Orchestra
The Lafayette-Oxford-University Symphony Orchestra is sponsored by the Department of Music and serves as one of the major university ensembles.
LOU Symphony Orchestra
The Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) Symphony Orchestra includes university students, community members, and highly qualified musical professionals and performs a wide variety of standard symphonic repertoire. Often the Music Department’s internationally celebrated faculty members join the LOU Symphony as soloists and take center stage with the ensemble.
The LOU Symphony performs as the pit orchestra with UM Opera Theatre, performing a vast selection of repertoire from the pit of the Ford Center. The LOU Symphony regularly collaborates with the University Choir on the Veterans Day Concert, Department-of-Music sponsored holiday concerts, and Black History Month concerts.
Orchestra participation
Students
Student membership in the University Orchestra is open to any graduate or undergraduate student at the University of Mississippi. Initial enrollment is by audition.
Community
Community membership in the University Orchestra is open to qualified amateurs who can attend rehearsals and maintain their preparation of the music. Initial community membership is by audition. Membership is open to community string players, but community membership for winds and percussion is available only when the roster cannot be filled with students.
Faculty and Professionals
Music faculty members and other highly qualified music professionals will be invited by the Music Director to participate in dress rehearsals and to assist in the preparation and performance of concerts.
Become a member of the LOU Orchestra
Regular full ensemble rehearsals are held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:30 to 3:45, and string sectionals are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:00 to 12:50 p.m.
Additional sectional rehearsals may be scheduled as may arise. Two dress rehearsals of 2.5 hours each are usually scheduled on Sunday immediately before each concert.
The University Symphony Orchestra typically gives four performances during the academic year.
Faculty members in the Department of Music regularly appear as soloists, and the winners of The UM Concerto Competition appear during the Winter Concert each March.
The orchestra supports the performance of the UM Opera Theatre during the alternate spring semesters.
Performances of the orchestra are given either at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts or in Nutt Auditorium.
Auditions for membership and for scholarships are arranged by appointment with the music director and members of the Department of Music faculty. Orchestra scholarships are available by audition to qualified string instrumentalists, regardless of major field of study.
Audition material should include selections that demonstrate the performer’s ability to best advantage, preferably in both lyrical and technical passages. Total duration should be 10 to 15 minutes. Although personal visits are encouraged, auditions may be made through recordings.
Contact the Department of Music to arrange an audition date and time, more information about recommended audition repertoire, as well as campus tours and other informative activities.
Auditions for the 2024-2025 season have concluded. Stay tuned for audition information for the 2025-2026 season.
For more information please contact Dr. Selim Giray at sgiray@olemiss.edu.
Welcome to the LOU Symphony Orchestra
We cordially invite you to become a member of the University Symphony, where we take great pleasure in studying and performing a diverse range of both classical and contemporary symphonic repertoire. We encourage you to partake in the enthusiasm that the University Symphony members get to experience throughout our rehearsals and it with our audiences in our electrifying performances.
Selim Giray
Associate Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Studies
Meet the Orchestra Faculty
Selim Giray
- Associate Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Studies
Armee Hong
- Instructor in Upper Strings
Kelsey Smith
- Instructor in Cello
2024–2025 Orchestra Performance Schedule
Fall 2024
Side-By-Side Concert at Ford Center
7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 2024
Holiday Concert
7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, 2024
Spring 2025
LOU Symphony Concerto Concert at Ford Center
7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025
with Opera
Opera: La Canterina by Haydn, and The Beautiful Bridegroom by Shore at Ford Center
Performance I: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025
Performance II: 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, 2025
Previous Symphony Seasons
FALL 2022
Veteran’s Day Concert – November 9
Mostly French, Side-by-Side Concert, featuring Dvořák Symphony No. 8 – November 28
Holiday Concert – December 2
Spring 2023
Concerto & Aria Concert – April 3
UM Opera – April 28, and April 30.
Veterans Day Concert UM Choirs and LOU Symphony
7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at Ford Center
Autumn Side-by-Side Concert: Borodin’s 2nd Symphony
7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 15, 2021 at Oxford High School Performing Arts Center
Holiday Concert: UM Choirs and LOU Symphony
7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 3, 2021 at Ford Center
Watch the 2020 LOU Concert Premiere on YouTube
Concerto Concert 2021 | Dr. Selim Giray, Director
Featuring winners of the 2020 UM Concerto Competition, Will Hamilton and Angelina Meeks, in a peformance that includes works by Finzi and Milhaud.
