Join us for an enchanting journey with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra as they unveil their Masterworks season, a celebration of musical brilliance that echoes through the halls of Wisconsin and beyond. From the rich harmonies of Brahms and Beethoven to the invigorating rhythms of Márquez, this season promises a blend of classic and contemporary masterpieces. Featuring world-renowned musicians like Jessica & Michael Shinn, Anne Akiko Meyers, and Amit Peled, each concert offers a unique experience, weaving together the timeless allure of orchestral music with innovative new compositions.

A Grand Symphony: Unveiling the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's Masterworks Season

Prepare to be captivated as the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's Masterworks season unfolds with a series of concerts that blend classical elegance with contemporary creativity. From Baroque compositions to romantic symphonies and innovative collaborations, each concert offers a unique musical journey. Featuring renowned artists like Anne Akiko Meyers and Amit Peled, this season is a celebration of artistic excellence and dynamic performances. Join us at the Capitol Theatre, Yakima, for an unforgettable experience of sound and movement.

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's Masterworks Season: A Symphony of Artistic Collaboration

A convergence of Baroque elegance, vibrant contemporary rhythms, and romanticism is the focus for the second concert of our Masterworks season. Showcasing eighteenth-century Baroque Italian elegance, Alessandro Scarlatti’s Sinfonie di concerto grosso No. 2 in D opens the second concert in our Masterworks season. Next up is the riotously colorful concerto for violin and orchestra by Arturo Márquez, violin concerto Fandango based on Mariachi music. The orchestra will be joined by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will bring Marquez's composition to life, infusing it with passion and rhythmic energy. Concluding the evening is a rarely performed early work by Camille Saint-Saëns, his Symphony in A major.

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Márquez & Meyers

Capitol Theatre

Jun and Sandy Lee are generously sponsoring an evening of masterful musicianship to Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO). Throughout the years, the WCO has continued to enrich the lives of the Madison community with a wide array of diverse programming–from performances in the Capitol Theater of the Overture Center to the outdoor beauty of Concerts on the Square. This evening’s program features works by Brahms, Beethoven, and Dvorak, showcasing the tremendous talents of the orchestra and the evening’s guest soloists: Jessica & Michael Shinn, piano and Mark Kosower, cello.

Winter Celebration

Hamel Music Center

Kicking off the holiday season early this year, join the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Festival Choir of Madison for a favorite holiday tradition. Written in just 24 days by George Frideric Handel, Messiah is considered the most performed classical piece of music worldwide. Although based on religious texts, the message remains universal, and Handel intended it to be performed in the concert hall. For this performance the orchestra and choir are joined by soloists: Sarah Lawrence, soprano; Sadie Cheslak, alto; Gene Stenger, tenor; and Timothy Jones, bass.

Handel's Messiah

Bethel Lutheran Church

Join us in Capitol Theater as we kick off the 24/25 Masterworks season with a fiery display of masterful musicianship. We open with a gem from the classical era by German composer and Mozart contemporary, Carl P. Stamitz with Symphony in C Major, Op. 13/16 No. 5. This work provides a beautiful prequel for the return of Canadian pianist, Janina Fialkowska, joining the orchestra to illuminate Beethoven’s iconic Piano Concerto No. 4 in G. The evening will close with Symphony No. 3 in G minor by mid-nineteenth century composer, Louise Farrenc. Serving as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire for over twenty years, her musical language is compelling, and steeped in the Romantic French tradition.

Fialkowska on Fire

Get ready for an epic night as the WCO dives into year two of our five-year project Musical Landscapes in Color with Convergence. Performed live and recorded for a spring album release, it celebrates the converging of contemporary voices of color by generation, gender, and style of composition. We begin with Fanfare and Fantasie by four-time Grammy nominee Patrice Rushen, followed by Umoja by renowned composer and flutist Valerie Coleman. The next piece Changes, by contemporary composer Andre Myers, reflects the ever-shifting landscape of the world we live in, and for the finale, movements from the Nope film suite by the prolific Michael Abels, a Grammy and Emmy nominee, and the recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Convergence

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, join us on the Square for our season grand finale. Special guest pianist John Novacek joins the WCO to perform the genre-defining Rhapsody in Blue and I Got Rhythm Variations by George Gershwin. Revel in the familiar sounds of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite and a work from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels.

Rhapsody in Blue

King Street corner of the Capitol Square

Mozart, Bach, Bernstein, and Bell hit the town for this concert of orchestral stars. Known by some as “Madison’s violinist,” WCO Concertmaster Suzanne Beia showcases masterful musicianship and poise with Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5. Interludes of Bach and Bernstein set the stage for a collaboration with Kanopy Dance company, performing two works: ConFluence: A Prelude set to a new work by local composer Michael M. Bell, and Summer in the City set to Bernstein’s classic musical, On the Town.

