Madison Symphony Orchestra, Inc. Heather Rose, Editor Email: hrose@madisonsymphony.org
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THANK YOU TO OUR SEASON PARTNERS
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE, SEP 20
8 Cirque de la Symphonie Biography 10 Program Notes
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
As we gather in this space for these concerts, the Madison Symphony Orchestra acknowledges the Ho-Chunk Nation’s ancestral lands and celebrates the rich traditions, heritage, and culture that thrived long before our arrival. We respectfully recognize this Ho-Chunk land and a rm that we are better when we stand together.
MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SEPTEMBER
VIOLIN I
Naha Greenholtz
Concertmaster
William and Joyce Wartmann Chair
Suzanne Beia
Co-Concertmaster
Steinhauer Charitable Trust Chair
Leanne Kelso
Associate Concertmaster
George and Candy Gialamas Chair
Huy Luu
Associate Concertmaster
Olga Pomolova
Assistant Concertmaster
Endowed by an Anonymous Friend
Maynie Bradley
Annetta H. Rosser Chair
Neil Gopal
Tim Kamps
Jon Vriesacker
Katherine Floriano
Alec Tonno
Laura Mericle
VIOLIN II
Hillary Hempel
Principal
Dr. Stanley and Shirley Inhorn Chair
Peter Miliczky
Assistant Principal
Elyn L. Williams Chair
Holly Wagner
Rolf Wulfsberg
Olga Draguieva
Wendy Buehl
Geri Nolden
Robin Ryan
Matthew Dahm
Glen Kuenzi
VIOLA
Christopher Dozoryst
Principal
James F. Crow Chair
Katrin Talbot
Assistant Principal
Dove Family Chair
Diedre Buckley
Renata Hornik
Elisabeth Deussen
Judy Huang
Janse Vincent
Jennifer Paulson
20TH MUSICIAN ROSTER
CELLO
Karl Lavine
Principal
Reuhl Family Chair
Mark Bridges
Assistant Principal
Patricia Kokotailo & R. Lawrence
DeRoo Chair
Karen Cornelius
Knapp Family Chair
Jordan Allen
Margaret Townsend
Lisa Bressler
Derek Handley
Becky Pan
BASS
David Scholl
Principal
Je Takaki
Assistant Principal
August Jirovec
Tom Mohs Chair
Grace Heintz
Mike Hennessy
Brett Lewis
FLUTE
Stephanie Jutt
Principal
Terry Family Foundation Chair
Collin Stavinoha
Linda Pereksta
PICCOLO
Linda Pereksta
OBOE
Izumi Amemiya
Principal
Jim and Cathie Burgess Chair
Andrea Gross Hixon
Lindsay Flowers
ENGLISH HORN
Lindsay Flowers
CLARINET
JJ Koh
Principal
Barbara and Norman Berven Chair
Nancy Mackenzie
Gregory Smith
BASS CLARINET
Gregory Smith
Nancy Mackenzie
E-FLAT CLARINET
JJ Koh
Nancy Mackenzie
ALTO SAXOPHONE
Gregory Smith
BASSOON
Cynthia Cameron
Principal
Amanda Szczys
Carol Rosing
CONTRABASSOON
Carol Rosing
HORN
Emma Potter
Principal
Steve and Marianne Schlecht Chair
Michael Wright
William Muir
Dafydd Bevil
Mary Buscanics-Jones, Assistant
TRUMPET
John Aley
Principal
Marilynn G. Thompson Chair
John Wagner
Brent Turney
TROMBONE
Joyce Messer
Principal
Fred and Mary Mohs Chair
Benjamin Skroch
BASS TROMBONE
Ben Zisook
TUBA
Joshua Biere
Principal
TIMPANI
John Jutsum
Principal
Eugenie Mayer Bolz Foundation Chair
PERCUSSION
Anthony DiSanza
Principal
JoAnn Six Plesko and E.J. Plesko
Chair
Richard Morgan
Nicholas Bonaccio
Tom Ross
HARP
Johanna Wienholts
Principal
Endowed by an Anonymous Friend
PIANO/CELESTE
Daniel Lyons
Principal
Stephen D. Morton Chair
Orchestra Committee
Mark Bridges, Chair
Joshua Biere, Vice-Chair
Elspeth Stalter-Clouse, Secretary
David Scholl, Treasurer
Lisa Bressler, Member-at-large
Librarian
Jennifer S. Goldberg
John and Carolyn Peterson Chair
Stage Manager
Benjamin Skroch
Personnel Manager
Alexis Carreon
Scan Here
For the most up-to-date musician roster for the season, or scan the QR code on each program page to see the musican roster for each concert.
