The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music continues its 2024-25 Connoisseurs Series, offering performances by world-class guest artists for the community. On January 23 at 7:30 p.m., Tommy Mesa, cello, and Yoon Lee, piano, will take to the stage at Marsh Auditorium on the university’s Hattiesburg campus, in a program of diverse offerings, including classical staples and new music. Thanks to the Mr. and Mrs. James Simrall, Jr. Arts Endowment, the concerts are presented at no charge to the public.
Mesa and Lee quickly became a powerful and collaborative force, recording a full album of contemporary works soon after they first met. Cuban American cellist Mesa, who in 2023 received the Sphinx Organization’s Medal of Excellence–its highest honor–has appeared as soloist at the Supreme Court of the United States and with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra. Lee, special-prize winner of the International Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition, has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and is a specialist in music for piano and strings.
With engagements ranging from performing a world premiere at a VIP wedding to their upcoming tour at venues including The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., this cello-piano duo delights their audiences with a range of lyrical works from the traditional classical canon to unearthed gems by contemporary voices.
Dr. Colin McKenzie, director of the Southern Miss School of Music, expressed enthusiasm for the Connoisseurs Series, calling it “an enriching lineup designed to engage students, faculty, staff, and the community with world-renowned artists who bring their talents to our campus.”
This year’s performances, he said, highlight a diversity of musical styles, “guiding audiences from the well-loved classics to the latest compositions across various musical forms.” McKenzie encouraged the community to attend, describing the series as an opportunity to immerse in the vibrant local music culture.
Additional programs in the series include the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet featuring Southern Miss alum Morgan Webster, on February 27 at 6 p.m. Internationally renowned, they have appeared regularly at the major concert halls in Europe, Asia and the U.S., carrying on a tradition established in the 1930s by the pioneer of the classical saxophone and founding member of the quartet Sigurd Raschèr. He inspired many composers to write music especially for him, a tradition that continues with more than 300 composers dedicating music to the quartet. All these composers have shared an enthusiasm for the four musicians’ unique homogeneous tone quality, virtuosity, and dynamic interpretation of new and old music.
Finally, on April 9, the Connoisseurs Series concludes with the Shanghai Quartet.
Over the past 40 years, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. The Shanghai’s elegant style, impressive technique, and emotional breadth allows the group to move seamlessly between masterpieces of Western music, traditional Chinese folk music, and cutting-edge contemporary works. Recent highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Freer Gallery (Washington, D.C.), the Festival Pablo Casals in France, and Beethoven cycles for the Brevard Music Center, the Beethoven Festival in Poland, and throughout China. The Quartet also frequently performs at Wigmore Hall, the Budapest Spring Festival, Suntory Hall, and has collaborations with the NCPA and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras.
The Connoisseurs Series–made possible by the annual support of the Mr. and Mrs. James Simrall, Jr. Arts Endowment–is a premiere event series representing each applied area (brass, jazz, piano, voice and woodwinds) with annual guest artist performances. These renowned performers augment the training our students regularly receive by the world-class faculty housed within the School of Music and add to the rich musical offerings presented annually to the Hattiesburg and regional community.