26 |27 SEASON
LAURA JACKSON | MUSIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE
JOSHUA BELL
SEP 18
OPENING NIGHT WITH
CONTACT Madison Symphony Orchestra 222 W. Washington Ave., Suite 460 Madison, WI 53703 Phone (608) 257-3734 madisonsymphony.org info@madisonsymphony.org ©2026 Madison Symphony Orchestra, Inc. Heather Rose, Editor Email: hrose@madisonsymphony.org All rights reserved. May not be produced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from Heather Rose, Marketing Communications Manager. For advertising information, contact: Heather Rose (608) 257-3734 x231 hrose@madisonsymphony.org
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ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA 4 John DeMain Biography 6 Orchestra Personnel 48 Overture Hall Information 49 Boards and Administration OPENING NIGHT WITH JOSHUA BELL | SEPT 18 10 Concert Sponsors and Program 11 Joshua Bell Biography 15 Program Notes SUPPORT 24 Individual Donors 36 Business, Foundation and Government Donors 38 Stradivarius Society Members 40 Tributes 44 Century Society
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
As we gather in this space for these concerts, the Madison Symphony Orchestra acknowledges the HoChunk Nation’s ancestral lands and celebrates the rich traditions, heritage, and culture that thrived long before our arrival. We respectfully recognize this Ho-Chunk land and affirm that we are better when we stand together.
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SYMPHONY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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JOHN DEMAIN MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS
In his 32nd and final season as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO), Grammy and Tony Award-winning conductor John DeMain is noted for his dynamic performances on concert and opera stages throughout the world. American composer Jake Heggie assessed the conductor’s broad appeal, saying, “There’s no one like John DeMain. In my opinion, he’s one of the top conductors in the world.” In January 2023 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Opera Association, the NOA’s highest award. During more than three decades in Madison as the MSO music director, DeMain has consistently raised the quality of the orchestra by introducing blind auditions and continuously expanding the repertoire to encompass ever more challenging and virtuosic works, including the highly-acclaimed performances of the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler. DeMain also oversaw the move into the world-class Overture Hall and expanded the subscription season to triple performances. His active conducting schedule has taken him to the stages of the National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the symphonies of Seattle, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Columbus, Houston, San Antonio, Long Beach, and
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Jacksonville, along with the Pacific Symphony, Boston Pops, Aspen Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of Seville, the Leipzig MDR Sinfonieorchester, and Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. Prior engagements include visiting San Francisco Opera as guest conductor for General Director David Gockley’s farewell gala, Northwestern University to conduct Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, and the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center in D.C. to conduct Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars. In 2019, he conducted the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue at the Glimmerglass Festival to critical acclaim — he “drew a vibrant performance from an orchestra of nearly 50 players; the cast was superb.” (The New York Times). DeMain also serves as principal conductor for Madison Opera and in their 20242025 season conducted The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni and Opera in the Park. This season he will conduct La Bohème and return next summer for Opera in the Park. He has been a regular guest conductor with Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center and has made appearances at the Teatre Liceu in Barcelona, New York City Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Virginia Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Portland Opera, Chautauqua Opera and Mexico’s National Opera. He served as music director for 10 years at Opera Omaha. During his distinguished 17-year tenure with Houston Grand Opera, DeMain led a history-making production of Porgy and Bess, winning a Grammy Award, Tony Award, and France’s Grand Prix du Disque for the RCA recording. In spring 2014, the San Francisco Opera released an HD DVD of their most recent production of Porgy and Bess, conducted by John DeMain. DeMain began his career as a pianist and conductor in his native Youngstown, Ohio. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Juilliard School and made a highly-acclaimed debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. DeMain was the second recipient of the Julius Rudel Award at New York City Opera and one of the first six conductors to receive the Exxon/National Endowment for the Arts Conductor Fellowship for his work with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. DeMain holds honorary degrees from the University of Nebraska and Edgewood College and he is a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He resides in Madison and his daughter, Jennifer, is a UW– Madison graduate.
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MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
OPENING NIGHT WITH JOSHUA BELL
VIOLIN I Naha Greenholtz Concertmaster
William and Joyce Wartmann Chair
Suzanne Beia Co-Concertmaster
Steinhauer Charitable Trust Chair
Leanne Kelso Associate Concertmaster
George and Candy Gialamas Chair
Huy Luu Associate Concertmaster Olga Pomolova Assistant Concertmaster Endowed by an Anonymous Friend
Maynie Bradley
Annetta H. Rosser Chair
Kina Ono Neil Gopal Elspeth Stalter-Clouse Tim Kamps Jon Vriesacker Katherine Floriano Paran Amirinazari Alec Tonno Naomi Schrank Jerry Loughney
Geri Nolden Kathryn Taylor Robin Ryan Matthew Dahm Glen Kuenzi Laura Mericle Michelle Kaebisch Clayton Tillotson Eric Bate VIOLA Christopher Dozoryst Principal James F. Crow Chair
Katrin Talbot Assistant Principal Dove Family Chair
Diedre Buckley
Marika Fischer Hoyt Chair
Elisabeth Deussen Judy Huang Janse Vincent Jennifer Paulson Hanna Pederson David Beytas Melissa Snell Molly O’Brien Teddy Schenkman
VIOLIN II Hillary Hempel Acting Principal
CELLO Karl Lavine Principal
Peter Miliczky Assistant Principal
Mark Bridges Assistant Principal
Holly Wagner Rolf Wulfsberg Olga Draguieva
Jordan Allen
Dr. Stanley and Shirley Inhorn Chair
Elyn L. Williams Chair
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Reuhl Family Chair
Patricia Kokotailo & R. Lawrence DeRoo Chair Knapp Family Chair
Margaret Townsend
Lisa Bressler Derek Handley Trace Johnson Ryan Louie Becky Pan Amy Harr BASS David Scholl Principal Robert Rickman Assistant Principal Carl Davick Tom Mohs Chair
Zachary Betz Jeff Takaki August Jirovec Grace Heintz Mike Hennessy
CLARINET Nancy Mackenzie Acting Principal
Barbara and Norman Berven Chair
Joseph Sanchez
E FLAT CLARINET Nancy Mackenzie BASS CLARINET Gregory Smith SOPRANO SAXOPHONE Jeremy Ruthrauff TENOR SAXOPHONE Richard Brasseale BASSOON Amanda Szczys Acting Principal
Rozan and Brian Anderson Chair
FLUTE Stephanie Jutt Principal
Carol Rosing Joshua Fleming Andrew Jackson
Collin Stavinoha Linda Pereksta
CONTRABASSOON Carol Rosing
Terry Family Foundation Chair
PICCOLO Linda Pereksta OBOE Izumi Amemiya Principal
Jim and Cathie Burgess Chair
Andrea Gross Hixon Lindsay Flowers OBOE D’AMORE Andrea Gross Hixon ENGLISH HORN Lindsay Flowers
Endowed by an Anonymous Friend
HORN Emma Potter Principal
Steve and Marianne Schlecht Chair
Michael Wright Dafydd Bevil William Muir Linda Kimball, Assistant TRUMPET John Aley Principal
Marilynn G. Thompson Chair
John Wagner Matthew Onstad Jean Laurenz
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TROMBONE Benjamin Skroch Acting Principal
Fred and Mary Mohs Chair
Joseph Aumann
BASS TROMBONE Ben Zisook TUBA Joshua Biere Principal TIMPANI Madelyn Kudronowicz Acting Principal
Eugenie Mayer Bolz Foundation Chair
PERCUSSION Nicholas Bonaccio Acting Principal
JoAnn Six Plesko and E.J. Plesko Chair
Richard Morgan Gregory Hinz Sean Kleve
HARP Johanna Wienholts Principal
Endowed by an Anonymous Friend
PIANO/CELESTE Daniel Lyons Principal
Stephen D. Morton Chair
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ORCHESTRA COMMITTEE Mark Bridges, Chair Lisa Bressler, Vice-Chair Elspeth Stalter-Clouse, Secretary David Scholl, Treasurer John Wagner, Member-at-large LIBRARIAN Jennifer S. Goldberg
John and Carolyn Peterson Chair
STAGE MANAGER Benjamin Skroch PERSONNEL MANAGER Alexis Carreon
FILM LIVE IN CONCERT
WITH THE MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
OVERTURE HALL
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026
2:30 P.M.
Full Orchestra Conducted by KYLE KNOX music by ELTON JOHN lyrics by TIM RICE score by HANS ZIMMER major performance sponsor madison symphony orchestra league
ORDER TODAY!