On the Town

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

The WCO presents Concerts & Cuisine on June 2, 2024, 5:00 PM at the Madison Marriott West. Featuring over 20 chefs competing for best signature appetizer, entree, or dessert, attendees can expect to experience a "full" evening of everything we love about Concerts on the Square – the ambiance, the atmosphere, and the community that had made this tradition what it is today.

Concerts & Cuisine

Madison Marriott West

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra collaborates with the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras for this Side by Side concert. Young musicians from WYSO's Philharmonia join seasoned musicians from the WCO to perform on the Hamel Music Center stage. This initiative kickstarts with a day of rehearsals and mentoring activities then culminates in a final performance.

WYSO Side by Side Concert

Closing out the 23/24 Masterworks Season we welcome French virtuoso violinist, Gilles Apap, to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D and Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Described by Yehudi Menuhin as ’’A true violinist of the 21st century’’, Gilles is known for his virtuosity and unique approach. At just over 100 years old and inspired by a poem, The Lark Ascending was described by Vaughan Williams as a “pastoral romance for orchestra.” Opening the concert is Sinfonietta by E.J. Moeran, an English contemporary of Elgar and Vaughan Williams, whose music is charged with tremendous rhythmic energy.

Virtuoso Violin

Overture Center for the Arts

Closing out the 23/24 Masterworks Season WCO welcomes French virtuoso violinist, Gilles Apap, to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D and Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Described by Yehudi Menuhin as ’’A true violinist of the 21st century’’, Gilles is known for his virtuosity and unique approach. At just over 100 years old and inspired by a poem, The Lark Ascending was described by Vaughan Williams as a “pastoral romance for orchestra.” Opening the concert is Sinfonietta by E.J. Moeran, an English contemporary of Elgar and Vaughan Williams, whose music is charged with tremendous rhythmic energy.

Masterworks V - Virtuoso Violin

Spanish Guitar features two women performers and a forgotten gem from the early-twentieth century. Mabel Millán performs Manuel Ponce’s Concierto Del Sur, and flamenco dancer Tania Tandias accompanies the two opening works. Ernesto Halffter’s Sinfonietta of 1925 is a forgotten gem for chamber orchestra.

Spanish Guitar

Masterworks IV features the WORLD PREMIERE of Symphony No. 14 Revelation by Dr. Bill Banfield. The Composer in Residence for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Dr. Banfield has produced new works and helped in developing new audiences in our community. Guest artists include the Madison Youth Choirs and the Festival Choir of Madison along with a variety of soloists to be announced. Opening the concert is Symphony No. 1 in G major op. 4, composed in 1901 by British composer Edwin York Bowen, whose music shows influences by Rachmaninov, Chopin and Tchaikovsky.

Revelation

Masterworks IV features the WORLD PREMIERE of Symphony No. 14 Revelation by Dr. Bill Banfield. The Composer in Residence for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Dr. Banfield has produced new works and helped in developing new audiences in our community. Guest artists include the Madison Youth Choir and the Festival Choir of Madison along with a variety of soloists to be announced. Opening the concert is Symphony No. 1 in G major op. 4, composed in 1901 by British composer Edwin York Bowen, whose music shows influences by Rachmaninov, Chopin and Tchaikovsky.



Masterworks IV - Revelation

In 'Three Little Pigs Answer Beethoven Five,' we present a unique rendition of the classic tale. Hobuco combines Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 with this beloved story of the three little pigs facing the big bad wolf.

Family Series

Proclaimed “a phenomenon” and “one of the best pianists of his generation”, Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear joins us to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat. The concert opens with Christopher Blake’s Night Journey to Pawarenga, the second of four works comprising a suite for string orchestra commissioned by Maestro Sewell. Closing the concert is Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, which the composer himself referred to as his “discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible.”

Goodyear Returns

Proclaimed “a phenomenon” and “one of the best pianists of his generation”, Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear joins WCO to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat. The concert opens with Christopher Blake’s Night Journey to Pawarenga, the second of four works comprising a suite for string orchestra commissioned by Maestro Sewell. Closing the concert is Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, which the composer himself referred to as his “discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible.”

Masterworks III - Goodyear Returns

WCO's second concert of the indoor Masterworks season features Fantaisie Norvegienne by Eduardo Lalo played by Ukrainian guest violinist Vladyslava Luchenko. This gem of a work is nestled in between John Marsh’s Symphony No. 6 in D and Schubert’s Symphony No.5.  A contemporary of Haydn, John Marsh wrote in a classical gallant style. While Schubert’s Symphony No.5 looks forward to the romantic era, Lalo’s language is Romanticism at its best. Beginning violin at the age of five, Luchenko made her solo debut with the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of eleven. 

