99th Season Brochure

Dear Friends of the Madison Symphony Orchestra,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to our truly exciting 99th season. While every new season brings with it a sense of excitement and anticipation, our 99th commemorates the 20th anniversary of the opening of Overture Center for the Arts and the 20th anniversary of the MSO’s fabulous Overture Concert Organ.

Our opening concert will celebrate this occasion with a spectacular program that includes Joseph Jongen’s “Sinfonie Concertante for Organ and Orchestra,” to be performed by superstar organist Greg Zelek, joined by friend and frequent musical partner cellist Tommy Mesa. The program will include a work by African-American composer Valerie Coleman and a nod to Hispanic Heritage Month.

Our new season includes the MSO debuts of three guest conductors, presenting major symphonic works by Berlioz, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev. We will also be joined throughout the season by returning Madison favorites Kelly Hall-Tompkins and Garrick Ohlsson, plus Time for Three in their MSO debut.

I will be on the podium for our legendary Christmas concerts and for the exciting return of international superstar violinist Gil Shaham. Joining Gil will be his sister, pianist Orli Shaham, and cellist Sterling Elliott for Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto” as part of an all-Beethoven program.

Other season highlights include Richard Strauss’ Don Juan and Four Last Songs (an MSO premiere), Mozart’s Requiem, and an all-Gershwin program with concert highlights from Porgy and Bess and pianist Philippe Bianconi on Concerto in F. All of this and so much more awaits you starting this September.

The thrill of hearing the MSO in the acoustic splendor of Overture Hall is a gift from Jerry Frautschi and Pleasant Rowland that just keeps on giving. Hearing music live is incomparable and a great way to spend a little time away from home. This season is truly spectacular and will lift us in an unforgettable way to our 100th anniversary. Be here with us for these incredible, history-making years, and let us transport you with great symphonic music.

– John DeMain, Music Director

experience

Music is for everyone.

It tells stories while feeding our souls. It takes us on a journey to new and familiar places. It’s a place where family and friends connect with each other, with musicians, with people, and with our shared humanity. Embrace the emotion, energy, and spirit of a joyous adventure throughout our 99th season together, beginning this September. You’re invited to renew your subscription or become a new member of our Symphony family as a subscriber.

Are you a renewing subscriber? Renew your subscription by June 7, 2024, to keep your seats or request a change. Would you like to join us as a new subscriber? Your order is prioritized based on the date it is received following renewals. Subscriptions are available until November 1, 2024. Make live music part of your life. Subscribe to 5-8 concerts and save 10-25% off single ticket prices. *Add MSO at the Movies to your subscription before single tickets go on sale August 24, 2024. Anticipate and subscribe at madisonsymphony.org/99

99

Reunion

John DeMain, Conductor

Tommy Mesa, Cello

Greg Zelek, Organ

Umoja, the Swahili word for “unity” and the first principle of the African holiday Kwanzaa, is a beautiful way to bring us together again. We begin our 99th season journey with a work of the same name by AfricanAmerican composer Valerie Coleman. Our Principal Organist, Greg Zelek, plays one of the great works for organ and orchestra, Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante. Tommy Mesa thrilled audiences with Greg on our organ series program and again as a soloist with the Symphony. He returns to perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme. Our first concert of the season wraps up with a suite from Manuel de Falla’s colorful, Spanishflavored ballet, The Three-Cornered Hat.

Valerie Coleman, Umoja: Anthem of Unity*

Joseph Jongen, Symphonie Concertante, Op. 81

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

Manuel de Falla, Suite No. 2 from The Three-Cornered Hat

*MSO Premiere

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation

MAJOR SPONSORS

Capitol Lakes

Elaine and Nicholas Mischler

Diane Ballweg

Jane Hamblen and Robert F. Lemanske

John and Twila Sheskey Charitable Fund, in memory of Jennie Biel Sheskey

Symphonie Concertante by Jongen is perhaps the greatest work ever written for organ and orchestra and a great way to celebrate MSO’s Overture Concert Organ’s inaugural concert 20 years ago. – John DeMain

