Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School eighth-grader Jasmine Butcher enjoys singing, ballet, song-writing and playing the violin, guitar and piano.
Soon, she will wield the baton during a performance of “Toreador” from Bizet’s “Carmen” for the Southern Symphony Orchestra at Missouri Southern State University.
That’s because she is the winner of the Be a Maestro! contest.
Jasmine is the daughter of Don & Melinda Butcher of Carthage.
The contest, launched in January, put the conductor’s podium up for auction.
It offered the successful bidder the right to conduct a short piece with the Southern Symphony Orchestra.
The Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. on April 23 at Taylor Performing Arts Center on MSSU campus. In addition to Ms. Butcher’s appearance, it will feature pianist Petronel Malan, a three-time Grammy Awards nominee.
The program will include Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra and Schubert’s Symphony No. 1.
The performance is open to public and admission is free.
For further information, please contact Dr. Kexi Liu, Director of the Southern Symphony Orchestra, at (417) 625-9681 or email liu-k@mssu.edu