Mozart by Candlelight concert taking place Sunday at Church of the Holy Trinity

Published 12:16 pm Tuesday, January 10, 2023

: SPECTACULAR: Conductor Crafton Beck leads the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in their presentation of Mozart by Candlelight at The Church of the Holy Trinity in 2014.

With more than 600 works spanning many genres, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific composer, and one of the Austrian composer’s most recognizable compositions is the “Overture to The Marriage of Figaro K. 492 (1786).”

Beginning at 7 p.m. Sunday, classical music enthusiasts will have the opportunity to enjoy the iconic piece by Mozart, along with a repertoire of other selections, as the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Crafton Beck, presents the annual Mozart by Candlelight concert at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 900 South St.

Held in Vicksburg for almost 20 years, “This concert is something the community looks forward to and are always asking, ‘When is the Mozart concert coming,” Dorothy Brasfield said.

Brasfield serves as the director of the board for the Four Seasons of the Arts, the group that sponsors the event.

With lights dimmed and candles burning, concert-goers can also enjoy musical selections that include, the three movements of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, in Eb K. 364.

Performing as the featured violinist and violist are Shellie Brown Kemp and Ausra Jasineviciute, respectively.

Kemp, Brasfield said, grew up in Mississippi and has “come up through the string program in the Jackson Public Schools, which is sponsored by the MSO.”

Receiving her Master of Music degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Belhaven University, Kemp now serves as the concertmaster of the MSO.

Jasineviciute, born in Lithuania, began her violin studies at age 8. While in college, switched from violin to viola and in 1997 earned her Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance at the Academy of Music in Vilnius. She also received her Master of Social Sciences from Vilnius Pedagogical University in 1999. Jasineviciute came to the United States in 2001 and in 2004 earned her Master of Music in Viola Performance from Southeastern Louisiana University and her Doctorate in Music Performance from Florida State University in 2011.

The MSO will also perform Symphony No. 35 K. 385 in D, “Haffner,” and its four movements following the intermission.

The Mozart by Candlelight concert is free, but donations are encouraged.

The MSO is the largest professional performing arts organization in the state, performing for more than 75,000 Mississippians each year at more than 120 concerts statewide.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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