MSO 6 MAY - JUNE 2026

ENCORE

Volume 44 No. 6

14 May 8-10 — Classics Copland & Twain: America 250

23 May 16 — Special Ledisi with the MSO

26 May 22-24 — Pops America the Beautiful: Patriotic Pops

29 May 29 & 30 — Classics Stravinsky’s Firebird

39 June 5 & 6 — Classics Rachmaninoff & Saint-Saëns

45 June 13 & 14 — Classics Masur Conducts Missa Solemnis

5 Orchestra Roster

7 Music Director

8 Music Director Laureate

9 Principal Pops Conductor

10 Associate Conductor

11 Milwaukee Symphony Chorus

58 MSO Endowment Musical Legacy Society

59 Annual Fund 61 Corporate & Foundation 62 Matching Gifts Golden Note Partners

63 Marquee Circle Tributes

66 MSO Board of Directors

67 MSO Administration

This program is produced and published by ENCORE PLAYBILLS. To advertise in any of the following programs:

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• Milwaukee Repertory Theater

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Please contact: Scott Howland at 414-469-7779 scott.encore@att.net

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Exceptional chamber music performances in Milwaukee since 1963!

1946-2026

FINE ARTS QUARTET

May 17 · 19 · 21 · 26 · 28 · 31 | returning July 12

Renowned violinists, Ralph Evans and Efim Boico, have performed with the Quartet for over 40 years. Joined in 2018 by two eminent musicians, violist Gil Sharon (founder of the Amati Ensemble) and cellist Niklas Schmidt (co-founder of Trio Fontenay), they will perform an ambitious program in May of twelve masterworks revealing the Fine Arts Quartet’s classical music legacy.

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“Living at Saint John’s enables us to continue our passion for music which we love to share with our fellow SJOL Neighbors and Friends.”

– Tom & Cheri Briscoe R Residents since 2011

MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national reputation of Milwaukee.

The MSO’s full-time professional musicians perform over 135 classics, pops, family, education, and community concerts each season in venues throughout the state. A pioneer among American orchestras, the MSO has performed world and American premieres of works by John Adams, Roberto Sierra, Philip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Marc Neikrug, Camille Pépin, Matthias Pintscher, and Dobrinka Tabakova, as well as garnered national recognition as the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes.

In January of 2021, the MSO completed a years-long project to restore and renovate a former movie palace in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. The Bradley Symphony Center officially opened to audiences in October 2021. This project has sparked a renewal on West Wisconsin Avenue and continues to be a catalyst in the community.

The MSO’s standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 30,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, Family Series, and Meet the Music pre-concert talks. Celebrating its 36th year, the nationally recognized ACE program integrates arts education across all subjects and disciplines, providing opportunities for students when budget cuts may eliminate arts programming. The program provides lesson plans and supporting materials, classroom visits from MSO musician ensembles and artists from local organizations, and an MSO concert tailored to each grade level. The ACE program serves 5,500 students, teachers, and administrators in the Milwaukee area every year.

Photo by Jonathan Kirn

2025.26 SEASON

KEN-DAVID MASUR

Music Director

Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair

EDO DE WAART

Music Director Laureate

BYRON STRIPLING

Principal Pops Conductor

Stein Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair

RYAN TANI

Associate Conductor

CHERYL FRAZES HILL

Chorus Director

Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair

TIMOTHY J. BENSON

Assistant Chorus Director

FIRST VIOLINS

Jinwoo Lee, Concertmaster, Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair

Ilana Setapen, First Associate Concertmaster, Thora M. Vervoren First Associate Concertmaster Chair

Jeanyi Kim, Associate Concertmaster

Alexander Ayers

Autumn Chodorowski

Yuka Kadota

Elliot Lee

Dylana Leung

Kyung Ah Oh

Lijia Phang

Vinícius Sant’Ana**

Yuanhui Fiona Zheng

SECOND VIOLINS

Jennifer Startt, Principal, Andrea and Woodrow Leung Principal Second Violin Chair

Ji-Yeon Lee, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)

Hyewon Kim, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)

Heejeon Ahn

Lisa Johnson Fuller

Clay Hancock

Paul Hauer

Sheena Lan**

Janis Sakai**

Yiran Yao

VIOLAS

Victor de Almeida, Principal, Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair

Samantha Rodriguez, Acting Assistant Principal (2nd chair), Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Assistant Principal Viola Chair

Alejandro Duque, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)

Elizabeth Breslin

Georgi Dimitrov

Nathan Hackett

Michael Lieberman**

Erin H. Pipal

CELLOS

Susan Babini, Principal, Dorothea C. Mayer Principal Cello Chair

Shinae Ra, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)

Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus

Madeleine Kabat

Peter Szczepanek

Peter J. Thomas

Adrien Zitoun

BASSES

Principal, Donald B. Abert Principal Bass Chair

Andrew Raciti, Acting Principal

Nash Tomey, Acting Assistant Principal (2nd chair)

Brittany Conrad

Broner McCoy

Paris Myers

HARP

Julia Coronelli, Principal, Walter Schroeder Principal Harp Chair

FLUTES

Sonora Slocum, Principal, Margaret and Roy Butter Principal Flute Chair

Heather Zinninger, Assistant Principal

Jennifer Bouton Schaub

PICCOLO

Jennifer Bouton Schaub

OBOES

Katherine Young Steele, Principal, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League Principal Oboe Chair

Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal

Margaret Butler

ENGLISH HORN

Margaret Butler, Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin

CLARINETS

Todd Levy, Principal, Franklyn Esenberg Principal Clarinet Chair

Jay Shankar, Assistant Principal, Donald and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair

Besnik Abrashi

E-FLAT CLARINET

Jay Shankar

BASS CLARINET

Besnik Abrashi

BASSOONS

Catherine Van Handel, Principal, Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Principal Bassoon Chair*

Rudi Heinrich, Acting Principal

Matthew Melillo

CONTRABASSOON

Matthew Melillo

HORNS

Matthew Annin, Principal, Krause Family Principal

French Horn Chair

Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal

Dietrich Hemann, Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair

Darcy Hamlin

Dawson Hartman

TRUMPETS

Matthew Ernst, Principal, Walter L. Robb Family Principal Trumpet Chair

David Cohen, Associate Principal, Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair

Tim McCarthy, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair

TROMBONES

Megumi Kanda, Principal, Marjorie Tiefenthaler Principal Trombone Chair

Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal

BASS TROMBONE

John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball

Bass Trombone Chair

TUBA

Robyn Black, Principal, John and Judith Simonitsch Principal Tuba Chair

TIMPANI

Dean Borghesani, Principal

Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal

PERCUSSION

Robert Klieger, Principal

Chris Riggs

PIANO

Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair

PERSONNEL

Antonio Padilla Denis, Director of Orchestra Personnel

Paris Myers, Assistant Manager of Orchestra Personnel

LIBRARIANS

Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair

Matthew Geise, Assistant Librarian & Media Archivist

PRODUCTION

Tristan Wallace, Production Manager/Live Audio

Lisa Sottile, Production Stage Manager

* Leave of absence during the 2025.26 season

** Acting member of the MSO for the 2025.26 season

Door County’s International, Philharmonic Orchestra

August 4 - American Masterworks

James Ehnes, violin

August 6 - String Serenades

James Ehnes, violin

August 8 - Scandinavian Sounds

August 11- Wizardry and Wonder: The Music of John Williams

Bob Bernhardt, guest conductor

August 13 - An Evening with Mozart Stewart Goodyear, piano

August 15 - La Dolce Vita

August 18 - Viennese Legacy

Michelle Cann, piano

August 20 - Revolution and Romance

August 22 - A World of Symphony

Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano

Apollo Chorus of Chicago

Concerts held at 7:30pm

MAESTRO RUNE BERGMANN music director

KEN-DAVID MASUR, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Hailed as “fearless, bold, and a life-force” (San Diego UnionTribune) and “a brilliant and commanding conductor with unmistakable charisma” (Leipziger Volkszeitung), Ken-David Masur is celebrating his seventh season as music director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony’s Civic Orchestra.

Masur’s tenure in Milwaukee has been notable for innovative thematic programming and bridge-building, including a festival celebrating the music of the 1930s, when the Bradley Symphony Center was built; the Water Festival, which highlighted local community partners whose work centers on water conservation and education; and a new city-wide Bach Festival, celebrating the abiding appeal of J.S. Bach’s music in an ever-changing world. He has also instituted a multi-season artist-in-residence program, and he has led highly acclaimed performances of major choral works, including a semi-staged production of Peer Gynt

In the 2025-26 season, Masur leads celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, featuring performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Missa solemnis, as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion as part of the MSO’s third Bach Week. Ken-David Masur and the MSO reunite with longtime collaborators such as Augustin Hadelich, Orion Weiss, Stewart Goodyear, Nancy Zhou, and Bill Barclay and Concert Theatre Works for a special project celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a program interweaving the music of Aaron Copland with the words of Mark Twain. In Chicago, Masur leads the Civic Orchestra, the premier training ensemble of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in a wide range of programs, including its annual Bach Marathon.

Masur has conducted orchestras around the world, including Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, l’Orchestre National de France, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic in Poland, and Tokyo’s Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. He makes regular festival appearances at Ravinia, Tanglewood, the Hollywood Bowl, Verbier, the Pacific Music Festival, and the Oregon Bach Festival. Masur is passionate about contemporary music and has conducted and commissioned numerous new works from living composers, including Wynton Marsalis, Augusta Read Thomas, and Unsuk Chin, among others. He has recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and received a Grammy Award nomination from the Latin Recording Academy for the album Salón Buenos Aires

Masur and his wife, pianist Melinda Lee Masur, are founders and artistic directors of the Chelsea Music Festival, an annual summer festival in New York City with programs ranging from the Baroque and Classical to contemporary and jazz, placing a special emphasis on the intersection of the culinary and visual arts. The festival celebrated its 16th anniversary in 2025 and has been praised by The New York Times as a “gem of a series” and by Time Out New York as an “impressive addition to New York’s cultural ecosystem.”

Born and raised in Leipzig, Germany, Masur was trained at the Mendelssohn Academy in Leipzig, the Gewandhaus Children’s Choir, the Detmold Academy, and the “Hanns Eisler” Conservatory in Berlin. While an undergraduate at Columbia University in New York, Masur became the first music director of the Bach Society Orchestra and Chorus, with which he toured to Germany and recorded the music of J.S. Bach and his sons.

Music education and working with the next generation of young artists are of major importance to Masur. In addition to his work with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, he has conducted orchestras and led master classes at many international conservatories and festivals.

Photo by Adam DeTour

EDO DE WAART, MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE

Throughout his long and illustrious career, renowned Dutch conductor Edo de Waart has held a multitude of posts with orchestras around the world, including music directorships with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as well as a chief conductorship with De Nederlandse Opera and the Santa Fe Opera.

Edo de Waart served as principal guest conductor of the San Diego Symphony, conductor laureate of both the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, and music director laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

As an opera conductor, de Waart has enjoyed success in a large and varied repertoire in many of the world’s greatest opera houses. He has conducted at Bayreuth, the Salzburg Festival, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opéra Bastille, Santa Fe Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera. With the aim of bringing opera to broader audiences where concert halls prevent full staging, he has, as music director in Milwaukee, Antwerp, and Hong Kong, often conducted semi-staged and opera in concert performances.

A renowned orchestral trainer, he has been involved with projects working with talented young players at the Juilliard and Colburn schools and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara.

Edo de Waart’s extensive catalogue encompasses releases for Philips, Virgin, EMI, Telarc, and RCA. Recent recordings include Henderickx’s Symphony No. 1 and oboe concerto, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, all with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic.

Beginning his career as an assistant conductor to Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic, de Waart then returned to Holland, where he was appointed assistant conductor to Bernard Haitink at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Edo de Waart has received a number of awards for his musical achievements, including becoming a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion and an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Photo by Jesse Willems

BYRON STRIPLING, PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR

With a contagious smile and captivating charm, conductor, trumpet virtuoso, singer, and actor Byron Stripling ignites audiences across the globe. In 2024, Stripling was named Stein Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He also currently serves as principal pops conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and artistic director and conductor of the highly acclaimed Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Stripling’s baton has led countless orchestras throughout the United States and Canada, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood and the orchestras of San Diego, St. Louis, Virginia, Toronto, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Fort Worth, Rochester, Buffalo, Florida, Portland, and Sarasota, to name a few.

As a soloist with the Boston Pops, Stripling has performed frequently under the baton of Keith Lockhart, including as the featured soloist in the PBS television special Evening at Pops with conductors John Williams and Mr. Lockhart.

Since his Carnegie Hall debut with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops, Stripling has become a pops orchestra favorite throughout the country, appearing as soloist with more than 100 orchestras. He has been a featured soloist at the Hollywood Bowl and performs at festivals around the world.

An accomplished actor and singer, Stripling was chosen, following a worldwide search, to star in the lead role of the Broadway-bound musical Satchmo. Many will remember his featured cameo performance in the television movie The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and his critically acclaimed virtuoso trumpet and riotous comedic performance in the 42nd Street production of From Second Avenue to Broadway.

Television viewers have enjoyed his work as a soloist on the worldwide telecast of the Grammy Awards. Millions have heard his trumpet and voice in television commercials, TV theme songs including 20/20 and CNN, and soundtracks of favorite movies. In addition to multiple recordings with his quintet and work with artists from Tony Bennett to Whitney Houston, his prolific recording career includes hundreds of albums with the greatest pop, Broadway, soul, and jazz artists of all time.

Stripling earned his stripes as lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Thad Jones and Frank Foster. He has also played and recorded extensively with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, and Buck Clayton in addition to the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and the GRP All-Star Big Band.

Stripling is devoted to giving back and supports several philanthropic organizations, including United Way and the Community Shelter Board. He also enjoys sharing the power of music through seminars and master classes at colleges, universities, conservatories, and high schools.

Stripling was educated at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan. One of his greatest joys is to return periodically to Eastman and Interlochen as a special guest lecturer.

A resident of Ohio, Stripling lives in the country with his wife, Alexis, a former dancer, writer, and poet and their beautiful daughters.

Photo by John Abbott

RYAN TANI, ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Now in his third season with the MSO and his first as its associate conductor, Ryan Tani has built a reputation for inventive programming, as well as an energetic connection with audiences in Milwaukee and beyond. At the MSO, he conducts a wide range of concerts — including education, family, pops, and classics — and has stepped in for Edo de Waart and led sold-out performances in his 2025 classics debut. He has served as cover conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, and Bozeman Symphony.

A committed advocate for new music, Tani was music director of Baltimore’s Occasional Symphony, commissioning over 20 works and supporting dozens of composers in just three years. At Yale, he served as conducting fellow of the Philharmonia and resident conductor of New Music New Haven, earning the Dean’s Prize for artistic excellence.

Tani’s community-focused work includes leading multiple ensembles across Montana, including the Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, and Montana State University symphonies. Committed to connecting with audiences off the podium, he also developed outreach programs, taught university courses, and fostered collaborations between artists and the public — efforts that continue to shape his approach today.

He holds degrees from Yale University, the Peabody Institute, and the University of Southern California, and has studied with Marin Alsop, Peter Oundjian, Markand Thakar, Larry Rachleff, and Donald Schleicher. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife Bronte and his corgi Darby and enjoys cooking, reading, and playing violin.

Mequon, Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY CHORUS

Established in 1976 as a joint effort between the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus has distinguished itself over the course of half a century as one of the preeminent choral ensembles in the United States. Celebrating their landmark 50th anniversary this season, the chorus appears alongside the MSO in monumental masterworks by Bach, Beethoven, and Handel, as well as the MSO’s annual Holiday Pops concerts.

Founded by legendary choral pedagogue Margaret Hawkins, the chorus’s meteoric rise in stature during the late 1970s broadened the orchestra’s repertoire and set a new standard of excellence in Milwaukee’s musical landscape. Under Hawkins’s baton, the chorus produced its first commercial recordings and made multiple appearances at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Their voices were heard in the MSO’s first radio broadcasts, receiving airtime nationally and internationally.

The chorus has made numerous guest appearances at the Ravinia Festival through the years, beginning in 1984 and as recently as 2019, performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, singing Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand.” Other collaborations include appearances with local performing arts groups, including the Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Musaik, and Present Music.

The Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’s wide range of ability has been a signature of the ensemble throughout their history. They have moved seamlessly from works by Bach and Brahms to Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, sung during a live screening of the film. Semi-staged productions of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and Grieg’s Peer Gynt are featured alongside performances with contemporary artists, such as their recent appearance with the esteemed mandolinist Chris Thile. Their repertoire spans the centuries, regularly placing their enormous versatility on full display.

Made up of musicians from every walk of life, the 150 members of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus devote countless volunteer hours every season to preparing and performing the great cornerstones of the symphonic literature with an unqualified love for their craft.

To learn more about becoming a member of the chorus, visit mso.org/chorus.

Photo by Jonathan Kirn

CHORUS MEMBERS & STAFF

Jahnavi Acharya

Anna Aiuppa

Mia Akers

Laura Albright-Wengler

Alexander Z. Alden

Anthony Andronczyk

James Anello

Evan Bagwell

u Thomas R. Bagwell

Scott Bass

Marshall Beckman

Emily Bergeron

JoAnn Berk

Edward Blumenthal

Alice Boesky

Jillian Boes

u Scott Bolens

Madison Bolt

Neil R. Brooks

Riley Brown

Michelle Budny

Ellen N. Burmeister

John Bushman

Gabrielle Campbell

Gerardo Carcar

Elise Cismesia

Sarah M. Cook

Amanda Coplan

Sarah Culhane

Barbara Czarkowski

Phoebe Dawsey

Colin Destache

Rebeca A. Dishaw

Megan Kathleen Dixson

Rachel Dutler

James Edgar

Joe Ehlinger

Kaleigh Ellis

John Erzberger

Katelyn Farebrother

Michael Faust

STAFF

Catherine Fettig

Marty Foral

Madison Francis

u Karen Frink

Maria Fuller

Haley Gabriel

James T. Gallup

Jonah Gaster

Jonathan Gaston-Falk

William Gesch

Samantha Gibson

Jessica Golinski

Mark R. Hagner

Mary Hamlin

Beth Harenda

u Karen Heins

Mary Catherine Helgren

Kurt Hellermann

Melissa Kay Herbst

Nathan Hickox-Young

Eric Hickson

Michelle Hiebert

Laura Hochmuth

Mara Hoffman

Amy Hudson

Matthew Hunt

John Itson

u Tina Itson

Jane Jaikumar Knight

Christine Jameson

Paula J. Jeske

Robin Jette

John Jorgensen

Heidi L. Kastern

Summer Ketchell

Christin Kieckhafer

Katherine Kondratuk

Jill Kortebein

Kaleigh Kozak-Lichtman

Kyle J. Kramer

u Joseph M. Krechel

Cheryl Frazes Hill, chorus director

Timothy J. Benson, assistant director

Darwin J. Sanders , language and diction coach

Christina Williams, chorus manager

Julia M. Kreitzer

Harry Krueger

Benjamin Kuhlmann

Alexandra Lerch-Gaggl

Robert Lochhead

Grace Majewski

Rachel Maki

Ethan T. Masarik

Joy Mast

Justin J. Maurer

Betsy McCool

Hilary Merline

Kristine Mielcarek

Megan Miller

Bailey Moorhead

Jennifer Mueller

Lucia Muniagurria

Matthew Neu

Kristin Nikkel

Jason Niles

Alice Nuteson

Robert Paddock

Daniel Edward Parks

Heather Pierce

R. Scott Pierce

u Jessica E. Pihart

Bianca Pratte

Abby Prom

Kaitlin Quigley

Mary Rafel

Jason Reuschlein

Rehanna Rexroat

James Reynolds

Marc Charles Ricard

Amanda Robison

Shawn W. Runningen

u Bridget Sampson

James Sampson

Joshua S. Samson

Darwin J. Sanders

Alana Sawall

REHEARSAL PIANISTS

Melissa Cardamone

Jeong-In Kim

Teree Shofner-Emrich

Sarah Schmeiser

Rand C. Schmidt

Randy Schmidt

u Allison Schnier

Andrew T. Schramm

Matthew Seider

Bennett Shebesta

u Hannah Sheppard

David Siegworth

Samuel Skogstad

Bruce Soto

u Joel P. Spiess

u Todd Stacey

u Donald E. Stettler

Scott Stieg

Donna Stresing

Sara Strommen

Shannon Sweeney

Joseph Thiel

Clare Urbanski

Bobbi Jo Vandal

Matthew Van Hecke

Maria Waldkirch

Maggie Walz

Stephanie Weeden

Tess Weinkauf

Amy Weyers

Erin Weyers

Christina Williams

Sally Witte

Kevin R. Woller

Rachel Yap

James Yarbrough

Ben Young

Jamie M. Yu

Katarzyna Zawislak

Stephanie Zimmer

DR. CHERYL FRAZES HILL, CHORUS DIRECTOR

Dr. Cheryl Frazes Hill is now in her ninth season as director of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. During their landmark 50th anniversary season, Frazes Hill prepares the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus for classical performances that include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and Beethoven’s Missa solemnis.

Frazes Hill also serves as associate conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. In that role, she has prepared the chorus for maestros Alsop, Boulez, Barenboim, Conlon, Levine, Mehta, Salonen, and Tilson Thomas, among many others. Recordings of Frazes Hill’s choral preparations on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra label include Beethoven, A Tribute to Daniel Barenboim, and Chicago Symphony Chorus: A 50th Anniversary Celebration

Frazes Hill is professor emerita at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she served for 20 years as director of choral activities and head of music education. Under her direction, the Roosevelt University choruses have been featured in prestigious and diverse events, including appearances at national and regional music conferences and performances with professional orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Illinois Philharmonic. The Roosevelt Conservatory Chorus received enthusiastic reviews for their American premiere of Jacob ter Veldhuis’s Mountaintop. Other recent performances have included the internationally acclaimed production of Defiant Requiem and three appearances with The Rolling Stones during a recent U.S. concert tour.

Frazes Hill received her master’s and doctoral degrees in conducting from Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degrees in voice and music education from the University of Illinois. An accomplished vocalist, she is a featured soloist in the Grammy-nominated CBS Masterworks release Mozart: Music for Basset Horns. An award-winning conductor and educator, Frazes Hill recently received the ACDA Harold Decker Conducting Award, the Mary Hoffman Music Educators Award, and in past years, the Commendation of Excellence in Teaching from the Golden Apple Foundation, the Illinois Governor’s Award, Roosevelt University’s Presidential Award for Social Justice, the Northwestern University Alumni Merit Award, and the Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Chicago.

Frazes Hill’s recently released book, Margaret Hillis: Unsung Pioneer, a biography of the famed female conductor, received a commendation from the 2023 Midwest Book Awards. Frazes Hill is nationally published on topics of her research in choral conducting and music education. A frequent guest conductor, clinician, and guest speaker, Frazes Hill regularly collaborates with maestro Marin Alsop at the Ravinia Festival’s ”Breaking Barriers” series, providing seminars for Taki Alsop female conducting fellows.

COPLAND & TWAIN: AMERICA 250

Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11:15 am

Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 2:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Ken-David Masur, conductor

Bill Barclay, writer and director

Carson Elrod, actor

Caleb Mayo, actor

Chloe McFarlane, actor

Maurice Emmanuel Parent, actor

Robert Walsh, actor

AARON COPLAND

Music for Movies and Music for the Theatre

Prologue

Sunday Traffic from The City

Barley Wagons from Of Mice and Men

Dance

Burlesque

Threshing Machines from Of Mice and Men

Interlude

Grover’s Corners from Our Town

New England Countryside from The City

Epilogue

JOAN TOWER

For the Uncommon Woman

JAMES LEE III

Freedom’s Genuine Dawn

JOHN STAFFORD SMITH/arr. Walter Damrosch and John Philip Sousa

The Star-Spangled Banner

AARON COPLAND

Suite from The Tender Land

III. Finale: The Promise of Living

Production Credits

Arthur Oliver, costume designer

S. Katy Tucker, projection designer

Kylee Loera, video engineer

Nottingham Design, wig and hair styling

The 2025.26 Classics Series is presented by the UNITED PERFORMING ARTS FUND and ROCKWELL AUTOMATION.

Copland & Twain: An America 250 Celebration is supported in part by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Guest Artist Biographies

BILL BARCLAY

Writer, director, and composer Bill Barclay is best known for his 25+ productions of concert-theater, including Secret Byrd, Romeo and Juliet, Bach’s St. Mark Passion, and The Chevalier. He is artistic director of Concert Theatre Works, which tours his productions to 30 cities internationally each year. His most recent production with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra featured his largest theatrical concert, Peer Gynt.

As director of music at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, he produced live music for over 130 productions and 100 concerts, composing original music for over a dozen, which have toured to six continents. His Broadway and West End credits include Farinelli and the King, Twelfth Night, and Richard III, all starring Sir Mark Rylance. Barclay’s original works have been described as “witty and incisive” (The New York Times), “emotionally supercharged” (The London Times), “quietly transfixing” (The New Yorker), “effortless perfection” (The Observer), and “quite simply exquisite” (The Guardian).

Orchestral partners include the Los Angeles Philharmonic (at the Hollywood Bowl), National Symphony Orchestra (Kennedy Center), BBC Symphony Orchestra (Barbican Centre), London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, New World Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cincinnati, Milwaukee, St. Louis, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Hartford, Harlem, Winston-Salem, and Chautauqua symphony orchestras. He has been commissioned five times by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, staging his own original adaptations over 12 seasons, including Romeo and Juliet, Peer Gynt, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, L’Histoire du soldat, The Chevalier, and The Magic Flute.

An early music specialist, his productions Death of Gesualdo, Secret Byrd, Bach’s St. Mark Passion and Art of Fugue, and others have variously featured The Gesualdo Six, Music of the Baroque, The English Concert, The Sixteen, Fretwork, Barokksolistene, the Handel & Haydn Society, Academy of Ancient Music, Dunedin Consort, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of St Martinin-the-Fields, National Centre for Early Music, Oregon Bach Festival, Early Music Seattle, Portland Baroque, San Francisco Early Music Society, Abendmusik, and others at dozens of festivals around the world.

As a composer, his original music has been performed for President Obama, for the Olympic torch, at the United Nations, and three times for the British royal family. He was the composer for Hamlet Globe to Globe, which toured 197 countries, and Call of the Wild, which toured to 42 states. He directed Silkroad’s Heroes Take Their Stands and conducted the City of London Sinfonia on international tours. He has been commissioned by the Royal Albert Hall, Washington National Cathedral, and Hollywood Bowl.

A contributor to The Guardian and Songlines, Barclay is published on the music of Shakespeare by both Cambridge and Oxford University presses, and he lectures widely on Shakespeare and the music of the spheres. His newest work, What Music Is, is aimed at revealing music’s essential role on our planet. He is the recipient of a Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship, the largest grant for actors in the U.S., and spent 12 years as a company member at both Shakespeare and Company and the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, where he collaborated on over 40 productions as an actor, director, composer, and educator. Barclay earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in playwriting at Boston University.

He can be followed @barclayarts and concerttheatreworks.com.

Guest Artist Biographies

CARSON ELROD

Carson Elrod’s acting credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and L’Histoire du soldat with Concert Theatre Works and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Peter and The Starcatcher, Reckless, and Noises Off on Broadway, and The Merry Widow with the Metropolitan Opera. Off-Broadway credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, and Seize the King with the Classical Theatre of Harlem, The Alchemist with Red Bull Theater, The Tempest, Measure for Measure, and All’s Well That Ends Well at the New York Shakespeare Festival, and The Liar and The Heir Apparent with Classic Stage Company. Appearances with the Manhattan Theatre Club have included Important Hats of the Twentieth Century, The Explorer’s Club, Based on a Totally True Story, House, Garden, and Comic Potential. Additional theatrical credits include Lives of the Saints and All in the Timing with Primary Stages, Cavedweller with the New York Theatre Workshop, and Pygmalion with Gingold Theatrical Group. Elrod’s television and film credits include Evil, The Good Fight, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Medium, 30 Rock, Wedding Crashers, and Kissing Jessica Stein. Elrod received his Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University and is executive director of Arts Workers United (artsworkersunited.com).

CALEB MAYO

Caleb Mayo is delighted to return to Milwaukee, where he performed the title role of Peer Gynt in 2022. A frequent collaborator with Concert Theatre Works, he originated Peer Gynt with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, later playing the role with the Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis symphony orchestras and reprising it in Boston for the BSO’s 2023-24 season. He has also appeared with the BSO at Tanglewood in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet and with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players in L’Histoire du soldat. Caleb began his classical training at age 11 and made his professional debut at 15 in the Huntington Theatre Company’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama from Vassar College and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He has worked in film (One-Eyed Monster), television (Criminal Minds), new media (What the UFO?), and regional theater across the U.S., including with the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., the Knightsbridge Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Stonington Opera House in Maine.

CHLOE MCFARLANE

Chloe McFarlane has appeared as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Amy in Little Women with the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, as well as Noel Calloway’s film Mr. Santa. McFarlane’s formal training includes the Boston University School of Theatre, the British American Drama Academy, and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

Guest Artist Biographies

MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT

Maurice Emmanuel Parent is an award-winning actor, director, and educator. With over 40 acting credits, he has performed on stages across the nation and abroad, working with some of Boston’s most esteemed theater companies, including the Huntington Theatre Company, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Lyric Stage Company, New Repertory Theatre, and Central Square Theater, among others. His work as both an actor and director has earned him numerous accolades, including three Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston theater Critics Association, three Independent Reviewers of New England Awards, and an ArtsImpulse Award.

Beyond the stage, Parent has been a dedicated educator for over a decade. He has taught at Northeastern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in addition to spending six years as a performing arts specialist in the Boston public school system. He is currently a full-time professor at the Tufts University Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. In 2016, driven by the lack of opportunities for artists of color and the urgent need to address racial inequities in Boston’s theater landscape, Parent co-founded Front Porch Arts Collective, where he now serves as producing artistic director. Under his leadership, The Porch has become a catalyst for change, creating space for dialogue, representation, and artistic excellence.

ROBERT WALSH

Robert Walsh’s off-Broadway credits include Gloucester Blue with Cherry Lane Theatre, Big Maggie with Douglas Fairbanks Theater, and Penelope with Perry Street Theatre. Walsh has been a company member with Open Eye Theatre, Riverside Shakespeare Company, and Circle Repertory Company. Appearances in Boston have included The Dybbuk and The Gaaga with Arlekin Players Theatre, Ah, Wilderness! and Hamlet with Huntington Theatre Company, Trouble in Mind with Lyric Stage, Our Town, Mass Appeal, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Sins of the Mother and The Subject Was Roses with Gloucester Stage Company, The Cocktail Hour with New Repertory Theatre, Next Fall with SpeakEasy Stage, The Winter’s Tale, Coriolanus, Macbeth, and Henry V with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, and King Lear, Henry IV, Titus Andronicus, and Hamlet with the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, of which Walsh was a founding company member. Walsh’s television and film credits include Fourth of July, Black Mass, Dead Reckoning, The Spirit of Christmas, Evening, State and Main, Amistad, Eight Men Out, and Body of Proof. Walsh is former artistic director of Gloucester Stage Company and the American Stage Festival and currently serves on the faculty at Brandeis University. He directed the on-field ceremonies for the 1999 All-Star Game for Major League Baseball at Fenway Park in Boston.

Guest Artist Biographies

ARTHUR OLIVER

Arthur Oliver is a designer with 35 years of experience in the performing arts. His work has received praise from The London Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, and Variety Magazine. Oliver’s first design for Concert Theatre Works, Secret Byrd, premiered at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and St Martin-inthe-Fields in 2023. It continues to tour the U.S. and the U.K.

In the summer of 2025, he designed costumes for Romeo and Juliet, conceived and directed by Bill Barclay of Concert Theatre Works. The production, commissioned by the Royal Albert Hall and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, premiered with Andris Nelsons conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Shed. Approximately 15,000 people were in attendance.

International design work includes the Mikhailovsky Theatre (St. Petersburg, Russia) and the National Opera and Ballet of Ukraine (Kyiv and Odesa). He continues to design in the U.S. for regional theaters, opera, ballet, and independent films.

S. KATY TUCKER

S. Katy Tucker designs video and projection for live performance, working frequently in opera and theater and collaborating with composers and musicians. Her work has been seen internationally, including Broadway, Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, New York City Ballet, Park Avenue Armory, BAM, San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dutch National Opera, Sydney Opera House, and Canadian Opera Company, among others. She began her career as a painter and video installation artist, exhibiting her work at a variety of galleries, such as the Corcoran Museum, Dupont Underground, and Artist’s Space in New York City, including a video installation titled Stone Memory, commissioned by the Kennedy Center. Tucker was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Letters From Max.

