Schedule Of Events

March 1, 2024

Classical Laughs

Silent Auction Bidding and Cocktails begin at 6:00 p.m.
The "Classical Laughs" Concert begins at 7:00 p.m.

Join World-Renowned Stage, Screen, And Television…

Liberace Tribute Artist David Maiocco as he sheds the glittery costumes and greasepaint for this one-of-a-kind hilarious take on the world's greatest piano men.

You will hear virtuoso piano music from Ludwig van Beethoven to Victor Borge, Liszt to Liberace, Chopin to Chopsticks, and everything in between! Experience David's unique comic take on the intellectual genius, physical comedy, and virtuosic playing of history's greatest composers and ivory ticklers in this fast-paced one-man show filled with dazzling arrangements and tummy-tickling laughs!

This isn't your typical piano recital. You'll hear beautiful works from the greatest composers of all time set amidst the backdrop of comic tales that were the fire beneath these brilliant men! Come delight in an evening of celebration of the world's most loved classical pianists at their funniest delivered by this Musical Comedy Award-winning performer, actor, arranger, and pianist!

Come enjoy an evening of virtuoso classical music along with lots of comedy, heavy hors d'oeuvres created by Continental Chef Bryant McLaurin Canon, a cash bar, and spectacular auctions. Our Silent Auction features local and out-of-town artists. The Live Auction features exciting travel destinations.

Location: The Carriage House at Stanton Hall 401 High St., Natchez, MS

March 14, 2024

Spring Pilgrimage Concerts

7:00 p.m. - Highlights From The Great American Song Book

Greatest Hits From Broadway and Hollywood Films Featuring May or Dan Gibson

The "great american songbook" is a universally acknowledged collection of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the first half of the 20th century that have stood the test of time. The songs published during this "Golden Age" include popular tunes from the 1920s to the 1960s that were created for Broadway musicals and/or Hollywood films. These were songs written by composers such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Cole Porter, or performed by singers such as Al Jolson, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and many others during that era. Whether they came from vaudeville or Tin Pan Alley, the radio, or the silver screen, the very best of these songs became a permanent part of our "Great American Songbook."

Join Natchez May or, Dan Gibson as he performs his favorite hits from the "Great American Songbook."

Location: Stanton Hall, 401 High St. Natchez, MS

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March 21, 2024

7:00 p.m. - A Musical Portrait Of America: Songs Of America

Ryan Stransky, trumpet, Aavriel Smith, vocals, Tony Gordon, piano

"Americana" IS Defined as an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States. Come on a journey of musical Americana! This exciting and engaging Americana program will feature various musical portraits of America, reinforced by dialogue that will include the audience on this patriotic musical journey. The Concert will feature familiar sounds recognized across American music performed by a vocalist, a pianist, and a trumpeter. You will have the chance to hear these artists work together, and separately, to provide you with an in-depth look into the classic American sound we all know and love. You will hear Ragtime, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Folk, music, and more! Come join us for this wonderful musical experience as the Natchez Festival of Music presents "A Musical Portrait of America."

Location: First Presbyterian Church, 117 Pearl St. Natchez Ms

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March 26, 2024

7:00 p.m. - A Musical Kaleidoscope: Classical Music Variety Concert

Kaleidoscope Is A Greek Word That Means…
"observer of beautiful things." Just as a kaleidoscope provides an array of stunning color combinations for its viewer, this eclectic program features music of varying styles with countless beautiful perspectives.

The Collaborative Piano world is incredibly diverse, and the pianists who are successful in this career must be at the top of their game; they must all possess extraordinary musical skills. The Collaborative Piano Program at the University of Southern Mississippi, led by Dr. Michael Bunchman, raises the collaborative piano performance standards throughout the state and around the region.

Six of the Southern Miss School of Music's most gifted pianists, along with six other outstanding soloists will perform this eclectic Concert called A Musical Kaleidoscope. Don't miss this opportunity to observe the beauty and hear music by composers such as Poulenc, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Debussy, and more!

Location: First Presbyterian Church, 117 Pearl St., Natchez

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April 4, 2024

7:00 p.m. - Speakeasy: Music From The Roaring 20s

Featuring Burnley Cook, Piano

Music In The…
1920's had real variety. Everywhere you went there was Jazz, Blues, Swing, Ragtime, Hillbilly, and other forms of popular music. It was truly a golden age for all of these various types of music and dancing. It was a time when "flappers thumbed their noses at the Prohibition laws and arts and culture inspired by the Harlem Renaissance breathed new life into the American music scene. Come join Natchez pianist Burnley Cook as he transports us back to the "Roaring Twenties."

Location: Magnolia Hall, 215 S. Pearl St., Natchez

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April 27, 2024

7:00 P.M. - Dancing On The River

Featuring Chip Herrington And The Mobile Big Band Society

Get Ready For An Energetic Evening…
of fun and dancing! Big Band dance music originated in the 1930s and has been with us ever since.  Come listen and dance to music from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. You will hear music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Woody Hermann and many others. Tunes such as "Moonlight Serenade," "Sing, Sing, Sing," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," and "Take the A-Train" will fill the evening with excitement.

