The Missouri State University President’s Concert celebrates its 28th year with performances of Jocelyn Hagen’s “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci” and Adolphus Hailstork’s “I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes.”

The concert begins at 3:30 p.m. April 27 at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

Admission is free and open to the public.

The university’s Grand Chorus and Symphony Orchestra will perform under the direction of Dr. Erin E. Plisco, associate director of choral studies in the Department of Music.

The Grand Chorus, which has over 200 student participants, is prepared by Plisco and Dr. Cameron LaBarr, Clif and Gail Smart Professor of Music and director of choral studies.

The orchestra, prepared by orchestra director Dr. Yi-Ping Chen, has roughly 60 students.

“Notebooks” instantly captivating

While da Vinci is best known as a painter, engineer and scientist, among other things, he is also known for his notebooks. The notebooks contain da Vinci’s drawings and written observations about anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and paleontology. These writings inspired Hagen to compose “Notebooks.”

Plisco said she was “instantly captivated” when she first heard “Notebooks” performed a few years ago. She knew she wanted to perform it someday, and the President’s Concert presented the perfect occasion to do so.

“When I realized that the President’s Concert has never featured a work by a female composer, I immediately thought of Jocelyn’s piece,” Plisco explained. “It provides an opportunity for our students to experience something different — singing about subjects not often found in choral music, such as math, science and architecture.”

Hagen will personally introduce the “Notebooks” performance at the April 27 event.

“Jocelyn will speak briefly at the beginning of the concert, setting up the experience for the audience before the performance begins,” Plisco said. “It will be an exciting and unique collaboration and is sure to thrill anyone in attendance.”

Performance includes video projection technology

This year’s concert will feature video projections as part of the musical experience. According to Plisco, the video projections are a required element of Hagen’s piece.

“It’s as important as the choir or orchestra,” she said. “It brings the words and images of this historical giant to life in an exciting way. It takes the performers and audience members on a unique and otherworldly journey.”

The piece takes audiences “on an aural and visual journey through topics like nature, math, the stars, perspective, the human body and knowledge,” Plisco said. “We love any opportunity to provide our students and community with experiences that merge disciplines and mediums, and this certainly does that on multiple levels.”

Guest soloist Dr. Johnnie Felder to perform

Also featured in this year’s concert is Adolphus Hailstork’s “I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes,” a cantata for tenor, choir and orchestra. Hailstork composed the piece, which is based on several psalm texts, in 1997 in memory of African American composer and educator Undine Smith Moore.

Dr. Johnnie Felder, operatic tenor and voice faculty member at the University of South Carolina, is the featured tenor soloist. “He is incredible,” Plisco said.

“I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes” pairs perfectly with “Notebooks,” she added. “It offers a jubilant and hopeful message and will appeal to all audience members. It is also the first time that a piece composed by a person of color will be performed on the President’s Concert.”

Plisco directs for second time

This is the second time Plisco, who has taught at Missouri State since 2018, will direct the concert. She first conducted the concert in 2022, which also marked the first time in Missouri State’s history that a woman led the concert.

“It is always an honor to direct our incredible students, but standing in front of the combined choirs and orchestra is especially thrilling,” Plisco said. “This collaboration demonstrates the talent and opportunity that exist throughout many of our programs here.”

To prepare for the concert, the choirs and orchestra first practice their music separately, Plisco said. They then get together in April for a series of combined rehearsals.

Only then do the choir and orchestra come together to rehearse.

“The choir and orchestra actually only have two rehearsals together prior to the concert, which really speaks to the individual preparation and talent level of all of our student musicians,” Plisco said. “We are fortunate to have such a large community of talented and dedicated student musicians here at MSU.”

“Springfield is in for a special treat.”

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Photos provided by Department of Music.