Recent productions include Smash on Broadway with director Susan Stroman, Wagner’s “Ring” cycle with Sir David McVicar at Teatro alla Scala, Tannhäuser (Houston Grand Opera), Florencia en el Amazonas, Eurydice, Peter Grimes, Verdi’s Requiem, and Prince Igor (Metropolitan Opera), Florencia en el Amazonas (Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Washington National Opera), Rebecca (Vereinigte Bühnen Wien), Klangwolke 23 (Brucknerhaus), and Turandot, Macbeth, Fidelio, Elektra, Don Giovanni, and Samson and Delilah (Washington National Opera).

Director’s note by Bill

Barclay

This program began by imagining how to publicly go about celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. How could this event serve such a polarized time in our history? I have always been moved by some of the traditional American tunes and hymns, but the state of our country called for something else, something I couldn’t quite identify at first.

I now realize that for some reason or other, I wanted to laugh. I wanted to release energy, not summon it. I wanted the community of joy, not the burden of politics. And it seemed that avoiding politics entirely was ignoring the elephant in the room.

A symphony audience today may be one of the last public spaces of American life that is truly politically heterogeneous. Classical music plays to Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike. This prompts a follow-up question: is there a way we can laugh about ourselves without excluding people?

Today, Mark Twain seems as mainstream as apple pie, but during most of his life, he lived the life of a tramp. Both a free-wheeling populist and a cunning intellectual, his brand of satire made him the first true American celebrity. He also left behind a voluminous body of largely forgotten work, writing every week of his adult life. I took the opportunity of this anniversary to read some 2,000 pages of apocryphal speeches, articles, toasts, diary entries, and humorist essays that I had never even heard about before. I wanted to look beyond the author of Huckleberry Finn and summon his faith in America from beneath the quips. The richness of this corpus, and its resemblance to the ills that still plague us today, is simply uncanny.

Aaron Copland is often called The Dean of American Music, and it’s not hard to understand why. His long life (1900 – 1990) witnessed several profound changes in American identity. Yet however closely we associate him with the establishment in retrospect, his actual lived experience — like Twain’s — ran largely counter to that image. He was hauled before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1953 as a suspected communist. He was blacklisted for his leftist associations and, in other chapters of his life, marginalized for his homosexuality. His musical pivots away from the tonality that made him famous and into the serialism of Arnold Schoenberg further cemented his outsider persona during his lifetime.

Today we present two distinctively American artists, mutually holding up core pillars of our identity, who need to be unpolished before authenticated. Their bodies of work cry out for a robust re-examination, and what else is an anniversary for? I take two of Copland’s lesser-known suites, Music for Movies and Music for the Theatre, and restore them to their incidental roots, while sharing with you some of the gems collected from dozens of Twain’s most colorful passages that history has forgotten. More surprises await after the intermission.

It is a theatrical concert that I deeply believe both men would have loved.

— Bill Barclay, writer and director of Copland & Twain

Program notes by David Jensen

AARON COPLAND

Born 14 November 1900; New York City, New York

Died 2 December 1990; North Tarrytown, New York

Music for Movies

Composed: 1939 – 1940; suite compiled in 1942

First performance: 17 February 1943; Daniel Saidenberg, conductor; Saidenberg Little Symphony

Last MSO performance: MSO Premiere

Instrumentation: flute (doubling on piccolo); oboe; clarinet; bassoon; horn; 2 trumpets; trombone; timpani; percussion (bass drum, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbal, triangle, xylophone); piano; strings

Approximate duration: 16 minutes

As the technological innovations that revolutionized life in the first decades of the 20th century transformed the world around him, Aaron Copland realized that it was imperative to connect with the public in a meaningful way. Turning to their radios, record players, and movie theaters for entertainment during the difficult years of the Depression, he recognized that to dismiss these new mediums of musical transmission ran the very real risk of alienating listeners. “It seemed to me that we composers were in danger of working in a vacuum. … It made no sense to ignore them and to continue writing as if they did not exist,” Copland wrote in Our New Music. “I felt that it was worth the effort to see if I couldn’t say what I had to say in the simplest possible terms.”

Shedding the avant-garde modernism then in vogue with the musical literati in favor of an “imposed simplicity” marked by a sparse, broadly accessible, and delicately colored musical language, Copland’s earliest filmic undertakings appealed directly to his humanist and leftist ethics. The documentary The City examined the problems endemic to rapid urbanization and the solutions offered by planned communities and public housing, while the dramatic rural and small-town portraits found in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town provided ample inspiration for the “clean and clear sounds” and “straight-forward harmonies and rhythms” that were coming to define Copland’s voice. Compiled in 1942, Copland dedicated this suite of excerpts to the French composer Darius Milhaud, a pioneer of film scoring from the medium’s first silent years.

Music for the Theatre

Composed: 1925

First performance: 20 November 1925; Serge Koussevitzky, conductor; Boston Symphony Orchestra

Last MSO performance: 20 June 2004; Andreas Delfs, conductor

Instrumentation: flute (doubling on piccolo); oboe (doubling on English horn); clarinet (doubling on E-flat clarinet); bassoon; 2 trumpets; trombone; percussion (bass drum, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbal, tenor drum, wood block, xylophone); piano; strings

Approximate duration: 21 minutes

Continued on page 22

Continued from page 21

Aaron Copland wasn’t born into a particularly musical family — of his parents, who had immigrated to the United States by way of Russia, only his mother, Sarah, expressed any interest in music. As an amateur pianist and singer, she ensured that her children received a musical education, though it was his older sister, Laurine, who gave him his first instruction at the piano. After progressing to private lessons under Victor Wittgenstein and learning the rudiments of harmony through a correspondence course, Copland began studying composition with Rubin Goldmark in 1917, whose loyalty to the German Romantic tradition gave him a robust foundational training. But his greatest transformation was to take place half a world away: in 1921, after saving up his summer wages, he departed for Paris, where he came under the influence of Nadia Boulanger.

As one of the most powerful and incisive musical minds of the century, Copland was only the first among dozens of American students to benefit from her intellectual rigor, spending the next three years studying under Boulanger while immersing himself completely in the contemporary artistic scene thriving in Europe’s urban centers. Returning to New York City with the aim of cultivating a distinctly American musical persona, he began incorporating the vigorous rhythmic mechanisms and riveting “blue” harmonies characteristic of the “Jazz Age” into his compositions. Written not for a specific production, but as music that “seemed to suggest a certain theatrical atmosphere,” Music for the Theatre encapsulates the stylistic and intellectual transitions Copland underwent as a young artist while foreshadowing the highly individualized style that emerged at the peak of his career.

MAY 28 - JUNE 4

Community concerts, competitive solo and duo recitals with MSO musicians at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and Concerto Finale with the MSO at Bradley Symphony Center on June 4.

For more information or to sign up for updates on the 2024 competition, contact Info@PianoArts.org

Ailun Zheng performing with the MSO in the 2022 North American Competition.

Photo by Pat Robinson

LEDISI WITH THE MSO

Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Ryan Tani, conductor

Ledisi, vocalist

GEORGE GERSHWIN AND IRA GERSHWIN

Love is Here to Stay

STANLEY ADAMS AND MARÍA GREVER

What a Difference a Day Makes

ANITA HILL AND DINAH WASHINGTON

If I Never Get to Heaven

GENE DE PAUL AND DON RAYE

You Don’t Know What Love Is

CLYDE OTIS AND MURRAY STEIN

Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)

REDD EVANS, ARTHUR KENT, AND DAVE MANN

Don’t Go to Strangers

PEARL DELANEY AND TOM DELANEY

Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning

JOHN FREDERICK COOTS AND JAMES LAMONT GILLESPIE

You Go to My Head

IRVING CAESAR AND VINCENT YOUMANS

Sometimes I’m Happy

COLE PORTER

Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)

DUKE ELLINGTON, JUAN TIZOL, AND IRVING MILLS

Caravan

CLYDE OTIS

This Bitter Earth

DUKE ELLINGTON AND BUB RUSSELL

Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me

This weekend’s media sponsor is WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO

The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours. All programs are subject to change.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Guest Artist Biographies

LEDISI

Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi is one of the most dynamic vocalists of her generation. Classically trained, her powerhouse voice transcends genre, blending soul, R&B, gospel, and jazz with emotional depth and technical mastery. Ledisi has evolved from local stages to global acclaim, including a sold-out Carnegie Hall performance and a commanding appearance at Super Bowl LIX, where she opened the game with “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Ledisi recently released her 16th studio album, The Crown, a bold, genre-blurring celebration of identity, joy, and empowerment. The project marks a defining moment in her career, reinforcing her place as an artist who can’t be boxed in.

Ledisi also released a tribute album in 2025 titled For Dinah, honoring jazz and blues legend Dinah Washington with reimagined classics that showcased her soulful artistry. The album dropped in October 2025, blending Washington’s timeless material with Ledisi’s expressive voice and contemporary flair.

A Concert for America

Piano and Organ Music Celebrating Independence Day 2026

Saturday, June 20, 3 p.m. Elm Grove Lutheran Church

The concert features the church ’s digitally enhanced Casavant pipe organ and classic Steinway piano played by Mr. Richard C. Ewert, organist at Elm Grove Lutheran, and Dr. Aaron Wunsch, Professor of Keyboard Studies at the Juilliard School in New York City. Musical selections include a rare live performance of the Concerto for Organ and Piano (Op. 74) by Flor Peeters as well as George Gershwin ’s Rhapsody in Blue and Charles Ives' “Variations on ‘America’" in celebration of the 250th birthday celebration July 4th.

Admission is free and open to the public. Ample parking is available. A reception will be held afterwards in the Fellowship Hall in honor of the artists.

Elm Grove Ev. Lutheran Church · 945 Terrace Drive · Elm Grove WI · (262) 797 -2970 · egl.org

W H E R E

IV E

From genre defying jazz to bluegrass brilliance, iconic tributes to holiday traditions and high-energy crossover, the Mainstage season brings world-class artistry to every performance. Experience legendary musicians like Béla Fleck, John Scofield, and Terence Blanchard alongside unforgettable evenings of classical, comedy, and more. Discover the artists, the stories, and the sounds that make this season one you won’t want to miss.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: PATRIOTIC POPS

Friday, May 22, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 2:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Byron Stripling, conductor

Mamie Parris, vocalist

GEORGE M. COHAN/arr. Jeff Tyzik

Give My Regards to George

TRADITIONAL/arr. John Clayton Shenandoah

EDWIN EUGENE BAGLEY

National Emblem March

FERDINAND JOSEPH “JELLY ROLL MORTON” LAMOTHE/arr. Jeff Tyzik Black Bottom Stomp

LEW BROWN, GEORGE DESYLVA, AND RAY HENDERSON/arr. George Rhodes/ orch. Morton Stevens/ed. Rob DuBoff and Jeffrey Sultanof The Birth of the Blues

IRVING CAESAR AND VINCENT YOUMANS/arr. Larry Cook I Want to Be Happy

JOHN NEWTON/arr. Hank Marr/orch. Vaughn Wiester Amazing Grace

IRVING BERLIN/arr. Richard Hayman

God Bless America

INTERMISSION

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA

Stars and Stripes Forever

IRVING BERLIN/arr. William Grimes

Puttin’ On the Ritz

GEORGE GERSHWIN AND IRA GERSHWIN/arr. William Grimes

The Man I Love

ROBERT MERRILL AND JULE STYNE/arr. Larry Moore

Don’t Rain on My Parade

KENNETH J. ALFORD/ed. Clark McAlister

Colonel Bogey March

KATHARINE LEE BATES AND SAMUEL AUGUSTUS WARD/arr. Jeff Tyzik

America the Beautiful

ROBERT THIELE AND GEORGE DAVID WEISS/arr. Emmanuel Albam

What a Wonderful World

This weekend’s media sponsor is WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO.

The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours. All programs are subject to change. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Guest Artist Biographies

MAMIE PARRIS

Mamie Parris has developed a diverse and unique body of work throughout her extensive career. In addition to appearances with symphony orchestras across the continent, including the Rochester Philharmonic, Columbus Jazz Orchestra, and the Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Milwaukee, and St. Louis symphony orchestras, her one-woman cabaret, Surrender: An Andrew Lloyd Webber Thrill Ride, was awarded the Best of the City by Time Out New York. Best known on Broadway for her one-of-a-kind rendition of the iconic “Memory,” she is no stranger to the work of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, having starred as Grizabella in the Broadway revival of Cats, as Rosalie (closing cast) and Patty (opening cast) in Broadway’s School of Rock, and in the U.S. premiere of the Lloyd Webber retrospective Unmasked Other Broadway appearances include the Tony-nominated revivals of Ragtime, 110 in the Shade, and On the Twentieth Century, as well as the Tony-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone

Her film and television credits include The Blacklist, State of Affairs, A Stand Up Guy, and Great Performances: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway’s Best on PBS. Across the country, she appeared as Elphaba in the first national tour of fan-favorite Wicked and performed with the touring companies of Legally Blonde and Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical. Originally trained as a coloratura soprano, today she is considered one of Broadway’s preeminent belters, employing her versatile technique to create nuanced performances of even the best-known scores and songs. Her credits include roles at the Goodspeed Opera House, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Old Globe, St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, Macau International Music Festival, and more. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Mamie attended the Paseo Academy of the Arts in Kansas City, Missouri, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD

Friday, May 29, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Jader Bignamini, conductor

Giuseppe Gibboni, violin

WYNTON MARSALIS

Violin Concerto in D

I. Rhapsody

II. Rondo Burlesque

III. Blues

IV. Hootenanny

Giuseppe Gibboni, violin

INTERMISSION

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34

I. Alborada

II. Variazioni

III. Alborada

IV. Scena e canto gitano

V. Fandango asturiano

IGOR STRAVINSKY

Suite from The Firebird, K010 (1919 version)

I. Introduction

II. The Firebird and its Dance

III. Variation of the Firebird

IV. Round of the Princesses

V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchei

VI. Berceuse

VII. Finale

The 2025.26 Classics Series is presented by the UNITED PERFORMING ARTS FUND and ROCKWELL AUTOMATION.

The length of this concert is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Guest Artist Biographies

JADER BIGNAMINI

Jader Bignamini was introduced as music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in January 2020. His tenure has already included a highly successful tour to Florida, commissions and premieres of new works, audience growth in and around Detroit, and the release of a brand-new recording of Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony, Jader’s first commercial release with the DSO.

Outside of Detroit, recent highlights include Bignamini’s debuts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, return engagements with the symphony orchestras of Bergen and Bern, and a production of Otello at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.

Previous season highlights include concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Houston, Dallas, Milwaukee, National, and New Jersey symphony orchestras, and the Minnesota Orchestra. Internationally, he has conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, and Residentie Orkest. Opera highlights include productions with the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bavarian State Opera, Dutch National Opera, Oper Frankfurt, and Canadian Opera Company. Bignamini led an extensive tour across Asia in August 2024 with the Asian Youth Orchestra.

In Summer 2021, Bignamini conducted triumphant performances of Turandot at the Arena di Verona with Anna Netrebko and Yusiv Eyvazov, as well as a staged production of Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Other highlights include Cavalleria rusticana at the Detroit Opera, La bohème at the Santa Fe Opera, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, and La Fenice, La traviata in Tokyo directed by Sofia Coppola, Manon Lescaut at the Bolshoi Theatre, La traviata at the Bavarian State Opera, Eugene Onegin at Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Turandot at the Teatro Filarmonico, Il trovatore and Aïda at Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera, the opening concert of the Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna conducting Carmina Burana, L’elisir d’amore in Ancona, Tosca at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, La forza del destino at the Verdi Festival in Parma, La bohème, Cavalleria rusticana, and El amor brujo at the Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Madama Butterfly at La Fenice, and engagements with Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Festival della Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca, and the MITO SettembreMusica festival conducting Berlioz’s Messe solennelle. He made his concert debut at La Scala in 2015.

Bignamini began his conducting career as assistant and then resident conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, having been appointed by Riccardo Chailly in 2010. He was born in Crema and studied at the Giuseppe Nicolini Conservatory of Music in Piacenza.