Monday, March 22, 2021 | 7:30pm | Ford Center
LOU Symphony Orchestra Performs the works of Composer Jared Impichchaachaaha' Tate.
Featuring additional duets, trios, quartets, and special guests including an introduction from Mr. Tate.
Tuesday, December 1, 2020 | 7:30pm | Online Concert
Autumn Concert: Beethoven’s Fifth
Featuring: Dr. Micah Everett, trombone, and members of Oxford and Tupelo High School Orchestras.
Performing: Symphony in C Minor, No. 5, Op. 67 by Beethoven, and Suite for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 22 by Jørgensen.
7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 18, 2019, at Ford Center.
UM Holiday Concert
7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2019 at Ford Center.
Black History Month Concert
Performing: Fraternity, and A Fantasy on an Adowa Song by Dor
7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, 2020 at Ford Center.
LOU Symphony Concerto and Aria Competition Winners Concert
Cancelled due to Covid-19
Featuring: Dr. Christine Kralik and winners of LOU Symphony Concerto Competition and LMI Aria Competition.
Performing: Elegy by Fauré, Fanfare for Freedom by Barker, First Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra by Debussy, and Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra by Tomasi.
7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23, 2020, at Ford Center.
UM Opera: Die Fledermaus
Cancelled due to Covid-19
7:30 p.m on Saturday, April 18th, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19th, at Ford Studio Theatre.
Featuring: Mark Laycock, guest conductor.
Performing: Symphony in G major, No. 8 by Dvořák and Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev.
7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 1, 2018, at Ford Center.
UM Holiday Concert
7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2018 at Ford Center.
LOU Symphony Concerto Competition Winners Concert
7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019, at Ford Center.
LOU Symphony Saxophone Conference Concert
7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2019, at Ford Center.
UM Opera: H. M. S. Pinafore
7:30 p.m on Friday, April 26th, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28th, at Ford Center.
Autumn Concert: Franck Symphony
Featuring: Alex Urbina, graduate conductor.
Performing: Symphony in D Minor by Franck.
7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 23, 2017 at Ford Center.
Amahl and the Night Visitors and Händel’s Messiah
7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2017, at Ford Center.
LOU Symphony Concerto Competition Winners Concert
7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 19, 2018, at Ford Center.
Spring Concert: “Masterworks in Jeans”
Featuring: Ronald Vernon, guest conductor, Diane Wang, flute, John Schuesselin, trumpet, and Stacy Rodgers, keyboard.
Performing: Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished” by Schubert, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major by Bach, The Hollow Men for trumpet & string orchestra by Persichetti
7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9, 2018, at Ford Center.
UM Opera
La finta giardiniera by Mozart
7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27, 2018, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, at Meek Auditorium.
Featuring: Robert Mueller, guest conductor, Theresa Delaplain, oboe, and Katy Piecuch, oboe, Bradley Robinson, voice, Jennifer Robinson, voice, Thomas Peattie, guest speaker.
Performing: River of Solace (2016) by Robert Mueller (world première performance), Totenfeier by Mahler.
7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 24, 2016 at Ford Center.
UM Holiday Concert
7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2016, at Ford Center.
Black History Month Concert
7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 23, 2017, at Nutt Auditorium.
LOU Symphony Winter Concert “Afro-American” and Concerto Competition Winners
7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 27, 2017, at Ford Center.
Performing: Afro-American Symphony by William Grant Still.
UM Opera
Performing: Albert Herring by Britten.
7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, 2017, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, 2017, at Ford Center.
An Educational Concert: “Carnival of the Animals”
Featuring: Stacy Rodgers and Diane Wang, piano, and Bradley Robinson, narrator.
Performing: Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns and Cycling of the Peppermill by Sara Graef for area public schools.
9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 1, 2017, at Ford Center.
Spring Concert: “Carnival of the Animals”
Featuring: Stacy Rodgers and Diane Wang, piano, Adam Estes, saxophone, Libby Armour and Joshua Howard, violin, and Bradley Robinson, narrator.