The Mobile Big Band Society, led by Chip Herrington, is a large, 20-piece jazz orchestra that is part of a long tradition of big bands in Mobile. The band, founded in 2009, plays for fans who have heard and loved this music all their lives, and they also play for the younger set, many just discovering the melodies, harmonies and romantic lyrics of the Great American Song Book. This is a do-not-miss Event!

Location: Natchez city auditorium 207 jefferson st., natchez, ms

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April 30, 2024

7:00 P.M. - Rossini, Puccini, and Martinis Arias and Musical Theatre Songs

This Event Has Become A Traditional

Natchez Festival of Music "do-not-miss" Event. Each year festival guests look forward to attending these iconic festival Concerts. Come hear some of the very best singers in the nation perform their most exciting opera arias and musical theatre songs while you sit back, relax, and enjoy one of your favorite drinks. These Concerts are always fun!

And Yes…we will have martinis!

Location: Historic natchez foundation, 108 s. Commerce st., natchez, ms

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May  2, 2024

7:00 P.M. - The Sound Of Brilliance: An Evening Of Baroque And Classical Trumpet Masterpieces

Ryan Stransky, trumpet and Yuqiao Guan, piano

The Sound Of Brilliance…
An Evening of Baroque and Classical Trumpet Masterpieces is an exciting program featuring the brilliant sounds of the trumpet, performed by Dr. Ryan Stransky. This program will include "Prelude to Te Deum" by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, "Concerto in D Major" by Giuseppe Tartini, "Aria con Variazione" by Georg Frederic Handel, and the "Concerto in E Flat Major" by Jan Krtitel Jiri Neruda. The program will conclude with a virtuosic showpiece for trumpet, "The Maid of the Mist" by Herbert L. Clarke.

Location: First presbyterian church, 117 pearl st., natchez, ms

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May  4, 2024

7:00 P.M. - Broadway Meets The Met

In New York City,… the stretch between 42nd St. and 66th St. on Broadway, one of the most famous streets in the world, is an area of artistic convergence where classic tradition meets the cutting edge. Just on that one street, one can travel from the center of the Operatic world to the very heart of American Musical Theatre.

Broadway Meets the Met is a Concert that weaves together the wonder of a musical and the beauty of opera. Come be a part of an evening where powerful vocal performances bring to life an array of beautiful operatic arias as well as exhilarating musical theatre selections. This Event showcases a mesmerizing blend of talent and fervor, offering an unparalleled fusion of these renowned musical genres.

John Christopher Adams, Maryann Kyle, Mario Manzo, Nicholas Perna, Mandy Spivak, Anna Tesh Manzo, Victoria Tomasch, and the Tyler Kemp Trio invite you to take a musical stroll to the place where Broadway Meets the Met!

Location: Natchez civic center, 215 franklin st., natchez, ms

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May  7, 2024

7:00 P.M. - The Art Of The Piano Quintet

Johannes Brahms - Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34
Robert Schumann - Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44

Schumann's Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44, is both his most frequently performed chamber composition and the pioneering quintet for piano and string quartet, made possible by the improvement in pianos.  It inspired other great works for the combination, including ones by Brahms, Franck, Faure, Dvorak and Shostakovich.  Composed in 1842, a gloriously productive year for his chamber music, it was dedicated to his wife Clara.

The Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 is considered the greatest work for its instrumentation, but it underwent some major changes before emerging in its final form.  Brahms first composed it for a string quintet, with two cellos.  When that proved unsatisfactory, he reworked it as a two-piano sonata, which is still performed as an alternate version.  But on the advice of his friend Clara Schumann, he revised it again as a piano quintet and it was premiered in 1866.

Location: First Presbyterian Church, 117 Pearl St., Natchez

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May  9, 2024

The Song Of The Earth By Gustav Mahler

11 a.m. - Event 1 - Lecture

The Magical Music of Gustav Mahler

Presented by the Trinity Episcopal Church
Marion Smith Speaker Series

A free lecture entitled The Magical Music of Gustav Mahler will be presented by Dr. Joseph E. Jones, musicologist at the University of Southern Mississippi School of Music. He will discuss Mahler's life and work in Europe and the United States and the significance and meaning of Mahler's incredible symphonic work, The Song of the Earth.  He will also talk about turn-of-the-century Vienna, where Austria's artistic and literary elite came together. Being a part of this cultural environment along with Sigmund Freud, Gustav Klimt, Arnold Schoenberg, and many other intellectual and cultural giants, it was here that Mahler began to explore new musical territory. Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde) is a perfect example of the modernism that became a feature of Mahler's late style. Dr. Jones' lecture will prepare the audience for the Song of the Earth Concert that will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May  16. This lecture, to take place in Trinity Church, is free and open to the public.