Guest Artist Biographies

GIUSEPPE GIBBONI

Giuseppe Gibboni, regarded as one of the most extraordinary talents of his generation, is renowned for his prodigious technique, expressive depth, and remarkable interpretive maturity. In October 2021, he captured international attention by winning first prize at the 56th “Premio Paganini” International Violin Competition in Genoa — earning, in addition to the audience award, two special prizes for the best interpretations of Paganini’s caprices and concerto. He was the first Italian violinist in 24 years to win this prestigious competition.

Born into a family of musicians, he began studying the violin at a very young age under the guidance of his father, Daniele Gibboni. He graduated with top honors from the “Giuseppe Martucci” Conservatory of Music in Salerno under the mentorship of Maurizio Aiello, quickly standing out for his natural virtuosity. At the age of 14, he was admitted to the Stauffer Academy in Cremona, where he studied with Salvatore Accardo, and later continued his training at the Chigiana Musical Academy in Siena, where he received a Diploma of Honor. He also completed advanced studies at the Perosi Academy in Biella with Pavel Berman and at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg with Pierre Amoyal. His victory at the Paganini Competition launched a career that rapidly took on an international dimension. He has collaborated with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conducted by Lorenzo Viotti, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Jader Bignamini, the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino with Zubin Mehta, and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra. With the latter, he gave the Italian premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s violin concerto, working closely with the composer under the baton of John Axelrod. His repertoire spans the great Romantic concerti as well as contemporary works, showcasing both his exceptional versatility and deep artistic curiosity.

In the current season, he made his debut under the baton of Riccardo Muti at the opening concert of the Ravenna Festival. Other major engagements include debuts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and the Seoul Arts Center. He performed Busoni’s violin concerto in Trieste in celebration of the centenary of the composer’s death and toured the U.S. with the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice of Genoa, performing Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 under the direction of Donato Renzetti, with whom he also performed Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto in Milan with the Orchestra i Pomeriggi Musicali.

A featured artist supported by the Nippon Foundation, Giuseppe Gibboni performs on the 1722 “Jupiter” Stradivarius on loan from the foundation, the 1734 “Lam; Ex-Scotland University” Stradivarius, kindly provided by the CCI Foundation of New York, and a modern instrument by Luiz Amorim, a copy of the famed 1734 “Stauffer” Guarneri del Gesù.

Program notes by David Jensen

WYNTON MARSALIS

Born 18 October 1961; New Orleans, Louisiana

Violin Concerto in D

Composed: 2015

First performance: 6 November 2015; James Gaffigan, conductor; Nicola Benedetti, violin; London Symphony Orchestra

Last MSO performance: MSO Premiere

Instrumentation: 3 flutes (2nd doubling on piccolo); 3 oboes (3rd doubling on English horn); 3 clarinets (2nd doubling on E-flat clarinet, 3rd doubling on bass clarinet); 3 bassoons (3rd doubling on contrabassoon); 4 horns; 3 trumpets; 2 trombones; bass trombone; tuba (doubling on sousaphone); timpani; percussion (2 African hand drums, large African drum, 2 bass drums, 2 cowbells, crotales, djembe, field drum, glockenspiel, high hat, marimba, police whistle, sandpaper blocks, sizzle cymbal, splash cymbal, 3 suspended cymbals, snare drum, tam-tam, tambourine, tom-tom, vibraphone, whip, 2 wood blocks, xylophone); harp; strings

Approximate duration: 43 minutes

Wynton Marsalis is a living legend of contemporary music. Born in New Orleans to the jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis and gifted his first trumpet by the American bandleader Al Hirt when he was six years old, Marsalis was steeped in two distinct musical idioms from an early age. As a teenager, he performed in jazz, brass, and funk bands, appeared as soloist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, attended the Tanglewood Music Center, and eventually pursued classical training at The Juilliard School — before setting aside his formal studies to strike out on his own, touring the world with Art Blakey, signing his first recording contract with Columbia Records, and launching his international career.

At 22 years old, Marsalis made history as the first musician to win two Grammy Awards in both the jazz and classical categories in the same year. Only a few years later, he broke new ground in founding Jazz at Lincoln Center, going on to serve as its artistic director and leading its orchestra for nearly 40 years. He has since sold millions of records, played thousands of concerts around the globe, garnered nine Grammy Awards, the National Medal of the Arts, and the Pulitzer Prize, and been inducted into Britain’s Royal Academy of Music, France’s Order of Arts and Literature, and the American Academy of Achievement. The man is, in a word, talented.

Like many landmarks of the concertante literature, Marsalis’s violin concerto was written with a specific performer in mind. Marsalis met the Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti at an annual summit of the Academy of Achievement in New York, and over the course of time, he began consulting her technical expertise whenever he found himself writing for the instrument. More than a decade later, the two began collaborating on a violin concerto, taking Benedetti’s life as a traveling musician and educator as an inspirational point of departure and blending the harmonies and textures integral to jazz and blues music into the instrumental palette of the symphony orchestra — inviting, in the words of Benedetti, “a diverse world of people into the experience.”

Though written “from the perspective of a jazz musician and a New Orleans bluesman,” Marsalis taps into a broad range of styles. Beginning with a single hushed note, “Rhapsody” unfolds as a dreamy exploration of the instrument’s lyrical qualities, occasionally calling to mind

the bold modernist gestures favored by Shostakovich or Bernstein. Out of stillness, the “Rondo Burlesque” bursts forth, its hard-edged rhythms and brassy embellishments painting a distorted, mesmerizing view of a New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration. A lengthy cadenza, accompanied by snappy interjections in the percussion, takes on the folksy groove of bluegrass fiddling, eliding into to the sultry, swirling hues of the “Blues.” Heralded by stomps and claps from the orchestra, “Hootenanny” arrives as a “barnyard throw-down,” indulging in all manner of “virtuosic chicanery” before, Marsalis writes, “our journey ends with the jubilance and uplift of an optimistic conclusion.”

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Born 18 March 1844; Tikhvin, Russia

Died 21 June 1908; Lubensk, Russia

Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34

Composed: Summer 1887

First performance: 31 October 1887; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, conductor; Russian Imperial Opera Orchestra

Last MSO performance: 6 October 2019; Jun Märkl, conductor

Instrumentation: piccolo; 2 flutes; 2 oboes; English horn; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; 4 horns; 2 trumpets; 3 trombones; tuba; timpani; percussion (bass drum, castanets, cymbals, snare drum, tambourine, triangle); harp; strings

Approximate duration: 15 minutes

The 1880s had been shaping up as a rather unproductive decade for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. With the death of Modest Mussorgsky in 1881, he had taken up the task of editing and publishing his late friend’s work, an act which modern scholarship would never forgive. In fairness, untangling the mess of Mussorgsky’s manuscripts took years, but Rimsky-Korsakov’s heavy-handed approach to “correcting” and “improving” his colleague’s adventurous musical experiments preserved Mussorgsky’s cultural image at the expense of his authentic voice. Alexander Borodin’s death six years later likewise moved Rimsky-Korsakov to collaborate with Alexander Glazunov on the completion of Borodin’s Prince Igor, dispensing with about a fifth of the opera’s original material as the two pieced together a working edition suitable for performance.

Though Rimsky-Korsakov composed comparatively little during the years he was busying himself with his editorial affairs, he found himself increasingly involved in the musical activities centered around Mitrofan Belyayev, a wealthy industrialist and amateur violist committed to patronizing Slavic cultural life. In his capacity as founder and financial backer of both his own publishing house and a series of Russian Symphony Concerts, Belyayev was aiming to better the international reputations of rising Russian composers, and he relied extensively on RimskyKorsakov’s expertise to do so. The ongoing engagements seem to have broken the intellectual dam that had impeded his creative processes, inspiring the last substantial symphonic music Rimsky-Korsakov would author.

At the end of 1886 (only a few months after premiering his heavily revised edition of Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain as part of Belyayev’s concerts), Rimsky-Korsakov took an interest in the violin, consulting with the violinist Piotr Krasnokutsky on matters of technique as he prepared a virtuoso fantasy on Russian folk tunes. Pleased with the result, he began to work out another concertante showpiece steeped in the Spanish aesthetic the following summer, which he soon refashioned into a “Spanish caprice” for orchestra, focusing specifically on the details of its instrumentation. Along with his symphonic suite Scheherazade and the Russian Easter Festival overture, both written just a year later, the three works constitute the principal achievements upon which his reputation as a composer of instrumental music rests.

Continued on page 36

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Though he had been regarded for decades as a genius of instrumental color, the Capriccio espagnol represents the pinnacle of Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral writing. In his autobiography, My Musical Life, he was quick to distinguish a merely well-orchestrated piece of music from what he had achieved: “The Capriccio is a brilliant composition for the orchestra. The change of timbres, the felicitous choice of melodic designs and figuration patterns, exactly suiting each kind of instrument, brief virtuoso cadenzas for solo instruments, the rhythm of the percussion instruments, and so on, constitute here the very essence of the composition and not its garb or orchestration. ... All in all, the Capriccio is undoubtedly a purely external piece, but vividly brilliant for all that.”

IGOR STRAVINSKY

Born 17 June 1882; Oranienbaum, Russia

Died 6 April 1971; New York City, New York

Suite from The Firebird, K010 (1919 version)

Composed: November 1909 – May 1910; suite compiled in 1919 First performance: Ballet premiered 25 June 1910; Gabriel Pierné, conductor; Orchestre des Concerts Colonne; suite premiered 12 April 1919; Ernest Ansermet, conductor; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Last MSO performance: 3 October 2021; Ken-David Masur, conductor

Instrumentation: 2 flutes (2nd doubling on piccolo); 2 oboes (2nd doubling on English horn); 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; 4 horns; 2 trumpets; 3 trombones; tuba; timpani; percussion (bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, tambourine, triangle, xylophone); harp; celesta; piano; strings

Approximate duration: 22 minutes

The turn of the 20th century was undoubtedly one of the most exciting and innovative golden ages of classical music. In the twilight days of the Romantic idiom that had cultivated increasingly liberal approaches to harmony, form, and instrumentation, Igor Stravinsky emerged as the poster child of musical modernism. Disinterested in his academic studies, he spent his childhood listening to his father Fyodor, a professional singer, rehearsing operatic roles, attending performances at the Mariinsky Theatre, and improvising at the piano. Shortly before his father’s death in 1902, Stravinsky befriended Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the great authority on virtuoso orchestration, who took the fledgling composer under his wing and transmitted the technical expertise which would quite literally color Stravinsky’s fantastical scores.

After six years of private study under Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky composed his orchestral fantasy Feu d’artifice (“Fireworks”) as a wedding present for Rimsky-Korsakov’s daughter Nadezhda. Its performance in Saint Petersburg made a lasting impression on Sergei Diaghilev, the champion of Russian art and impresario who was then in the process of getting his latest artistic venture off the ground. Eager to capitalize on the Western fascination with Russian cultural wares, Diaghilev had procured the talents of the choreographer Michel Folkine and the artists Léon Bakst and Alexandre Benois, but had found no composer — and so, taken by Stravinsky’s sparkling instrumental effects, he invited him to orchestrate music by Chopin for his ballet Les Sylphides, presented during the first season of his newly established company, the Ballet Russes.

But it was the first large-scale commission Stravinsky received from Diaghilev that would make his reputation practically overnight. Drawing upon a variety of literary sources, Diaghilev’s inner circle selected the Slavic legend of the Firebird as the scenario of their new ballet, and

Stravinsky was chosen to provide an original score. The undertaking presented him with the most stimulating challenge of his career thus far: clearly articulating, by strictly musical means, a fulllength dramatic narrative for the stage. In response, he delivered a work of arresting originality, persuasively rendering the supernatural dimensions of the story by assimilating Russian folk tunes with the coloristic and textural command he had inherited from Rimsky-Korsakov. Leveraging the ballet’s unmitigated success, Stravinsky compiled three separate suites of its music over the course of his life. The version he prepared in 1919 remains the most popular, stripping the tale down to its fundamentals while illuminating Stravinsky’s genius for gesture and characterization.

The low, slithering bass lines of the introduction raise the curtain on the wretched King Kashchei’s garden, where the Firebird, pursued by Prince Ivan, dances among the golden apple trees. Captured and begging for her freedom, the Firebird offers Ivan a single magical feather. Thirteen princesses, captives of Kashchei, appear and perform a simple khorovod, or circle dance, as Ivan falls instantly in love with Princess Tsarevna. Kaschei enters, and Ivan summons the Firebird with the feather, who bewitches the sorcerer and his coterie, forcing them to perform the roiling “Infernal Dance.” As they collapse from exhaustion, the Firebird sings its ghostly lullaby and commands Ivan to destroy the magic egg containing Kaschei’s soul. With the entrance of a lone horn, the magician’s spell is broken at last — as the dawn breaks, the music flowers triumphantly into a tremendous brass fanfare while Ivan and his love revel in their newfound freedom.

Wake

RACHMANINOFF & SAINT-SAËNS

Friday, June 5, 2026 at 11:15 am

Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 7:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Iván López Reynoso, conductor Jinwoo Lee, violin

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Opus 61

I. Allegro non troppo

II. Andantino quasi allegretto

III. Molto moderato e maestoso – Allegro non troppo Jinwoo Lee, violin

INTERMISSION

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF

Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Opus 27

I. Largo – Allegro moderato

II. Allegro molto

III. Adagio

IV. Allegro vivace

The 2025.26 Classics Series is presented by the UNITED PERFORMING ARTS FUND and ROCKWELL AUTOMATION.

The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Guest Artist Biographies

IVÁN LÓPEZ REYNOSO

Iván López Reynoso possesses a musicianship and a solid temperament proved in numerous leading ensembles in Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Peru, Oman, and Italy. His collaborations extend to some of the most renowned artists, such as Bryn Terfel, Brigitte Fassbaender, Ildar Abdrazakov, Javier Camarena, Rolando Villazón, Ute Lemper, Ramón Vargas, Irina Lungu, John Osborn, Alessandro Corbelli, Franz Hawlata, Paolo Bordogna, Augustin Hadelich, Michael Barenboim, Yulianna Avdeeva, Gabriela Montero, Leticia Moreno, and Alex Klein.

He has conducted the Philharmonia Zürich, National Orchestra and Chorus of Spain, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica Gioachino Rossini, Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Madrid Symphony Orchestra, Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra, Braunschweig State Orchestra, Orchestra of the Community of Madrid, Oviedo Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Orchestra and Chorus of Mexico’s Palacio de Bellas Artes, Minería Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra in venues such as the Opernhaus Zürich, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Rossini Opera Festival, Donizetti Opera Festival, Santa Fe Opera’s Crosby Theatre, Dallas Opera’s Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, Atlanta Opera’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Seville’s Teatro de la Maestranza, Madrid’s Royal Theater, and the Royal Opera House Muscat.

A gifted opera conductor, López Reynoso made his opera debut in 2010 at the age of 20 with Le nozze di Figaro. This was only the first in a list of more than 50 operas: Aïda, Der fliegende Holländer, Carmen, La bohème, Die Zauberflöte, La clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni, L’elisir d’amore, Madama Butterfly, La Cenerentola, Il turco in Italia, The Rake’s Progress, La traviata, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rigoletto, Werther, Tosca, Don Carlos, Hänsel und Gretel, and the Mexican debuts of Le comte Ory, Il viaggio a Reims, and Viva la mamma.

López Reynoso was selected as the conductor for the 2014 Rossini Opera Festival Accademia, conducting Il viaggio a Reims as part of the festival program and working closely with the Rossini specialist Alberto Zedda. Previous positions include interim artistic director of the Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra (2017), erster kapellmeister of the Braunschweig State Theatre (2017 – 2019), principal guest conductor of the Oviedo Philharmonic (2018 – 2024), associate conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (2020), and artistic director of the Orquesta del Teatro de Bellas Artes (2021 – 2024). In June 2025, he was appointed principal conductor of The Atlanta Opera.

Born in 1990 in Guanajuato, Mexico, López Reynoso studied violin under Gellya Dubrova, piano under Alexander Pashkov, and choral conducting under Jorge Medina, and he graduated summa cum laude in orchestral conducting under Gonzalo Romeu. He has since taken part in numerous master classes, including those led by Alberto Zedda, Jean Paul Penin, and Avi Ostrowsky. López Reynoso also sings as countertenor.

Guest Artist Biographies

JINWOO LEE

Jinwoo Lee, a native of South Korea, began playing the violin at the age of four. He is an international concert violinist with recitals and concerts with orchestras in the U.S., Korea, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria, to name a few.

