USM Symphony Orchestra Wins Governor's Award

Formed in 1920, the University of Southern Mississippi Orchestra has been around longer than any other in the state.
And as MPB’s Arts reporter Ron Brown tells us what keeps it going is it’s classical appeal.

There are so many different accents in Southern Mississippi that sometimes it’s difficult to place them, so it helps to ask.

“I was born in South Korea but I grew up in Dominican Republic, and Caribbean Islands”
“From Russia, Cuba, Peru, a little bit from everywhere….”
“I’m from Brazil…”

Patricia Silva, Mary Chung and Sasha Falajuh traveled many miles to wind up in Hattiesburg and the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, where like all students, they take notes.

Patricia Silva: “What brought me to Mississippi? Uh, I’m working on my masters… and I’m about to graduate. I graduate in May.” The notes these students take in class are what unites them… Patricia plays Cello, Sasha is a violinist…

Sasha Falujuh: “I won a scholarship from Doctor Dean for the USM orchestra so I am doing my master’s now.”

Individually each is accomplished, but together with another 90 musicians from 14 different countries, they create the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. And despite their different backgrounds, they all speak the common language of Mozart, and Tchaikovsky.

“I run the orchestra, or the orchestra runs me, you know.”

Dr. Jay Dean is the orchestral director at USM.

“I have the illusion sometimes that I have some control over some tiny aspect, but I’m often proved wrong.”

More often than not, Dr. Dean is proven right. And the orchestra attracts talent the world over, not only top notch students, but professionals as well… like violinist Itzhak Perlman, and tenor Placido Domingo who came to USM to sing in April 2005.

“When a student or professional sits down on a stage to play with placid Domingo or Itzhak Perlman or Yo-Yo Ma, they walk away from that even different people and I don’t care whether you’re ea college student or whether you’re a seasoned professional, if you’ve never had that experience, once you’ve had that experience, you’re a different, it becomes part of your life history.”

21-year-old violinist Evan Hurley can recall the very moment he knew he would join the USM Orchestra.

“Actually, my first experience with USM was when Yo Yo Ma came”

The world famous cellist played with the USM Orchestra on September 28th, 1999.

“I had just picked up the violin then, and since Yo Yo Ma had come here, I was like, yeah, USM is definitely where I want to go now….”

Dr. Jay Dean: “That’s why we like to say that we bring the world to Mississippi. And that’s been … you can call it corny if you will, but it’s something that we truly believe that we do. Because we bring students from around the world, to study here… we bring the very best musical artists in the world to our state. And every time one of these world class artists comes to Mississippi they leave with a very different impression of what they think it might be like.”

Dr. Dean and the USM Orchestra have made a career out of leaving positive impressions. Add Governor Haley Barbour to the list. Next month when the governor hands out his annual awards for excellence in the arts, he’ll have one for Dr. Dean and the USM Orchestra, as longstanding leaders in the arts community. It’s an achievement Dr. Dean treasures.

“I would like to think that we’re not only doing great things for students, but we are also doing great things for Mississippi. And the highest praise that you could give us, is to say that we’re doing something great for our state.”

The Governor’s awards are scheduled for February 26 at the historic Galloway United Methodist Church in Jackson.
For MPB News, I’m Ron Brown.