Musicians

Conductor

Violin I

close of of Vince Massimino

Vince Massimino

Assistant Concertmaster, Violin 1

Vince Massimino, Assistant Concertmaster of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, is a native of Annapolis, Maryland, where he received his early musical training from his parents, Rinaldo and Agnes Massimino, both professional music educators.

Headshot of Milena_Rusanova.

Milena Rusanova

Principal Violin I

A native of Bulgaria, Milena Rusanova joined the Mississippi Symphony in January, 2010.

Violin II

Ann McNally

Ann McNally

Violin II

Ann McNally, a native of Wisconsin grew up in Milwaukee and Houston, Texas. She began to play the violin at age 11 in her 6th grade year in the Spring Branch, Texas instrumental music program.  She was concertmistress of her Jr. High and Sr. High orchestras and was a member of the Spring Branch All-District High School Orchestra.

Mary Rogers

Mary Rogers

Violin II

Born in Wiggins, Mississippi, Mary (Hickman) Rogers grew up in Monroe, Louisiana where her father was a History professor at NLU.  Her mother was a vocal performance graduate from Indiana University who had her own Chicago radio show for a time.

Viola

Ausra Jasineviciute

Ausra Jasineviciute

Principal Viola

Ausra Jasineviciute was born in Lithuania, where she began her violin studies at age eight. Ten years later, while in college, she switched from violin to viola and in 1997 she earned her Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the Academy of Music in Vilnius.

Hristo Hristov*

Hristo Hristov*

Assistant Principal Viola

Hristo Hristov, assistant principal viola of Mississippi Symphony Orchestra since 2004 was born in Bulgaria. He holds a bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the State Music Academy in Bulgaria.

Black and white image closeup of Tammy Mason Luke.

Tammy Mason Luke*

Viola

Tammy received her early training in the Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra as a student of Mickey Davis and Robert McNally.

Violoncello

Veronica Parrales

Veronica Parrales

Principal Violoncello

Veronica Parrales recently won the position of Principal Cello for the Mississippi Symphony and continues to serve as Assistant Principal for the Baton Rouge Symphony, as well as a substitute for the Louisiana Philharmonic

Janette Sudderth*

Janette Sudderth*

Assistant Principal Violoncello

Janette Sudderth was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Sylvan Elementary and Sylvan Hills High School there. She studied piano with her mother and cello with Martha Bishop.

Emily Stromberg Baker*

Emily Stromberg Baker*

Violoncello

Emily Stromberg Baker began studying music at the age of seven in her native state of Connecticut. After two years of piano lessons, she began playing the cello in her elementary school’s orchestra program, and took cello lessons with Emily Metcalf, formerly of the Hartford Symphony.

Nancy Bateman

Nancy Bateman

Violoncello

Nancy Bateman received both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Music from Wichita State University and pursued advanced musical studies at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

Bennett Randman

Bennett Randman

Violoncello

Bennett Randman, earned degrees at the University of Tennessee and Duquesne University.  He studied with noted cellists Nathaniel Rosen and Leslie Parnas.

Bass

Susan Landry

Susan Landry

Principal Bass

Susan Mathews Landry was born in Washington DC and holds degrees in Double Bass Performance from Brigham Young University (BMu) in Provo, Utah and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MMu) in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Flute

Amulet Strange

Amulet Strange

Principal Flute

Amulet Strange joined the MSO as Principal Flute in 2015. A Texas native and Interlochen Arts Academy graduate, she received her Bachelor of Music degree studying with Timothy Day at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Gayle Entrekin

Gayle Entrekin

2nd Flute

Gayle Entrekin has been the 2nd Flute with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and 2nd Flute and Piccolo with the Mississippi Opera since September 2000.

Piccolo

Oboe

Julie Hudik

Julie Hudik

Principal Oboe

Ohio native Julie Hudik received her bachelor’s degree in music performance from Kent State University, studying with Jeff Rathbun and Danna Sundet. She then became a student of Doris DeLoach at Baylor University, earning a Master of Music Performance degree.