Masterworks II - Norwegian Fantasy

Our second concert of the indoor Masterworks season features Fantaisie Norvegienne by Eduardo Lalo played by Ukrainian guest violinist Vladyslava Luchenko. This gem of a work is nestled in between John Marsh’s Symphony No. 6 in D and Schubert’s Symphony No.5. A contemporary of Haydn, John Marsh wrote in a classical gallant style. While Schubert’s Symphony No.5 looks forward to the romantic era, Lalo’s language is Romanticism at its best. Beginning violin at the age of five, Luchenko made her solo debut with the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of eleven. Today she performs on a Francesco Gobetti violin of 1710, on loan from a private collection.

Norwegian Fantasy

A family tradition, Handel’s Messiah will be at Bethel Lutheran Church. Drawing from the Old and New Testaments, Handel’s Messiah is designed in three sweeping sections. Although based on religious texts, the message remains universal, and Handel intended it to be performed in the concert hall.



A family tradition, Handel’s Messiah returns for its 14th year in partnership with the Festival Choir of Madison.

Messiah

WCO's 23/24 Masterworks Season kicks off with award-winning guest pianist Maxim Lando making his debut in Capitol Theater. He returns to Madison, having last been seen outdoors in the 2022 season of Concerts on the Square. The season opens with an early Symphony No. 13 in D by Haydn, followed by the ever-popular Love's Labour’s Lost Suite by Finzi, and closes with Brahms’ mighty Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major played by Maxim. Since audiences have last seen him, Lando was awarded the First Prize at the New York Liszt International Piano Competition in November 2022 at Carnegie Hall. Don’t miss your chance to see a pianist who, in his early 20s, is quickly becoming one of America’s greats.

Masterworks Majestic Brahms

Our 23/24 Masterworks Season kicks off with award-winning guest pianist Maxim Lando making his debut in Capitol Theatre. He returns to Madison, having last been seen outdoors in our 2022 season of Concerts on the Square. The season opens with an early Symphony No. 13 in D by Haydn, followed by the ever-popular Love's Labour’s Lost Suite by Finzi, and closes with Brahms’ mighty Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major played by Maxim. Since audiences have last seen him, Lando was awarded the First Prize at the New York Liszt International Piano Competition in November 2022 at Carnegie Hall. Don’t miss your chance to see a pianist who, in his early 20s, is quickly becoming one of America’s greats.

Majestic Brahms

Prepare to embark on an exhilarating and transformative musical odyssey. Witness the convergence of artistry, diversity, and compositional brilliance as we explore the depths of human expression through music. Join us to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and the visionary voices that have shaped our musical landscape.

Harmony in Black

Embark on a transformative musical journey with Harmony in Black on October 13 in Capitol Theater. This recorded performance features compositions by Dr. William Banfield and renowned artist/composer Patrice Rushen. Join us as their works weave powerful narratives of equality and justice, drawing inspiration from historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Paul Robeson. Experience the fusion of artistry, diversity, and brilliance that is Harmony in Black.

As we celebrate the close of our 40th season, join us on August 2nd for a unique lineup. While the last concert of the season is always bittersweet, this evening will feature works from Handel to Alexander Desplat, and John Williams. We will hear Rodrigo’s famous guitar concerto, Concerto de Aranjuez, in this special transcription for Harp and Orchestra by returning guest artist, and Juilliard-trained, Bridget Kibbey. The second half opens with a new ballet choreographed by Madison Ballet Artistic Director Ja’ Malik with music by Oliver Davis Dance Odyssey. The concert closes with toe tapping film score favorites including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, and Little Women. Don’t miss your last chance to be with us on the Square and experience a full evening of all things we love about this 40-year Madison tradition.

Journey Through Time

A Madison favorite, Canadian-based Jeans ‘n’ Classics, returns to the Square on July 26th for a mixtape (playlist) of popular songs from the 80s to the 00s. Smash hits by today’s artists soar with the sounds of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, featuring songs by artists such as Adele, Bruno Mars, Sia, Ed Sheeran, and more!

A Millennial Mixtape

On July 19th experience a variety of works by our Composer in Residence, Dr. Bill Banfield, including excerpts from his opera Edmonia with guest soprano Amber Merritt and Festival Choir of Madison, and It’s All Good My Brother featuring UW Professor of Jazz Studies, our very own Johannes Wallmann on piano. We conclude the evening with the popular Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky.

Romeo & Juliet Fantasy

Wisconsin musicians take center stage in this concert! Opening with works by Debussy, Florence Price and Aaron Copland, we close with a special arrangement of Leotha Stanley’s Be A Friend Medley. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear the Community Choir, Middleton High School Choir, and Ho-Chunk drummer Eric Logan and the Little Priest Singers as we celebrate 25 years of school music advocacy with Madison Public Schools.