Performing: Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns, Cycling of the Peppermill by Sara Graef, Saxophone concerto by Lars-Erik Larsson, and double violin concerto by Antonio Vivaldi.
7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2017, at Ford Center.
October 26, 2015
Overture to La Forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 3, No. 2 (1732) by Francesco Geminiani
Capriccio Italien [Italian Caprice], Op. 45 (1880) by Pyotr Il′yich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90, “Italian” (1833) by Felix Mendelssohn
A Winter Poem: Featuring 2015 Concerto Competition Winners
March 7, 2016
Overture to Candide (1956) by Leonard Bernstein
Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra (1999) by Eric Ewazen
Joseph Quinnelly, marimba
Alto Saxophone Concerto (1949) by Henri Tomasi
Austin White, alto saxophone
Les Préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3 (1854) by Franz Liszt
Ole Miss Opera Theatre: Chamber Opera
L’enfant et les sortilèges by Ravel, and Der Schauspieldirektor by Mozart
April 15, 16, 17, 2016
Mostly Pops: Anderson, Strauss and more
April 25, 2016
Start Spangled Banner (Livingston Gearhart orchestration)
Waltzing Matilda Dr. Bradley Robinson, baritone
Gallipoli Elegy [Çanakkale Ağıdı] Prof. Nancy Maria Balach, soprano
Cody Arthur, Emily Eads, Anna Greenlee, and Zane Lynn, vocal quartet
Thais Meditation Libby Armour, violin
Rachmaninov Vocalise
Vivaldi Double Trumpet Concerto in C Major, RV 537 Dr. John Schuesselin, trumpet I and Warren Bristol, trumpet II
Emperor Waltz
Thunder and Lightning Polka
Pizzicato Polka
Jazz Pizzicato
Fiddle-Faddle
Penny Whistle Song
The Syncopated Clock
Typewriter
Blue Danube Waltz
Radetzky March
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Graduate Assistantships
Orchestra graduate assistants are graduate students in vocal performance who are preparing for a professional career in opera and singing. In their roles as GAs, they work with faculty to help manage the company. Combined with their coursework and performance schedule, their experience as GAs gives them additional skills and insight into the logistics of performance. More information on graduate assistantships can be found on our Graduate Programs page.
Graduate Programs
Oxford String Project
Designed for absolute beginners and open for grades 3rd to 6th, Oxford String Project (OSP) aims to build excellent string players. String classes and rehearsals are designed to teach strings in an enjoyable, active and stimulating environment under the guidance of Dr. Armee Hong. Students can sign up for either violin, viola, or cello.
Registration for Spring 2025 is now open!
Registration Deadline: January 22, 2025
- Spring Concert: Wednesday, April 30, 2025–Nutt Auditorium
LOU Youth Symphony
Lafayette Oxford University (LOU) Youth Symphony aims to build excellent orchestra players for students in 7th through 12th grades. Orchestra classes and rehearsals are designed to teach students in an enjoyable, active and stimulating environment under the direction of Dr. Armee Hong, and conducted by Dr. Selim Giray and Dr. Morreale. Sectionals will be coached by: Dr. Armee Hong (violin/viola), Dr. Kelsey Smith (Cello/Bass), Dr. Philip Snyder (woodwind), and Dr. Morreale (Brass). Registrations are open to strings, wind & brass, and percussion.
Application Deadline: January 8, 2025
- Live Audition Date: January 11, 2025 from 9-1 pm
LOU Youth Symphony and Oxford String Project Set Concert
The Oxford String Project and Lafayette-Oxford-University Youth Symphony Orchestra will present a semester-ending concert Dec. 7 at the University of Mississippi.
The performance, set for 2 p.m. in Nutt Auditorium, is free and open to the public.
Ole Miss music professors Armee Hong, Kelsey Smith, Vincent Morreale and Selim Giray lead the Oxford String Project, which helps to build basic musical skills for beginning musicians in grades 3 through 6, and the LOU Youth Symphony, open to musicians in grades 7-12.
- Fall Concert: December 7, 2024 at 2:00pm in Nutt Auditorium
Symphony Sounds
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