608.258.4141
MadisonSymphony.org
SEP 18
OPENING NIGHT WITH
JOSHUA BELL
FRIDAY 6:00 PM
THANK YOU
TO OUR GENEROUS GUEST ARTIST AND CONDUCTOR SPONSOR Joel and Kathryn Belaire
PROGRAM
John DeMain | Music Director Emeritus 101st Season | Overture Hall
FEATURING
ÉDOUARD LALO (1823-1892) Symphonie Espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 21
Management for Joshua Bell: Park Avenue Artists & Booking for Joshua Bell: Primo Artists
A llegro non troppo Scherzando: Allegro molto Intermezzo: Allegretto non troppo Andante Rondo: Allegro MR. BELL
John DeMain, Music Director Emeritus Joshua Bell*, Violin *
PAUL DUKAS (1865-1935) The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) Boléro
WELCOME TO THE MSO!
Please silence your electronic devices and cell phones for the duration of the concert. Photography and video are not permitted during the performance. You may take and share photos during applause. Thank you! 10
JOSHUA BELL Violin
With a career spanning almost four decades, GRAMMY® Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell CBE is one of the most celebrated artists of his era. Bell has performed with virtually every major orchestra in the world, and continues to maintain engagements as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, conductor and as the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. In 2025, he was awarded an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by King Charles III for services to Music. Bell’s highlights for the 2024-25 season include the release of two new albums: Thomas De Hartmann Rediscovered, which features the World Premiere recording of Ukrainian composer Thomas De Hartmann’s Violin Concerto, with conductor Dalia Stasevska and the INSO-Lviv Orchestra, out August 16, 2024 on Pentatone, as well as an album of Mendelssohn piano trios,
which Bell recorded with longtime friends and collaborators Jeremy Denk and Steven Isserlis, out August 30, 2024 on Sony Masterworks. Bell will rejoin Denk and Isserlis in November 2024 for a series of concerts at Wigmore Hall, on a program featuring Fauré chamber music (which they will record together later this season for a future album release). An avid recitalist, Bell tours internationally to South America, Australia and mainland China, and performs his beloved “Voice and the Violin” program with soprano Larisa Martínez throughout North America. As guest soloist, Bell will appear with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Swedish Radio Symphony
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Orchestra. He will both conduct and play with the DSO Berlin, as well as in his role as Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin of the Fields. In 2011, Bell was named Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, succeeding Sir Neville Marriner, who formed the orchestra in 1959. Bell’s history with the Academy dates to 1986, when he first recorded the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos with Marriner and the orchestra. Bell has since led the orchestra on several albums, most recently Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, which was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY® Award. In April 2024, the Academy announced the extension of Bell’s Music Director contract through the 2027-28 season. Bell has commissioned and premiered new works by John Corigliano, Edgar Meyer, Behzad Ranjbaran and Nicholas Maw – his recording of Maw’s Violin Concerto received a GRAMMY® award. In 2023-24, Bell introduced his newly commissioned concerto project, The Elements, a suite featuring movements by five renowned living composers: Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Edgar Meyer, Jessie Montgomery, and Kevin Puts. The work received its premiere performances with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Hong Kong Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
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Bell has collaborated with peers including Renée Fleming, Daniil Trifonov, Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang, Chick Corea, Regina Spektor, Chris Botti, Anoushka Shankar, Dave Matthews, Josh Groban, and Sting, among others. In 1998, Bell worked with composer John Corigliano on the film soundtrack for The Red Violin, which elevated Bell to a household name and garnered Corigliano an Academy Award. Since then, Bell has appeared on several other film soundtracks, including Ladies in Lavender (2004) and Defiance (2008). Bell commemorated the 20th anniversary of The Red Violin (1998) in 2018-19, bringing the film with live orchestra to various festivals and the New York Philharmonic. Bell has also appeared three times as a guest star on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and made numerous appearances on the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle. Bell is also featured on six Live From Lincoln Center specials, as well as a PBS Great Performances episode, “Joshua Bell: West Side Story in Central Park.” In summer 2020, PBS presented Joshua Bell: At Home With Music, a nationwide broadcast produced entirely in lockdown, by Tony and Emmy Award-winning director Dori Berinstein. In August 2020, Sony Classical released the companion album to the special, Joshua Bell: At Home With Music (Live).
For his contributions to music education, Bell received the 2022 Paez Medal of Art, bestowed by the Venezuelan American Endowment for the Arts, and the 2019 Glashütte Original Music Festival Award, presented in conjunction with the Dresden Music Festival. In 2021, Bell announced his new partnership with Trala, the tech-powered violin learning app. Bell maintains additional active involvement with Education Through Music and Turnaround Arts, and in 2014, mentored and performed alongside National YoungArts Foundation string musicians in an HBO Family Documentary special, Joshua Bell: A YoungArts Masterclass.
the eponymous Violin Concerto by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, newly arranged for a traditional Chinese orchestra conducted by Tsung Yeh. Bell’s 2019 Amazon Originals Chopin Nocturne arrangement was the first classical release of its kind on Amazon Music. Bell’s 2013 album with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, featuring Bell directing Beethoven’s Fourth and Seventh symphonies, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Bell’s ongoing partnership with Embertone, the leading virtual instrument sampling company, on the Joshua Bell Virtual Violin, a sampler created for producers, engineers, artists, and composers, is widely considered the best virtual instrument of its kind. Bell also collaborated on the Joshua Bell VR experience with Sony PlayStation 4 VR, which features Bell performing with pianist Sam Haywood in full 360-degrees VR.
In 2007, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post story, centered on Bell performing incognito in a Washington, D.C. metro station, sparked an ongoing conversation regarding artistic reception. The feature inspired Kathy Stinson’s 2013 children’s book, The Man With The Violin, and an animated film with music by Academy Awardwinning composer Anne Dudley. Stinson’s subsequent 2017 book, Dance With The Violin, illustrated by Dušan Petričić, offers a glimpse into one of Bell’s competition experiences at age 12. Bell debuted The Man With The Violin festival at the Kennedy Center in 2017, and, in March 2019, presented a Man With The Violin family concert with the Seattle Symphony.
As an exclusive Sony Classical artist, Bell has recorded more than 40 albums, garnering GRAMMY®, Mercury®, Gramophone and OPUS KLASSIK awards. Bell’s 2023 release, Butterfly Lovers, features
Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Bell began playing the violin at age four, and at age twelve, began studies with his mentor, Josef Gingold. At age 14, Bell debuted with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra,
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and made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 17 with the St. Louis Symphony. At age 18, Bell signed with his first label, London Decca, and received the Avery Fisher Career Grant. In the years following, Bell has been nominated for six GRAMMY® awards, named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America, deemed a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, and received the Avery Fisher Prize. He has also received the 2003 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award and a Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 1991 from the Jacobs School of Music. In 2000, he was named an “Indiana Living Legend.”
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Bell has performed for three American presidents and the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. He participated in former president Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities’ first cultural mission to Cuba, joining Cuban and American musicians on an Emmy-nominated PBS Live from Lincoln Center special; Joshua Bell: Seasons of Cuba, celebrating renewed cultural diplomacy between Cuba and the United States. Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin.
PROGRAM NOTES SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 | FRIDAY 6:00 PM
Joshua Bell is quite simply one of the greatest violinists in the world. We present a special opening all-French concert featuring Mr. Bell in his third appearance with the orchestra. He first thrilled the MSO audience way back in September 1988 as a 21-year-old prodigy, playing Edouard Lalo’s Spanish-flavored Symphonie espagnole—the same work he plays at this program. The program opens with wonderfully evocative work, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice of Dukas, well-known to most audiences as the background to Mickey Mouse’s turn as a naughty student magician in Disney’s Fantasia. To close, the orchestra performs the hypnotic Boléro by Ravel, known for the unchanging, almost obsessive snare drum rhythm that underlies Ravel’s masterful exploration of orchestral color. This tone poem, one of very few surviving pieces by Dukas, is also by far his most popular work.
PAUL DUKAS
Born: October 1, 1865, Paris, France. Died: May 17, 1935, Paris, France.