12 pm - Event 2 - A Viennese-Inspired Seated Luncheon

Let's Visit Mahler's Vienna,

A $20 Viennese inspired luncheon, will take place in the Rectors Room in Kuehnle Hall of Trinity Episcopal Church. The menu will include an Austrian-style entrée, sides, and bread rolls, with a Viennese-inspired dessert and coffee.

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church, 305 South Commerce Street, Natchez, MS.

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May  10, 2024

7:00 P.M. - A Caribbean Fantasy - John Wooton And Kaiso

Kaiso! Is a caribbean jazz quintet…
that never lacks in energy. The group has been performing since 1998 at festivals, universities, casinos, nightclubs, and formal Concerts. They have been featured with symphonies and marching bands. KAISO! has a unique way of turning jazz standards into Caribbean tunes unlike any other. They also compose much of their own material. They have recorded two commercial CDs, and are presently working on a recording of original material. KAISO's instrumentation is steel pans, piano, bass guitar, drums, and percussion.

The word calypso has its roots in the Caribbean, France, Spain, West Africa. ‘Kaiso,' is a corruption of the word ‘Kaito,' which means ‘Bravo.'  In Africa whenever an excellent calypso is sung, the crowd shouts "KAISO!" The group features John Wooton on Steel Pans, Percussion and Vocals, Sam Bruton on piano, Larry Panella on saxophone, Lowery Hicks on bass, and Nathan Sanders on drums.

Location: Natchez civic center, 215 franklin st., natchez, ms

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May  11, 2024

10:00 A.M. - Lecture: The fascinating history of ragtime: america's first popular music art form!

Join Us For An Entertaining…
lecture on the astounding history of ragtime music. Dr. Frederick Hodges, Concert pianist, and Oxford University-trained Historian, will give a richly illustrated presentation on the origins, development, and impact of this uniquely American musical genre.

In his lecture, Dr. Hodges will explore the roots of ragtime in early 19th-century African American music, its rise to international popularity in the early 20th century, and its enduring legacy. He will also discuss the lives and works of some of the most important ragtime composers and performers, such as Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Irving Berlin, and James P. Johnson.

This fascinating lecture is sure to appeal to music lovers of all ages.

Location: Historic natchez foundation, 108 s. Commerce st., natchez, ms

7:00 P.M. - From Vaudeville To Broadway: An Evening Of Classic Ragtime

Join Us For an Evening…
of classic ragtime piano music! World-renowned pianist Frederick Hodges will perform a toe-tapping solo Concert featuring a wide variety of ragtime-era classics by America's greatest composers, such as Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, written for Vaudeville, the Broadway Stage, and Silent Movies. Frederick will share stories about the history of ragtime and the stars who made it famous.

Location: The carriage house at stanton hall, 401 high st., natchez, ms

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May  14, 2024

7:00 P.M. - Fascinating Rhythm: The Music Of George Gershwin

Featuring the Sam Bruton Septet

Join Us For An Unforgettable Evening… of musical enchantment as we celebrate the timeless genius of George Gershwin. From the glittering lights of Broadway to the depths of his serious compositions, our performance will traverse the breadth of Gershwin's incomparable legacy. Be transported to the dazzling heyday of New York's theater scene with the lush harmonies and jazzy rhythms that defined an era.

Location: The carriage house at stanton hall, 401 high st., natchez, ms

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May  16, 2024

The Song Of The Earth By Gustav Mahler

7 p.m - Event 3 - Concert

For the first time in Mississippi, Gustav Mahler's spectacular and moving Concert, The Song of the Earth, will be presented. Conducted by Jay Dean, Natchez Festival of Music Artistic Director, the Concert will feature two renowned vocalists, Jonathan Yarrington, tenor, and Myka Murphy, mezzo soprano, as well as the Festival of Music Chamber Players. This world-class ensemble of professional musicians, who hail from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia, are experienced members of regional and national orchestras, chamber ensembles, and opera companies. Joining this incredible production is Ward Emling, actor and former Mississippi Film Office Director, who will present the poetry that inspired each of the symphony's six movements. Also included will be special elements that will maximize the audience's experience.

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church, 305 South Commerce Street, Natchez, MS.

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May  18, 2024

7:00 P.M. - Everlasting Journey

A Cast Of Incredible…
rock singers and instrumentalists join together to celebrate the iconic rock group Journey and their more than 50 years of global musical stardom. A meteoric force in the stadium rock scene, Journey ensured their legacy in rock ‘n' roll history using a mix of musical virtuosity, soaring balladry, and undeniable appeal. Journey helped open the doors to pop-tinged Rock that was as hard rocking as Heavy Metal and Classic Rock, but as infectious and melodic as Top 40 playlists. Today, one can hear Journey's anthems everywhere including major sports Events, campaign tours, internationally televised talent competitions and many other major productions around the world. "Don't Stop Believin'," and don't miss this one-night-only finale Concert!

Location: Natchez civic center, 215 franklin st., natchez, ms

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Date:
March 1- May 18, 2024

Location:
Various Venues, Natchez, MS 39120

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