KYLE KNOX
Conductor
Madison Symphony Orchestra’s MSO at the Movies presents Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story in Concert featuring a screening of the groundbreaking complete film with Oscar® and Grammy®-winning composer Randy Newman’s musical score performed live to the film in Overture Hall.
The “Toy Story” films are beloved worldwide for their compelling characters, extraordinary storytelling, stunning visuals and the music of Randy Newman. The composer and songwriter is behind signature songs including “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “Strange Things” and “I Will Go Sailing No More.”
Ever wonder what toys do when people aren’t around? “Toy Story” answers that question with a fantastic fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys — Woody, the lanky, likable cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear, the fearless space ranger. Led by Woody, Andy’s toys live happily in his room until Andy’s birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy’s heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the comically mismatched duo must learn to put aside their differences and form an uneasy alliance if they are to survive a hilarious adventure-filled mission back home to Andy.
Cirque de la Symphonie & Party into the Night
THANK YOU to our generous sponsors for making tonight’s festivities possible.
LEAD CONCERT & PARTY SPONSOR
Diane Ballweg
Barbara & Norm Berven
W. Jerome Frautschi
Nancy Mohs
The Parker Family
SPECTACULAR CONCERT & PARTY SPONSORS
Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation
Peggy & Tom Pyle
Myrna Larson
Gary & Lynn Mecklenburg
Joe & Mary Ellyn Sensenbrenner
Jim & Jessica Yehle
SUPERB SPONSORS STELLAR SPONSORS
SPLENDID SPONSORS
Brian & Rozan Anderson
Ellsworth & Dorothy Brown
Capitol Bank
Catherine Buege
Lau & Bea Christensen
James E. Dahlberg & Elsebet Lund
Dr. Thomas & Leslie France
DJ SPONSOR
Elton & Dawn Crim
Valerie Kazamias
Dennis & Karen Ne
Elaine & Nicholas Mischler
Fredrick & Karen Schrank
Bob & Louise Jeanne
Abigail Ochberg & Steven Ewer
Reynold V. Peterson
Myron Pozniak & Kathleen Baus
Beth & Peter Rahko
Doug & Katie Reuhl
Richman & Richman LLC
Mary Lang Sollinger
Lynn Stathas
JoAnne & Jasper Vaccaro
IN-KIND SPONSORS
American Printing Company
Fiore Companies, Inc.
Madison Media Partners
Surroundings Events and Floral
WMTV 15 News
PROGRAM
John DeMain | Music Director
100th Season | Overture Hall | Centennial Opening Celebration
John DeMain, Conductor
Cirque de la Symphonie, Special Guest Artists
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN
Carousel Waltz from Carousel MSO
KANDER AND EBB
Selections from Chicago MSO
JOHN WILLIAMS
Harry’s Wondrous World from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone AERIAL SILKS
LALO SCHIFRIN
Theme from Mission Impossible SPINNING SHAPES
BERNARD HERRMANN
Scene D’amour from Vertigo MSO
JOHN WILLIAMS
JOHN WILLIAMS
Throne Room and End Title from Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope MSO
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Times Square: 1944 from Three Dance Episodes from ‘On the Town’ CYR WHEEL
JOHN WILLIAMS
Hooray for Hollywood MSO
DMITRY KABALEVSKY
Galop from The Comedians ELECTRIC JUGGLER
JACQUES OFFENBACH
Can-Can from Orpheus in the Underworld RIBBON DANCE
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
West Side Story Overture, arr. Maurice Peress HULA HOOPS
KANDER AND EBB
Theme from New York, New York MSO
JOHN WILLIAMS
Devil’s Dance from The Witches of Eastwick RINGS JUGGLING
JAMES HORNER
My Heart Will Go On from Titanic CONTORTION & DANCE
Across the Stars from Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones AERIAL DUO
HANS ZIMMER
Music from Gladiator, arr. John Wasson
KANDER AND EBB
JOHN WILLIAMS
Flight to Neverland from Hook AERIAL STRAPS
INTERMISSION
SCOTT JOPLIN
Theme from New York, New York BOWS
The Entertainer MAGICIAN & CONDUCTOR
WELCOME TO THE MSO!
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Please silence your electronic devices and cell phones for the duration of the concert. Photography and video are not permitted during the performance. You may take and share photos during applause. Thank you!