A Wisconsin Celebration

Join us on July 6 for an unforgettable night. Revel in the WCO’s annual celebration of Independence Day with familiar favorites including The Stars and Stripes Forever and the Armed Forces Salute. Virtuoso trombonist Joël Vaïsse joins the WCO for Contrastes, a concerto requiring world-class technique written specifically for Joël himself. All that, plus the winner of the WCO’s Young Artist Concerto Competition shows there are musical stars living just next door.

Contrastes: July 6

THE CONCERT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED: DATE TBD

Concerts on the Square® is back celebrating our 40th year of incredible music! You’ll be tapping your toes with the return of Tiempo Libre, last with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in 2012. This three-time Grammy-nominated Afro-Caribbean music group is one of the hottest Latin bands today, featuring an irresistible mix of jazz harmonies, contemporary sonorities, and seductive Latin rhythms. Playing alongside our world-class WCO musicians, don’t miss the grand opening of the 40th anniversary season.

¡Viva Tiempo Libre!

The Festival Choir of Madison, in celebration of their 50th Anniversary season, will perform several substantial choral-orchestral masterworks from Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Ola Gjeilo and Verdi, in the University of Wisconsin - Madison’s spectacular performance space at the Hamel Music Center.

Journeys and Jubilations

Beethoven is honored in this program featuring a piano concerto and symphony. His 250th anniversary celebration, delayed during the pandemic, takes centerstage. WCO Composer in Residence, Dr. Bill Banfield opens the program with a Suite from his opera, Edmonia. This program will feature guest soloists from the Mead Witter School of Music at UW Madison.

Banfield & Beethoven

To celebrate the 40th Season of Concerts on the Square, the WCO presents Concerts & Cuisine on March 19th, 5:00 PM at the Madison Concourse Hotel. Featuring 25 chefs, brewers, vintners, and distillers competing for best signature dish or drink, attendees can expect to experience a "full" evening of everything we love about Concerts on the Square – the ambiance, the atmosphere, and the community that had made this tradition what it is today.

Madison Concourse Hotel

Masterworks III pairs the familiar and the unfamiliar. Works by Haydn and Mozart, classical composers often associated with one another, are interspersed with two contemporary pieces by Joan Tower and a relative newcomer, Andre Myers.

Sound the Trumpet

London-based violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons make a winning combination in this all-string program. We open with contemporary Englishman Michael Tippett’s Suite for Strings.

The Four Seasons

Two women lead our opening concert of the season. Violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen makes her WCO debut with Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, and Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor closes the concert. An early nineteenth century work by Felix Mendelssohn titled The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) Overture, Op.26 sets the stage.

Two American Masters

An enchanting collaboration with Madison Ballet takes the stage for our third Masterworks concert of the season. Opening with the music of British composer Oliver Davis, the orchestra will perform nine movements of the Liberty suite as the stage comes alive with original choreography by Madison Ballet's Artistic Director and Choreographer, Ja' Malik. Witness the seamless integration of movement and sound with this pairing, a follow up from a previous collaboration at Concerts on the Square with another work by Oliver Davis. The second half of the evening features Dvořák's timeless Serenade for Strings, a challenging work full of lush melodies and rich harmonies.

Davis & Dvořák

The fourth concert opens with More Seasons by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Michael Abels. Celebrated for his ability to seamlessly blend genres, this work sets the stage for Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op. 30 by Victor Herbert. The orchestra will be joined by internationally acclaimed cellist Amit Peled to perform this piece from the late Romantic era, bringing forth the soulful richness of the cello in a dialogue with the orchestra. We conclude with Beethoven’s iconic masterpiece that has transcended centuries – Symphony No. 5 in C minor, with its opening four-note motif being one of the most recognizable in the world.

Beethoven's Fifth

Closing the 24/25 Masterworks season is a lineup that mixes classical with contemporary. We open with a newly commissioned work by American composer Conni Ellisor entitled A Woman Without Apology. Joining the orchestra is John Novacek on piano, last with the WCO at Concerts on the Square. Known for his versatility in both jazz and classical genres, Mr. Novacek will perform Brahms’ mighty Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, a titan of the Romantic era. The grand finale for the evening is Mozart's Symphony No. 41, often referred to as the Jupiter Symphony. A crowning jewel of the Classical era, Mozart's final symphony is a testament to his unparalleled genius.

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Feb 28, 2025

Davis & Dvořák

Mar 28, 2025

Beethoven's Fifth

Apr 25, 2025

Brahms & Jupiter

Jan 24, 2025

Márquez & Meyers

Dec 28, 2024

Winter Celebration

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