PAUL DUKAS
program notes by J. Michael Allsen
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Composed: 1897 Premiere: May 18, 1897, in Paris Previous MSO Performances: Though we have played the work on numerous used programs, it has also appeared three times previously at subscription concerts, in 1966, 1988, and 1995. Duration: 12:00. The inspiration for this work was a ballad by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Background Paul Dukas had a fine reputation in French music as a composer, prolific critic and writer on musical topics, music editor, and as an influential teacher of orchestration at the Paris Conservatory. As a composer, Dukas remained a staunch conservative, strongly allied to the
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romantic tradition—though more radical composers like Debussy and Stravinsky knew and were influenced by his work. Dukas was a careful and unsparingly self-critical musical craftsman, and published fewer than a dozen pieces in his lifetime, destroying nearly as many works that did not meet his exacting standards— often to the dismay of his friends and music publisher! One work that did survive his ruthless self-editing was The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, subtitled “symphonic scherzo after a ballad of Goethe.” It is certainly Dukas’ most lighthearted piece, and his student Olivier Messian later insisted that it was intended as a of satire of the hyper-serious symphonic poems of Strauss and others. It was already a popular piece when Walt Disney famously adapted it as the central episode of the 1940 animated feature Fantasia. The familiar images of Mickey Mouse and single-minded animate brooms were actually drawn directly from the Goethe ballad that inspired Dukas. Goethe’s 1797 poem Die Zauberlehrling—itself based upon a Classical Greek story by Lucian—tells of a lazy student magician, who is left alone by his master with orders to fill a cistern with water. Tired of hauling buckets, he uses a spell to animate a broom to do his work. The broom does the task quickly, but the apprentice forgets the spell that will stop the broom, and the whole house is soon awash. In desperation, he
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whacks the broom with an axe, but to his dismay finds that that he now has not one, but two highly motivated brooms. More strikes with the axe only increases the number of brooms in exponential progression. Just when the entire house is flooded, the sorcerer returns and cancels the spell, returning everything to normal. This is a colorful, programmatic musical picture of the chaos caused by a magical spell gone awry. What You’ll Hear This musical version of this story is brilliantly orchestrated and colorful, beginning with a mysterious passage that hints at the main theme. There is a sudden whirlwind of activity that represents the magic spell, and the broom, personified at first by the bassoon, comes slowly to life, playing a theme that will dominate the rest of the piece. The music becomes more and more frantic—you can feel the apprentice’s desperation as things get completely out of hand. He first tries a magic spell and then the blows of the axe are clearly heard in the music. All is quiet for a moment, but Dukas then paints the multiplying brooms coming to life with a lugubrious contrabassoon solo and a grotesque fugue. There is increasing chaotic and stormy music, until the entrance of the sorcerer, in the guise of the brass section. After a few forlorn yelps from the bassoons, representing the dying brooms, there is a quiet little epilogue, and a sudden, tongue-in-cheek ending.
EDOUARD LALO
This piece, certainly the most popular work by Lalo, channels the music of Spain.
ÉDOUARD LALO
Born: January 27, 1823, Lille, France. Died: April 22, 1892, Paris, France. Symphonie Espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 21 Composed: 1874. Premiere: February 7, 1874, Paris, by violinist Pablo de Sarasate. Previous MSO Performances: 1939 (Marilyn Malone), 1953 (Henri Aubert), 1988 (Joshua Bell), and 2013 (Augustin Hadelich). Duration: 33:00. Something of a late bloomer as an orchestral composer, Lalo was in his 50s when wrote this work for the most important Spanish violin virtuoso of the day, Pablo de Sarasate Background Though he was not particularly wellknown as composer until he was in his 50s, Édouard Lalo, a Belgian, eventually became one the most important musicians in the Parisian musical scene. Unlike his good
friend Berlioz, Lalo’s first interest was chamber music, and he played viola in the Armingaud Quartet, a group that was largely responsible for the revival of interest in France in the string quartets of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Despite the high quality of some of his early works, Lalo was largely ignored as a composer: chamber music was less popular in France than orchestral music and opera, and during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71, any composer with supposedly “German” musical sympathies was mistrusted. His prospects brightened within a few years, however. After its humiliating defeat in the war, one of the French government’s responses was to pump money into the arts, to reinvigorate French music, dance, and theatre, and to give French performing arts pride of place in Europe. Lalo benefited enormously from the support of the Société Nationale de Musique, a publicly-funded concert society. He was also befriended by the Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, and Lalo wrote two large works in quick succession for his new friend: the Op. 20 violin concerto (1873) and his Symphonie Espagnole (1874). The Symphonie Espagnole became (and remains) his most popular work, and with that encouragement Lalo turned to larger forms. Over the next 14 years, he composed most of his most famous works: notably the cello concerto, his Concerto Russe (also intended originally for Sarasate),
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the ballet Namouna, and the opera Le roi d’Ys. From the 1870s through the early 20th century, the French were fascinated with Spanish music— Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and Bizet’s Carmen a few years later were only the first of many French works that used exotic Spanish styles. But Lalo’s direct inspiration was Sarasate himself. Sarasate was well known both as a virtuoso and as a composer of Spanish-style violin music. Lalo’s use of Spanish flavor is more subtle and ultimately tastier than Sarasate’s however: Lalo used Spanish melodic figures and dance rhythms sparingly throughout the work, only occasionally letting these elements govern the music. (That is, Lalo used pinches of spice, while Sarasate and many Spanish composers who followed tended to dump in the whole jar!) This work is laid out in five movements: • An opening movement set in sonata form. • A sensuous Spanish-style dance. • An intermezzo that features a dramatic take on the habanera. • A folklike Andante. • A brilliant closing rondo. What You’ll Hear Lalo explained the unusual title in a letter: “It conveyed my thought—a violin soaring above the rigid form of an old symphony.” Each of five fairly brief movements is set in a symphonic form, beginning with the 18
first (Allegro non troppo), which is laid out in relatively conventional sonata form—though he does make room for a concerto-style cadenza at the end of the development. Lalo works with two main ideas in this movement: a bold, martial melody and a more lyrical second idea in Spanish style. The second movement (Scherzando: Allegro molto) is a gently seductive Spanish dance with a somewhat more serious middle section. The Intermezzo (Allegretto non troppo) seems like a genteel French take on bullfighting music, with the violin spending much of the outer sections in the smoky low range above a quiet habanera rhythm, and rising to a passionate peak in the middle. The orchestra introduces the solemn folklike main idea of the Andante, which the violin then develops passionately until it introduces a brighter new idea, and launches a brief cadenza. The finale (Rondo: Allegro) is built on an animated main theme that provides the soloist with material for development. There are a few contrasting ideas, including a brief reminiscence of the Intermezzo, but the focus stays on virtuoso fireworks from the soloist throughout. No work by Maurice Ravel is as instantly recognizable as his 1928 Boléro. This work has become a durable part of popular culture, standing for just about anything that is sensuous and seductive. It was not universally successful in its day, however!
MAURICE RAVEL
MAURICE RAVEL
Born: March 7, 1875, Cibourn, France. Died: December 28, 1937, Paris, France. Boléro Composed: 1928. Premiere: November 22, 1928, at the Paris Opéra. Previous MSO Performances: 1935, 1936, 1975, 1990, and 2007. Duration: 17:00. Boléro was written as the score for a Spanish-themed ballet by Ida Rubinstein. Background Boléro is one of the later works of Ravel, and his most popular. In fact, Boléro is one of those pieces that is so popular that it risks being a cliché. It has been used in movies—perhaps most famously in a memorable scene in the otherwise forgettable 1979 film 10—television, advertising, and figure skating: usually to suggest something languorous and sexy. But the work Ravel called his “only masterpiece” remains as exciting and musically satisfying as it was in its first performance in 1928.
Boléro was written as a ballet score for dancer Ida Rubinstein. Her ballet, a solo dance set in a Spanish tavern, called for a Spanish idiom, and she originally suggested a transcription of pieces from Iberia by Isaac Albéniz. This proved to be impossible due to copyright restrictions, and instead Ravel produced an entirely new and innovative score based on a stylized boléro rhythm—a folk dance of southern Spain. The ballet production was successful, but Boléro proved to be phenomenally popular as a concert work, and it was promptly performed across Europe and America. Not everyone liked it—one American critic called it “...the most insolent monstrosity ever perpetrated in the history of music. From the beginning to the end of its 339 measures, it is simply the incredible repetition of a single rhythm....and above it is the blatant recurrence of an overwhelmingly vulgar cabaret tune...” Ravel was shocked by the strong reactions— negative and positive—to the piece, and in 1931, wrote a letter to the London Daily Telegraph explaining his intentions: “I am particularly anxious that there should be no misunderstanding as to my Boléro. It is an experiment in a very special and limited direction, and it should not be suspected of aiming at achieving anything
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different from, or anything more than it actually does achieve. Before the first performance, I issued a warning to the effect that what I had written was a piece lasting seventeen minutes and consisting wholly of orchestral texture without music—of one long, very gradual crescendo. There are no contrasts, and there is practically no invention except in the plan and the manner of the execution. The themes are impersonal—folk tunes of the usual Spanish-Arabian kind. Whatever may have been said to the contrary, the orchestral treatment is simple and straightforward throughout, without the slightest attempt at virtuosity... I have done exactly what I have set out to do, and it is for listeners to take it or leave it.” Ravel’s Bolero was a startling piece in 1928, and it is still surprising nearly a century later. It is missing many of the things we expect in a piece of Classical music: a variety of themes, key changes, development, etc. Instead, Ravel created a stunningly original masterpiece in the use of orchestral tone color. What You’ll Hear Ravel’s seemingly incomprehensible statement that Boléro is “without music” probably refers to its completely original form: there is none
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of the usual thematic development or sectional repetitions—there is simply a constantly-repeated two-part theme. There are also no changes in harmony in the traditional sense: the harmony is an unwavering C Major for the first fifteen minutes of the piece. The form is instead a constantlyevolving orchestration, changing the color and gradually adding all of the instruments of an expanded orchestra that includes such unusual timbres as piccolo trumpet, oboe d’amore, and three saxophones. Underlying all of this is the unchanging boléro rhythm played by pizzicato strings and single snare drum—in fact, one of the most challenging percussion parts in the orchestral literature! The two parts of the theme—each repeated in the form AABB—reappear some eighteen times over the course of the piece. There is a kind of inexorable growth until the very end, when without warning, the harmony abruptly changes to E Major. This seems to have been Ravel’s way of breaking the tremendous momentum of the piece—by this point it has reached critical mass, and the end is not a traditional coda, but more a kind of exhausted collapse.
