The popular Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra (MMSO) gears up to present its fourth season of performances, including an exciting season premiere next Monday.

For the 2024-2025 MMSO season, there will be a variety of new programs. The opening performance on Monday, October 21 features Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller along with his predecessors, Robert Reichert and C. Jack Ellis. Set to the music of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” the mayors will be reading excerpts from some of the 16th president’s greatest speeches, including the Gettysburg address.

“The message we’re trying to send the community is that while our nation is divided, Macon is healing and looking forward,” said Robert McDuffie, founder of the MMSO. “Macon is bucking the trend with folks of all stripes working together to improve this beautiful community.  It’s a cause for celebration.”

McDuffie believes this will be an interesting reflection for audiences during the presidential election season. “To the extent music unites, the MMSO is privileged to present these three distinct Macon leaders. Together, they will amplify the powerful words of America’s ‘Healer in Chief,’ Abraham Lincoln,” he said.

The season continues in November with a special performance of pieces composed by Townsend School of Music professor Christopher Schmitz, “Violin Concerto” and “Symphony No. 1,” directed under guest conductor Thomas Wilkins. The special work was created specifically for the talents of Robert McDuffie Center for Strings director Amy Schwartz Moretti, who will act as featured soloist on the violin. The composition was recorded last fall in a special album made with the London Symphony Orchestra and is available now from Navona Records. 

In the spring, Paul Watkins, conductor and cellist of the renowned Emerson String Quartet, takes the podium for an evening of Elgar, Beethoven and Bartók, the latter of which Mercer students will have just performed at Carnegie Hall. The season ends with the tradition of the Mercer University Concerto Competition winner as soloist along with Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherezade.” 

Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra is a groundbreaking intergenerational collaboration between emerging artists of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings and principal musicians from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. It brings the grand power of symphony music back to Macon, including world-renowned guest artists and local collaborations that highlight the diversity and strength of the Middle Georgia community.

All performances take place at The Grand Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Patrons can guarantee the same seat for the entire season with a subscription. Season tickets can be purchased online now or by calling the box office at (478) 301-5470. Mercer faculty/staff and patrons under 40 years of age can get a special discounted $60 season ticket by calling the box office or emailing [email protected] for a promo code.  

Single tickets for each concert are available for $25-$35 per concert and are free for students of all ages with valid ID. The Center is committed to making the symphony accessible and available for all. And substantial discounts, educational resources, and more are available for groups of 10 or more.