Toni Burkett

Reporter

On Friday, Sept. 18, the Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Orchestra performed at Rent Auditorium for the Southern Talent String Symposium II.

The program included pieces composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Camille Saint Saens and Franz Shubert. The music director was Dr. Michael R. Brown, a professor of music at MSU. Dr. Jim Borsig, president of The W, was the narrator for the arrangement known as "Carnival of the Animals." Accompanying the orchestra were Dr. Valentin Bogdan and Dr. Julia Mortyakova, both of the MUW Department of Music. Mortyakova serves as chair of the department.

The program consisted of pieces such as "Overture to The Marriage of Figaro" and "Carnival of the Animals." The latter was comprised of 14 sections with different titles.

Some of the performers were students at MSU. High school and middle school students were also able to perform in the symphony. Many performers were from the Golden Triangle area, although the association welcomes any musician to obtain membership. Performers traveled from as far away as Collierville, Tenn.

The Starkville-MSU Symphony Association has been around since 1969. The group will hold more performances in the next few months.

The Starkville-MSU Symphony Association is a non-profit organization. The event was free to the public, but donations were accepted. Supporters of the concert included the Gildea Foundation, the Columbus Arts Council and MUW.