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Following last season’s successful celebration of one of history’s greatest composers, Music Director Ken-David Masur and Artistic Partner Dashon Burton return with a fresh program of Bach favorites. To begin, the MSO’s own Jeanyi Kim and Kevin Pearl take center stage for Bach’s Concerto for Violin & Oboe, respectively. This concert also includes the church cantata “Ich habe genug” (“I have enough”), with its famous “slumber aria”; the fourth of Bach’s famed Brandenburg Concertos; and finally his spirited fourth Orchestral Suite.

Donizetti’s Viva la Mamma hilariously portrays a theatrical company struggling with a stage mother who insists on controlling every aspect of her son's career, much to the director’s dismay. Dueling divas, a meddling maestro and grocer/poet complicate the production woes. Amidst chaos and comedic mishaps, the opera satirizes operatic stereotypes, showcasing the absurdities and egos within the world of theater - all with glorious bel canto melodies and some terrific singing.

Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling returns with music of the Fab Four! Twist & Shout celebrates The Beatles in America, beginning with their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, and following their journey through the USA, including highlights from their Shea Stadium and Hollywood Bowl appearances that brought Beatlemania and the British invasion into the hearts of Americans everywhere. Twist N’ Shout includes such early #1 hits as Love Me Do, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Can’t Buy Me Love, A Hard Day’s Night, Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, and many more! Accompanied by hundreds of rare and unseen photos of The Beatles in the USA from the exclusive Beatles Photo Book Archives, Twist N’ Shout is the most authentic and unique concert project celebrating the early years of The Beatles in the USA.

Though the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant has been awarded to rising star musicians since 1976, its first solo percussionist was only recognized in 2022: marimba extraordinaire Ji Su Jung. Jung appears for the first time in Allen-Bradley Hall to perform a concerto by Kevin Puts, with an exuberant approach hailed as “dazzling — filled with breathtaking virtuosity but also beautifully shaped with extraordinary color and nuance” (JoAnn Falleta). MSO Assistant Conductor Ryan Tani returns to the podium to guide this lively program, which begins with Copland’s sentimental paean to the American heartland, Appalachian Spring, and ends with Beethoven’s buoyant and brilliant Fourth Symphony.

“I am completely filled with your Requiem,” wrote Clara Schumann to her friend Johannes Brahms. “It is an immense piece that takes hold of one’s whole being like very little else.” Music Director Ken-David Masur conducts the orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and Artistic Partner Dashon Burton through Brahms’s personal journey of sorrow and consolation.

“Fate, that fatal force” is the driving theme of Tchaikovsky’s astounding Fourth Symphony, whose emotional finale builds from darkness to light. “If you cannot discover reasons for happiness in yourself,” the composer wrote, “look at others.” Yaniv Dinur, former resident conductor of the MSO, returns to lead this jubilant masterwork, alongside works by Barber and Prokofiev.

Join us for an unforgettable evening as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) welcomes the immensely talented Ben Folds to the Bradley Symphony Center. This special performance, set for Saturday, May 3, promises to be a night of extraordinary music and collaboration. **Event Details:** - **Date:** Saturday, May 3 - **Venue:** Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee - **Start Time:** 7:30 PM **About the Performance:** Emmy-award nominated composer, singer-songwriter, and pianist Ben Folds joins forces with the MSO for a spectacular showcase of musical genius. Folds, known for his vast influence on music across genres, brings his unique blend of pop rock songs to the stage, backed by the full orchestral sound of the MSO. The evening will feature pieces from his latest album, "What Matters Most," as well as highlights from his extensive career, including the chart-topping "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra." **Food & Beverage Service:** Enhance your concert experience with delicious offerings from Resonance Food Co. Available 90 minutes before the performance, our on-site full-time chefs prepare a variety of tasty treats and libations to enjoy at several bar locations throughout the venue. Don't miss this opportunity to see Ben Folds in collaboration with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for a night of unforgettable music. Secure your tickets now and be part of a musical journey that celebrates the power of live orchestral music and groundbreaking artistry.

Musical pictures abound in this imaginative program, led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, which begins with Rossini’s galloping William Tell overture and Richard Strauss’s tone poem delighting in the pranks of a jokester named Till Eulenspiegel. An ácana is a distinctive Cuban tree revered for its strength, which composer Tania León brings to life with color, texture, and percussion; León’s rainforest is an effervescent introduction to Resphigi’s stately yet evocative Pines of Rome.

Celebrated worldwide, Carmen remains an unmissable opera that inspired a legend. Bizet’s Carmen is centered on the passionate and free-spirited Carmen, a seductive cigarette factory worker who lives by her own rules. Her love triangle with soldier Don José and bullfighter Escamillo leads to jealousy, betrayal, and tragedy. Carmen's fierce independence and tragic end make it a compelling tale of love, obsession, and fate.

Magic melodies come to life as the pop, soul, and R&B sounds of Motown and the famous hits from the Philly Sound face off in this exciting concert experience Let's Groove Tonight. Led by Broadway superstar Chester Gregory and vocal powerhouses Ashley Jayy & Brik Liam, this incredible program is full of classic hit songs made famous by The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Lou Rawls, Diana Ross, Gamble & Huff, and Percy Sledge. Philly Sound hit songs including Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, You’ll Never Find A Love Like Mine, Love Train, and You Make Me Feel Brand New share the stage with Motown smash hits including What’s Going On, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, and I’m Coming Out.