Some of the area's most compelling musical experiences come from the Meadows Symphony Orchestra. And Southern Methodist University's outstanding student ensemble provided them again Thursday evening, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Dedicated to benefactor Linda Gibbons, the gala evening raised more than $210,000 for SMU's Meadows School of the Arts.

Three excerpts from Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, arranged by James Conlon, began by setting the opera's scene of desperation, both overt and repressed, and ended with the poignancy and, finally, hopelessness of exile. The violently thrusting section here titled merely "Katerina and Sergei" accompanies a graphic sex scene in the opera, though the program notes were too discreet to say so. Led by music director Paul Phillips, the performance was electrifying, start to finish.

Throughout the concert, Dr. Phillips had a sophisticated grasp of musical proportion, shape and direction. In the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major he was matched by cellist Andrés Díaz, who brought a huge tone, rhythmic and emotional intensity to the piece, not to mention dazzling technique. If anything, Dr. Phillips kept the orchestra too deferential, but the playing was certainly fine. The prominent horn part was beautifully played by Nicole de la Cal.

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