He has enjoyed success at several international competitions, including first prize at the Sorantin Competition in San Angelo, Texas; second and special prizes at the 20th International Rodolfo Lipizer Violin Competition in Gorizia, Italy; special prize at the International Georg Kulenkampff Violin Competition in Cologne, Germany; second prize, audience, and Bach prizes at the 33rd International Tibor Varga Violin Competition in Sion, Switzerland; first and special prizes at the second International Louis Spohr Violin Competition for young violinists in Weimar, Germany; and first prize at the National German Competition “Jugend Musiziert” in the solo violin and chamber music categories. He also won the Manhattan School of Music concerto competition and the Waldo Mayo Memorial Violin Competition.

He and his wife Eunice Kim, who have been enthusiastic duo partners for nearly two decades, formed the duo “Arco e Tasto” and were awarded the prize for Best Duo at the 20th International Violin and Piano Master Classes of the Music Academy of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Lee graduated from the Humboldt Grammar School in Cologne, Germany, in 2001. He studied with Stephen Clapp and Donald Weilerstein at The Juilliard School, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 2006. Two years later, Lee received his master’s degree from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert and Nicholas Mann. He continued his studies with them at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received his Artist Diploma in 2009 and doctorate in 2016.

His former teachers include Michael Davis, Maria Giesy, Christiane Hutcap, Hyo Kang, Jongsuk Li, Igor Ozim, Jaegwang Song, and Viktor Tretjakov. He drew inspiration from master classes with Pierre Amoyal, Bruno Canino, Pamela Frank, Miriam Fried, Leonidas Kavakos, Masao Kawasaki, Herman Krebbers, Cho-Liang Lin, Martin Lovett, Yfrah Neaman, and Sylvia Rosenberg, all of whom strongly influenced him and shaped his musical ethos.

Lee was appointed concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2023; prior to that, he served as first concertmaster of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen for a decade. Equally passionate about teaching, he was a violin faculty member at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf from 2018 until 2022.

Program notes by David Jensen

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

Born 9 October 1835; Paris, France

Died 16 December 1921; Algiers, Algeria

Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Opus 61

Composed: 1879 – 1880

First performance: 15 October 1880; Adolf Beer, conductor; Pablo de Sarasate, violin; Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Last MSO performance: 6 October 2001; Pavel Kogan, conductor; Elmar Oliveira, violin

Instrumentation: 2 flutes (2nd doubling on piccolo); 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; 2 horns; 2 trumpets; 3 trombones; timpani; strings

Approximate duration: 30 minutes

Enamored with the clearly defined musical conventions of the past, Camille Saint-Saëns distinguished himself as a virtuoso pianist with a gift for crafting pristine music as naturally, in his words, “as an apple tree produces apples.” Unfairly accused of lacking a distinctive personality by his detractors, who considered him an old-fashioned formalist, his work was dismissed as “la mauvaise musique bien écrite” — or “bad music written well.” Though indisputably orthodox in his artistic convictions, Saint-Saëns enjoyed a wonderfully successful career, composing within every major genre native to classical music with exceptional skill, and as an intellectual and an authority on early music, his was a musical mind equaled only by the scholarly class.

By the time he was writing his third violin concerto, Saint-Saëns was an old hand at turning out showpieces for the instrument. He had already produced two concerti, written during the last years of the 1850s, and the Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, each demonstrating the brilliant technical finesse and musical poise that had become hallmarks of his concertante style. Since 1859, Saint-Saëns had been inspired by one history’s greatest fiddlers: as the story goes, a young Spaniard by the name of Pablo de Sarasate simply showed up unannounced at his front door and requested a concerto from him as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Born in Pamplona, Sarasate’s prodigious abilities earned him a place at the Paris Conservatoire at just 12 years old. As a teenager, he had already established his career as a soloist, and he spent his adult life touring the world and performing both his own virtuoso compositions and those of composers enamored with his sound: Bruch, Lalo, and Wieniawski each dedicated some of the greatest literature in the violin repertoire to him. Accounts of Sarasate’s playing describe his clarity of tone, warm, wide vibrato, and technical perfection; the Hungarian violinist Carl Flesch described him as “a completely new type of violinist” whose flawless intonation and physical ease in even the most demanding bravura passages astonished his audiences.

Saint-Saëns’s third violin concerto balances the ideals of melodic intrigue, drama, and structural precision, centering the violinist in the heart of the action while containing the heightened emotional charge of the music within a sensitively refined style. Bristling with the hush of tremolo strings, a brazen opening statement from the soloist magnifies a musical tension soon intensified by a dazzling series of runs and double-stops. A florid middle movement places the violin in dialogue with the orchestra as winds and strings echo the motivic fragments introduced by the soloist, ultimately coming to rest in a delicate sequence of harmonics in the closing bars. Evoking the sizzling virtuosity of Sarasate’s playing, the finale’s dotted rhythms and whirlwind triplets emulate the incisive rhythms of the tarantella, urging the music on to its exhilarating conclusion.

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF

Born 1 April 1873; Semyonovo, Russia

Died 28 March 1943, Beverly Hills, California

Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Opus 27

Composed: October 1906 – April 1907

First performance: 26 January 1908; Sergei Rachmaninoff, conductor; Russian Symphony Orchestra Society

Last MSO performance: 1 February 2020; Edo de Waart, conductor

Instrumentation: 3 flutes (3rd doubling on piccolo); 3 oboes (3rd doubling on English horn); 2 clarinets; bass clarinet; 2 bassoons; 4 horns; 3 trumpets; 3 trombones; tuba; timpani; percussion (bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum); strings

Approximate duration: 60 minutes

When Sergei Rachmaninoff began drafting his first symphony in 1895, he had no reason to expect anything but success. As a teenager, he had already completed his first piano concerto, several works of chamber music, and his one-act opera, Aleko, composed as a graduation exercise for the Moscow Conservatory. How much greater the shock must have been, then, when its premiere proved to be an utter disaster. Under-rehearsed, formally difficult, and led by the dilettante conductor Alexander Glazunov (who, according to eyewitness accounts, was almost certainly drunk on the podium), the composer César Cui, in an especially scathing review, condemned it as “a program symphony on the Ten Plagues of Egypt,” and its dismal reception pitched Rachmaninoff into the depths of despair.

Rachmaninoff composed next to nothing for three years, describing himself in a letter 20 years later as “a man who had suffered a stroke and for a long time had lost use of his head and hands.” He took up conducting the Moscow Private Russian Opera for a season, discovering a new avenue of musical expression, gave his London debut, and even met the novelist Leo Tolstoy in the hopes it might alleviate his psychological distress, though not even one of Russia’s greatest literary minds could induce him to take up his pen. Despondent, he agreed to his family’s suggestion that he seek medical treatment, and during the early months of 1900, he underwent daily hypnotherapy at the hands of Dr. Nikolai Dahl.

By the summer, Rachmaninoff reported that “new musical ideas began to stir within me” as he began sketching the outlines of his second piano concerto. His health and confidence were soon restored, and the next several years were witness to Rachmaninoff’s ascent to the realm of genius — his second concerto, dedicated to Dahl, was an immediate triumph, he completed his cello sonata, a suite for two pianos, and ten preludes, and even conducted at the Bolshoi Theatre for two seasons, where his operas The Miserly Knight and Francesca da Rimini enjoyed successful premieres. Escaping the political instability of the Russian Revolution of 1905, he relocated to Dresden to concentrate on his work as a composer, arriving at the fullest expression of his intensely emotive style.

Rachmaninoff’s second symphony is the apotheosis of the paradigm he had been cultivating since his recovery — its ideas are extravagantly realized, woven into a luscious orchestral medium and expounded in a robust, immediately felt harmonic language. Its melodies seem to unspool continuously, taking up as much temporal space as necessary to effectively render their meaning. Consider the opening movement: its slow introduction occupies a quarter of its length as it presents the potent thematic material that saturates the music. The scherzo begins with a quotation of the Dies irae in the brass, its frantic energy soon dissolving into a finely wrought lyrical theme and, later on, a sudden episode of fugal discourse. The sprawling, heartfelt lines of the adagio have earned it a place as one of Rachmaninoff’s most popular musical moments, while the finale, an absolute juggernaut of sonic jubilation, gathers up the themes of the proceeding movements and transforms them into an explosive tour-de-force of symphonic might.

Congratulations to our Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Retiree

TODD LEVY

Principal Clarinet

Franklyn Esenberg Principal Clarinet Chair Joined the MSO in 2000

Principal clarinet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and participant in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, fourtime Grammy Award-winner Todd Levy has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Mostly Mozart, with the Israel Philharmonic, and at the White House, among many other venues. An active chamber musician, Levy has appeared with members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Orion, Ying, Miro, and Miami string quartets, and with James Levine, Christoph Eschenbach, and Mitsuko Uchida. He has also been a participant at the Marlboro Music Festival for four summers and was a member of the Naumburg Award-winning Aspen Wind Quintet.

In demand as guest principal clarinet with the top American orchestras, Levy has played principal clarinet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and frequently for Seiji Ozawa and Riccardo Muti in Japan with Tokyo Opera Nomori and the Mito Chamber Orchestra. An avid supporter of new music, he has performed world premieres of concerti and chamber works by composers such as John Harbison, Joan Tower, Peter Schickele, Paquito D’Rivera, Morton Subotnick, Magnus Lindberg, Marc Neikrug, and Outi Tarkiainen. He performs on the new release of Marc Neikrug’s Through Roses with violinist Pinchas Zukerman, actor John Rubenstein, and the composer conducting.

Levy’s new CD for Avie, Rhapsodie, features 20th-century classics for clarinet. He has also recorded the Brahms clarinet sonatas and Schumann’s romances and Fantasiestücke for Avie, as well as three educational CDs of clarinet competition works entitled The Clarinet Collection for G. Schirmer and Hal Leonard. In 2021, he compiled a book of French repertoire for publisher Alphonse Leduc called French Music for Clarinet. Levy has recorded and edited the new exclusive editions and CDs of the Bernstein clarinet sonata and Gerald Finzi’s five bagatelles for Boosey and Hawkes, in addition to more than 20 other orchestral and chamber music CDs on the Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, and Decca labels. He performs on Vandoren reeds, mouthpieces, and ligatures and Selmer Signature clarinets. Levy serves on the clarinet faculty at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and at UW-Milwaukee. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and an alumnus of the New World Symphony.

MASUR CONDUCTS MISSA SOLEMNIS

Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 2:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Ken-David Masur, conductor

Katerina Burton, soprano

Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano

Issachah Savage, tenor

Adam Lau, bass

Milwaukee Symphony Chorus

Cheryl Frazes Hill, director

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Missa solemnis in D major, Opus 123

I. Kyrie

II. Gloria

III. Credo

IV. Sanctus

V. Agnus Dei

Katerina Burton, soprano

Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano

Issachah Savage, tenor

Adam Lau, bass

Milwaukee Symphony Chorus

Jinwoo Lee, violin

This weekend’s performances are generously sponsored by SUSAN AND LEANDER JENNINGS in honor of Ken-David Masur.

The 2025.26 Classics Series is presented by the UNITED PERFORMING ARTS FUND and ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

The length of this concert is approximately 1 hours and 30 minutes.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Guest Artist Biographies

KATERINA BURTON

American soprano Katerina Burton, acclaimed for her “vocal fire and dramatic conviction” (Isthmus), is a 2024 winner of the George and Nora London Foundation Competition and a recipient of the Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation. She is a graduate of the Cafritz Young Artists Program at Washington National Opera, where she gained recognition for her thrilling mainstage debut as Micaëla in Francesca Zambello’s renowned production of Carmen

The 2025-26 season saw both a role and company debut for Burton as Serena in Porgy and Bess with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, as well as a solo debut with the New Orchestra of Washington in Beethoven’s ninth symphony in collaboration with the Denyce Graves Foundation. She also made a return to the Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, D.C., where she appeared as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, joined Cantori New York as the soprano soloist in Frank Ferko’s Stabat Mater, and made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Mendelssohn’s “Hear My Prayer” with MidAmerica Productions.

Burton has seen much success as an international competitor, having placed in the Dallas Opera’s 2024 National Vocal Competition and been chosen as a Grand Finalist in the Concours Tenor Viñas presented by the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain. Previously, Burton was a semifinalist for the prestigious Queen Sonja Singing Competition in Oslo, Norway, and was also a semifinalist for the Concours musical international de Montréal. A native of Ocean City, Maryland, Burton completed her graduate studies at The Juilliard School.

JENNIFER JOHNSON CANO

Jennifer Johnson Cano’s portrayal of Michele in the recent premiere of The Righteous at the Santa Fe Opera earned her accolades from The New York Times, which noted how she “voluptuously captured” the pain and strength of her character; Opera Today called Cano’s arias in The Righteous “flawless combinations of radiant, poised, attractive singing invested with heartfelt delivery.”

After creating the role of Michele in the world premiere of Gregory Spears’s The Righteous with the Santa Fe Opera in the summer of 2024, she was invited back to sing the role of Mrs. Grose in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw as well as Schwertleite in Wagner’s Die Walküre in the summer of 2025. Her 2025-26 season includes engagements with the Chicago, San Francisco, Colorado, and Seattle symphonies and The Apollo Orchestra. The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents Cano in recital with pianist Christopher Cano and violist Beth Guterman Chu. Tours include a project with Simone Dinnerstein and her ensemble, Baroklyn, as well as a week with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan. Cano returns to the Metropolitan Opera in her role debut as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and premieres a new song cycle by Gregory Spears at the Tucson Desert Song Festival.

Cano joined the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera after winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Among her honors are the first prize from the Young Concert Artist International Auditions, a Sara Tucker Study Grant, a Richard Tucker Career Grant, and a George London Award.

Guest Artist Biographies

ISSACHAH SAVAGE

Dramatic tenor Issachah Savage has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Toronto, and St. Louis symphony orchestras.

Operatic highlights include performances with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, Seattle Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Dutch National Opera, l’Opéra national du Capitole de Toulouse, and the Salzburg Festival. He has sung much of the great dramatic tenor repertoire, including the title roles in Tannhäuser, Otello, Peter Grimes, and Rienzi, Siegmund in Die Walküre, Radamès in Aïda, Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos, Der Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Manrico in Il trovatore, and Narraboth in Salome.

This season, Savage makes debuts with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Missa solemnis and with the North Carolina Symphony in Mozart’s “Great” Mass in C minor. He also returns to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for “Echoes of Excellence: Celebrating the Legacy of Chicago’s Black Voices,” and to the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo for Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

ADAM LAU

Chinese-American bass Adam Lau, praised for his “dauntingly low register” (Classical Voice North America) and “cellar-deep sound” (Post Alley), continues to garner acclaim on opera and concert stages worldwide. Lau has received top honors in several major competitions, including first prize at the George and Nora London Foundation for Singers Competition, Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition, and Young Patronesses of the Opera National Voice Competition.

In 2025-26, Lau made his house and role debut at Houston Grand Opera as Betto in Gianni Schicchi, his Calgary Opera debut as Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and returned to Florida Grand Opera as Timur in Turandot and Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of New York as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah. He will be featured in the upcoming film adaptation of Gordon Getty’s opera Plump Jack in the role of the Lord Chief Justice. He can also be heard as Oroveso in the newly released EuroArts recording of Norma, which is available on all platforms.

In recent seasons, Lau has appeared with San Francisco Opera as Samuel in Un ballo in maschera, returned to Minnesota Opera as Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, played Narbal in Les Troyens and Angelotti in Tosca with Seattle Opera, performed in concerts with the Metropolitan Opera at Carnegie Hall and on the company’s European tour, conducted by music director Yannick NézetSéguin, and appeared as Sarastro in The Magic Flute under the baton of Marin Alsop at the Ravinia Festival.

Program notes by David Jensen

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Born 17 December 1770; Bonn, Germany

Died 26 March 1827; Vienna, Austria

Missa solemnis in D major, Opus 123

Composed: 1819 – 1823

First performance: 7 April 1824; Saint Petersburg

Philharmonic Society

Last MSO performance: 20 May 2007; Andreas Delfs, conductor; Turid Karlsen, soprano; Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, mezzo-soprano; Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor; Stephen Morschek, bass

Instrumentation: 2 flutes; 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; contrabassoon; 4 horns; 2 trumpets; 3 trombones; timpani; organ; strings

Approximate duration: 81 minutes

In the autumn of 1802, Ludwig van Beethoven penned one of the most intensely personal documents of his life. At the direction of his doctor, Johann Adam Schmidt, Beethoven had spent the summer in Heiligenstadt, a rural outpost of Vienna, working out his second symphony while suffering the oppressive silence of his steadily deteriorating hearing. Written to his brothers Carl and Johann, the letter that came to be known as the Heiligenstadt Testament was primarily intended as his last will; more importantly, it marked definitively Beethoven’s acceptance that his condition was certain to become a permanent feature of his life. The letter not only grapples with his own distraught psychological state, articulating in painful detail his sense of isolation and withdrawal from civil society, but offers an intimate view of his own philosophical and religious convictions.

