The Mississippi State Lyceum Series will begin its season Oct. 12 with the Harlem Gospel Choir. Acts such as the Japanese drum ensemble TAO and contemporary dance will also be part of this year’s exhibition of culture. Performances by the Lyceum Faculty Chamber Series will be featured throughout the season.
Michael Brown, music department head, said the university has a responsibility to be a cultural beacon.
“It’s a privilege to share culture, and music is certainly a part of culture,” Brown said. “You have opportunities to broaden your mind.”
Bringing world-class performers to MSU takes organization and countless hours of going through information about different acts and companies, contacting, arranging and promoting.
Sarah Little, a graduate student, has assisted in bringing the Lyceum Series acts to the university.
“We have a variety of things coming,” Little said. “It brings dance companies and orchestras and gives students opportunities to experience those types of things. In a small town, you don’t get the opportunity to experience things like that often. It draws interest to the university.”
Little said meeting people is the most interesting part of her job.
“The day of the program, meeting the people and working with them is interesting. You meet people from all over the world,” Little said.
Brooks Lewis is also a graduate student working to organize the program. He said the university benefits from the Lyceum Series because the acts are unique.
“I think it gives everyone a variety of things. These are not your normal programs,” he said. “They’re from different parts of the world.”
All performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall. Student admission is free and tickets can be retrieved at the door before each program with a valid MSU ID. MSU employee season tickets are $60. Individual tickets can be purchased beginning Oct. 1.
On Oct. 21, the Montana Repertory Theatre, one of the oldest, most respected touring companies in the country, will bring Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to MSU. The Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, one of Russia’s critically acclaimed string ensembles, will perform Feb. 15.
The Japanese drum ensemble TAO will perform March 2 with a mixture of drum, dance and music.
“I’m really looking forward to the one on March 2. It’s supposed to be high energy,” Lewis said. “I’m excited about all of them though. They’ll be interesting and new experiences.”
On March 31, Parsons Dance will bring a unique style of athleticism and movement for an interpretation of contemporary American choreography.
Audiences will be introduced to five skilled musicians in the Spaghetti Western Orchestra who recreate music from movies which made Clint Eastwood an international star. Using hilarious sound effects, such as blowing on bottles, crushing cornflakes, “playing” coat hangers, apples, squeaky toys, rubber gloves, bicycle pumps, nail clippers and many more to recreate the essence of the wild west on April 20.
The Lyceum Faculty Chamber Series will feature vocalists and musicians of the MSU staff.
These performances will be held 7:30 p.m. in McComas Hall Auditorium or Giles Hall Auditorium. Student admission is free with a valid ID and general admission is $5.
Soprano Rebecca Wascoe will kick off the series Oct. 30.
The Christmas Concert is a free performance held in Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1. This program will feature The Starkville-MSU Symphony and the MSU Concert Choir.
“We are very fortunate in a small town to have world-class performers. Not every town like Starkville has that opportunity, and we should be thankful for that,” Brown said. “I know I am.”
For more information about the Lyceum Series and the preformances, visit lyceum.msstate.edu.