Program notes ©2026 J. Michael Allsen
MSOL CELEBRATES OUR
70 TH ANNIVERSARY!
What an extraordinary milestone—70 years! The Madison Symphony Orchestra League is proud of its dedicated support for the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the award-winning programs of its Education and Community Engagement that reach thousands of children across our community each year. These include: the Hunt Quartet’s nationally recognized Up Close & Musical program, which brings live music into elementary classrooms; the Topitzes Family Fall Youth Concerto Competition, Fall Youth Concerts; Bolz Young Artist Competition; The Final Forte; Spring Young People’s Concert, Symphony Soup, and Link Up, as well as the Rhapsodie Quartet and HeartStrings®, which bring meaningful musical experiences to senior living communities throughout the region. We are pleased to celebrate all that has come before and proudly continue our commitment, looking ahead to empowering the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s future for generations to come. You can be part of this legacy! Join the Madison Symphony Orchestra League and help us continue building a vibrant future for classical music in Madison and beyond. Cheers to our 70th Anniversary—and to the beginning of the next century of music with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
SCAN THIS CODE to learn more about the MSOL and become a member. 21
A MISSED NIGHT AT CARNEGIE HALL BECOMES A GIFT TO MADISON
K a t hy &
d M a rilyn Joel Belaire an
& J im Eb b
e n , O c to b e
r 2013
In October of 2013, Joel and Kathy Belaire traveled to New York City with their good friends and regular travel companions, Marilyn and Jim Ebben, for what promised to be an unforgettable evening: Carnegie Hall's 123rd season opening-night gala concert with the famous violinist Joshua Bell performing as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. After months of anticipation, they arrived in New York on the day of the concert, walked from their hotel to the historic concert hall to pick up their tickets, and learned that Carnegie Hall’s stagehands had gone on strike earlier that day—for the first time in the venue’s history. As a result, that evening’s gala performance was canceled. What a disappointment! 22
Now, 13 years later, that missed performance has found its way to Madison. On Friday, September 18th, thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Belaires, Joshua Bell will perform with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Overture Hall for the opening night concert of the MSO’s 101st season. For the Belaires, the evening is an expression of their long and deeply personal relationship with the MSO, and a chance to make up for that disappointing trip to New York. “We took a number of trips with Jim and Marilyn Ebben, and that trip to New York was the only one that didn’t go as planned,” says Joel Belaire. “Sponsoring this concert is a special opportunity for us to rectify
that gap, memorialize our dear friend Jim Ebben who died in 2020, and honor our friend John DeMain on his retirement from the Madison Symphony after 32 wonderful years. We’re glad to be able to contribute a meaningful artistic experience to the Madison community.” Longtime subscribers, donors, and MSOL members, Joel and Kathy are woven into the MSO family. They have hosted Parties of Note—a series of MSOL fundraisers which Kathy and Marilyn Ebben helped start—and they have formed lasting friendships with many other supporters and Maestro John DeMain. Years ago, Kathy sang in the Madison Symphony Chorus under Maestros Roland Johnson and John DeMain, performing in the UWMadison stock pavilion and the Oscar Mayer Theater. The Belaires’ history of special concert sponsorship began with a fortuitous encounter when Joel found himself seated next to pianist Peter Serkin on an airplane. A lively conversation ensued, and afterward Joel approached Maestro John DeMain and then-Executive Director Rick Mackie to ask what it would take to bring Serkin to Madison. In November of 2005, the Belaires sponsored Serkin’s appearance for three hugely popular performances of Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 1. They have since supported other concerts through full or partial guest artist sponsorships.
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When the Madison Symphony Orchestra asked the Belaires to consider a special gift in honor of the orchestra’s Centennial and John DeMain’s final season as Music Director, they thought back to that New York trip and they asked Executive Director Robert Reed whether the MSO might consider engaging Joshua Bell to perform in Madison with DeMain conducting. The answer, after more than two years of planning, is this concert. “Joel and Kathy have been stalwart supporters of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and good friends of mine for many years," says John DeMain. "By underwriting Joshua Bell's performance with us, they are giving a special gift to Madison and to me personally. This will be my first concert as Music Director Emeritus, and I'm looking forward to working with such a fabulous guest artist and, of course, our wonderful orchestra.” Tonight’s program features Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, and Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, a brilliant and colorful opening to the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s second century. A concert canceled in New York has become something much larger in Madison: a gift to the community, a tribute to enduring friendships, and a celebration of what live music makes possible. Please join us in thanking Joel and Kathy for this wonderful gift!
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INDIVIDUAL DONORS Madison Symphony Orchestra Madison Symphony Orchestra League Friends of the Overture Concert Organ
The Madison Symphony Orchestra and our affiliate organizations rely on generous donor support to fund the fulfillment of the Symphony’s mission each year. We gratefully acknowledge all individual donors for their gifts and sponsorships to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra League, and/ or Friends of the Overture Concert Organ. Donors are listed according to the total amount of their monetary donations supporting the 2026-27 Season* as of August 20, 2026. $20,000 & ABOVE Lynn Allen-Hoffmann & Michael Hoffmann Diane Ballweg Joel & Kathryn Belaire Norm & Barbara Berven Rosemarie & Fred Blancke Lau & Bea Christensen W. Jerome Frautschi & Pleasant Rowland Susan S. Harris Myrna Larson Roma Lenehan Marvin J. Levy Elaine & Nicholas Mischler Stephen Morton
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Peter & Leslie Overton Walter & Karen Pridham Charitable Fund Fredrick & Karen Schrank Kay Schwichtenberg & Herman Baumann Judith Werner Jim & Jessica Yehle