Wrestling with the question of whether his life was worth living, he ultimately rejected suicide, recognizing that the driving force of his destiny as an artist was far greater than his personal despair: “it was only my art that held me back. … it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me.” Typical of his unorthodox relationship to the sacred, his letter invokes an ambiguously defined but entirely personal God: “Divine One, thou seest my inmost soul, thou knowest that therein dwells the love of mankind and the desire to do good. … despite all the limitations of Nature [I] nevertheless did everything within [my] powers to become accepted among worthy artists and men.” Tellingly, the letter was left unsent and was not discovered until Beethoven’s death.

These are salient points worth making in that Beethoven’s life became, in the wake of his disability, something of a spiritual path. It was shortly after leaving Heiligenstadt for Vienna that he composed the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, and by the time he began planning in earnest a “High Mass” befitting Archduke Rudolf of Austria’s new appointment as Archbishop of Olomouc in 1819, he had already produced his first setting of the Mass for Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II. Quite predictably, his final, and greatest, expression of religious thought quickly grew to tremendous proportions, rendering the intended premiere in the spring of 1820 an impossibility. Writing to the Archduke in 1823 after having finally finished the score, Beethoven modestly quoted the philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: “There is nothing higher than to approach more nearly to the Godhead than other mortals, and by that contact to spread the rays of the Godhead through the human race.”

We know that Beethoven, in preparation for his “solemn mass,” was fastidious not only in his survey of the doctrinal implications of the language of the Mass, but the historical precedent set by Bach, Handel, Palestrina, and their predecessors, studying liturgical plainchant, ecclesiastical modes, and Renaissance treatises on music theory. Like much of the music written during the final chapter of his life, it is expressive in the extreme. A plea for mercy, the grand instrumental overtures and silken vocal polyphony of the Kyrie immediately suggest the reverence with which Beethoven has approached his subject matter; underscoring their lofty expressions of faith, magnificent fugues crown the Gloria and the Credo; the concertmaster solo that threads its way through the Sanctus, entering just as the chorus intones “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,” assumes celestial dimensions; and the Agnus Dei, as a final prayer for, in Beethoven’s words, “inner and outer peace,” transports us from the dark night of the soul to our final absolution.

Continuing a tradition that had been in practice for more than half a millennium, the Missa solemnis imposes staggering demands upon its performers in an attempt to communicate the ineffable, immanent, and sublime quality of the spiritual ground as Beethoven understood it. Perhaps it is within this very struggle to intimate the nature of the divine itself that we can most completely recognize Beethoven in the handwritten note he included at the top of the manuscript: “From the heart — may it once again — return to the heart!”

2025.26 SEASON

KEN-DAVID MASUR

Music Director

Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair

EDO DE WAART

Music Director Laureate

BYRON STRIPLING

Principal Pops Conductor

Stein Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair

RYAN TANI

Associate Conductor

CHERYL FRAZES HILL

Chorus Director

Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair

TIMOTHY J. BENSON

Assistant Chorus Director

FIRST VIOLINS

Jinwoo Lee, Concertmaster, Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair

Ilana Setapen, First Associate Concertmaster, Thora M. Vervoren First Associate Concertmaster Chair

Jeanyi Kim, Associate Concertmaster

Alexander Ayers

Autumn Chodorowski

Yuka Kadota

Elliot Lee

Dylana Leung

Kyung Ah Oh

Lijia Phang

Vinícius Sant’Ana**

Yuanhui Fiona Zheng

SECOND VIOLINS

Jennifer Startt, Principal, Andrea and Woodrow Leung Principal Second Violin Chair

Ji-Yeon Lee, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)

Hyewon Kim, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)

Heejeon Ahn

Lisa Johnson Fuller

Clay Hancock

Paul Hauer

Sheena Lan**

Janis Sakai**

Yiran Yao

VIOLAS

Victor de Almeida, Principal, Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair

Samantha Rodriguez, Acting Assistant Principal (2nd chair), Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Assistant Principal Viola Chair

Alejandro Duque, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)

Elizabeth Breslin

Georgi Dimitrov

Nathan Hackett

Michael Lieberman**

Erin H. Pipal

CELLOS

Susan Babini, Principal, Dorothea C. Mayer Principal Cello Chair

Shinae Ra, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)

Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus

Madeleine Kabat

Peter Szczepanek

Peter J. Thomas

Adrien Zitoun

BASSES

Principal, Donald B. Abert Principal Bass Chair

Andrew Raciti, Acting Principal

Nash Tomey, Acting Assistant Principal (2nd chair)

Brittany Conrad

Broner McCoy

Paris Myers

HARP

Julia Coronelli, Principal, Walter Schroeder Principal Harp Chair

FLUTES

Sonora Slocum, Principal, Margaret and Roy Butter Principal Flute Chair

Heather Zinninger, Assistant Principal

Jennifer Bouton Schaub

PICCOLO

Jennifer Bouton Schaub

OBOES

Katherine Young Steele, Principal, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League Principal Oboe Chair

Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal

Margaret Butler

ENGLISH HORN

Margaret Butler, Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin

CLARINETS

Todd Levy, Principal, Franklyn Esenberg Principal Clarinet Chair

Jay Shankar, Assistant Principal, Donald and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair

Besnik Abrashi

E-FLAT CLARINET

Jay Shankar

BASS CLARINET

Besnik Abrashi

BASSOONS

Catherine Van Handel, Principal, Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Principal Bassoon Chair*

Rudi Heinrich, Acting Principal

Matthew Melillo

CONTRABASSOON

Matthew Melillo

HORNS

Matthew Annin, Principal, Krause Family Principal

French Horn Chair

Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal

Dietrich Hemann, Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair

Darcy Hamlin

Dawson Hartman

TRUMPETS

Matthew Ernst, Principal, Walter L. Robb Family Principal Trumpet Chair

David Cohen, Associate Principal, Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair

Tim McCarthy, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair

TROMBONES

Megumi Kanda, Principal, Marjorie Tiefenthaler Principal Trombone Chair

Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal

BASS TROMBONE

John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball Bass Trombone Chair

TUBA

Robyn Black, Principal, John and Judith Simonitsch Principal Tuba Chair

TIMPANI

Dean Borghesani, Principal

Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal

PERCUSSION

Robert Klieger, Principal

Chris Riggs

PIANO

Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair

PERSONNEL

Antonio Padilla Denis, Director of Orchestra Personnel

Paris Myers, Assistant Manager of Orchestra Personnel

LIBRARIANS

Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair

Matthew Geise, Assistant Librarian & Media Archivist

PRODUCTION

Tristan Wallace, Production Manager/Live Audio

Lisa Sottile, Production Stage Manager

* Leave of absence during the 2025.26 season

** Acting member of the MSO for the 2025.26 season

senior living

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Situated on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, Chai Point offers a life steeped in culture and creativity. Enjoy rotating art exhibitions, intimate concerts from symphony to jazz, visiting international lecturers, and excursions to Milwaukee’s cultural treasures.

With independent and assisted living options, you'll enjoy cityscape and lake views from your high-rise apartment — all with predictable rent and no buy-in.

Step into a community where inspiration lives in every note, brushstroke, and conversation.

To schedule your personalized tour, call Josh Kaplan at 414.277.8829. Visit ovation.org or scan the QR code to learn more.

While rooted in Jewish tradition, our community welcomes residents of all faiths.

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Featured Artists:

May 06

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May 13

Diana Eiler, Contralto

May 20

May 27

Michael Keegan, French Horn

June 3

Kirstin Roble, Mezzosoprano

June 10

Karen Beaumont, Organist

June 17

James Hogan, Tenor & Debra Hogan, Pianist

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June 24

Karen Beaumont, Organist.

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Loyal and generous supporters who choose to honor the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra through bequests and planned giving become members of our distinguished Musical Legacy Society.

MLS members not only enjoy the satisfaction of knowing their gift will support the MSO for generations to come, but also receive special insider benefits. Scan to learn more about how to leave your legacy.

Visionaries

Commitments of $1,000,000 and above

Two Anonymous Donors

Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation

Richard Bradley

Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair

Ellen and Joe Checota

The Cudahy Foundation

Franklyn Esenberg

Herzfeld Foundation

Krause Family Principal Horn Chair

Dr. Keith Austin Larson Principal Organ Chair

Laskin Family Foundation

Dr. Brent and Susan Martin

Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair

Phyllis and Harleth Pubanz

Gertrude M. Puelicher Education Fund

Michael and Jeanne Schmitz President and Executive Director Chair

John and Judith Simonitsch Tuba Chair

Stein Family Foundation

Principal Pops Conductor Chair

John Stewig

Lynde B. Uihlein via the Brico Fund

Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair

James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair

Thora M. Vervoren First Associate Concertmaster Chair

The Family of Evonne Winston and Paul Nausieda

Philanthropists

Commitments of $500,000 and above

One Anonymous Donor

Donald B. Abert Principal Bass Chair

Mr. Richard Blomquist

Patrice L. (Patti) Bringe

Margaret and Roy Butter Principal Flute Chair

Bobbi and Jim Caraway

Donald and Judy Christl

Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair

Sandra and William Haack

Douglas M. Hagerman

Mrs. Alyce Coyne Katayma

Andrea and Woodrow Leung Principal Second Violin Chair and Fred Fuller

Dorothea C. Mayer Principal Cello Chair

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League Principal Oboe Chair

Northwestern Mutual Foundation

Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair

Dr. Carol Pohl

Walter L. Robb Family

Principal Trumpet Chair

Robert T. Rolfs Foundation

Gertrude Elser and John Edward Schroeder Guest Artist Fund

Walter Schroeder Foundation Principal Harp Chair

Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Principal Bassoon Chair

Allison M. & Dale R. Smith Percussion Fund

Marjorie Tiefenthaler

Principal Trombone Chair

Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair

Benefactors

Commitments of $100,000 and above

Four Anonymous Donors

Patty and Jay Baker Fund for Guest Artists

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick J.O. Blachly

Philip Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin and his favorite cousin, Beatrice Blank

Judith and Stanton Bluestone

Estate of Lloyd Broehm

Louise Cattoi, in memory of David and Angela Cattoi

Lynn Chappy Salon Series

Terry J. Dorr

Elizabeth Elser Doolittle

Charitable Trusts

Franklyn Esenberg

Principal Clarinet Chair

David L. Harrison

Estate of Sally Hennen

Karen Hung and Robert Coletti

Richard M. Kimball

Bass Trombone Chair

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Judy and Gary Jorgensen

Judith A. Keyes MSOL Docent Fund

Charles A. Krause

Donald and JoAnne Krause Music Education Endowment Fund

Martin J. Krebs

Co-Principal Trumpet Chair

Charles and Barbara Lund

Mr. Peter L. Mahler

Marcus Corporation Foundation Guest Artist Fund

Annette Marra

Susan and Brent Martin

Christian and Kate Mitchell

William and Marian Nasgovitz

Estate of Jessica Nienas

John and Elizabeth Ogden

Lois and Richard Pauls

Gordana and Milan Racic

The Erika Richman MSO-MYSO

Reading Workshop Fund

Pat and Allen Rieselbach

Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri

Assistant Principal Viola Chair

Sara and Jay Schwister

Nancy and Greg Smith

Estate of Walter S. Smolenski, Jr.

Bert L. & Patricia S. Steigleder

Charitable Trust

Donald B. and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant

Principal Clarinet Chair

Gile & Linda Tojek

Haruki Toyama

Mrs. William D. Vogel

Barbara and Ted Wiley

Jack Winter Guest Artist Fund

Fern L. Young Endowment Fund for Guest Artists

MUSICAL LEGACY SOCIETY

The Musical Legacy Society recognizes and appreciates the individuals who have made a planned gift to the MSO. The MSO invites you to join these generous donors who have remembered the orchestra in their estate plans.

Nine Anonymous Donors

George R. Affeldt

Dana and Gail Atkins

Robert Balderson

Bruce and Margaret Barr

Adam Bauman

Priscilla and Anthony Beadell

Dr. Philip and Beatrice Blank

Mr. Richard Blomquist

Judith and Stanton Bluestone

Patrice L. (Patti) Bringe

Jean S. Britt

Neil Brooks

Anthony and Vicki Cecalupo

Lynn Chappy

Ellen and Joe Checota

Donald and Judy Christl

Mary and James M. Connelly

Jo Ann Corrao

Lois Ellen Debbink

Mary Ann Delzer

Robert C. and Lois K. Dittus

Julie Doneis

Terry J. Dorr

Donn Dresselhuys

Beth and Ted Durant

Rosemarie Eierman

Franklyn Esenberg

JoAnn Falletta

Donald L. Feinsilver, M.D.

Susie and Robert Fono

Ruth and John Fredericks

Brett Goodman

Roberta Gordon

Marta P. and Doyne M. Haas

Douglas M. Hagerman

Ms. Jean I. Hamann

Ms. Sybille Hamilton

Kristin A. Hansen

David L. Harrison

Judy Harrison

Cheryl H. and Roy L. Hauswirth

Cliff Heise

Sidney and Suzanne Herszenson

Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Hoke

Glenda Holm

Jean and Charles Holmburg

Karen Hung and Robert Coletti

Myra Huth

William and Janet Isbister

Lee and Barbara Jacobi

Leon and Betsy Janssen

Marilyn W. John

Faith L. Johnson

Jayne J. Jordan

Musical Legacy Society/Annual Fund

Judy and Gary Jorgensen

Debra Jupka

James A. and Robin S. Kasch

Howard Kaspin

James H. Keyes

Judith A. Keyes

Richard and Sarah Kimball

Mary Krall

JoAnne and Donald Krause

Martin J. and Alice Krebs

Cynthia Krueger-Prost

Alice Kuramoto

Steven E. Landfried

Mr. Bruce R. Laning

Victor Larson

Tom and Lise Lawson

Andrea and Woodrow Leung

Mr. Robert D. Lidicker

Mr. and Mrs. John B. Liebenstein

Drs. John and Theresa Liu

Mr. Peter L. Mahler

Dr. John and Kristie Malone

Steven and Mary Rose Marinkovich

Ms. Kathleen Marquardt

Susan and Brent Martin

JoAnne Matchette

Rita T. and James C. McDonald

Patricia and James McGavock

Nancy McGiveran

Mark and Donna Metzendorf

Mrs. Christel U. Mildenberg

Dr. Mary Ellen Mitchanis

Christian and Kate Mitchell

Joan Moeller

Ms. Melodi Muehlbauer

Robert Mulcahy

Kathleen M. Murphy

William and Marian Nasgovitz

Andy Nunemaker

Diana and Gerald Ogren

Lynn and Lawrence Olsen

Mr. and Mrs. Philip W. Orth

Lygere Panagopoulos

Deborah Patel

Gerald T. and Carol K. Petersen

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald R. Poe

Dr. Carol Pohl

Julie Quinlan Brame and Jason Brame

Ms. Harvian Raasch-Hooten

Christine Radiske and Herbert Quigley

Steve and Susan Ragatz

Catherine A. Regner

Stephen and Frances Richman

Pat and David Rierson

Pat and Allen Rieselbach

Roger B. Ruggeri and Andrea K. Wagoner

Nina Sarenac

Mary B. Schley

Michael J. and Jeanne E. Schmitz

James and Kathleen Scholler

Charitable Fund

James Schultz and Donna Menzer

Mason Sherwood and Mark Franke

John and Judith Simonitsch

Margles Singleton

Lois Bernard and William Small

Dale and Allison Smith

John Stewig and Richard Bradley

Dr. Robert A. and Kathleen Sullo

Terry Burko and David Taggart

Lois Tetzlaff

Gile and Linda Tojek

James E. Van Ess

Thora Vervoren

Dr. Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner

Michael Walton

Brian A. Warnecke

Earl Wasserman

Alice Weiss

Carol and James Wiensch

Janet Wilgus

Rolland and Sharon Wilson

Sandra and Ross Workman

For more information on becoming a member of the Musical Legacy Society, please contact the Advancement Office at 414-226-7891.