Coleman’s Umoja is a powerful and beautiful anthem for the

as it is today. –

Mr. Mesa’s playing had a musical intensity that was commanding in every detail... –

Greg Zelek’s enthusiasm, warmth, and exceptional musicianship was most compelling. He really connected with the audience and made us feel a part of his family… – MSO Patron

New York Concert Review

world

John DeMain

I can’t wait to embark on this journey between worlds with the wonderful musicians of the Madison Symphony Orchestra! – Nicolas Hersh

Visions

Nicholas Hersh, Guest Conductor Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Violin

The first of several guest conductors appearing with us this season is Nicholas Hersh. In his words,

“The music on this program is immensely evocative, and it’s all about the relationship of the human and the supernatural.” Join us for the MSO premiere of

This Midnight Hour by British Composer Anna Clyne, a piece based on poetry by Charles Baudelaire and Juan Ramón Jiménez that is sure to evoke a visual journey for the listener. Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins returns to perform two works, beginning with the gentle The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams, based upon a poem by George Meredith. She then plays Tzigane, Maurice Ravel’s virtuosic take on Roma fiddling. This program finishes with the monumental Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz, a passionate and musical vision.

Anna Clyne, This Midnight Hour*

Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Lark Ascending  Maurice Ravel, Tzigane

Hector Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Marvin J. Levy

MAJOR SPONSORS

Peter and Leslie Overton

Kay Schwichtenberg and Herman Baumann

She was an incredible communicator, expressing musical lines with an honesty and clarity that couldn’t help but be responded to in both the audience and the orchestra. – The Guardian

Kelly Hall-Tompkins plays ... with a tonal mastery, a technical command, and a strength of personality... – BBC Magazine

*MSO Premiere

Momentum

Michael Stern, Guest Conductor

Garrick Ohlsson, Piano

We begin with Michael Stern making his MSO debut as guest conductor leading Jonathan Leshnoff’s Rush for Orchestra, a driving and exciting work that builds a tremendous amount of energy throughout. Garrick Ohlsson, an audience and orchestra favorite, makes his eighth appearance with us performing Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto, a romantic masterpiece infused with the spirit of his Norwegian homeland. Dmitri Shostakovich’s powerful Symphony No. 5, which he humbly described as “the practical answer of a Soviet artist to justified criticism” in a subtle and bitter reaction to the Russia of Joseph Stalin, brings this concert to a close.

Jonathan Leshnoff, Rush for Orchestra*

Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

*MSO Premiere

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Myrna Larson

MAJOR SPONSORS

Irving and Dorothy Levy Family Foundation, Inc.

Stephen D. Morton

Fred Mohs, in memory of Mary Mohs

I was moved to tears by the end of the performance! So beautiful.

– MSO Patron

Garrick Ohlsson’s mastery could only be described as “sublime.”

– MSO Patron

”Stern is a dynamic force on the podium, conducting with exaggerated gestures and forceful mannerisms, truly exerting all his energy during the performance.

– The Atlanta Journal

Garrick Ohlsson’s subtle expressive touch . . . spellbinding!

– MSO Patron

MSO at the Movies

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Kyle Knox, Conductor

Your Madison Symphony Orchestra’s first MSO at the Movies of the season presents Disney and Pixar’s Coco in Concert featuring a screening of the complete film with Oscar® and Grammy®winning composer Michael Giacchino’s musical score performed live to the film. In addition to the original score by Giacchino, “Coco” also features the Oscar®winning song “Remember Me” by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and co-director and screenwriter Adrian Molina

24/25 Symphony season subscribers may purchase any number of tickets to this special presentation before single tickets go on sale August 24, 2024!

MAJOR PERFORMANCE SPONSOR

Madison Symphony Orchestra League

A Madison Symphony Christmas

John DeMain, Conductor

Vanessa Becerra, Soprano

Craig Irvin, Baritone

Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director

Mount Zion Gospel Choir, Tamera and Leotha Stanley, Directors

Madison Youth Choirs

Michael Ross, Artistic Director

Our spectacular annual Christmas concerts have become a beloved musical holiday tradition in Madison. This year includes everything you’ve come to expect: uplifting choral performances by the Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Youth Choirs, and a rousing Gospel climax led by John DeMain and the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir with the entire cast. Two dynamic vocal soloists, Madisonbased soprano Vanessa Becerra and baritone Craig Irvin, will join us to celebrate the start of the holiday season.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Lau and Bea Christensen

MAJOR SPONSORS

American Printing Fiore Companies, Inc.

