May in Natchez means that it’s time for the annual Festival of Music and we can’t wait for what 2017 has in store! Who doesn’t have a favorite music genre? Come to Natchez to enjoy an exceptional program featuring your favorites from May 6 to May 27. There is something for everyone!
We’ve done all the hard work for you and have summarized the Natchez Festival of Music program by genre and performance opportunities. You won’t have to waste any time planning when you get to Devereaux Shields House! Just make your way here and enjoy the music!
Since there are so many musical categories and everyone can classify a song a little bit differently, we came up with a few genres of our own. Our simple approach suggests using categories of Arts, Popular and Traditional/Folk. Our friends of the Natchez Music Festival pull off a fantastic show every year and this year is no exception. They’ve put together a wonderful musical program this year that you definitely won’t want to miss.
Events sell out quickly.
Pick your favorite music and dates and book your stay at Devereaux Shields House.
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Natchez Festival of Music by Genre
| Popular/Traditional | |||||
| Genre | Dates | ||||
| Blues | Sat May 6 | Wed May 10 | Wed May 17 | Wed May 24 | |
| Rock & Roll | Wed May 10 | Wed May 17 | Wed May 24 | Fri May 26 | |
| Motown | Sat May 13 | ||||
| Jazz | Fri May 19 | ||||
| Gospel | Thur May 25 | ||||
| Arts | |||
| Genre | Dates | ||
| Classical Voice | Tues May 9 | Tues May 16 | Tues May 23 |
| Classical Piano | Thus May 11 | ||
| Theatre Voice | Sat May 12 | ||
| Concert Voice & Instrumental | Thur May 18 | ||
| Musical Theatre | Sat May 20 | ||
| Musical Opera | Sat May 27 | ||
Natchez Festival of Music Program
Come for the Music, Stay for the Experience
Best of the Mississippi Blues II
When: May 6th
Where: Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center
What: Tribute to Mississippi Blues Icons staring Vasti Jackson (Popular/Tradition – Blues)
Rockin on the River
When: May 10th, May 17th, and May 24th
Where: Bowie’s Tavern, Central Bluff on Main Street
What: Blues & Rock and Roll, Beverages, River Views (Popular/Tradition – Blues & Rock and Roll)
Rossini, Puccini and Martinis
When: May 9th, May 16th, and May 23rd
Where: Waverly Plantation
What: Iconic festival concert of the very best singers in the nation performing exciting arias (Arts – Classical Voice)
Revolution, Romanticism and Rachmaninoff
When: May 11th
Where: Trinity Episcopal Church
What: Virtuoso pianist Jonathan Levin performs Eastern European program including Tchaikovsky and others (Arts – Classical Piano)
That Sensational Sondheim
When: May 12th
Where: The Towers
What: Tribute to Stephen Sondheim, Master of American Musical Theatre, piano accompanied voice, The Towers (Arts – Theatre Voice)
From Mississippi to Motown
When: May 13th
Where: Natchez Performing Arts Center
What: Some greatest hits of Motown, which became a distinctive style of American soul music (Popular/Tradition – Motown)
Mississippi Concert Hall
When: May 18th
Where: First Presbyterian Church
What: Tribute to Mississippi’s greatest classical composers and performers (Arts – Concert Voice & Instrumental)
The First Lady of Song, Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald Centennial
When: May 19th
Where: The Prentis Club
What: Beloved Jazz from one of the greatest (Popular/Tradition – Jazz)
Camelot
When: May 20th
Where: Natchez Performing Arts Center
What: Timeless and magical musical (Arts – Musical Theatre)
Highway to Heaven, Natchez Community Gospel Choir
When: May 25th
Where: Beulah Baptist Church
What: Evening of the best Gospel music Mississippi has to offer (Popular/Tradition – Gospel)
King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley
When: May 26th
Where: Natchez Performing Arts Center
What: Evening of Elvis Presley featuring Victor Trevino, a top Elvis Tribute Artist (Popular/Tradition – Rock & Roll)
The Barber of Seville
When: May 27th
Where: Natchez Performing Arts Center
What: One of the funniest operas ever written. (Arts – Musical Opera)
Music Community Events
May 6th: Little Red Riding Hood, Children’s Show
May 13th: Mississippi, The Birthplace of America’s Music Conference
May 20th: Southern Musical Theatre Conference II