Be part of the experience.
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE
Cirque de la Symphonie is a new production formed to bring the magic of cirque to the music hall. It is an exciting adaptation of artistic performances widely seen in theaters and arenas everywhere.
Artists include the most amazing veterans of exceptional cirque programs throughout the world—aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen.
Each artist’s performance is professionally choreographed to classical masterpieces and popular contemporary music in collaboration with the maestro.
17-19
Primal Light
This concert opens with a fresh take on the story of resurrection with lush layers of colorful sound evoking a cinematic feel. Resurrexit by Mason Bates will take you on a mystical pilgrimage with shimmering exotic tonalities that give way to contemplation and dramatic stirrings of rebirth. César Franck’s Symphonic Variations is a masterpiece of collaboration between piano and orchestra celebrating the interplay of poetic musical voices. Christopher Taylor’s virtuosic artistry is a perfect fit for this intimate and lyrical work. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 is one of the most profound and transformative works ever. Written over six years, it journeys from a somber funeral march to a luminous vision of resurrection and renewal. Mahler once described this symphony as “my whole life in one work.” Themes of struggle, hope, and transcendence will bring us to a glorious reassurance of light in our lives.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Rosemarie and Fred Blancke
MAJOR SPONSORS
Marilyn Ebben, in memory of Jim Ebben
Larry and Jan Phelps
Martha and Charles Casey
Robert and Linda Graebner
ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Margaret Murphy , in memory of Howard Kidd
Rodney Schreiner and Mark Blank
Wisconsin Arts Board
SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE
madisonsymphony.org, the Overture Center Box O ce, or (608) 258-4141
Dates, artists, and programs subject to change.
John DeMain, Conductor
Christopher Taylor, Piano
Jeni Houser, Soprano
Emily Fons, Mezzo-Soprano
Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director
MUSIC
MASON BATES
Resurrexit
CÉSAR FRANCK Symphonic Variations, M. 46
GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection”
PROGRAM NOTES
J. Michael Allsen
SEP 20, 2025 program notes by
Our centennial opening weekend closes with a wonderful feast for the eyes and the ears, featuring the Cirque de la Symphonie troupe, performing aerial acts, juggling, contortion, dance, hula hoops, magic, and much more, all of it performed to a program of works primarily drawn from the movies. And speaking of magic, we don’t want to give anything away but keep a close eye on Maestro DeMain at the beginning of the second half!
The program opens with a pair of works featuring the MSO. Richard Rodgers and OscarHammerstein II were responsible of many of the greatest Broadway musicals of the 20th century, but they often referred to their 1945 Carousel as their personal favorite. This tale of redemption and lost love regained contains some of their finest songs. One of the most remarkable episodes in Carousel is the ballet fantasy sequence choreographed by Agnes de Mille for the original production and accompanied by the swirling and brilliantly orchestrated Carousel Waltz by Rodgers. The team of JohnKander and Fred Ebb had a huge Broadway hit with their Chicago in 1975, a seamy story of crime and corruption set in the Roaring 20s. In 2002, in the wake of a phenomenally successful 1996 revival on Broadway (which is still open, by the way!) Chicago became an equally successful, Oscar-winning Hollywood movie. Here we play selections from Kander’s Jazz Ageinspired score.
In November 2001, Warner Brothers issued the first of a successful series of movie adaptations of the wildly popular Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone The producers selected none other than the dean of American film music, JohnWilliams, to write the score. Williams created a score that is the perfect complement to the
movie’s magical setting, with musical themes for each character. Here, accompanying the “Ariel Silks” is Harry’sWondrousWorld This is music that represents Harry himself, a long, questing and adventurous theme with hints of playfulness—and a mysterious ending. The “Spinning Shapes” are accompanied by the Theme from MissionImpossible Argentinian composer LaloSchifrin wrote this as the title music for the classic spy series. It is set in 5/4, with an insistent ostinato bass line creating a sense of uneasiness and mystery.
Bernard Herrmann was a leading Hollywood composer from the 1940s through the 1960s, though he is perhaps most famous for a series of collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock in the late 1950s and 1960s. Herrmann’s innovative scores were the perfect counterpoint to Hitchcock’s tense thrillers. In Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo (1958), the director trusted Herrmann’s music to carry nearly all of the climactic 5-minute love scene between detective “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart), and Judy Barton (Kim Novak). [Spoiler alert: Judy bears an uncanny resemblance to Madeleine Elster (also Kim Novak), whom Scottie had fallen in love with and thought he had watched die. Judy, in fact, had imitated Madeleine as part of an elaborate murder scheme by Madeleine’s husband.] Herrmann’s quiet, romantic score, replete with references to Wagner’s Tristan “lovedeath” music, accompanies this scene (which features very little onscreen dialogue), moving towards a grand climactic passage at the end.