Richard and Pamela Reese, in memory of Maurice and Arlene Reese

Peggy and Tom Pyle

Judith and Nick Topitzes

An Anonymous Friend

”Her soprano voice rings clear and bright, and Becerra easily shifts between the comedy and drama in the story. She brings an aching beauty to her performance. – Twincities

Watching a performer like Irvin up close only adds to the thrill of hearing him singing.

Shaham offered an exquisite interpretation. I was captivated. It was one of the most engaging and memorable moments of my decades-long in-person classical music concerts! – MSO Patron

[Orli] sounds fresh and fully engaged every time. – EarRelevant

Elliott produced a singing tone and vibrant expressive projection from his first notes. – New York Classical Review

Beethoven x3

John DeMain, Conductor

Gil Shaham, Violin

Orli Shaham, Piano

Sterling Elliott, Cello

Great things come in threes, and this performance is no exception, showcasing three of Beethoven’s masterworks, all composed within about three years of each other. We begin with the dramatic Leonore Overture No. 3. Next, we bring an exquisite trio of soloists together: violinist Gil Shaham, his sister, pianist Orli Shaham, and exceptional cellist Sterling Elliott. Together, they play Beethoven’s all-too-infrequentlyperformed “Triple Concerto.” Beethoven’s miraculous Symphony No. 2, an early but groundbreaking work written at the dawning of his realization that he was going deaf, takes this concert to an emotional close.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b

Ludwig van Beethoven, Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, Op. 56 (Triple Concerto)

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36

GUEST ARTISTS SPONSOR

David and Kato Perlman

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Myrna Larson

MAJOR SPONSORS

Scott and Janet Cabot Cyrena and Lee Pondrom

Beethoven’s Triple Concerto is an exhilarating tour de force for three titans of their instruments. – John DeMain

MSO at the Movies

Kyle Knox, Conductor

The second Madison Symphony Orchestra MSO at the Movies of the season presents Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert featuring the complete film with composer John Williams’ iconic Oscar®-winning score performed live to the film. Since the release of this first Star Wars movie over 45 years ago, the Star Wars saga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture, inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects and iconic musical scores composed by Williams. Fans will experience the scope and grandeur of this beloved film in a live symphonic concert experience.

24/25 Symphony season subscribers may purchase any number of tickets to this special presentation before single tickets go on sale August 24, 2024!

MAJOR PERFORMANCE

SPONSORS

Madison Media Partners Lake Ridge Bank

Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy in Star Wars: A New Hope. Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire.

...when she stepped on stage, she sang with beautifully connected lines each time growing with more clarity and gorgeous tone... – OperaWire

Mezzo-soprano Lippart, a native of Denmark, Wis., has dazzled audiences of opera, musical theater, and chamber music alike. – Gardner Webb University

Legacy

John DeMain, Conductor

Amanda Majeski, Soprano

Kirsten Lippart, Mezzo-Soprano

Martin Luther Clark, Tenor Matt Boehler, Bass

Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director

The lasting impact of two composers, Richard Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is explored through their final works in this concert. After opening with one of Strauss’ great tone poems Don Juan, soprano Amanda Majeski takes the stage with the orchestra for what Strauss himself called his Four Last Songs. Majeski, mezzo-soprano Kirsten Lippart, tenor Martin Luther Clark, bass Matt Boehler, and the Madison Symphony Chorus come together for Mozart’s Requiem, the work he wrote from his death bed and left unfinished. When he passed, his associate Franz Xaver Süssmayr completed the composition. It lives on as one of the most profoundly beautiful works ever created.

