Name: Great Moments In Grand Opera
Start: 2025-06-15T14:30:00
Location: Warner Grand Theater

This season, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents an intriguing array of performances that promise to captivate audiences with their diverse themes and celebrated artists. From the dramatic depth of Tchaikovsky's symphonies to the dynamic energy of Ben Folds' pop-rock fusion, these events offer an unforgettable journey through music. Join us as we explore the powerful storytelling in 'Carmen', the vibrant echoes of the Philly Sound, and the evocative orchestration of Respighi's 'Pines of Rome'. Each concert is a testament to the enduring power and beauty of live music.

A Symphony of Emotions: Milwaukee Orchestra Events Unveiled

Join the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for an array of captivating performances this season. From the emotional journey of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony to the modern genius of Ben Folds, and the timeless allure of Carmen, each event offers a unique blend of artistry and emotion. With a lineup that includes orchestral masterpieces, operatic tales, and soulful R&B hits, there's something for every music lover to savor. Discover the stories and sounds that await in this vibrant cultural celebration.

A Symphony of Voices: Milwaukee's Musical Extravaganza

Milwaukee is set to become a hub of artistic excellence as a diverse array of events take center stage. From the enthralling tale of Carmen, orchestrated by The Florentine Opera, to the soulful melodies of Let's Groove Tonight, the city promises a rich tapestry of performances celebrating the finest in opera, orchestral, and musical artistry. With the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra leading several innovative events, including sensory-friendly concerts and intimate salon gatherings, there's a captivating experience awaiting every art enthusiast.

A Symphony of Events: Unveiling the Artistic Tapestry of Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is set to captivate audiences with a series of remarkable performances that span the grand tradition of opera, choral celebrations, and timeless orchestral masterpieces. From the harmonic complexities of Wagner and Mozart to the uplifting strains of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, this season promises a rich tapestry of musical experiences. Conducted by the esteemed Ken-David Masur and featuring the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’s 50th anniversary, each performance heralds a unique celebration of music, culture, and enduring human spirit.

A Symphony of Seasons: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Celebrated Performances

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra promises a year of transcendent musical experiences. From the grandeur of opera to the heart-stirring strains of Beethoven and the festive spirit of holiday melodies, this season is curated to captivate audiences. Under the masterful baton of Ken-David Masur, the orchestra will explore timeless compositions by Wagner, Mozart, Bach, and more, with invigorating performances that celebrate the transcendent power of music and the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus.

A Symphony of Seasons: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's 2025-2026 Highlights

Ken-David Masur

Cheryl  Frazes Hill

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Milwaukee Symphony Chorus

Milwaukee’s favorite hometown holiday tradition returns! Join your Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as we deck Allen-Bradley Hall with holiday cheer. Ring in the holidays with Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble, keep your eye out for the Jolly Old Elf himself, and raise your voice during the audience sing-along backed by the full power of the orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. Sheer musical magic and cozy holiday memories with family and friends await as we usher in a joyful season of celebration.

Holiday Pops

Warner Grand Theater

Relive the chilling portrait of the Sicilian clan’s rise and near fall from power in The Godfather as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performs Nino Rota’s Oscar®-nominated score live to picture. This three-time Academy Award®-winning film features Marlon Brando as the Corleone family patriarch, accompanied by career-making performances from Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, and Robert Duvall. A concert experience you can’t refuse!

The Godfather In Concert Film with Orchestra

Kerson Leong, a violinist who speaks “with sincerity and without exaggeration” (The Strad), performs Beethoven’s beloved Violin Concerto; Beethoven changed the genre with this innovative and lyrical concerto, which leaves ample space for the violinist to dazzle. The MSO welcomes leading Baroque expert Bernard Labadie to conduct one of the era’s finest gems: Haydn’s rambunctious “Drumroll” Symphony.


Beethoven & Haydn

A highly distinguished pianist and the first classical performer to be granted a MacArthur Fellowship, Sir Stephen Hough’s magic is best experienced live — in these concerts, he performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, which begins cautiously but soon dives into its true warmth and urgency. Guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni guides this rollicking dance across central and eastern Europe: hear the spirit of Ligeti’s Romania, Kodály’s love for his native Hungary, and Mozart’s musical postcard from Prague.