$10,000-$19,999 Fernando & Carla Alvarado Louise Borden Janet & Scott Cabot Martha Casey Philip Daub Joan Fudala & Richard Dike Jane Hamblen & Robert F. Lemanske Larry Hands & Karen Kendrick-Hands Kathleen Harker Gary & Lynn Mecklenburg Claudia Berry Miran Fred & Mary Mohs Nancy Mohs David & Kato Perlman Larry & Jan Phelps Cyrena & Lee Pondrom Peggy & Tom Pyle Richard & Pamela Reese Doug & Katie Reuhl Michael & Claire Ann Richman John & Twila Sheskey Charitable Fund Lise R. Skofronick
William Steffenhagen Lynn Stegner Judith & Nick Topitzes Fred A. Wileman Thomas Rae Smith & Jennifer A. Younger One Anonymous Friend
$5,000-$9,999 Chuck Bauer & Chuck Beckwith Sue & Ellis Bauman Robert Benjamin & John Fields Karl Bethke Dr. Annette Beyer-Mears Randy & Marcia Blumer Patricia Brady & Robert Smith Ellsworth & Dorothy Brown Doug & Sherry Caves Dennis & Lynn Christensen Ann Coleman James Dahlberg & Elsebet Lund Kim & Bill Donovan John W. Erickson Paul & Susan Erickson Dr. Thomas & Leslie France Dr. Robert & Linda Graebner Dr. & Mrs. Frank Greer Tyrone & Janet Greive John & Karla Groenenboom Terry Haller Brandon S. Hayes Sharol Hayner Charles & Tammy Hodulik Paul & Lynne Jacobsen Ronald J. & Janet E. Johnson Valerie & Andreas Kazamias Charlie & Judy Knapp Patricia Kokotailo & R. Lawrence DeRoo Barbara Komoroske David Lauth & Lindsey Thomas Ann Lindsey Kimberly Santiago & José J. Madera
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Doug & Norma Madsen Charles McLimans & Dr. Richard Merrion Barbara J. Merz Mark & Joyce Messer Lorrie & Kevin Meyer Larry & Julie Midtbo Dennis & Karen Neff Abigail Ochberg & Dr. Steven Ewer Michael Oliva & Patricia Meyer Jon & Fung Wai D Parker Pamela Ploetz & John Henderson Beth & Peter Rahko Pat & Jeff Roggensack Richard & Barbara Schnell Rodney Schreiner & Mark Blank Mary Lang Sollinger Jerry & Vicki Swedish Thomas E. Terry Dr. Condon & Mary Vander Ark Katie & Ellis Waller Glenn & Jane Watts Greg & Jenny Williams Anders Yocom & Ann Yocom Engelman Three Anonymous Friends
$3,500–$4,999 Mike Allsen & Robin Hackman Rozan & Brian Anderson Richard Cashwell George Gay William Higbee Phil La Susa – TRC Companies Jennifer & Jim Lattis Allan & Sandra Levin Linda & Michael Lovejoy David & Ann Martin Diane Mayland & Mike Hennessy David Myers Reynold V. Peterson Kathleen Schell Harold & Marilyn Silvester
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Anna Trull & John Stofflet Jasper & Joanne Vaccaro Fred Younger Bob & Cindy Zellers Ledell Zellers & Simon Anderson
$2,000–$3,499 Tom & Betty Akagi Emy Andrew Gary Antoniewicz & Martha Taylor Dennis Appleton & Jennifer Buxton Kay & Martin Barrett Jeffrey & Angela Bartell Larry Bechler & Teri Venker Donald & Deborah Beduhn Anne & William Belt Jo Bernhardt & Ralph Topinka Michael Bridgeman & Jack Holzhueter Bradford Brown & Maribeth Gettinger Catherine Burgess Larry & Mary Kay Burton Donna Carnes Betty Chewning & Family Elizabeth A. Conklin Louis Cornelius & Pris Boroniec Steve & Shirley Crocker Rick & Peggy Daluge Royce Dembo Wallace & Peggy Douma Eve Drury & Peter Beatty Audrey Dybdahl Fred Edelman Bob Erb & Wendy Weiler Kristine Euclide & Douglas Steege Timothy & Renée Farley Raelene & LisaAnn Freitag Philip & Dale Grimm Paul Grossberg & Dean Ziemke Janice Grutzner Betty & Edward Hasselkus
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Jim & Kathy Herman Walter & Barbara Herrod Cynthia S. Hiteman Paul & Sharon Hoffmann Mark Huth & Meghan Walsh Charles James Bob & Louise Jeanne Maryl R. Johnson, M.D. Corinne Jones John Jorgensen & Olga Pomolova Darko & Judy Kalan Terry & Mary Kelly Catherine Kestle Mooyoung Kim & Anna Myeong James Klein & Mary Knapp Dr. & Mrs. Ivan Knezevic Mary Kratz James & Karen Laatsch Fern & Bill Lawrence Charles Leadholm & Jeanne Parus Richard Leffler Mike & Kathy Lipp Rod & Jo MacDonald Keith McDonald Patricia McQuiddy Joseph Meara & Karen Rebholz Barb Melchert Eugene Miliczky & Sarah Shippen Jon & Cookie Miller Mark & Nancy Moore Deane Mosher & Frances Fogerty Genevieve Murtaugh Bradley Niemcek & Sharon Murphy Paul & Maureen Norman Kevin & Cheryl O’Connor Kay & Pete Ogden Dr. Zorba Paster & Penny Paster Amy & Mark Pauli Kari Peterson & Ben De Leon Phila & Ronald Poff
Steve & Robin Potter Myron Pozniak & Kathleen Baus John A. Rafoth Christine & Robert Reed Don & Carol Reeder Dr. Thomas Reid & Mr. Rolando Cruz Janet Renschler Kathryn Richardson Bing & DeeDee Rikkers Sarah Rose Bassam Shakhashiri Jacqui & John Shanda Robert Shumaker & Janet Kilde Shumaker Reeves Smith & Glenna Carter Shirley Spade Keith Sperling The Stuart Family Ei Terasawa Grilley Marilynn G. Thompson Harry Tschopik Selma Van Eyck Carol & Donald Wahlin Ann Wallace Faye Pauli Whitaker Carolyn White Marvin Wickens & Judith Kimble Dave Willow Susan & Rolf Wulfsberg George & Sue Zagorski Four Anonymous Friends
$1,000–$1,999 Anne Altshuler David & Karen Benton Beth Binhammer & Ellen Hartenbach Randall Blumenstein & Marci Gittleman Nancy Braun Mike & Quinn Christensen Barbara & Ted Cochrane David & Wendy Coe
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Kara Conner & Shannon Patrick Conner Patricia Crowe Debra Dahlke & Robert Gake Richard & Susan Davidson Paula & Bob Dinndorf Charles & Bonnie Dykman Marilyn Ebben Jane Eisner Robert Factor Michael & Anne Faulhaber Marc & Marcia Fink David Flanders & Susan Ecroyd Donna B. Fox Richard & Patricia Friday Katharine Gansner Barbara Gessner Mark & Jane Greenberg George & Joan Hall Bobbie & Steve Jellinek Stan & Nancy Johnson Charles & Susan Kernats Rolf Killingstad Robert & Lynne Krainer Roberta Kurtz & Margaret Schmidt Jack Kussmaul David & Hilda Kuter Richard & Judy Kvalheim Constance Lavine & Fred Holtzman Bonnie McMullin-Lawton & Jack Lawton Sharifa Merchant Robin Moskowitz Mary & Michael Myers Thomas H. Nash III & Corinna Gries Vicki & Marv Nonn Dan & Judy Nystrom Zaia Parker & Peleus Parker Patricia Paska Gary & Mary Jo Peterson William E. Petig Judith Pierotti
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Mary Pinkerton & Tino Balio Kathleen & Robert Poi SanDee Priser Stephen & Margie Rankin Ron Rosner & Ronnie Hess William & Rhonda Rushing Orange Schroeder Boone & Janelle Severson Philip Shultz & Marsha Van Domelen Robert & Suzanne Smith Chris & Ronald Sorkness Laura Sparks Lynn Stathas Eileen & Michael Stenberg Ross Swaney Marcia E. Topel Angela Vitcenda & Jerry Norenberg Sally Wellman Judy Winkel Barbara Wolfe Gretchen Zelle & Tabitha Sable Two Anonymous Friends
$500–$999 Diane Adams Stuart & Bonnie Allbaugh Peggy Anderson Nancy Baillies & Kevin Gould James & Diane Baxter Christine K. Beatty Ronald Benavides Gail Bergman Michael Betlach Terry Bloom & Prudy Stewart Daniel & Stacey Bormann Catherine Briggs & Marthea Fox Joyce A. Bringe Wendy & Douglas Buehl Mike Byrne & Roberta Carrier Birgit Christensen & Paul Rabinowitz