Richard Strauss, Don Juan, Op. 20

Richard Strauss, Four Last Songs

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Requiem in D minor, K. 626

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Rosemarie and Fred Blancke

MAJOR SPONSORS

The Madison Concourse Hotel & Governor’s Club

Martha and Charles Casey

Skofronick Family Charitable Trust

Mozart’s incomplete masterpiece offers us a work of incredible beauty at the end of his life. –

Mr. Clark’s supple tone and yearning pitches make him a fine choice for lyrical roles. – Opera Today

Boehler sang with compelling versatility, his bold bass voice capable of illustrating tender sorrow and excruciating anguish within a single phrase. – Schmopera

John DeMain

Yearnings

Joseph Young, Guest Conductor

Time For Three:

Nicolas Kendall, Violin

Charles Yang, Violin

Ranaan Meyer, Double Bass

Guest conductor Joseph Young gives us an idea of what to anticipate in this exciting concert.

“This program is an aural invitation into the ideals of peace, love, and connection that carries forward long after the final notes.” We begin with Samuel Barber’s concise and dramatic Second Essay for Orchestra

Next, the eclectic and genre-bending string trio

”Time for Three joins our Symphony performing Kevin Puts’ Contact, a Grammy-winning piece written specifically for the group. Intended to premiere in the summer of 2020, Contact took on new meaning as an expression of yearning for human contact during the peak of the pandemic. Maestro Young’s selection of movements from one of the greatest ballet scores of the 20th century, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, will leave us longing for more.

Samuel Barber, Second Essay for Orchestra, Op. 17

Kevin Puts, Contact*

Sergei Prokofiev, Selections from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64

”MAJOR SPONSORS

WMTV 15

Madison Symphony Orchestra League

Nancy Mohs

University Research Park

I so look forward to connecting with the musicians and community of Madison as we share this exciting concert about connection. This is a heart-on-your-sleeves, jaw-on-the-floor kind of program that demands an emotional response. – Joseph Young

Tf3’s boundless energy and electrifying personalities filled the auditorium and moved the normally reserved concert audience to cheers, whistles and thunderous applause. – The Republic

*MSO Premiere

Philippe Bianconi was amazing in his tone, speed, endurance, and timing with the orchestra! – MSO Patron

Ms. Johnson’s voice never forces its play, it sounds through its appearance a moment with all of its possibilities, always in company with the orchestra, never without.

– The Chautauquan Daily

Gershwin!

John DeMain, Conductor

Philippe Bianconi, Piano

Michelle Johnson, Soprano

Eric Greene, Baritone

Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director

Our 99th season finale opens with Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, pulsing with Caribbean rhythms from dance music he fell in love with on a vacation to Havana. Beloved pianist Philippe Bianconi returns for his seventh appearance performing Gershwin’s masterpiece Concerto in F. Our maestro John DeMain has conducted more than 400 performances of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess throughout the world. He led a history-making production with the Houston Grand Opera, winning a Grammy Award, Tony Award, and France’s Grand Prix de Disque for the RCA recording. He brings Michelle Johnson, Eric Greene, and our Madison Symphony Chorus together to share his passion for this iconic work to close the season!

George Gershwin, Cuban Overture

George Gershwin, Piano Concerto in F Major

George Gershwin/Robert Russell Bennett, Porgy and Bess: A Concert of Songs

Gershwin’s beloved opera combines jazz, Broadway, and classical as we present highlights from this moving and heartfelt love story — Porgy and Bess.

– John DeMain

MAJOR SPONSORS

Madison Magazine

Diane Ballweg

Boardman Clark Law Firm

Fred A. Wileman

Greene inhabits the relatively compact space to draw in the audience in the most interior moments, while also impressing with his rich, engulfing tone. – The Stage

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SAVE 10% ON EXTRA SINGLE TICKETS

Bring your family and friends! Single tickets for all subscription concerts are available exclusively to subscribers at a 10% discount starting with Subscriber Courtesy Days, August 21-23, 2024, before they go on sale to the general public on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. As a subscriber, you have access to this benefit for the entire season! Single tickets may be purchased through the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street, by calling the Box Office at (608) 258-4141, or online at madisonsymphony.org.

ADVANCE TICKETS FOR MSO AT THE MOVIES

Reserve tickets for you, your family, or as many friends as you like, before single tickets go on sale to the general public on August 24, 2024! Please note that MSO at the Movies is separate from the symphony subscription season.

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