Accompanying “Ring Juggling” is more film music by John Williams, from The Witches of Eastwick This darkly funny 1987 film centers on three women who live in a picturesque Rhode Island town. The three are unaware that they are
witches, until they are each seduced in turn by a mysterious newcomer, Daryl Van Horne (the Devil, played with gusto by Jack Nicholson). The Devil’sDance, which Williams wrote as the closing title music is a danse macabre-style showcase for solo violin. For “Contortion & Dance” we have familiar music by JamesHorner for Titanic (1997). This film was— well—titanic in every way: a recordtopping production budget, record box o ce receipts, and it was the first film to garner 11 Academy Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Original Song awards for Horner. The song, of course, was MyHeartWill GoOn, which became a megahit for singer Céline Dion. Horner wrote this grand, gradually developing power ballad for the closing credits, though Dion issued it as a single in November 1997, a couple of weeks before the film itself opened.
To close our first half, we have music from the film Hook, accompanying “Aerial Straps.” One of the most enduring partnerships in the history of Hollywood is between director Steven Spielberg and John Williams Williams has scored all but three of Spielberg’s films: to date, they have worked together on a total of 29 movies spanning more than 50 years. Their Hook (1991) was an imaginative sequel to the Peter Pan story, starring Robin Williams as a “grown up” Peter who has forgotten all about Neverland, and Dustin Ho man as his nemesis, Captain Hook. Though it was not one of their more successful collaborations, Hook included some wonderful musical moments by Williams. (It was initially conceived as a movie musical, and three songs Williams wrote with lyricist Leslie Bricusse survived in the final version.)
The Flight to Neverland is bold “travelling music,” with the perfect blend of wonder and swashbuckling.
To open the second half, the troupe’s Magician will perform a bit of magical business with Maestro DeMain. This happens to music by Scott Joplin. Joplin was one of the most famous of the itinerant black pianists who created a popular style known as ragtime at the beginning of the 20th century. (The name came from “ragged time”—a reference to the highly syncopated nature of this music.) The Entertainer (1902) was one of several successful piano rags Joplin published, though typically for the time, the composer earned only a one-time fee for publication, with nearly all of the profits going to the publisher. It became popular again when it was adapted for the 1973 movie The Sting. It is in a typical form for piano rags: a series of repeated sections, each of which becomes gradually more intensely syncopated than the last.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... No one who lived through the 1970s and early 1980s is likely to forget the initial impact of George Lucas’s Star Wars movies. At the urging of Steven Spielberg, Lucas hired John Williams to provide a full symphonic score for the first Star Wars movie in 1977. He would eventually create scores for all nine of the main Star Wars films, sometimes dubbed the “Skywalker Saga.” In creating these enormous scores, Williams depended on a technique heard in operas by Richard Wagner and in film scores by classic Hollywood composers of the 1930s and 1940s like Max Steiner and Erich Korngold: Leitmotifs musical phrases representing characters, objects, or ideas from the drama. In Star Wars, these motives link the drama together, across the film and across the whole series. They often provide a subtext for what is going on up on the screen, complementing the action or revealing additional meaning. Here the MSO plays excerpts from the
first film (Episode IV). The Throne Room comes from the final scene, as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are honored by Princess Leia. It begins with a processional march that is a determined counterweight to Darth Vader’s darker music. This gives way to a more stately march that is a cousin to Elgar’s great Pomp andCircumstance marches. The EndTitle brings together major motives—especially those of Luke and Leia—and the rousing opening music before a great brass chorale at the conclusion.
for their night of fun. There is communal dancing, a scene in a souvenir arcade, and a scene in the Roseland Dance Palace.” The music that dominates this episode is the show’s irrepressible opening song New York, New York, whether in a big show dance or a sexy saxophone solo.
