Held each spring, the concert features the critically acclaimed Meadows Symphony Orchestra and honors a community leader. This year’s honoree was noted arts and civic leader Caren Prothro. The 2015 event chair was Heather Furniss, and the honorary chairs were Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr.
There’s a common characteristic across the performances and players of the Meadows Jazz Orchestra: rapt focus. The 25 member ensemble features SMU students that range from first-year to graduate-level and are enrolled in degree performances such as music performance, music education, music theory pedagogy, sacred music, engineering, statistics, and business. It’s a group of diverse focus and steadfast fun.
On Thursday, March 19, the MJO will play a lively noontime concert in the Taubman Atrium. The group’s led by Meadows’ own Dylan Smith. This concert will be a preview of the MJO spring concert that will take place in Greer Garson Theatre at 8 PM on Friday, April 24th. The MJO explores the traditions of large ensemble jazz from the traditions of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Buddy Rich, Gordon Goodwin, Tom Kubis, and other jazz greats.
In advance, here’s a look at the innovative ensemble.
“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band Brass Quintet from Washington, D.C., performed a free concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday, February 10 in Caruth Auditorium in SMU’s Owen Arts Center, presented by the Meadows School of the Arts. The program included Kurt Weill’s Suite from The Threepenny Opera, Monteverdi’s Four Madrigals, Darius Milhaud’s Suite française and more.
On Thursday, February 5, the Meadows Opera Theatre will debut a new opera. It’s called Susannah, and it’s a “powerful American masterpiece weaves together folk tunes, country hymns, lush lyricism and haunting, ravishing melodies in this timeless tale of desire, lust, seduction and revenge.” Our photographer Kim Leeson went behind the scenes to capture the dress rehearsal night. The show, which is directed by Hank Hammett and conducted by Paul Phillips, premieres on Thursday February 5 and runs through Sunday, February 8. Full details on the show –plus how to get tickets– are on the Meadows Event Page.
Samuel S. Holland, an internationally renowned music educator and outstanding arts administrator, was recently named dean of Meadows School of the Arts at SMU. He also holds the school’s Algur H. Meadows Chair. Holland has provided strong leadership to the Meadows School in both teaching and administrative roles for more than 20 years.
We sat down with Dean Holland for a Twitter-sized chat on the subject of his favorite musician, his dream piano, and the wonderful wisdom of The Big Lebowski.