OXFORD, Miss. – The Lafayette-Oxford-University Symphony
Orchestra performs a concert of romantic masterworks Monday
(Oct. 22) at the University of Mississippi.
The 8 p.m. program at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the
Performing Arts features UM faculty soloist and popular
pianist Ian Hominick. Tickets, at $10 for general admission
and $6 for UM students with valid IDs, are available at the
UM Box Office in the Student Union or by calling
662-915-7411.
The concert repertoire includes Overture to “The Merry
Wives of Windsor” by Otto Nicolai, Piano Concerto No. 1 in
G Minor by Felix Mendelssohn and “Romeo and Juliet”
Fantasy-Overture by Peter Tchaikovsky, said Ronald Vernon,
associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and the
orchestra’s conductor/artistic director. Hominick is slated
to perform Mendelssohn’s concerto.
Nicolai is remembered primarily for his operatic setting of
Shakespeare’s comedy, but he composed in many different
vocal and instrumental forms, Vernon said. “The overture
showcases Nicolai’s gift for beautiful melody and masterful
use of the orchestra,” he said. Vernon described
Mendelssohn’s piano concerto as “full of innovations,
including the unusually brief orchestral introduction
before the first entry of the soloist.”
“The overall effect is one of concise brilliance, with
plenty of pyrotechnics for the soloist.” “Romeo and
Juliet,” Tchaikovsky’s first important work for orchestra,
was first composed in 1870 but did not reach its final form
until 10 years later, Vernon said.
“Rather than attempt a music narrative to the familiar
story, the composer chose three important dramatic elements
of the story the tale of Friar Lawrence, the conflict
between the Montagues and Capulets, and the love between
Romeo and Juliet creating distinct thematic material for
each one and developing each one in relationship to the
other. The resulting masterpiece is one of the most
frequently performed works for symphony orchestra,” Vernon
said.
Founded in 2002, the L-O-U Symphony Orchestra provides
faculty, students and local professional musicians an
opportunity to create an enhanced orchestra experience for
the entire community. The orchestra had its inaugural
concert in November 2004.
For more information or assistance related to a disability,
contact the Department of Music at 662-915-7268. To learn
more about music education at UM, visit