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Celebrate 20 years with us!
The 20th anniversary season of the Overture Concert Organ is going to be one of the most exciting to date! In October, we open with a solo organ concert by Paul Jacobs, a GrammyAward winner and my former Juilliard professor. Lyyra, a new all-female vocal ensemble created by the Voces8 Foundation, and I will perform together in November. In February, I’m thrilled to present a collaborative concert with the great tenor Limmie Pulliam for his return to the Overture stage. We close the season in April with An Empire Brass Celebration, featuring former alumni of the world-famous brass group, with works for organ and brass that were performed by the group over many decades. We will also debut the world premiere of a commissioned work written in celebration of the 20th by one of their former members and UW–Madison trombone professor, Mark Hetzler. I can’t wait to celebrate 20 years of the Overture Concert Organ with you all next season!
– Greg Zelek
Principal Organist and Elaine and Nicholas Mischler
Curator of the Overture Concert Organ
Step aside, Hugh Jackman. If anyone deserves to be called the greatest showman, it’s organ virtuoso Paul Jacobs... – Broad Street Review
madisonsymphony.org/ jacobs
The cascade of lilting melodic lines is not easy to perform, but Lyyra makes it look simple.
– Aleteia
Paul Jacobs organ
Paul Jacobs, Grammy Award-winning organist and Juilliard professor, opens our 20th anniversary season with a program featuring Liszt’s towering Fantasy and Fugue on “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam.” You won’t want to miss Mr. Jacobs’ incredible technique and artistry that will be on full display in our kickoff to this celebratory season! – Greg Zelek
Johann Sebastian Bach, Select Works Charles Ives, Variations on “America”
Franz Liszt, Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam”
MAJOR SPONSORS
Jane Hamblen and Robert F. Lemanske, Skofronick Family Charitable Trust, Condon and Mary Vander Ark, Friends of the Overture Concert Organ
Lyyra Ensemble Greg Zelek, organ
MaryRuth Miller, Anna Crumley, Shabnam Abedi, Elizabeth Tait, Deborah Stephens, Aryssa Leigh Burns & Greg Zelek
Lyyra, the brand new all-female vocal ensemble created by the Voces8 Foundation, will sing a varied program featuring arranged works for their distinct voices. I’ll have the pleasure of accompanying a few of the works on our Overture Concert Organ, and look forward to sharing this spectacular new ensemble with our Madison audience – Greg Zelek
William Byrd, Sing Joyfully
Maurice Durufle, Tota Pulchra Es
Leonora d’Este, Sicut lilium inter spinas
Don MacDonald, When the Earth Stands Still
Tomás Luis de Victoria, Regina Caeli a 5
Caroline Shaw, So Quietly
Amy Beach, Peace I Leave with You
David Hurd, Love Bade Me Welcome Sergei Rachmaninoff, Bogoroditse Devo
EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR
Trad. arr. Shabnam Abedi, Jhoro Jhoro Spiritual arr. Anthony Trecek-King, Tryin’ to get home
Trad. arr. Paul Smith, Homeward Bound
Take 6, So Cool
Lawrence arr. Erik Jacobson, The Weather
Warren & Gordon arr. Kerry Marsh, At Last
Bobby Troup arr. Erik Jacobson, Route 66
Irving Berlin arr. Michael Wheaton, Blue Skies
feb 25 Limmie Pulliam, tenor & Greg Zelek
, organ
Mr. Pulliam was truly magnificent. He deserved every one of the standing ovations which he received.
Patron
Limmie Pulliam, tenor & Greg Zelek, organ
We have learned that Greg’s organ concerts are not to be missed. We are lucky to have him in Madison.
– MSO Patron
Limmie Pulliam awed our Madison audience with his performances in Madison Opera’s Tosca and our own 2023 Madison Symphony Orchestra Christmas concert. He and I will join forces in a program featuring some of the most well-known operatic arias, gospel works arranged for organ and tenor, and solo organ arrangements of opera overtures and instrumentals. I can’t wait to bring Mr. Pulliam back to wow our audience once again! – Greg Zelek
Giuseppe Verdi, Celeste Aida from Aida
Giacomo Puccini, Nessun Dorma from Turandot
Giuseppe Verdi, La donna è mobile from Rigoletto
Giuseppe Verdi, Grand March from Aida
Giacomo Puccini, E lucevan le stelle from Tosca
Moses Hogan, Give Me Jesus
Traditional, Steal Away
Traditional, Ride On, King Jesus
Andraé Crouch, Through It All
MAJOR SPONSORS
Fernando and Carla Alvarado
Peter and Leslie Overton
Walter and Karen Pridham Charitable Fund
ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Janet and Scott Cabot
Martha and Charles Casey
– MSO
Lavishly endowed in technique and musicianship. Individually and collectively they proved brilliantly virtuosic, with lips of steel and willing, musical spirit. – Los Angeles Times
Empire Brass Celebration with Greg Zelek, organ
Marc Reese, trumpet; Derek Lockhart, trumpet; Gregory Miller, horn; Mark Hetzler, trombone; Kenneth Amis, tuba; Matt Endres, percussion; Greg Zelek, organ
I was lucky enough to meet the Empire Brass as a high school student when they came to my hometown for a clinic and a concert back in 1984. Years later, I was even luckier when I was asked to join the group, becoming a member of the ensemble for 16 seasons, and getting to perform some of the finest brass music in the world’s greatest concert halls.