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Wendy & Fred Coleman Jim Conway & Kathy Trace R. Christian & Kathy Davis Russ & Janis Dixon Marlene Duffield & Terry Walton-Callaghan John & Deidre Dunn Paul Dvorak Crystal Enslin Lorna Filippini & Clyde Paton Kathryn Forde John Gadow Robert & Janine Gage Rosalee Gander Alan & Kathy Garant John & Christine Gauder Fr. C. Lee & Edith M. Gilbertson Joel & Jacquie Greiner Susan Gruber Peter Guenther & Barbara Woodriff Wava Haney Paul Hauri Gregg Heatley & Julie James Rose Heckenkamp-Busch & Luke Busch Evelyn Howell James & Cindy Hoyt Bill & Randi Huntsman Margaret & Paul Irwin Kris S. Jarantoski Rosemary & Lee Jones Jerome & Dee Dee Jones Maryanne & Bob Julian Richard Karwatka Charlene Kim Noël Marie & Steven Klapper Irwin Klibaner Larry M. Kneeland Catherine & Thierry Krier James Krikelas Polly & Jim Kuelbs
Carol L. Ladwig Beverly Larson Ed & Julie Lehr Jane & Benny Leonard Richard & Jean Lottridge Richard & Judy Loveless John & Mary Madigan Garrick & Susan Maine Joan & Doug Maynard Robert McCalla & Laurie Beardsley Julie McGivern & Tom Smith Marta Meyers & Ian Davies Arthur Hans & Terry Ellen Moen Rick & Jo Morgan Katherine Morkri & Hoyt Halverson Casey & Eric Oelkers Julie Ottum & David Runstrom Faith & Russ Portier John & Rose Rasmus James Roeber Sophia Rogers Matthew & Linda Sanders Gary & Barbara Schultz Dale & Beverly Schultz Wayne Schwalen & Barbara Fleeman Magdolna Sebestyen Penelope Shackelford Curt & Jane Smith Lanny & Margaret Smith Daniel & Tina Spellman Andrew & Erika Stevens Millard & Barbara Susman Matthew Sykes & Elizabeth Niblack-Sykes Rayla Temin Mark & Daria Thomas Mark & Nan Thompson Ellen M. Twing James J. Uppena Nancy Vedder-Shults & Mark Shults Karen Wallander
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John & Janine Wardale Scott Weber & Martha Barrett David L. Weimer & Melanie Manion Leonard & Paula Werner Ron Zerofsky Robert & Mary Ziino Three Anonymous Friends
$250–$499 Jason & Erin Adamany Julius & Hildegard Adler Lyle J. Anderson David Atkinson & Mia Gottlieb George Austin & Martha Vukelich-Austin Dennis & Beverly Ball Howard & Linda Bellman Sharon M. Berkner Julia Bolz Daniel & Joyce Bromley Kevin & Tracey Buhr Charles & Joanne Bunge David & Sarah Canon Evonna Cheetham Ross & Julie Cowing Dawn Crim & Elton Crim Jr. Ruth N. Dahlke Geke De Vries & Herman Felstehausen Douglas DeBoer & Luke Zeka Laura & Erik Dent Rahel Desalegne & Girma Tefera Michael & Carla DiIorio Sue Dornfeld Paula K. Doyle Katrina Dwinell & Jane Oman Phyllis Ermer Douglas & Carol Fast Marshall & Linda Flowers Bobbi Foutch-Reynolds & Jim Reynolds Paul Fritsch & Jim Hartman Peter Gascoyne
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Dale & Linda Gutman Vicki & Alan Hamstra Margaret Harrigan & Richard Ross Paul Haskew & Nancy Kendrick John Hayward & Susan Roehlk John & Sarah Helgeson Michael Hobbs & Sherry Boozer-Hobbs Barbara S. Hughes Karen Icke Paul Kent Connie Kinsella & Marc Eisen Chris & Marge Kleinhenz Richard & Claire Kotenbeutel Kevin & Theresa Kovach Mark Kremer Kathleen K. & Richard R. Kuhnen Roger & Sherry Lepage Peggy Lescrenier Gary Lewis & Ken Sosinski Dick & Cindy Lovell Dale Meyer & Mary Seay Thomas Miller Tabitha Moldenhauer Ann & David Moyer Ron & Jan Opelt David Parminter Gerald & Christine Popenhagen Sue Poullette Mark E. Puda & Carol S. Johnston Stephen Pudloski Marie Radunzel John & Peggy Rapp Kathleen Rasmussen Sherry Reames Richard & Donna Reinardy Linda Reivitz John K. Rinehart Lorraine & Gary Roberts Wilton Sanders Jeffrey & Gail Schauer
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Steven & Debra Schroeder Andreas & Susanne Seeger Robert Sharp & Axel Larsen Carolin Showers Jordan Siegler & Lukas Dietz Karen Smith Kathy Speck & Gabor Kemeny Carol Spiegel Michael Stemper Karen M. Stoebig Karla Stoebig David Stone Eric & Emily James Strauss Ulrika Swanson Ken Mericle & Mindy Taranto Gerald & Priscilla Thain John & Bonnie Verberkmoes Arnold & Ellen Wald Cleo & Judy Weibel Urban Wemmerlöv & Mary Beth Schmalz Steven Wendorff Dr. J. Andrew White Jeffrey Williamson Jon Woods Steven & Patty Zach Debra Zillmer & Daniel Leaver Eleven Anonymous Friends
$50–$249 Karen Aamotsbakken & Jonatan Du Chateau Adalia Abrego Jonathan Accola Rita Applebaum Livia Asher Brian & Tracy Bachhuber Leigh Barker Cheesebro Laurie & Lee Bartolini George & Donna Beestman Ruth Benedict
Prentice & Doris Berge John Bloodgood & Julie Cornelius Yvonne A. Bowen Michael Bowman Virginia Boyd Chris & Gretchen Brace Steven Braithwait Allyn Bress Esther Briddell Waltraud Brinkmann Lou & Nancy Bruch Catherine Buege Lynn Burke Walter Burt & Deborah Cardinal Julie Buss Heather & Mark Butler Ann Campbell Jeanne & Uriah Carpenter Janet Cibula Carol Clarke Leah Clementi Jeremy Cloud & Briana Burton Sam Coe Richard & Virginia Connor Barbara Constans Bonnie & Marc Conway The Corden Family Ed & Vicki Cothroll Sheila Coyle Kathy Cramer & John Hart Debbie Cravens Randall Crow & Patricia Kerr Nanette Dagnon Beverly Dahl Gary Davis & James Woods Sally Ann Davis Suzanne Davis Eve & Carl Degen Frances DeGraff Jeannine & Edouard Desautels
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Daniel & Lavonne Dettmers Dan & Carole Doeppers Meranda Dooley Rosemary M. Dorney Michael Hinden & Betsy Draine Richard & Doris Dubielzig Katy & Edward Dueppen Kenneth Edenhauser Stephanie Elkins Ann Ellingboe Dolores Emspak John & Joann Esser Elizabeth Fadell Barbara Fischer & Stanley Weldy Grace Fleming Janet & Byron Frenz James Fromm William & April Fry Greg & Clare Gadient Kenneth & Molly Gage Susan Gandley Carol Gapen Jill Gaskell Sharon & Warren Gaskill Laurie Gauper Michael George & Susan Gardels Shawn Gillen & Barbara Josephine Higgins Gillen Craig & Cristel Gjerde Carl & Peggy Glassford William & Sharon Goehring Janice Golay Barbara Grajewski & Michael Slupski Sam Gratz David Griffeath & Catherine Loeb Jennifer Haack Lynne & Gregory Haasch Kate Habrel Bob & Beverly Haimerl Thomas & Vicki Hall
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Jane Hallock & William Wolford H. William & Susan Hausler Dan & Michele Hayes Jenifer Hedrick Cheryl Heiliger Steven & Kate Henderson Shizuko Herrera Nona Hill & Clark Johnson William & Sara Lee Hinckley Libby Howting Peter & Candace Huebner Judith Hughes Robert & Ellen Hull Donald Huseby Rebecca Ibach Frank Iltis Mark & Catherine Isenberg Sue Janczak Doreen & Greg Jensen Aaron & Sarah Johnson Dan & Janet Johnson Doug & Kathy Johnson Heather Johnson Conrad & Susan Jostad Mina Kato & Steve Keith Estelle Katz Marci & Neal Katz Virginia Kaufman Arlan Kay Joseph Kay Ray & Jane Kent Melissa Keyes & Ingrid Rothe Kathy & Jim Kjorlie Michele Davanis Klaus & Michael Klaus James Kleeman Fran Klos Laurie & Gus Knitt Doug Knudson Greg & Laura Kolden Steven Koslov
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Michael G. Krejci Katherine Kruse Thomas & Domenica Kuech Merilyn Kupferberg Leslie Ladd Paul Lambert & Anne Griep Bart Landau Mary & Steve Langlie Jim Larkee Laurie Laz & Jim Hirsch Richard & Lynn Leazer Marcy & Tom Leland Sally Leong Eric & Gina Lewandowski Robert Lord & Rosalie Hall Carol M. Lorenz Sally Lorenz Judith A. Louer Doug & Mary Loving Kathy Luker Frank & Nancy Maersch Paul Magnus Chuck & Linda Malone Richard Margolis Peter & Marjorie Marion Jeanne Marshall Edward Matkom Bruce Matthews & Eileen Murphy Thomas & Elvice McAlpine Paul & Jane McGann Cynthia McKenna Kate Meagher & Evan Snyder Lori J. Merriam Stanley & Donna Michelstetter Christine Miles Susan Millar Linda Miller Margaret & Paul Miller Mark Miller & Terry Sizer Wendy Miller
