The Southern Chorale, from The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music, launches an international America 250 tour through major cultural festivals in the United States and Europe. From the pine forests of Mississippi to historic venues in Italy, France, Latvia, and Estonia, the internationally celebrated Southern Chorale will carry the sounds of American music across two continents this summer in a tour that reflects both the artistic legacy of the American South and the global language of choral music.
Presented as part of the nationwide America 250 celebration, “Mississippi Sounds” places one of the nation’s premier collegiate choral ensembles on stages that have long served as gathering places for artistic exchange, sacred music, and international collaboration. The 50-voice choir will perform a distinctly American program showcasing Charles Ives, Caroline Shaw, Ted Hearne, Moses Hogan, Paul Williams and Marvin Gaye. Genres will span fine art music, gospel, spirituals, Mississippi blues and American popular music customized for the Southern Chorale by Southern Miss alumnus Jonathan Rodgers.
The tour’s centerpiece includes appearances at three internationally significant festivals and artistic destinations that embody the role of music in cultural identity and civic life.
After regional preview appearances, the ensemble begins its festival schedule at FestivalSouth on Saturday, June 13, at 2 p.m. at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg. FestivalSouth has become a recognized arts movement that has transformed the Pine Belt into one of the South’s emerging cultural capitals. As Mississippi’s only multiweek, multigenre arts festival, it has become a major regional incubator for music, theater, dance and visual art while drawing audiences and artists from across the country.
“FestivalSouth is a great place to start, as the spirit of the entire tour is about Mississippi artists sharing regional stories on a world stage while staying connected to our audiences back home,” said Dr. Gregory Fuller, conductor of the group. “FestivalSouth itself was built around the belief that arts experiences can transcend social and cultural boundaries, a mission that aligns naturally with the Southern Chorale’s international reputation for musical diplomacy and artistic excellence.”
From Mississippi, the choir travels to Varese, Italy, for the renowned “InCanto a Varese” festival at the historic Basilica di San Vittore on June 21. Widely regarded as one of Italy’s prominent summer vocal festivals, InCanto a Varese brings together international choirs and vocal artists for performances throughout churches, theaters, gardens, lakeside venues and historic civic spaces across northern Italy. The festival’s emphasis on choral artistry and cultural exchange makes it a fitting setting for an ensemble rooted in both academic rigor and expressive storytelling.
The tour culminates at the “White Nights Festival” in Haapsalu, Estonia, on July 4 inside the medieval fortress at Haapsalu Cathedral. Estonia occupies a singular place in the global choral world, where communal singing is deeply connected to national identity, cultural preservation and artistic innovation. The Baltic nation’s celebrated singing tradition helped shape modern Estonia itself, and festivals throughout the region continue to attract some of the world’s finest choirs and composers.
That connection becomes especially meaningful as the Southern Chorale performs music by acclaimed Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits, whose specially written suite for the ensemble draws inspiration from Mississippi blues traditions. The collaboration symbolizes an extraordinary artistic bridge between two regions separated by geography but united through deeply rooted musical storytelling.
Additional performances throughout Europe place the ensemble in some of the continent’s most historically resonant sacred and artistic spaces:
- Siena — Chiesa di San Martino — June 23
- Orléans — with La Sarabande at Église Saint-Marcéau — June 28
- Tours — with E la Nave Va and La Sarabande at Église Notre-Dame-La-Riche — June 29
- Riga — St. Peter’s Church — July 1
Before departing overseas, Southern Chorale will present a series of regional preview concerts designed to share the program with local audiences:
- Richton — Richton Methodist Church — June 9 at 7 p.m.
- Gulfport — St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea — June 10 at 7 p.m.
- Mobile — Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception — June 11 at 7:30 p.m., featuring Mobile’s Singing Children
More than a concert tour, “Mississippi Sounds” represents a cultural exchange between Mississippi and the wider world. It highlights how the stories, harmonies and traditions of the American South continue to resonate far beyond its borders.
Tickets for the FestivalSouth performance are available online.
Visit Southern Miss Choral Activities for a list of programs, tour information and additional details.