Mozart Magic filled sanctuary at Church of the Holy Trinity

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The combination of low candlelight and rich music performed by the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra created an atmosphere whisking event goers on a journey to the past as they listened to the performance at Vicksburg’s Church of the Holy Trinity.

Sunday evening, Jan. 11, attendees were able to experience the sounds of Mozart Magic at the historic church as the Four Seasons of the Arts presented the candlelight experience.

The Four Seasons of the Arts is a 501C organization under the Community Fund of the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce dedicated to brining free cultural events to Vicksburg. The organization provides a winter concert, this year’s Mozart Magic, a Memorial Day concert in the military park in the spring, a patriotic concert celebrating July 4th in the summertime, and an educational concert for Warren County students in the fall of each year.

Four Seasons of the Arts wished to thank the Vestry and parishioners of the Church of the Holy Trinity for hosting the event as well as the City of Vicksburg and Vicksburg Medical Foundation for generously sponsoring the event.

The concert consisted of a selection of music by Wolfgang Mozart and Georg Abraham Schneider spanning a course of 13 years between 1787 and 1800. To place this in perspective, the music was written during the time the Father of the United States, George Washington, held the office as the first President of the United States.

The program began with Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovani written in 1787. Next followed Schneider’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola written in 1800. This piece included soloist for the violin and viola.

Solo viola performer Austra Jasineviciute took the crowd’s breathe away in her stunning floor length red dress. Jasinevicute is a native of Lithuania where she earned a BA in Viola Performance and an MA in Social Sciences. In America, she earned an MA in Viola Performance at Southeastern Louisiana University, and a PhD in Music Performance from Florida State University. She and her husband, MSO Violist Hristo Hritov teach privately and with the Madison Public School District. She is also a member of the MSO String Quartet.

Violist Ruvim Echiusciu, who performed the solo violin parts in Schneider’s work left the audience astounded at his talents with the strings and bow. Echiusciu is from Moldova where he began playing at the age of six. He completed his studies at the Republican Music Lyceum “Serghei Rachmaninoff” and earned his bachelor’s degree at Belhaven University. Echiusciu was a member of the Moldovan National Youth Orchestra and performed as a soloist with the National Chamber Orchestra of the Organ Hall in Moldova. He is part of the Mississippi Wind Symphony, teaches at JSU and performs with the orchestras in the region.

The final movement of the program was once again written by Mozart. Written in 1788, Symphony No. 39 provided the perfect and delightful ending to the magical evening.

MSO will next perform at Christ United Jackson on Jan. 24, 2026. The program, Transcendent Voices, will also feature Jackson State University Chorale.

To help bring free events to Vicksburg, donars can support the Four Seasons of the Arts by sending funds Four Seasons of the Arts, c/o/ Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce Community Fund, 1622 Washington Street, Suite 201, Vicksburg, MS 39180.