ANNUAL FUND

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra truly values the music lovers in the concert hall, and we thank our contributors to the Annual Fund for investing their time and support in this treasure. We gratefully acknowledge their contributions to the Annual Fund as of February 20, 2026.

CONDUCTOR CIRCLE

$100,000 and above

Ellen and Joe Checota

Mrs. George C. Kaiser

Donald and JoAnne Krause

Marty Krebs

Sheldon and Marianne Lubar Charitable Fund of the Lubar Family Foundation

Dr. Brent and Susan Martin

Michael Schmitz

Julia and David Uihlein

$50,000 and above

One Anonymous Donor

Laura and Mike Arnow

Anthony and Vicki Cecalupo

$25,000 and above

Bobbi and Jim Caraway

Mr. Franklyn Esenberg

Doug Hagerman

Mrs. Alyce Coyne Katayama

Judith A. Keyes

Robert and Gail Korb

Maureen McCabe

Dr. Carol Pohl

Nancy and Greg Smith

Drs. George and Christine Sosnovsky Charitable Trust

Drs. Robert Taylor and Janice McFarland Taylor

Thora Vervoren

$15,000 and above

Two Anonymous Donors

Richard Bradley

Marilyn and John Breidster

Elaine Burke

Ms. Trish Calvy

Mary and James M. Connelly

Dr. Deborah and Jeff Costakos

Mary Lou M. Findley

The Paul & Connie Flagg Family Charitable Fund

George E. Forish, Jr.

Kim and Nancy Graff

Drs. Carla and Robert Hay

Jewish Community Foundation

Eileen and Howard Dubner Donor Advised Fund

Christine Krueger

Charles and Barbara Lund

Dr. Ann H. and Mr. Michael J. McDonald

Brian and Lesli McLinden

Teresa and Mike Mogensen

Lois and Richard Pauls

Pat Rieselbach

Sara and Jay Schwister

John and Judith Simonitsch

Allison M. and Dale R. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Tiffany

Haruki Toyama

Mark Van Hecke

Alice Weiss

Herbert Zien and Elizabeth Levins

$10,000 and above

Four Anonymous Donors

Dr. Rita Bakalars

Robert Balderson

Dr. and Mrs. James D. Buck

Joanne Doehler

Jack Douthitt and Michelle Zimmer

Bruce T. Faure M.D.

Mrs. Susan G. Gebhardt

Elizabeth and William Genne

Judith J. Goetz

Stephanie and Steve Hancock

Katherine Hauser

Mr. and Mrs. Eric E. Hobbs

Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Hoke

Judy and Gary Jorgensen

Dr. Joseph E. and Jane C. Kerschner

Geraldine Lash

Mr. Peter L. Mahler

Mark and Donna Metzendorf

Dr. Mary Ellen Mitchanis

Patrick and Mary Murphy

Elaine Harmand Pagedas

Julie Peay

Leslie and Aaron Plamann

Lynn and Craig Schmutzer

Tracy S. Wang, MD

Evonne Winston

Diana J. Wood

PRINCIPAL CIRCLE

$5,000 and above

Six Anonymous Donors

Fred and Kay Austermann

Thomas Bagwell and Michelle Hiebert

Natalie Beckwith

Lois Bernard

Richard Bibler

Dr. Sherry H. Blumberg

William and Barbara Boles

Marcia P. Brooks and Edward J. Hammond

Roger Byhardt

Ms. Trish Calvy

Ara and Valerie Cherchian

Donald and Judy Christl

Sandra and Russell Dagon

Paul Dekker

Mrs. William T. Dicus

Karen Dobbs and Chris DeNardis

Jacquelyn and Dalibor Drummer

Beth and Ted Durant

Dr. Eric Durant and Scott Swickard

Dr. and Mrs. Harry A. Easom

Elizabeth and Herodotos Ellinas

Dr. Donald Feinsilver and JoAnn Corrao

Stan and Janet Fox

Alison Graf and Richard Schreiner

James and Crystal Hegge

Ms. Mary E. Henke

Mark and Judy Hibbard

Peg and Mark Humphrey

James and Karen Hyde Foundation, Inc.

Lee and Barbara Jacobi

Jayne J. Jordan

Lynn and Tom Kassouf

Kathryn Koenen Potos

Benedict and Lee Kordus

Charmaine and James LaBelle

Mary E. Lacy

Drs. Kaye and Prakash Laud

Dr. Joseph and Amy Leung

Peter and Kathleen Lillegren

Gerald and Elaine Mainman

Sara and Nathan Manning

John and Linda Mellowes

Judith Fitzgerald Miller

Barbara and Layton Olsen

Brian and Maura Packham

Ellen Rohwer Pappas and Timothy Pappas

Sharon L. Petrie

Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Pierce-Ruhland

Jim and Fran Proulx

Christine Radiske and Herbert Quigley

Jerome Randall and Mary Hauser

Dr. Donna Recht and Dr. Robert Newby

Steve and Fran Richman

Roger Ritzow

Mary Roberts

Gayle G. Rosemann and Paul E. McElwee

Mr. Daniel J. Schicker

Carlton Stansbury

Richard and Linda Stevens

Jim Strey

Kathleen Thometz

Gile and Linda Tojek

Janet Wilgus

Jessica R. Wirth

$3,500 and above

One Anonymous Donor

Jacqlynn Behnke

Marlene and Bert Bilsky

David and Diane Buck

Daniel and Allison Byrne

Chris and Katie Callen

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Christie

Mr. and Mrs. A. William Finke

Barbara Gill

Kurt and Rosemary Glaisner

Margarete and David Harvey

Barbara Hunt

David and Mel Johnson

Olof Jonsdottir and Thorsteinn Skulason

Megumi Kanda Hemann and Dietrich Hemann

Stanley Kritzik

Norm and Judy Lasca

Micaela Levine and Thomas St. John

Tom Lindow

Lynn Marzinski

Ann Rosenthal and Benson Massey

Dr. and Mrs. Debesh Mazumdar

Donald Petersen and Corinthia Van Orsdol

Mrs. David Y. Rosenzweig

Dottie Rotter

Judy and Tom Schmid

James Schultz and Donna Menzer

Joan and Kevin Schultz

Paul Seifert

Vickie Shufton

Sue and Boo Smith

Pamela and John Stampen

James and Catherine Startt

Jim Ward

Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Wilson

Jim and Sandy Wrangell

Carol and Richard Wythes

Marshall Zarem

Sandra Zingler

Leo Zoeller

ORCHESTRA CIRCLE

$2,000 and above

Two Anonymous Donors

Drs. Helmut and Sandra Ammon

Richard and Sara Aster

Bruce and Maggie Barr

Mr. Jack Beatty

Elliot and Karen Berman

Karen and Geoffrey Bilda

Cheri and Tom Briscoe

Mike and Ericka Burzynski

Edith Christian

Lynda and Tom Curl

Larry and Eileen Dean

Ms. Nancy A. Desjardins

Art and Rhonda Downey

Steven and Buffy Duback

Signe and Gerald Emmerich, Jr.

Ms. Shirley Erwin

Kristin Fewel

Pearl Mary Goetsch

Ginny Hall

Robert Hey

Robert S. Jakubiak

Leon Janssen

Maja Jurisic and Don Fraker

Dr. Bruce and Anna Kaufman

Dr. Jack and Myrna Kaufman

Mr. Rick Kirby

Julilly Kohler

Maritza and Mario Laguna

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Levy

Bruce Loder

Kathleen Lovelace

Guy and Mary Jo McDonald

Mrs. Debra L. Metz

George and Salie Meyer

Steve and Ellie Miller

Gregory and Susan Milleville

Mark and Carol Mitchell

Christine Mortensen

Ms. Mary Ann Mueller

Laurie Ocepek

Susan M. Otto

Dr. and Mrs. James T. Paloucek

Anthony Perella

Raymond and Janice Perry

Gerald T. and Carol K. Petersen

David J. Petersen

Donald A. Pollack and Adrienne PollackSender Family Charitable Trust

Susan Pustejovsky

Katie Quirk

Susan A. Riedel

Curt and Patty Robinson

Mr. Thomas Schneider

Elaine and Martin Schreiber

Mr. and Mrs. Mark W. Schwallie

Mrs. George R. Slater

Marybeth and Gregory Shuppe

Dr. and Mrs. Squat-Botley

Loretto and Dick Steinmetz

Jeff and Jody Steren

Terry Burko and David Taggart

Joan Thompson

Mr. Stephen Thompson

Joan and David Totten

Mike Uihlein

Mr. and Mrs. Lynn F. Unkefer

James Van Ess

Robert and Lana Wiese

Lee and Carol Wolcott

Mr. Wilfred Wollner

William and Denise Zeidler

$1,000 and above

Four Anonymous Donors

Ruth Agrusa

Sue and Louie Andrew

Mr. and Mrs. James B. Anello

Betty Arndt

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Ashmore

Danielle Baerwald

Paul E. Barkhaus, MD

Steve and Mary Barney

James and Nora Barry

Paul and Paula Bartel

Rodney C. Bartlow

and Judith K. Stephenson

Annual Fund/Corporate & Foundation

Mr. James M. Baumgartner

Ms. Christine Beck

Ron and Mary Beckman

David A. Benner and Dianne Benjamin Benner

Richard Bergman

Ken and Kristine Best

Mr. Lawrence Bialcik

Jeff and Elizabeth Billings

Marjorie Bjornstad

Greg Black

Mr. Brian P. Blake

Robert Borch and Linda Wickstrom

Mr. and Mrs. Darold Borree

Art and Jacinda Bouton

James L Brown and Ann Brophy

Michael and Marianna Bruch

Karen and Harry Carlson

Ms. Carol A. Carpenter

Mr. John Chain

Margaret Cieslak-Etlicher and David Etlicher

Margaret Crosby

Marilou and Bryan Davido

Garrett and Anne de Vroome Kamerling

Gerald and Ellen DeMers

Ms. Kristine L. Demski

Mary Paula Dix

Amy Domagalski

Peter Drenzek

Dr. and Mrs. Peter Drescher

Tom Durkin and Joan Robotham

Margaret Eigsti

Lori Erickson and John Bell

Mrs. Suzy B. Ettinger

Jill and George Fahr

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Freitag

Allan and Mary Ellen Froehlich

Drs. Mark and Virginia Gennis

Gerald R. Gensch and Ellen Conley

Jane K. Gertler

Ralph and Cherie Gorenstein

Sarah Gramentine

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Dresselhuys Family Fund

Leesley B. and Joan J. Hardy

Jay Kay Foundation Fund

Mr. and Mrs. James Grigg

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas W. Haag

Karleen Haberichter

Ms. Caroline Ham

Lawrence and Tsui-Ching Hammond

Leila and Joe Hanson

Jean and John Henderson

Dr. Sidney and Suzanne Herszenson

Renee Herzing

Ms. Judy Hessel

Jenny and Bob Hillis

Dr. Peter Hinow and Dr. Yuqiang Wei

Mr. Bernard C. Hlavac

Jeanne and Conrad Holling

Richard and Jeanne Hryniewicki

Barbara Hunteman

Suzanne and Michael Hupy

Jerome and Alice Jacobson

Amy Jensen

Faith L. Johnson

Ms. Karen Johnson

Mr. William Johnstone

Stephen Jones

Mr. Stephen Kaniewski

Rose and Dale Kaser

Allan Kasprzak and Trudi Schmitt

Patrick and Jane Keily

Brian and Mary Lou Kennedy

Sarajane and Robert Kennedy

Robert and Dorothy King

Thomas Kelly

Joseph W. Kmoch

Dr. and Mrs. Anthony Krausen

Dr. and Mrs. John Krezoski

Mr. Eric Krismer

Ian and Katherine Lambert

Mr. and Mrs. David Leevan

John and Janice Liebenstein

Matt and Patty Linn

Xia Liu

Neill and Fran Luebke

Ms. Joan Maas

Ann MacIver

Stephen and Judy Maersch

Dr. John and Kristie Malone

Mr. Peter Mamerow

Jeanne and David Mantsch

Mr. Jonathan March

Steven and Mary Rose Marinkovich

Dr. and Mrs. Francisco Martinez

Dr. Daniel and Constance McCarty

Diane Griewank McGinn and Thomas McGinn

Mr. and Mrs. John S. McGregor

Robert E. Meldman and Lila F. Silverberg

Ray and Elaine Meyer

Dr. David Miyama

Rusti and Steve Moffic

Richard and Isabel Muirhead

David and Gail Nelson

Ms. Doris Nice

David Olson and Claire Fritsche

Gladys Omahen

Judith Ormond

Joseph Pabst and John Schellinger

Douglas E. Peterson

William Prost and Cynthia Krueger-Prost

Eugene Pocernich

Mr. Ed Puzia

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Quadracci

Dr. Francis J. Randall

Myron Re

Drake Reinick

Lysbeth and James Reiskytl

Robin Gerson and Tim Riley

Dan and Anna Robbins

Emily and Mike Robertson

Roger B. Ruggeri and Andrea K. Wagoner

Michael and Mary Ryan

Allen & Millie Salomon

Ms. LindaGale Sampson

Keri Sarajian, Rick Stratton & Family

Keri Sarajian

Dr. Mary Lynn Schneider and Paul Thielhelm

Lawrence and Katherine Schnuck

Mark and Marlene Schrager

Phil Schumacher and Pauline Beck

Bob and Sally Schwarz

Mr. Thomas P. Schweda

Fred and Ruth Schwertfeger

Ronald and Judith Shapiro

Margles Singleton

Reeves Smith

Mr. James Stanke

Ken and Dee Stein

Ms. Bonnie Steindorf

Ann Stevens

Mr. Andrew Stillman

Mr. and Mrs. Roland E. Strampe

Sally Swetnam

Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Tenges

Tim and Bonnie Tesch

Kent and Marna Tess-Mattner

Winifred Thrall

Mr. and Mrs. James S. Tidey

Katherine Troy

Roy and Sandra Uelner

John Viste and Elaine Strite

Atty. Greg E. Vollan

We Energies Foundation

Ms. Beth L. Weckmueller

Henry Wellner and James Cook

Mr. and Mrs. Jerome T. Welz

Bill and Gwen Werner

Barbara Wesener

David Wesley

Lynn and Richard Wesolek

Bob and Barbara Whealon

A. James White

Linda and Dan Wilhelms

Terry and Carol Wilkins

Rolland and Sharon Wilson

Ron and Alice Winkler

Mrs. Melinda D. Wolf

Mr. Daryl and Mrs. Bonnie Wunrow

Mrs. Sharon S. Ziegler

CORPORATE & FOUNDATION

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra truly values the generosity of musicloving patrons in the concert hall and throughout the community. We especially thank our Corporate and Foundation contributors for investing their time and support in this treasure. We gratefully acknowledge contributions from:

$1,000,000 and above

United Performing Arts Fund

$250,000 and above

Argosy Foundation

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation

$100,000 and above

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Dr. John H. and Sara Sue Esser Fund

Corporate & Foundation/Matching Gifts/Golden Note Partners

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Fund

Herzfeld Foundation

Laskin Family Foundation

We Energies Foundation

$50,000 and above

Anonymous

Bader Philanthropies, Inc.

Chase Family Foundation

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Norman and Lucy Cohn Family Fund

Helen and Jeanette Oberndorfer Fund

Melitta S. and Joan M. Pick

Charitable Trust

National Endowment for the Arts

Rockwell Automation

$25,000 and above

Anonymous

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Gertrude Elser and John Edward Schroeder Fund

Jay Kay Foundation

Johnson Controls, Inc.

R.D. and Linda Peters Foundation

Schoenleber Foundation, Inc.

Wintrust Financial Corporation

Wisconsin Arts Board

$15,000 and above

A.O. Smith Foundation, Inc.

ATC

Bert L. & Patricia S. Steigleder

Charitable Trust

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

David C. Scott Foundation

Krause Family Foundation

U.S. Bank

$10,000 and above

Brico Fund

Ellsworth Corporation

Gladys E. Gores Charitable Foundation

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

William A. and Mary M. Bonfield, Jr. Fund

Margaret E. Sheehan Memorial Fund

Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation

Komatsu Mining Corp Foundation

Northwestern Mutual

Ralph Evinrude Foundation, Inc.

William and Janice Godfrey

Family Foundation

Wispact Foundation

$5,000 and above

Charles D. Ortgiesen Foundation

Frieda and William Hunt Memorial

Gene and Ruth Posner Foundation, Inc.