To accompany a performance on the “Cyr Wheel,” we have music by LeonardBernstein In late 1943, Bernstein was approached by an up-and-coming dancer, Jerome Robbins, who wanted Bernstein to write a score for his Fancy Free—a new ballet about three sailors on a shore leave in New York. The ballet was an immediate success when it opened in April 1944. Bernstein and Robbins were encouraged to expand their work into a full-fledged Broadway musical, and by June, they were at work on the new show, Onthe Town, Bernstein brought in his friends Betty Comden and Adolphe Green to write a book and lyrics. When it opened on Broadway a couple of weeks later it was a hit, running for a respectable 463 performances. The 1949 movie version, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, won an Oscar for best picture that year. None of Fancy Free’s music was replicated in Onthe Town, which expands on the story of sailors on a 24-hour pass. Bernstein brought together much of the music he wrote for Robbins’s innovative dance sequence in a 1945 orchestral suite, Three Dance Episodes from “On the Town”. Bernstein describes the third movement, TimesSquare: 1944, as a “panoramic sequence in which all the sailors in New York congregate in Times Square
Be part of the experience.
Next is an orchestral feature, Hooray for Hollywood, a brief and brilliant concert overture by JohnWilliams The title song was written in 1937 by Johnny Mercer, with music by Richard Whiting, for the movie Hollywood Hotel. You will also hear quotations of Irving Berlin’s There’s no Business Like Show Business, and That’sEntertainment by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz. Williams wrote this piece in 1988 for the Boston Pops Orchestra and later remembered that “Doing this orchestration was purely a lark for me and allowed me to salute some early orchestrator-heroes of mine such as Adolph Deutsch, Nathan Van Cleave and Conrad Salinger, all of whom were masters of the early Hollywood style. The lyrics for this song are by the immortal Johnny Mercer, with whom I had the great privilege of collaborating on several songs over the years. What a delightful legacy these great men have given us…and what a joy to remember and salute them!”
To back up the “Electric Juggler,” we have frenetic music by Dmitry Kabalevsky In 1939, he wrote a set of incidental pieces for a children’s play titled The Inventor andtheComedian, whose main characters are Johannes Gutenberg, the 15th-century inventor of the printing press, at his best friend Siegfried, the leader of a troupe of performers. (As ludicrous as it might seem, the play had a solidly Soviet message.) Kabalevsky later extracted a ten-movement orchestral suite titled The
Comedians, which includes the Galop This uproarious piece— probably Kabalevsky’s best-known work—is led throughout by a wild xylophone part. The “Ribbon Dance” is accompanied by another wild dance piece the Can-Can by JacquesO enbach O enbach owned a rather seedy theater in Paris, that limped along with a small group of singers and a tiny orchestra for a few years... but that all changed in 1858, when O enbach produced a more ambitious work, Orpheusinthe Underworld O enbach used one of the most venerable stories in all of opera for a scandalous parody of both operatic conventions and Parisian society. Orpheus was a minor success until a newspaper critic published a hu y review. Parisians then flocked to the theater to see what all the fuss was about, and the opera closed only after 226 consecutive performances. The most famous excerpt from the opera was the outrageous Can-Can This dance, popular in some of the seamier Parisian dance halls of the 1850s, had begun as a lively couple’s dance but had evolved into a high-kicking—and revealing—stage dance by showgirls in short skirts. Très scandaleux!
LeonardBernstein, like many of his predecessors, was attracted to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as subject-matter for a stage work—the tragic story of lovers from two warring clans has universal appeal and relevance. Bernstein was particularly intrigued when playwright Arthur Laurents suggested that he write the music for an “updated” version of the tragedy, set not in 16th-century Verona, but in modern New York City. West SideStory, completed in 1957, was an amazingly successful synthesis of classical and Broadway elements. It ran for 973
performances. The doomed lovers in West SideStory are a Puerto Rican girl, Maria, and a Polish-American boy, Tony. In place of feuding Montagues and Capulets, there two rival gangs fighting for territory. The Sharks are Puerto Ricans, and the Jets are Tony’s Polish-American buddies. A good Broadway overture typically lays out several of the show’s main songs. Bernstein does this in a limited way in the West Side Story Overture, which here accompanies “Hula Hoops.” But the main point of this overture is to set up the tragedy and violence that is to follow. The opening music is that of the Jets: a self-consciously cool and jazzy texture. The music increasingly becomes a battle between this cool music and Puerto Rican rhythms played by the
timbales in a wild version of Mambo It reaches a violent climax and is brought to sudden halt by O cer Krupke’s police whistle.
