On Saturday, February 2, Rachel Heard, assistant professor of music at Millsaps College, will perform as a soloist with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in their "Chamber II: Mozart by Candlelight" concert. Heard will perform on an exact replica of an early Viennese piano built around 1795 by Johann Schantz. The “modern” replica Heard will perform on was built by Thomas and Barbara Wolf of Washington, D.C. The Wolfs were formerly instrument curators at the Smithsonian Institution. This is the only instrument of its kind in the area, and the concert will recreate some of the atmosphere of Mozart’s day by having candles as the only light, in addition to the model of Heard’s piano.
Heard earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School before studying under fortepianist Malcolm Bilson. She later earned her doctorate from Rutgers University with a specialization in music of the 18th century. Dr. Heard joined the Millsaps College Department of Performing Arts in the fall of 2002, having previously served as chair of the music department at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va. Heard’s commercial solo CD came out last year on Naxos, the largest classical label in the world.
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Belhaven College Center for the Arts. For more information, visit www.msorchestra.com. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children ages 4-18.