Hamparian Family Foundation

Harbeck Family Foundation

Herb Kohl Philanthropies

Joyce Foundation

Julian Family Foundation

Milwaukee Arts Board

Milwaukee County Arts Fund (CAMPAC)

Richard G. Jacobus Family Foundation

Stackner Family Foundation, Inc.

Versiti Blood Research Center

$2,500 and above

Camille A. Lonstorf Trust

Dean Family Foundation

Enterprise Holdings

Gardner Foundation

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Del Chambers Fund

ELM II Fund

Henry C., Eva M., Robert H. and Jack J. Gillo Charitable Fund

Margaret Heminway Wells Fund

Mildred L. Roehr & Herbert W. Roehr Fund

Pieper Electric, Inc./Ideal Mechanical

PKSD Law

Theodore W. Batterman Family Foundation

Walker Forge, Inc.

$1,000 and above

Albert J. & Flora H. Ellinger Foundation

Anthony Petullo Foundation, Inc.

Barney Family Foundation

Clare M. Peters Charitable Trust

Curt and Sue Culver Family Foundation

Delta Dental of Wisconsin

DeWitt Law Firm

Educators Credit Union

Festival Foods

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Cottrell Balding Fund

Bechthold Family Fund

Cream City Foundation

Irene Edelstein Memorial Fund

George and Joan Hoehn Family Fund

David and Marion Meissner Fund

George and Christine Sosnovsky Fund

Carrie Taylor & Nettie Taylor

Robinson Memorial Fund

Eleanor N. Wilson Fund

Gruber Law Offices LLC

Hupy and Abraham, S.C.

Mars Family Foundation

Michael Koss/Koss Foundation

Loyal D. Grinker

SixSibs Foundation

Summit Credit Union

Townsend Foundation

Usinger Foundation

$500 and above

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Robert C. Archer Designated Fund

de Hartog Family Fund

Roxy and Bud Heyse Fund/Journal Fund

Wealthspire Advisors

Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation

MATCHING GIFTS

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the following corporations and foundations who match their employees’ contributions to the Annual Fund.

Abbvie

ATC

Aurora Health Care

Benevity Community Impact Fund

BMO Harris Bank

Caterpillar Foundation

CyberGrants, LLC

Dominion Foundation

Eaton Corporation

GE Foundation

Google Inc.

Johnson Controls Foundation

Kohl’s Corp.

Microsoft Corp.

National Philanthropic Trust

Northwestern Mutual

Paypal Giving Fund

Renaissance Charitable Foundation

Rockwell Automation

Sherwin Williams

Stifel

Sun Life

Thrivent Financial

UMB Fund Services

U.S. Charitable Gift Trust

United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County

Wintrust Financial Corporation

Wisconsin Energy Corporation

GOLDEN NOTE PARTNERS

The MSO gratefully acknowledges the following organizations and individuals for their gifts of product or services:

Belle Fiori – Official Event Florist of the MSO

Beth and Michael Giacobassi

The Capital Grille

Central Standard Craft Distillery

Coffman Creative Events

Downer Avenue Wine & Spirits

Drury Hotels

Encore Playbills

Foley & Lardner LLP

GO Riteway Transportation Group

Hilton Milwaukee

Kohler Co.

Residence Inn – Marriott Milwaukee

Sojourner Family Peace Center

Steinway Piano Gallery of Milwaukee

Studio Gear – Official Event Partner of the MSO

Wisconsin Public Radio

Marquee Circle/Tributes

MARQUEE CIRCLE

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra proudly partners with the following members of the 2025.26 Marquee Circle. We thank these generous partners of our annual corporate subscription program for their charitable contributions and for connecting their corporate communities with the MSO.

DeWitt Law Firm

Ellsworth Corporation

Hupy and Abraham, S.C.

Walker Forge, Inc.

TRIBUTES

In memory of Patricia Anders

Kay and Douglas Simpkin

In memory of John “Steve” Anderson

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony W. Asmuth, III

Sara and Dick Aster

Warren, Cathy, Olin & Everett Banholzer

Priscilla and Anthony Beadell

Sandy and Jean Custer

Kurt and Rosemary Glaisner

James and Gisela Kuist

Serigraph Incorporated

Sharon, Sophia, and Sarkis at Kirkland

In memory of Louie Andrew

Michael Schmitz

In honor of Glenn Asch and his many years performing with the MSO

Stephen and Jerilyn Smith

In memory of Italo Babini

Terry Burko and David Taggart

In honor of Robyn Black, Principal Tuba

Dennis and Patricia DuBoux

In honor of Andrew Banach

James Banach

In memory of Clair Baum

Julie and Gary Anderson

Sara and Dick Aster

Barbara and Philip Bail, Jr.

Stacy Wilson-Baum

Richard Bergman

Richard and Kay Bibler

Jane Lee and William Buege

Barbara and Allen Cairns

Joan Callan

Sinikka and Gilbert Church

Joyce Cupertino

Ryan Daniel

Barbara Dobbs

Marcia Dollerschell

Carol Dolphin

Patricia and Daniel Fetterley

Louise and David Gartzke

Judith Goetz

Alison Graf and Richard Schreiner

Tonya Hennen

Joseph and Louise Hoffman

Jayne J. Jordan

Alice Kuramoto

Gerald and Joan Luettgen

Harold and Goldie Markey

Patricia Morrison

Roxy Mortvedt and Charles Lewis

J.C. Oehlschlager

Richard and Suzanne Pieper

Frederick and Patricia Rudie

Carol Ryan

Richard Schmidt

Mary Ann Schwartz

Dr. and Mrs. C. John Snyder

Judith Tarabek

Dean and Katherine Thome

Jack Warden

Kathleen and Thomas Wilson

In memory of Virginia Beatty

Jack Beatty

In memory of Margaret and Roy Butter

Anne Butter and Jeffrey Frey

Dr. John and Rev. Dr. Sarah Butter

In honor of Carol Cobus

Mary Jo Wolf

In honor of Beth and Mike

Giacobassi

Cindy and Tim Friedmann

In memory of Dr. Jon Gudeman

Howard and Eileen Dubner

In memory of Carmen Haberman

Terry Burko and David Taggart

In honor of Darcy Hamlin

Mimi Lewellen

In memory of Roy L. Hauswirth

Mary and James Mark Connelly

In honor of Rudi Heinrich

David Blend

In honor of the helpful

MSO Box Office Staff

Fred Keller

In honor of Celia and Stanley Holland

Mark Holland

In memory of Dolores Johnson

Lynda Johnson

In memory of Peter Mamerow

Cathy Gorski

In memory of Roman Kontorovsky

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hauer

In honor of Doris Jean Kuhn

Laura Koepp

Ted and Mary Kellner

In honor of Stephanie Kruse

Richard Kruse

In memory of Elaine Mainman

Ann and Mark Johnson

In memory of Peter Mamerow

Cathy Gorski

In honor of Susan Martin

Caroline Ham

In memory of Dr. A. Stratton

McAllister

Dr. Caryl McAllister

In memory of Gail Louise McCarthy

David and Ellen Easley

Dawn (Chris) Linder

Donald and Joan Logan

Tina (John) Muswieck

Starr (Jeff) Sanders

Jon and Jeanne Thayer

Curt Thomas

Kim (Martha) Thomas

In memory of John McGregor

Mike Schmitz and Ginny Bolger

In honor of Joel Gidone Needlman

Bunny and Ron Cohen

Alan and Heather Cole

Cunningham Meyer and Vedrine

In memory of R. Scott Pierce

Grace Majewski

In memory of Sally Prodoehl

Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Christofferson

Barbara and Daniel Dedrick

Janet Friestad

Diane Lane

Dr. William and Susan LeFeber

Nancy R. Little

Michele Masters

Robin B. Petzold and Allan E. Erickson

Tracie Zoll

In memory of Dr. Thomas Roberts

Mary Roberts

In memory of Carl Romer

Beulah Romer Erickson

In memory of Colleen Rose

Brenda Bertram

James and Mary Ellen Clinton

Mary Gerbig and William Houlihan

In memory of Leonhard Rose, 1960s Trombone

Barbara and Paul Ahlf

Ann and Richard Cotter

Mary Gerbig and William Houlihan

Laura and Victor Ruiz

In honor of Carol Seefeld

Doris Strunk

In honor of Hilde Strigenz

Maria Pretzl

In gratitude for their time:

David Taggart & Julie Jahn

David Harrison

In honor of Dr. Robert Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor

In honor of Julia Uihlein

Dr. Joseph E. and Jane C. Kerschner

In memory of Judith Margaret Wagner

Steven A. and Lisa L. Wagner

S O U N D B I T E S

YOUR PRE-CONCERT DINING IN THE BRADLEY SYMPHONY CENTER

Enhance your pre-concert dining with Indulge Catering Company — A Bianchini Experience at the Bradley Symphony Center. Begin your evening with an elevated meal in the Ellen & Joe Checota Atrium and delight in a delicious selection of appetizers, salad, entrées, sides, and desserts. Located steps away from your evening’s MSO performance, this curated dining option allows for a seamless experience. Sound Bites meals are offered beginning at 6:00 pm before all Friday and Saturday night concerts.

MSO Board of Directors

OFFICERS

Gregory Smith, Chair

Susan Martin, Immediate Past Chair; Secretary; Chair, Governance Committee

David Uihlein, Honorary Co-Chair

Julia Uihlein, Honorary Co-Chair

Patrick Murphy, Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee

Mark Niehaus, President & Executive Director, Michael and Jeanne Schmitz Chair

EX OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Douglas M. Hagerman, Chair, Chair’s Council

Ken-David Masur, Music Director, Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair

Mark Niehaus, President & Executive Director, Michael and Jeanne Schmitz Chair

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Gregory Smith, Chair

Susan Martin, Immediate Past Chair; Secretary; Chair, Governance Committee

Dan Byrne, UPAF Liaison

Douglas M. Hagerman, Chair, Chair’s Council

Renee Herzing, Chair, Audience Development Task Force

Robert Klieger, Chair, Players’ Council

Mark A. Metzendorf, Chair, Advancement Committee

Patrick Murphy, Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee

Mark Niehaus, President & Executive Director, Michael and Jeanne Schmitz Chair

Michael J. Schmitz

Pam Stampen, Chair, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Task Force

Haruki Toyama, Chair, Music Director Search Committee

ELECTED DIRECTORS

Steve Hancock, Chair, Education Committee

Alyce Coyne Katayama

Teresa Mogensen

Robert B. Monnat

Leslie Plamann, Chair, Audit Committee

Jay E. Schwister, Chair, Retirement Plan Committee

Laurie Simpson

Dale R. Smith

Tracy Tavolier

Tom Zale

Herb Zien, Chair, Facilities Management Committee

DESIGNATED DIRECTORS

City

Sachin Chheda

Theodore Perlick Molinari

Pegge Sytkowski County

Rene Izquierdo

Niko Ruud

PLAYER DIRECTORS

Robert Klieger, Chair, Players’ Council

Ilana Setapen, Player-at-Large

CHAIR’S COUNCIL

Douglas M. Hagerman, Chair

Chris Abele

Laura J. Arnow

Richard S. Bibler

Charles Boyle

Roberta Caraway

Judy Christl

Mary E. Connelly

Donn R. Dresselhuys*

Eileen Dubner

Franklyn Esenberg

Marta P. Haas

Jean Holmburg

Barbara Hunt

Leon Janssen

Judy Jorgensen

James A. Kasch

Lee Walther Kordus

Michael J. Koss

JoAnne Krause

Martin J. Krebs

Keith Mardak

Susan Martin

Andy Nunemaker

James G. Rasche

Stephen E. Richman

Michael J. Schmitz, Immediate Past Chair

Joan Steele Stein

Linda Tojek

Joan R. Urdan

Larry Waters

Kathleen A. Wilson

MSO ENDOWMENT & FOUNDATION TRUSTEES

Bruce Laning, Trustee Chair

Amy Croen

Steven Etzel

Douglas M. Hagerman

Bartholomew Reuter

David Uihlein

PAST CHAIRS

Susan Martin (2020-2025)

Andy Nunemaker (2014-2020)

Douglas M. Hagerman (2011-2014)

Chris Abele (2004-2011)

Judy Jorgensen (2002-2004)

Stephen E. Richman (2000-2002)

Stanton J. Bluestone* (1998-2000)

Allen N. Rieselbach* (1995-1998)

Edwin P. Wiley* (1993-1995)

Michael J. Schmitz (1990-1993)

Orren J. Bradley* (1988-1990)

Russell W. Britt* (1986-1988)

James H. Keyes (1984-1986)

Richard S. Bibler (1982-1984)

John K. MacIver* (1980-1982)

Donn R. Dresselhuys* (1978-1980)

Harrold J. McComas* (1976-1978)

Laflin C. Jones* (1974-1976)

Robert S. Zigman* (1972-1974)

Charles A. Krause* (1970-1972)

Donald B. Abert* (1968-1970)

Erhard H. Buettner* (1966-1968)

Clifford Randall* (1964-1966)

John Ogden* (1962-1964)

Stanley Williams* (1959-1962)

* Deceased

MSO 2025.26 Administration

EXECUTIVE

Mark Niehaus, President & Executive Director, Michael and Jeanne Schmitz Chair

Bret Dorhout, Vice President of Artistic Planning

Tom Lindow, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Kelley McCaskill, Vice President of Advancement

Terrell Pierce, Vice President of Orchestra Operations

Kathryn Reinardy, Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Rick Snow, Vice President of Facilities & Building Operations

Marquita Edwards, Director of Community Engagement

Sean McNally, Executive Assistant & Board Liaison

ADVANCEMENT

Colleen Bruce, Director of Major Gifts

Leah Peavler, Director of Institutional Advancement

Jessica Tedamrongwanish, Director of Individual Gifts

William Loder, Gift Officer

Julie Jahn, Campaign & Planned Giving Manager

Megan Martin, Donor Stewardship Manager

Tracy Migon, Development Systems Manager

Andrea Moreno-Islas, Giving Manager, Institutional Advancement

Abby Vakulskas, Giving Manager, Advancement Communications

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Rebecca Whitney, Director of Education

Courtney Buvid, ACE & Education Manager

Nathan Hickox-Young, Concerts for Schools & Education Manager

FINANCE

Nicole Magolan, Controller

Jenny Beier, Senior Accountant

Tim Petropoulos, Accounting Coordinator

Crystal Reed-Hardy, Human Resources Manager

MARKETING

Lizzy Cichowski, Director of Marketing

Erin Kogler, Director of Communications

Adam Cohen, Patron Systems Manager

Katelyn Farebrother, Marketing Coordinator

David Jensen, Publications Manager

Zachary-John Reinardy, Lead Designer

BOX OFFICE

Luther Gray, Director of Ticket Operations & Group Sales

Al Bartosik, Box Office Manager

Marie Holtyn, Box Office Supervisor

Adam Klarner, Patron Services Coordinator

OPERATIONS

Sean Goldman, Director of Operations

Antonio Padilla Denis, Director of Orchestra Personnel

Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair

Sofia Castanho-Bollinger, Artistic Coordinator

Maiken Demet, Assistant to the Music Director

Matthew Geise, Assistant Librarian & Media Archivist

Miles McConnell, Artistic Operations Assistant

Paris Meyers, Assistant Manager of Orchestra Personnel

Emily Wacker Schultz, Artistic Associate

Lisa Sottile, Production Stage Manager

Tristan Wallace, Production Manager/Live Audio, MSO | Technical Director, BSC

Christina Williams, Chorus Manager

FACILITIES & EVENT SERVICES

Sam Hushek, Director of Events

Anthony Andronczyk, House Manager

Donovan Burton, Facilities Manager - 2nd Shift

Travis Byrd, Facilities Manager

Lisa Klimczak, House Manager

David Kotlewski, House Manager

Steve Pfisterer, House Manager

Jenn Sorvick, Event Operations Coordinator

Zed Waeltz, Event Services Manager

INDULGE CATERING CO.

Marta Bianchini, Chief Executive Officer

Marc Bianchini, Executive Chef

Cristina Bianchini, Director of Marketing and Event Coordinator

Valentina Bianchini, Director of Operations and Event Coordinator

E VERY STAGE

thrives with community suppor t.

Across Southeastern Wisconsin, per formances of ever y size come to life because the community shows up From premiere venues to emerging companies, shared suppor t keeps music, theater, and dance vibrant and accessible for all.

MSO and Chorus, Beethoven 9, Ken-David Masur, Photo by Jonathan Kirn.