Zeitouni Conducts Mozart

"Paul Jacobs is one of the great living virtuosos … he is utterly without artifice,” declares The Washington Post. Witness the musicianship of the first and only organist to win a Grammy Award as Jacobs performs Saint-Saëns’s “Organ” Symphony, a work so expressive the composer claimed, “I have given all that I had to give.” Jacobs also performs Samuel Barber’s exuberant Toccata Festiva. Beethoven penned four unique overtures to his opera Leonore; the MSO performs the sumptuous third iteration here, as well as brand new music by composer Edmund Finnis.

Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony

Will you be my Valentine? Cozy up with the one you love and enjoy the jazzy orchestral sounds of love and romance live on stage with vocalist Steve Lippia and your MSO. Featuring the sultry songs made popular by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and more. Take a nostalgic journey that promises to leave you tapping your toes and humming along to some of the most memorable standards ever written.

A Simply Swingin’ Valentine

Undoubtedly one of the finest cellists performing today, Johannes Moser returns to the MSO stage to play composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Before we fall, fresh off its world premiere with the San Francisco Symphony. "Before we fall centres around the notion of teetering on the edge," says the composer; Moser’s cello "generates the atmospheric progression of the world it inhabits." Alpesh Chauhan, “a charismatic, balletic conductor” (The Guardian), leads this energetic new work, as well as a romantic suite from Tchaikovsky’s iconic Sleeping Beauty.

Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty

Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang puts her “agility, balance and velocity” (The Washington Post) on full display with Tchaikovsky’s highly original First Piano Concerto; Tchaikovsky’s colleague Hans von Bülow claimed that “this true gem shall earn you the gratitude of all pianists.” MSO Assistant Conductor Ryan Tani conducts this program.

Joyce Yang Plays Tchaikovsky

Hailed as one of the greatest violinists of our time, Augustin Hadelich returns to the MSO to perform Brahms’s soulful Violin Concerto. Music Director Ken-David Masur conducts Brahms’s Third Symphony, a nostalgic work with a recurring musical theme of “free but happy;” wrote Clara Schumann, “All the movements seem to be of one piece, one beat of the heart, each one a jewel!” The program opens with a companion piece to Brahms’s Third Symphony: Glanert’s Vexierbild (“Hidden Image”) draws direct inspiration from the Third, but in Glanert’s words, “it’s my own Brahms.”

Hadelich & Brahms

At a time when the church was questioning the morality of art, Bach gave the world a musical triumph of faith and spirit, and few masterpieces of this scope are as intimate and personal as his St. Matthew Passion. In these performances, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus — celebrating its golden anniversary — sings the text from the Gospel of Matthew, sharing a profound biblical narrative with color and emotion.

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling returns for a power-packed evening of the decade’s #1 hit songs, including “The Power of Love,” “ Time After Time,” “Material Girl,” “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Footloose,” “Addicted to Love,” and many others.  Featuring the music of such iconic ‘80s stars as Madonna, Debbie Gibson, Huey Lewis and The News, Phil Collins, Queen, Joe Cocker, and others, Back to the ‘80s contains all new arrangements by Grammy©-winner Jeff Tyzik and features three incredible vocalists.

Decades: Back to the 80s

“This is an artist we need to hear more of,” says The New York Times of pianist David Fray; Fray joins the MSO to perform Mozart’s sprightly “Jeunehomme” concerto, dedicated to the talented young pianist who inspired its music. Guest conductor Katharina Wincor leads a masterwork by another bright young talent, Shostakovich — his mischievous First Symphony, penned when he was a conservatory student, launched the composer’s career and remains one of his most celebrated contributions to music.

Wincor Conducts Shostakovich No. 1

Music director Ken-David Masur leads the Milwaukee Symphony and Chorus in a grand season finale. Thrill to favorite selections by master composers including Wagner, Mozart, Verdi, and more.

Great Moments In Grand Opera

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