Rolf & Judith Mjaanes Carla Moore Douglas & Rosemary Moore Darrel Morrison & Gary Gill Terry Morrison Michael Morrissey Gary & Carol Moseson Kaitlindh & Steven Moubry Bruce Muckerheide & Robert Olson Mary Murray Andrea Musher Lynn Hallie Najem Mary Ann Nanassy Jack & Carol Naughton Mary & Susan Nelson Mary Nord Andrew Nowlan Thomas & Barbara Oatman Richard & Marcia Olson Richard & Mary Ann Olson Elizabeth Palay James & Joan Parise Barbara Park Mitchell L. Patton John Pepple Ernest J. Peterson Luke & Linda Plamann Ann Pollock & James Coors Sarah Potts Paula Primm Thomas & Janet Pugh Kristie Pulvermacher & Robert Drape Nancy Radke Donald & Roz Rahn Drs. Joy & David Rice Mark & Zoe Rickenbach Sara Roberts John Rose & Brian Beaber Howard & Mirriam Rosen Fred & Mary Ross
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John Ross John & Rachel Rothschild Nancy Rottier & Gary Goyke Nathaniel Ruck Robert & Nancy Rudd Janet Ruszala-Coughlin & Tim Coughlin Dean Ryerson Steven & Lennie Saffian Don & Barb Sanford Nan & Bob Schaefer Dennis & Janice Schattschneider John & Susan Schauf Mary Ellen Schlough Greg Schmidt & Sinikka Santala Thomas & Lynn Schmidt Renae Schroeder Nick & March Schweitzer Ann & Gary Scott Linda Seaquist Vicki Semo Scharfman Jonathan Senchyne & Brigitte Fielder Michael Shank & Carol Troyer-Shank Sandy Shepherd Daryl Sherman & Kathryn Lederhause Eve Siegel Beck Thomas & Myrt Sieger Daniel & Cheryl Siehr Sydnee Singer Lori Smetana Derrick & Carrie Smith Steve Somerson & Helena Tsotsis Angie Sparks Robert & Barbara Stanley Joanne Stark Martin Stein Tom Stevens & Tess Mattis Carol & Bruce Stoddard Taylor Stofflet Jonathan & Jessica Storey JoAnne & Ken Streit
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Rob & Mary Stroud Jerry & Georgie Suttin Sandra L. Tabachnick Howard & Elizabeth Teeter Glen Thio & Ka Her Jill Thomas Eric J. Thompson Stephen Thompson Anne Thurber & Yjan Gordon Margaret Trepton Colleen & Tim Tucker Doris J. Van Houten Keith & Roxanne Van Loon John & Shelly Van Note Rebekah & Bill Verbeten Susan Vergeront Jan Vidruk Liz Vowles Greg Wagner & Fred Muci Dr. Grace Wahba & Dr. David Callan Jane Walent Scott & Cheryl Wardell Carolyn Waxler Mary Webster Karl & Ellen Westlund Dorothy Whiting Wade W. & Shelley D. Whitmus Lyn & Lyman Wible Steven & Ellen Wickland
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Nancy & Tripp Widder Ernst & Connie Wiegeshaus Eve Wilkie Suzy Wilkoff Bambi Wilson Bill & Jackie Wineke Rick Wirch M.J. Wiseman Scott & Jane Wismans Brad Wolbert & Rebecca Karoff Celeste Woodruff & Bruce Fritz Marcia Wright David Wuestenberg Thirty-One Anonymous Friends We also thank 96 donors for their contributions of $1 to $49. * Total includes gifts supporting: MSO’s 2026-27 Annual Campaign; MSOL 2026-27 Events and General Support; 2026-27 Organ Concerts; Friends of the Overture Concert Organ’s 2026-27 Annual Campaign. MSOL and FOCO basic membership dues and fundraising event ticket purchases are not included. Giving thresholds listed here do not correspond to giving levels within specific campaigns included. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you have any questions or corrections, please contact our development staff at (608) 257-3734.
2 6 |27 ORGAN SEASON AT-A-GLANCE
S U B S C R I P T I O NS & T ICK E TS
Create Your Own
Customize your symphony experience with a Choose Your Own Subscription. Mix and match three or more concerts and save up to 10% off regular ticket prices! madisonsymphony.org/cyo
Single Tickets On Sale Now!
Purchase single tickets ($20-$115) by phone (608) 258-4141, in-person at the Overture Box Office, online at madisonsymphony.org or overture.org. SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS
2026
2027
GREG ZELEK ALL BACH SEP 27
RAÚL PRIETO RAMÍREZ, ORGANIST FEB 9
LUCRECIA AND THE CELIA CRUZ ALL-STARS NOV 19
GREG ZELEK WITH THE MADISON YOUTH CHOIRS MAY 11
Greg Zelek, Organ
Greg Zelek, Organ Lucrecia, Guest Artist Celia Cruz All-Stars, Guest Artists
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Raúl Prieto Ramírez, Guest Organist
Greg Zelek, Organ Madison Youth Choirs, Michael Ross, Artistic Director
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BUSINESS, FOUNDATION AND GOVERNMENT DONORS Madison Symphony Orchestra Madison Symphony Orchestra League Friends of the Overture Concert Organ
The Madison Symphony Orchestra and our affiliate organizations rely on generous donor support to fund the fulfillment of our mission each year. We gratefully acknowledge all companies, foundations and government agencies for their grants, sponsorships, general contributions, and gifts-in-kind. Organizations that have contributed to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra League, and/or Friends of the Overture Concert Organ are listed according to the total amount of their donations supporting the 2026-2027 Season* as of August 21, 2026. $100,000 OR MORE Madison Symphony Orchestra Foundation
$50,000–$99,999 Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation Madison Symphony Orchestra League WMTV 15 News
$25,000–$49,999 American Printing Irving and Dorothy Levy Family Foundation, Inc.
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The Madison Concourse Hotel & Governor’s Club (in-kind) Madison Magazine Madison Media Partners Nimick Forbesway Foundation
$15,000–$24,999 Capitol Lakes The Evjue Foundation, Inc. Fiore Companies, Inc. National Endowment for the Arts Richman & Richman LLC Wisconsin Arts Board
with additional funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts
$10,000–$14,999 Lake Ridge Bank Madison Gas & Electric Foundation, Inc. PBS Wisconsin SupraNet Communications, Inc. University Research Park U.S. Bank Foundation An Anonymous Foundation
$5,000–$9,999 Boardman Clark Law Firm DeWitt LLP The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. The Steven P. Robinson Family Fund Wisconsin Public Radio
$2,500–$4,999
UP TO $999
BMO Dane County Arts,
Heid Music and Heid Music Family Charitable Fund Promega Corporation
with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation
Hooper Corporation Madison Community Foundation
$1,000–$2,499 BRAVA Magazine The Capital Times Kids Fund Capitol Bank Madison Arts Commission
* Total includes donations that support 2026-2027 Madison Symphony Orchestra Concerts, 202620267 Organ Concerts, 2026-2027 Education and Community Engagement Programs; Madison Symphony Orchestra League’s 2026-2027 Events and Activities including Cheers to Our Second Century and Symphony at Sunset 2027; and Friends of the Overture Concert Organ’s 20262027 Annual Campaign. Fundraising event ticket purchases are not included. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you believe an error has been made, please contact our development department at (608) 257-3734.