In 1977, JohnKander and Fred Ebb wrote several songs for Robert De Niro’s film New York, New York The story centers on a saxophonist (Robert De Niro) and a singer (Liza Minnelli), and their turbulent relationship. The eponymous theme song is sung near the end by Minelli, a stirring tribute to New York City. Minelli’s recording of New York, New York was a hit, but it became an even bigger hit when it was covered by Frank Sinatra, who made it one of his signature songs.
Critical and fan reactions to Lucas’s second Star Wars trilogy—designed as “prequels” to the original
trilogy—were decidedly mixed, but there were no doubts about John Williams’s music for these films. One of the themes that Williams wrote for EpisodeII: Attack of the Clones (2002) is Across theStars, representing the doomed love a air of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé. This is music that grows gradually from a plaintive oboe solo to a powerful, sweeping climax. Here it provides the perfect romantic background to the “Aerial Duo.” Accompanying the final Cirque act, “Strength & Balance,” is music from Ridley Scott’s 2000 movie Gladiator. It starred Russell Crowe as a betrayed Roman general, Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is sold into slavery, and who rises through the ranks of Roman gladiators in search of revenge. HansZimmer’s
score captures both the savagery of battle and the Colosseum and Maximus’s more gentle memories. In John Wasson’s medley, heard here, there is a quiet opening that is put aside by percussion-driven music from Maximus’s battle with a barbarian horde. A long quiet interlude representing his memories of his family, is followed by strident combat music from the Colosseum, which clearly channels the savage Mars movement of Gustav Holst’s The Planets
Complete program notes for the 2025-26 season are available at madisonsymphony.org.
Greg Zelek & the UW–Madison Concert Choir
The UW–Madison Concert Choir, conducted by the UW Director of Choral Activities, Mariana Farah, will join me in a concert featuring some beautiful works written for organ and choir. Opening with the Kyrie from Vierne’s Messe Solennelle, the audience will hear the power of the organ in tandem with these powerful voices. In a program featuring other well-known classics, like arrangements of Amazing Grace and Barber’s Sure on This Shining Night, as well as popular arrangements of Brazilian jazz tunes, you won’t want to miss this exciting collaboration! – Greg Zelek
MAJOR SPONSORS
Walter and Karen Pridham Charitable Fund
Kay Schwichtenberg and Herman Baumann
Barbara and Norman Berven
SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE
ADDITIONAL SPONSOR
Kathleen Harker
madisonsymphony.org, the Overture Center Box O ce, or (608) 258-4141 Dates, artists, and programs subject to change.
Greg Zelek, Organ
UW-Madison Concert Choir, Dr. Mariana Farah, Conductor
MUSIC
LOUIS VIERNE Kyrie from Messe Solennelle
PHILIP WILBY
If Ye Love Me
MORTEN LAURIDSEN
Veni Sancte Spiritus from Lux Aeterna
W.H.MONK , ARR. JOHN BERTALOT
Abide with Me
LÉON BOËLLMANN
Suite gothique, Op.25
ERIKS ESENVALDS
Trinity Te Deum
SAMUEL BARBER
Sure on this Shining Night
BRAZILIAN FOLK SONGS
Arr. Afonso, Siriri
ZEQUINHA DE ABREU Tico-Tico
BRAZILIAN FOLK SONGS
Fun no Itororó
Radiance
Rainbow Body, a luminous work by American composer Christopher Theofanidis weaves ancient and modern worlds together to take us on a spellbinding journey. Inspired by the chant Ave Maria by medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen, the piece reimagines her melodies in lush, cinematic orchestration. Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 is a showcase of elegance and virtuosity brought to life with wit and charm by internationally acclaimed Alban Gerhardt who makes his fifth appearance with us. He is beloved by our musicians and audiences. Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition orchestrated by Ravel is a feast for the senses painting vivid musical portraits. Each movement captures a visual scene, from the playful “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks” to the majestic “Great Gate of Kiev.” With its dazzling colors and bold drama, this music will take you on an unforgettable exploration of sound and imagination.
MAJOR SPONSORS
Judith Werner, in memory of Stephen Caldwell
Capitol Lakes
Skofronick Family Charitable Trust
ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Scott and Janet Cabot, in honor of Ann Bowen
David Lauth and Lindsey Thomas
Bassam Shakhashiri
Wisconsin Arts Board
Robert Moody, Guest Conductor Alban Gerhardt, Cello
SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE
madisonsymphony.org
Dates, artists, and programs subject to change. , the Overture 258-4141
Center Box O ce, or (608)
MUSIC
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS
Rainbow Body
JOSEPH HAYDN
Cello Concerto in D Major, Hob.VIIb:2
MODEST MUSSORGSKY arr. MAURICE RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition
OVERTURE HALL INFORMATION
RESTROOMS
Women’s and men’s restrooms are located on each level of Overture. Family assist/gender inclusive restrooms, available to persons of any gender identity and expression, are available in the following areas:
• Lower-Level Rotunda: to the right of the stairway.
