theatre is a meaningful reminder that the creation of great art is, at its heart, a collaborative endeavor that brings people together.”

For tickets and more information, visit the website.

About the School of Music

The School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi is the state’s flagship music program and a destination campus for the study of music across the region, the United States and the world. Housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, the school offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and has earned a national and international reputation for excellence. Its distinguished faculty members are active performers and educators who appear on stages from local communities to major international venues. The School of Music is home to acclaimed band, choral, orchestral, jazz, opera and musical theater ensembles and provides extensive solo and chamber music performance opportunities. Students regularly perform at regional, national and international events and work with leading guest artists in preparation for careers as 21st century performers and educators.