It’s a Saturday at the Rock on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). The first half has just ended when you hear that distinct, signature sound – “Ladies and Gentleman, taking the field, it’s your band, The Pride of Mississippi!” In a resonant and commanding voice, Dr. Mike Lopinto heralds the arrival of the beloved marching band and Dixie Darlings. It’s a voice that fans recognize immediately but many more know that the man behind the voice is a powerhouse creative artist, a fixture on both the Southern Miss campus and in the community.
That compelling vocality belies his abilities in production, design, direction promotion, and innate ability to spin almost anything he touches into gold. He is the force behind unforgettable, award-winning designs that have impacted so many. From football stadiums and billboards to chamber music and postcards, epic concert events to intimate gatherings, if you live in the area, it is very likely you encounter something his hands touched on an almost daily basis. Most notably, his outlets include performances at Southern Miss School of Music and Mississippi’s only multi-week, multi-genre annual arts event, FestivalSouth, but extend to regional and national locales.
Southern Miss School of Music Director Dr. Colin McKenzie regards Lopinto as “one of the most diversely talented people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.”
“While his official title is PR/marketing and event coordinator, the reality is that Mike is heavily involved in many facets of our creative work in the School of Music,” McKenzie continued. “Of the many accomplishments he has garnered, the most continuously impressive and inspiring thing about Mike, to me, is his dedication to and love for The University of Southern Mississippi. We’re richly fortunate to have him here.”
Lopinto has done nearly everything possible with the Southern Miss Symphony Orchestra, from performing as a bassoonist during his undergraduate years to coordinating its public relations and marketing during and after graduating with his doctorate from USM. During that time, he designed and coordinated multiple arts galas, sang leading roles with Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera, and helped develop festivals and events. The sheer volume of it all leaves many asking: What can’t he do?
“Don’t ask me to fix your car,” quips Lopinto “but if you need anything that deals with artistic products, it just comes naturally to me.”
For his longtime efforts as an educator and leader in the enhancement of the local culture and arts landscape, Lopinto was recently named the recipient of the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions Performing Arts’ 2024 American Prize Winner in Musical Theatre Direction, a recognition of exceptional contributions to the musical arts.
While he’s humbled by the recognition, Lopinto says it’s simply the result of a lifelong passion for working in the arts that he would never actually describe as ‘work.’
“What I do is driven by a passion for all things creative and channeling that passion into bringing high-quality arts and entertainment to a community that has embraced me and what I love doing. It’s so intrinsic to who I am that I could not imagine it any other way.”
“Creativity is what drives me forward – the ability to see beyond what the world gives us and imagine it in a completely different way.”
The New Orleans native says he grew up “always making things and putting on shows – magic shows, parties, singing, dancing, acting” and found his love of music performing with his high school band, while also working backstage, performing in school and community theatre. “Eventually those worlds would merge, and I performed in more and more places, all the while doing advertising for my parent’s restaurant,” he said.
Lopinto has served in a variety of other roles in the arts at the university and in the Hattiesburg area over the decades, beginning as a bassoon player with the Southern Miss School of Music in 1986. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and performance respectively, Lopinto left Hattiesburg for Austin, Texas where he taught in successful secondary school band programs for a decade, winning state and national honors. His work there also included designing band drills, apparel, costumes, uniforms, props and shows; during this time, he also began serving as a contest judge for Winter Guard International and Drum Corp International.
A serious health challenge forced Lopinto to give up his teaching career and return home to Mississippi, something that proved to be a physical, but even more emotional setback. Ironically, it was his artistic core where he would find solace and a path that would ultimately save him.
“The culture at USM prepared me to be ready for lots of things. However, my bout with autoimmune hemolytic anemia almost ended me,” Lopinto recounted. “I only and forever saw myself as a teacher – a band director. That was my life’s goal. When the ability to do that was taken from me, I was truly despondent. I only knew music. And, ultimately, that’s what brought me back from the brink.”
On a visit to Southern Miss during his recovery, he met with former university Symphony Orchestra Director Dr. Jay Dean, who was his undergraduate mentor. Dean asked him to return to assist with public relations and marketing with the symphony while Lopinto pursued his Doctor of Music Appreciation. Lopinto then moved on to the Southern Miss College of Arts and Sciences’ dean’s office to promote arts for the entire university, while also founding the Hub City Players theatrical group with Southern Miss alum Tammy Mansfield.
“The [Southern Miss] School of Music is my family,” he said. “They were supportive when I needed it most. The opportunities Dr. Dean initially provided me as an undergraduate were doubled when I returned in my time of need. A combination of my own tenacity and a preparation to meet any challenge, and what this university environment fosters, keeps me ready for the next challenge.”
Dean lauded his former student as “an extraordinarily talented individual who gives 1,000 percent of his time to the arts in our community and our state.” Together, the two founded FestivalSouth, the largest community project of the Hattiesburg Concert Association, celebrating 16 years of creating a variety of musical and other arts-related entertainment to the area.
“Mike Lopinto has never ceased to amaze me with both the quantity and quality of his work for The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg Concert Association, Hattiesburg Civic Association, the city of Hattiesburg, and state of Mississippi,” Dean continued. “He is extremely talented and a treasure in our community. He touches on all aspects of the arts in Hattiesburg and is largely responsible for the cultural image and reputation this community has developed.”
Staunch supporters of university and community arts productions readily echo Drs. McKenzie and Dean’s sentiments, including Lisa Conn and her husband Dr. Rick Conn; Dr. Alan Lucas and his wife Melinda; and Susan Slaughter.
As big fans of the award-winning musical drama Jersey Boys, the Conns supported Lopinto’s efforts to bring the show to Southern Miss and Hattiesburg earlier this year through FestivalSouth.
“To know Mike Lopinto is to know if he’s involved in anything concerning the arts in the Hattiesburg area, it’s going to be done professionally, and audiences will leave impressed and ready to return for more,” Lisa Conn said. “He’s a good friend and someone who has made, and continues to make, an invaluable contribution to the quality of life of the Pine Belt.”
Dr. Lucas, who first got to know Lopinto when he was coordinating the local Mardi Gras program “Zeus” said “there aren’t enough words to describe how lucky we are here at Southern Miss and in the Hattiesburg area to have someone as talented as Mike Lopinto involved with the arts.”
“His attention to detail and creativity are unmatched,” Lucas continued. “I’m excited to hear of his recognition with the American Prize for Direction for all the hard work he’s done and continues doing. He’s very deserving.”
Slaughter has assisted Lopinto for several years with numerous Southern Miss and FestivalSouth productions as a community volunteer, earning her a “FestivalSouth Maestra” designation from him for her work and support.
“Mike’s contributions to advancing the arts in the Hattiesburg area are unmatched in my opinion,” Slaughter said. “He’s a masterful visionary with a unique ability to bring people together to support and execute performing arts events in our community. I find him to be artistically gifted and fun to work with. Artists and patrons alike enjoy Mike’s ‘can do’ attitude and engaging spirit of community.”
Long days, nights and weekends given toward multiple productions in direction, choreography, set and landscape development, community service, teaching students – all these and more are a testament to Lopinto’s love for creating experiences that delight young and old alike; reminding all of why the arts are a critical element of any community or society. In the words of an anonymous staff member with the National Endowment for the Arts, “the arts matter because they help us to understand how we matter.”
Lopinto heartily concurs, noting that it’s his own personal “why.”
“If I can be just some small part of creating wonder and excitement and inspiring others like I was inspired – that’s the thing that keeps me going,” he said. “Even at my most exhausted moments, and though I might forget it sometimes, I’m incredibly fortunate to do what I love. It is my life.”