• First floor lobby / Overture Hall: near coat check.
• Second floor: Gallery 2—second door to the left o the elevators.
Amenities at gender-inclusive restrooms include:
• Lockable door to provide privacy for individual users
• Ample room for an assistant/family member, if needed
• Accessible sink, stool and urinal (floor level)
• Changing stations
• Power-assist doors (Level 1 restrooms only)
ACCESSIBILITY
Overture Center is fully accessible to persons with mobility, hearing, and visual impairments. Ushers are available at each concert to assist you. Wheelchair or transfer seating is available; please notify the Overture Center Box O ce when purchasing your ticket. If you require an assistive-listening device, please alert an usher at the concert. Braille programs are also available upon request. Please contact Heather at hrose@madisonsymphony.org at least three weeks prior to the concert you wish to attend.
GUEST CONSIDERATIONS
The musicians and your fellow audience members thank you!
• Please arrive early to ensure plenty of time to get through security and to be seated. If you arrive late, you will be seated during an appropriate break in the music at the discretion of the house sta . If you need to leave during the concert, please exit quietly and wait to be reseated by an usher at an appropriate break.
• Please feel free to take photos before and after the concert, and during intermission! Once the lights dim, please turn o all cell phones and electronic devices.
• Please do not wear perfumes, colognes or scented lotions as many people are allergic to these products.
• Smoking is not permitted anywhere in Overture Center for the Arts.
• The coat-check room is open when the weather dictates and closes 20 minutes after the performance ends.
• Food and beverages are available at bars and concession stands in the Overture Lobby. Beverages are allowed in Overture Hall, but please enjoy food in the lobby. Please unwrap cough drops and candies before the concert begins.
Please take note: We will adhere to all public health guidelines and cooperate with Overture Center for the Arts to ensure your safety. We invite you to visit madisonsymphony.org/health for more information on health and safety. Overture Center safety information can be found at overture.org/health
BOARDS & ADMINISTRATION
MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS,2025-2026
OFFICERS
Michael Richman, Chair
Janet Cabot, Secretary
Doug Reuhl, Treasurer
Ellsworth Brown, Immediate Past Chair
Barbara Berven, Member-at-large
Oscar Mireles, Member-at-large
Derrick Smith, Member-at-large
Lynn Stathas, Member-at-large
Anna Trull, Member-at-large
DIRECTORS
Lynn Allen-Ho mann
Brian Anderson
Ruben Anthony
Barbara Berven
Rosemarie Blancke
Ellsworth Brown
Janet Cabot
Cecilia Carlsson
Bryan Chan
Elton Crim
James Dahlberg
Robert Dinndorf
Audrey Dybdahl
Marc Fink
Jane Hamblen
Paul Ho mann
Mooyoung Kim
Phillip La Susa
David Lauth
Robert Lemanske
Ann Lindsey
Marta Meyers
Oscar Mireles
Richard Morgan
Leslie Overton
Jon Parker
Lester Pines
Michael Richman
Sophia Rogers
Carole Schae er
John Sims
Derrick Smith
Lynn Stathas
Todd Stuart
Anna Trull
Jasper Vaccaro
Ellis Waller
Eric Wilcots
Michael Zorich
ADVISORS
Elliott Abramson
Michael Allsen
Carla Alvarado
Je rey Bauer
Ted Bilich
Camille Carter
Martha Casey
Laura Gallagher
Tyrone Greive
Michael Hobbs
Mark Huth
Stephanie Lee
José Madera
Joseph Meara
Gary Mecklenburg
Larry Midtbo
Abigail Ochberg
Greg Piefer
Cyrena Pondrom
Margaret Pyle
Jacqueline Rodman
Kay Schwichtenberg
Mary Lang Sollinger
Judith Topitzes
Carolyn White
Anders Yocom
Stephen Zanoni
LIFE DIRECTORS
Terry Haller
Valerie Kazamias
Elaine Mischler
Nicholas Mischler
Douglas Reuhl
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Jennifer Berne, President Madison College
Kathy Evers, FirstLady of the State of Wisconsin
Melissa Agard, DaneCountyExecutive
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
