VIRTUAL CONCERT OFFERS MUSIC TO REMEMBER AND REFLECT 

Following a year filled with doubt, uncertainty, and loss, Opera Mississippi offers hope for the new year and its new season. Featuring Maryann Kyle, soprano, and pianist, Michael Bunchman, Reminiscence will debut virtually on February 1, 2021 on the Opera Mississippi website and YouTube channel. This powerful program features music to remember, reflect, and to dwell on the past with a program to provide the audience a voyage through pain, memories, loss, love, and the faith that sustains us all. Though the concert is free, donations of at least $1 are encouraged to view the stream. With 2020 having been such a difficult year for everyone, both Kyle and Bunchman understand the need for this type of concert right now. “Over the past year, we have seen so much uncertainty and unknowing in our country and around the world. We have all lost something over the last year, and it is because of this why this concert was conceived,” said Kyle. “We must remember that while we may be in dark times now, that was not and will not always be the case. We must reminisce on the times where we smiled, we hugged, we laughed, and we loved and know that we will be there once again.” Reminiscence is dedicated to a treasured member of the arts community and dear friend of Kyle, Mr. William Russell, who has recently overcome cancer. “William is the true embodiment of why this concert is so important,” said Jay Dean, Artistic Director of Opera Mississippi. “We at Opera Mississippi are proud to have the opportunity to dedicate this performance to him and to share this with the many people who experience difficulty and make it through.” Featuring music of Mahler, Gershwin, Luigi Zaninelli, and Stephen Sondheim, Reminiscence promises to bring back memories when music filled the air and audiences packed concert halls. For more information on this concert and the rest of the Opera Mississippi season, visit operams.org or call 601.960.2300 ABOUT OPERA MISSISSIPPI Celebrating their 75th Anniversary, the Mississippi Opera Association, founded in 195, is a founding member of the national Opera America organization, the ninth oldest continuously operating opera company in the United States, and Mississippi’s only professional opera company. Among the remarkable singers that have graced Opera Mississippi stage, are internationally known Beverly Sills, Monserrat Caballe, Robert Merrill, James McCracken, Roberta Peters, Jan Peerce, Richard Tucker, Normal Treigle, John Alexander, Renée Fleming and many others. Opera Mississippi’s mission is to provide the community and state with the most dynamic musical stage productions possible. In addition, activities include a variety of educational and community outreach programs including educational performances to students and a variety of other performances for citizens of all ages, including pop, jazz, country, and musical theatre cabarets. The annual John Alexander National Vocal Competition, the only nationally advertised music competition in the state, is designed to recognize and award outstanding vocalists in both opera and musical theatre. Opera Mississippi is proud to be an integral part of the remarkable artistic heritage that shapes the state, and each year thousands of Mississippians and visitors attend and benefit from our quality performances.