Ensembles: Audiences and critics alike give high praise to the outstanding Meadows Symphony Orchestra and its conductor, Dr. Paul Phillips. Whether performing in the orchestra's home venue of Caruth Auditorium or at the Meyerson Symphony Center, the MSO never fails to impress. The orchestra's gifted students from many countries around the world, as well as all parts of the United States, are active as international soloists and are prize-winners at international competitions. To visit the Meadows Symphony Orchestra Web site, please click here.

The Meadows Wind Ensemble has performed throughout the United States and Europe and has won the acclaim of leading contemporary composers for thoughtful and brilliant performances of their works. Led by conductor Jack Delaney and composed of the finest winds, brass and percussion from the Meadows School, the Wind Ensemble performs a broad and diverse range of literature. The Ensemble has recorded four CDs on the Gasparo label, including The Drums of Summer, which won First Prize in an international recording competition in Austria.

The Meadows Opera Theatre offers imaginative, diverse and cutting-edge repertoire providing performance experience to vocal students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Under director Hank Hammett, the Meadows Opera Theatre annually presents an evening of one-acts, a program of scenes from a wide range of repertoire and a main stage production that is accompanied by the brilliant Meadows Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Paul Phillips. The Meadows Opera performs all operas in their original language with super titles in English. Recent full productions have included Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, and Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw.

Dedicated to performing excellence in choral art, the choral program at SMU has a rich tradition dating back more than forty years. Throughout this period, members of SMU choral ensembles have gone on to successful careers as vocalists, conductors, music educators and church music leaders, some achieving national and international acclaim in their field. The tradition continues this year with concerts by the Meadows Chorale and the Meadows Concert Choir, both under the direction of Dr. Pamela Elrod, Director of Choral Activities. Students of all ages and academic concentration may audition for either of these fine ensembles.

The Meadows Percussion Ensemble, directed by Jon Lee, has achieved national recognition through its performances at the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, and critically acclaimed recordings on the Gasparo label.

The Meadows Jazz Orchestra is an 18-member ensemble composed of SMU students selected by audition each fall. With director Akira Sato, the orchestra is dedicated to preserving the heritage of big band jazz while continuing to expand the genre.

The Meadows World Music Ensemble, under the direction of Jamal Mohamed, is beginning its initial year in Meadows. This ensemble will explore and perform world music, primarily from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

To learn about the next concert on the Meadows performance calendar, click here.