Helen Bakke
Wallace Douma
Fred Mohs
Stephen Morton
Beverly Simone
John Wiley
EX OFFICIO DIRECTORS
Rozan Anderson
Mark Bridges
Rose Heckenkamp-Busch
William Ste enhagen
EX OFFICIO ADVISORS
Dan Cavanagh
Daniel Davidson
Josh Biere
MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOUNDATION
INC. BOARD, 2025-2026
OFFICERS
Nicholas Mischler, President
Jon Parker, Vice President
Robert Reed, Secretary-Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Ellsworth Brown
Joanna Burish
Jill Friedow
Juan Gomez
Jane Hamblen
Nicholas Mischler
Jon Parker
Gregory Reed
Robert Reed
Douglas Reuhl
Michael Richman
MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2025–2026
OFFICERS
Rozan Anderson, President
Don Sanford, President-Elect
Ledell Zellers, Recording Secretary
Janet Renschler, Corresponding Secretary
Leslie Overton, Treasurer
Michael Richman, MSO Board Chair
Barbara Berven, Immediate Past President/ Nominations
Louise Jeanne, VP Administration
Jackie Judd, AVP Administration
Kathy Forde, VP Communications
Cathy Buege, AVP Communications
Kathy Forde, AnnualReport
Lori Poulson, VP Education (and Youth Docent Programs)
Greg Zelek, Principal Organist and Elaine & Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ
MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC.
ADMINISTRATION
Robert Reed, Executive Director
David Gordon, Executive Assistant & Board Liaison
Ann Bowen, General Manager
Simon Arno, Receptionist & Administrative Assistant
Alexis Carreon, Personnel Manager
Jennifer Goldberg, Orchestra Librarian, John & Carolyn Petersen Chair
Lisa Kjentvet, Director of Education & Community Engagement
Katelyn Hanvey, Education & Community Engagement Manager
Casey Oelkers, Director of Development
Meranda Dooley, Manager of Individual Giving
Rachel Cherian, Manager of Grants & Sponsorships
Peter Rodgers, Director of Marketing
Heather Rose, Marketing Communications Manager
Isabella Clinton, Audience Experience Manager
Chris Fiol, Digital Marketing & Engagement Specialist
Greg Zelek, Principal Organist and Elaine & Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ
MSO AT THE MOVIES
Kyle Knox, Conductor
OCT 5 2025
DISNEY AND PIXAR’S
TOY STORY IN CONCERT LIVE TO FILM
2:30 PM
MAR 28-29 2026
INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK™ LIVE IN CONCERT
7:30 PM & 2:30 PM
SUBSCRIPTIONS & TICKETS
SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS
PRIMAL LIGHT: OCT 17-19
BATES | FRANCK | MAHLER
John DeMain, Conductor
Christopher Taylor, Piano
Jeni Houser, Soprano • Emily Fons, Mezzo-Soprano
Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director
RADIANCE: NOV 21-23
THEOFANIDIS | HAYDN | MUSSORGSKY
Robert Moody, Guest Conductor
Alban Gerhardt, Cello
A MADISON SYMPHONY CHRISTMAS: DEC 5-7
John DeMain, Conductor
Alexandra LoBianco, Soprano • Kyle Ketelsen, Bass-Baritone
Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director
Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, Tamera and Leotha Stanley, Directors
Madison Youth Choirs, Michael Ross, Artistic Director
HEARTBEAT: JAN 23-25
Kazem Abdullah, Guest Conductor
Yefim Bronfman, Piano
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FRANK | STRAUSS | BRAHMS
PLAYFUL PURSUITS: FEB 20-22
MENDELSSOHN | KORNGOLD
Tania Miller, Guest Conductor
Rachel Barton Pine, Violin
DEBUSSY | STRAVINSKY
FORCE OF NATURE: MAR 20-22
John DeMain, Conductor
Emanuel Ax, Piano
STRAUSS | MOZART | ORTIZ | RESPIGHI
FOUR THE SOUL: APR 10-12
Laura Jackson, Guest Conductor
LÓPEZ | RODRIGO | SIBELIUS
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Guest Artists
VOICES ETERNAL: MAY 1-3
* World Premiere Commission
John DeMain, Conductor
Ailyn Pérez, Soprano
BEETHOVEN | HEGGIE/SCHEER*
Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director
Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, Tamera and Leotha Stanley, Directors
Madison Youth Choirs, Michael Ross, Artistic Director
