School of Music
Cello Studio
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Achieve the highest level of musical excellence as a cellist at the Southern Miss cellists studio, formed by an international community of musicians that includes students from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Honduras, and Peru.
Why choose the Cello Studio at Southern Miss?
- Establish a strong and healthy technical foundation through weekly individual lessons that help you cultivate a sense of stylistic awareness and develop an ability to critically analyze their own performance. The release of physical tension and the development of a stress-free approach to the instrument are given priority on the first stage of the instruction. Subsequently, you are encouraged to explore the vast realm of interpretation and to discover multiple ways of expressing musical ideas.
- Develop basic skills in the area of cello pedagogy by taking our Cello Recital class, which meets every Thursday throughout the academic year. This class is designed to be a forum where you perform, discuss current repertoire and play in a cello choir.
- Take a detailed study of the most essential excerpts from the orchestral cello literature in the Orchestra Repertoire class. This course culminates in a screened mock audition played for the string faculty panel in the end of the semester.
- Analyze the style periods, genres and individual works that can be regarded as critically important in the history of the instruments of the violin family in an Instrumental Literature Class. This Instrumental Literature class is designed for music performance and education sophomores and seniors who already possess a basic knowledge of the standard string repertoire.
Performance Opportunities
- The USM Symphony Orchestra, directed by Dr. Michael Miles, is an excellent college orchestra with a busy performing schedule. In addition to learning the standard orchestral literature, orchestra members often have an opportunity to play with such superstars of the musical world as Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, James Galway and Placido Domingo.
- Biannual USM Cello Festivals, as well as frequent guest artist recitals and master classes give the Southern Miss students a chance to enjoy the performance and the opinion of the best in the field.
- William T. Gower Concerto Competition is open to all string, voice and piano majors every other year. The winners appear as soloists with The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in the Future Stars concert in Bennett Auditorium.
- MMTA and MTNA String Competitions provide performing opportunities for college students on the state, division and national levels.
- Chamber music ensembles are formed in the beginning of each semester. The string faculty members serve as coaches and prepare the groups for the Marathon Concerts. The best ensembles are then selected to perform in the Honors Chamber Music Recital which serves as the final round of the USM string chamber music competition.
- Additional performing experience and supplemental income are available off-campus as well. Many of the Southern Miss string students are contracted to play with regional orchestras such as the Mississippi Symphony, the Mobile Symphony, the Gulf Coast Symphony, the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra or the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. Students also get frequently called for the local events in the Hattiesburg and Laurel areas.