I am so pleased to be part of this concert program that features highlights from the group’s famous recordings and ground-breaking repertoire for both brass and organ, including the world premiere of my newly-commissioned work to celebrate the 20th of the Overture Concert Organ. Please join us for An Empire Brass Celebration! – Mark Hetzler
PRESENTING SPONSOR
William Steffenhagen
MAJOR SPONSORS
Shirley Spade, in memory of Gerald Spade
Audrey Dybdahl, in memory of Philip Dybdahl
Kay Schwichtenberg and Herman Baumann
RENAISSANCE/BAROQUE SET
Tielman Susato, Basse danse bergeret
Johann Sebastian Bach, My Spirit Be Joyful, Cantata 146 Giovanni Gabrieli, Canzon Duo Decimi Toni
EMPIRE SET
Sergei Prokofiev, Lt. Kije: Wedding and Troika Gustav Holst, Jupiter
EMPIRE COMPOSERS Kenneth Amis, Bell Tone’s Ring Mark Hetzler, “World-premiere in celebration of the 20th of the Overture Concert Organ”
AMERICAN MUSIC SET
Fats Waller, Ain’t Misbehavin’ George Gershwin, Summertime
Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story Suite (Something’s Comin’, Maria, America)
subscriptions & tickets
Are you a renewing subscriber?
You can enter your ID number online and the form will automatically fill in your information. Renew your subscription by July 22, 2024, to keep your seats or request a change.
Are you joining us as a new subscriber?
Your order is prioritized based on the date it is received following renewals. You may subscribe to all 4 performances by Friday, September 20, 2024.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
New and renewing subscribers can place subscription orders online, by phone, by mail, or in-person at our office between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Subscriptions are available until September 20, 2024.
ONLINE: madisonsymphony.org/ organ20
PHONE: (608) 257-3734
MAIL OR IN-PERSON:
222 W. Washington Ave., Suite 460
Madison, WI 53703
organ20
Your subscription.
Subscription seating takes place in late-summer 2024. Because availability is limited and subscribers have varying priority, we cannot assure your first choice for seating. We will make every effort to accomodate change requests. Renewing and new subscribers will receive confirmation of their order.
Subscriber Welcome Kits will arrive before single tickets go on sale September 3, 2024.
Accessible seating
Accessible seating, some steps
become a friend
Each season, many new individuals become Friends of the Overture Concert Organ by making gifts of support. Friends’ generosity helps us cover the costs of ticketed and free concerts that so many people in our community enjoy, as well as tuning and maintenance of the instrument.
For the Organ’s 20th Anniversary, new members can join FOCO as a First Time Friend at a special anniversary rate of just $20! Renewing memberships start at $35. Friends, at all levels, have access to exclusive benefits and opportunities throughout the season.
2024–2025 FRIENDS OF THE OVERTURE CONCERT ORGAN MEMBERSHIP LEVELS & BENEFITS
Benefits are available during the concert season your gift supports.
Ticket sales cover less than half of the costs of producing a season. Discover more about Friends of the Overture Concert Organ. Visit: madisonsymphony.org/foco
Member benefits are subject to change.
Recognition in organ concert program books
Special member communications
Invitation to Showcasing the Organ events
Invitation to FOCO Annual Meeting
Recognition in MSO program books
Two complimentary beverage vouchers
Invitation to one organ post-concert reception
Open invitation to all organ post-concert receptions
Private, reserved parking for organ concerts and events*
Invitation to a special member appreciation event
^Note: The First Time Friend membership level is a special introductory offer for the 2024-2025 Organ Season. New members can join FOCO for just $20 in celebration of the 20th season of the Overture Concert Organ.
*Note: The parking benefit has a fair market value of $35. The benefit will be available beginning in October 2024. FIRSTTIMEFRIEND^ $20