Linda Naef

Linda Naef

Oboe & English Horn

Linda Naef, Oboe II/English Horn, developed an early interest in music, beginning piano at age 5.  A native of Jackson, she grew up surrounded by choral and symphonic music as the daughter of parents who were very involved in the musical life of the city.

English Horn

Linda Naef

Linda Naef

Oboe & English Horn

Linda Naef, Oboe II/English Horn, developed an early interest in music, beginning piano at age 5.  A native of Jackson, she grew up surrounded by choral and symphonic music as the daughter of parents who were very involved in the musical life of the city.

Clarinet

Ken Graves

Ken Graves

Principal Clarinet

Ken Graves currently serves as Principal Clarinetist for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.  He has performed with the Alabama, Baton Rouge, Pensacola, Huntsville and Meridian Symphonies and performs regularly with the Mississippi Opera and Mississippi Chorus.

Bass Clarinet

Saxophone

Bassoon

Jon Wenberg

Jon Wenberg

Principal Bassoon

Jon Wenberg has served as the Mississippi Symphony's Principal Bassoonist since 1993.  He is also a member of the Mississippi Symphony Woodwind Quintet, the Meridian Symphony, the Magnolia Bassoon Quartet, and several other ensembles around the state. 

Elaine Maisel

Elaine Maisel

Bassoon & Contra bassoon

After switching from trumpet to bassoon in high school, Elaine quickly took to the double reed instrument, subsequently earning bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in bassoon performance from Alma College, The Hartt School of Music, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Contra Bassoon

Elaine Maisel

Elaine Maisel

Bassoon & Contra bassoon

After switching from trumpet to bassoon in high school, Elaine quickly took to the double reed instrument, subsequently earning bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in bassoon performance from Alma College, The Hartt School of Music, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Horn

Mimi Draut Linehan*

Mimi Draut Linehan*

Principal Horn

Mimi Draut Linehanis Principal Horn with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and plays in the MSO Wind Quintet and in Capital Brass. She also performs with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Mississippi Opera.

Richard Hudson

Richard Hudson

2nd Horn

A native of the Washington, DC suburbs, Richard Hudson began his musical instruction on piano and French Horn while in elementary school.

Lisa Davis

Lisa Davis

3rd Horn

Lisa Davis has been has been third horn for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra since 1990.  She has also performed with the Alabama Symphony, Tupelo Symphony, Meridian Symphony, Mobile Symphony, and other ensembles around Mississippi.

Trumpet

Darcie Bishop

Darcie Bishop

Principal Trumpet

Darcie Bishop, has held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Mississippi Symphony since 1988.  A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, she holds the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education from The University of Mississippi, and Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Trumpet Performance from The Juilliard School in New York.

Wayne Linehan*

Wayne Linehan*

2nd Trumpet

Wayne Linehan holds degrees from The State University College at Fredonia, New York (Bachelor of Music in Education) and the State University of New York at Buffalo (Master of Fine Arts in Trumpet Performance), and is currently working on his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Trombone

Adam Almeter*¹

Adam Almeter*¹

Principal Trombone

Adam Almeter joined the Mississippi Symphony in 2015 after graduating from Indiana University. At Indiana, Adam performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble while studying with Peter Ellefson.

Tuba

Wade Rackley*

Wade Rackley*

Principal Tuba

Wade Rackley has been the principal tubist with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and the MSO Brass Quintet since 1993. He is the Adjunct Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Mississippi State University and is a member of the Golden Triangle Brass (the faculty brass quintet of MSU).

Timpani

Bud Berthold*

Bud Berthold*

Principal Timpani

Mr. Berthold has been the Principal Timpanist in the Mississippi Symphony and Mississippi Opera Orchestras since 1981, and is also the current Principal Timpanist of the Meridian Symphony.

Percussion

Harp

Piano & Celeste

Harpsichord/Keyboard

Concertmaster Emeritus