Announcing the Second Century Stradivarius Society Challenge As the Madison Symphony Orchestra enters our second century together in music and welcomes Music Director Laura Jackson, we invite you to help ensure that the Symphony remains a vital artistic and community asset for generations to come. We’ve set a goal to welcome at least 20 new planned giving households into our legacy giving circle, the Stradivarius Society, by the end of the 2027-2028 season. For each new donor/household who confirms their planned giving intent with the Symphony—through June 30, 2028—an anonymous friend will contribute $1,000 to the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s endowment in their honor! Have you already included a gift for the Symphony in your estate plans? Just let the Symphony know, and the anonymous donor will make a $1,000 endowment gift in your honor. Have you been thinking about an estate gift but haven’t made your plans yet? We encourage you get started in the coming months and then let the Symphony know when your plans are finalized. The planned giving challenge is active until June 30, 2028. “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.” – Sergei Rachmaninoff Contact: Casey Oelkers, Director of Development coelkers@madisonsymphony.org 608-260-8680 x228
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PLANNED GIVING: THE STRADIVARIUS SOCIETY The individuals listed below have informed the MSO that they have included gifts for the Symphony in their estate plans. If you have remembered the Symphony in your will, living trust, or have made other arrangements for a future gift, we would love to know so we can thank you! We honor all requests for anonymity. Contact Casey Oelkers at (608) 260-8680 x228 for more information. Fernando & Carla Alvarado Emy Andrew Dennis Appleton & Jennifer Buxton Diane Ballweg Margaret B. Barker Chuck Bauer & Chuck Beckwith Barbara & Norman Berven Dr. Annette Beyer-Mears Rosemarie & Fred Blancke Shaila & Tom Bolger Michael K. Bridgeman Alexis Buchanan & James Baldwin Scott & Janet Cabot Clarence Cameron & Robert Lockhart Martha & Charles Casey Elizabeth A. Conklin Patricia Crowe James Dahlberg & Elsebet Lund Barbara & John DeMain
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Robert Dinndorf Audrey & Philip Dybdahl Jim & Marilyn Ebben Endo Family Trust George Gay Tyrone & Janet Greive Terry Haller Brandon S. Hayes Robert Horowitz & Susan B. King Richard & Meg LaBrie David Lauth & Lindsey Thomas Ann Lindsey & Charles Snowdon Gary & Lynn Mecklenburg Claudia Berry Miran Elaine & Nicholas Mischler Stephen D. Morton Margaret Murphy Reynold V. Peterson David & Kato Perlman Judith Pierotti Michael Pritzkow John Rafoth Gordon & Janet Renschler Joy & David Rice Joan & Kenneth Riggs Harry & Karen Roth Edwin & Ruth Sheldon Twila Sheskey Dr. Beverly S. Simone JoAnn Six Mary Lang Sollinger
Sharon Stark & Peter D. Livingston Gareth L. Steen Jurate Stewart Richard Tatman & Ellen Seuferer Marilynn Thompson Ann Wallace Richard & Barbara Weaver Carolyn & Ron White John Wiley & Andrea Teresa Arenas Dave Willow Mary Alice Wimmer Helen L. Wineke Ten Anonymous Friends
ESTATE GIFTS RECEIVED Elizabeth S. Anderes Donald W. Anderson Judy Ashford Helen Barnick Norman Bassett Nancy Becknell DeEtte Beilfuss-Eager Theo F. Bird Marian & Jack Bolz Kenneth Bussan Margaret Christy Frances Z. Cumbee Teddy Derse Dr. Leroy Ecklund Mary J. Ferguson Linda I. Garrity Maxine A. Goold Beatrice B. Hagen Martin R. Hamlin Sybil A. Hanks Elizabeth Harris Julian E. Harris Jane Hilsenhoff Carl M. Hudig Dr. Stanley & Shirley Inhorn Martha Jenny
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Lois M. Jones Shirley Jane Kaub Helen B. Kayser Patricia Koenecke Teddy H. Kubly Arno & Hazel Kurth Steven Landfried James V. Lathers Renata Laxova Stella I. Leverson Lila Lightfoot Jan Markwart Geraldine F. Mayer Mr. & Mrs. Frederick W. Miller Janet Nelson Sandra L. Osborn Elmer B. Ott Ethel Max Parker Josephine Ratner Mrs. J. Barkley Rosser Harry D. Sage Joel Skornicka Chalma Smith Marie Spec Charlotte I. Spohn Evelyn C. Steenbock Harry Steenbock John & Mary Storer Virginia Swingen Gamber F. Tegtmeyer, Jr. & Audrey Tegtmeyer Katherine Voight William & Joyce Wartmann Sally & Ben Washburn Sybil Weinstein Mr. & Mrs. J. Wesley Thompson Glenn & Edna Wiechers Elyn L. Williams Margaret C. Winston Jay Joseph Young Two Anonymous Friends
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TRIBUTES The Madison Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their contributions honoring family & friends, as of August 20, 2026. Tributes are recognized for one year following the gift date. In honor of Janneke C. Baske Bruce and Barbara McRitchie In honor of Wendy Buehl Lea Culver In honor of Susan De Groot and Joe Boucher Dave Arnold In honor of Barbara DeMain Anonymous In honor of John DeMain Diane and Dominic DeMain Pamela Ploetz and John Henderson Anonymous In honor of Tammy and Charles Hodulik Steven and Lynn Hodulik In honor of Helen Koel Carol M. Lorenz In honor of the Madison Symphony Chorus John Heaton In honor of Gale Meyer and Barbara Melchert Keith and Martha Poniewaz Nancy Radke Anonymous
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In honor of Nick and Elaine Mischler Donald and Susan Trudell In honor of Keith and Martha Poniewaz Gary Antoniewicz and Martha Taylor Anonymous In honor of Elspeth Stalter-Clouse Randall and Pamela Clouse In honor of John Toussaint Reynold V. Peterson In honor of Carolyn White Sharon M. Berkner In honor of Laura White Anonymous In honor of Greg Zelek Christine & Jeff Molzahn Todd & Kim Toussaint Margy Wilkoff In honor of Greg Zelek and Amanda Elfman Suzy Wilkoff In honor of Mark Zelek Suzy Wilkoff In memory of John and Susan Aehl The Aehl Family In memory of Norman C. Anderson Peggy Anderson In memory of Susan H. Axelrod Jon P. Axelrod
In memory of Jack & Marian Bolz, Anne & Bob Bolz, and Adolph & Eugenie Bolz Julia Bolz Robert and Lynn Bolz Jeff and Joan Bolz Cleary Carolyn and Bob Glah Cathy and Eric Wilson Anonymous In memory of Marian Bolz Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Barbara Ann Brown Kirk Brown and Lori DiPrete Brown Brian W. Heywood, M.D. In memory of Jim and Betty Bruce Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Stephen Caldwell Judith Werner In memory of Robert Carwithen Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Wayne Chaplin Gail Bergman In memory of Luke Cho Jewish Social Services of Madison In memory of Mary Ann Cook Polly and Jim Kuelbs In memory of Patricia Gadow John Gadow In memory of Kennedy W. Gilchrist Barbara S. Hughes In memory of Anita Healey Valerie and Andreas Kazamias Christine and Robert Reed In memory of Chuck Howting Libby Howting In memory of Marika Fischer Hoyt Friends and Family of Marika Fischer Hoyt In memory of Stanley Inhorn Douglas Kopp
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In memory of Stan and Shirley Inhorn Ramsay Bittar Becky Dick Tyrone and Janet Greive Patricia Kokotailo and R. Lawrence DeRoo Judith and Nick Topitzes Anonymous In memory of Andreas Kazamias Christine and Robert Reed Teressa Smith In memory of Dr. Edith G. King Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Helen Klibaner Irwin Klibaner In memory of John Komoroske The Armstrong Family Aurora BayCare Hospital X-Ray Team Jeanne Behrend and Dan Fields Jenna Behrman Deb and John Belken Karen Benson Susie Berberet Mark and Gayle Boerschinger Rita E. Bogosh Janet Brantmeier Barbara and James Brueckner Angela and Tom Breunig Ted and Judy Buenzli Valerie Cappozzo Richard and Sandy Carlson Colleen Cleary and David Anderson Mary and Jack Davison Mary Detra Maureen and James Drunasky Henry and Carol Ebert Rhea Emmer Dave and Kathi Erickson Jeanie Farmer Robert and Linda Frautschy Candice Gehl Curt and Michelle Gehl David and Gloria Gehl
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Donna Gehl Jane Gehl and Todd Thiel The Joshua P. Gehl Family Luke Gehl Mark and Kathy Gehl Mike and Pam Gehl Janet and Marc Gehl Vincent Connie and Barry Golden Diana Grove Patricia Hable Zastrow Cleo Hall Craig and Gina Hallbauer Sharon and Joel Haroldson Cynthia Hawkinson Ann Henne The Hietpas Family Kent and Annette Hovie Mandy Huber The Johnson Family Robert and Barbara Justl Peter and Emily Klug Donald Kometz Barbara Komoroske Diana Konkle Alan and Toots Krueger The Lamers Family Angie and Scott Lawrence The Liebzeit Family Mary and Bill Lundstrom Sue and Ray Lux Jim and Toni Mastrangelo Christine and Russell Melland Cheryl Namyst and Steve Konkol Marge and Carroll Pieper Roger and Judy Plamann Bernie and Jane Powers David and Jane Rahn Rosina Romano Jim and Kitty Rosenberger Mildred K. Ross Peggy Ross Paul and Pam Rush Beverly Sakofsky Sandy and Joe Schulz
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Ann and Dayton Sederquist Mark and Diane Selz Patti and Mike Sensenbrenner Christi and Pat Shortridge Mary St. Claire James Strother Steve and Lisa Sveum Michael and Sarah Swanson Mary and James Taylor The Veenendaal Family Peggy and James Weber Mary and Leo Wherley Ed and Bonnie Wilson Five Anonymous Friends In memory of Menno Kramer Joanna Kramer Fanney In memory of Barbara Landau Anonymous In memory of Joan Lippincott Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Dr. C.B. Martin, Jr. Barbara C. Martin In memory of Dr. Donald McDonald Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Sandra Osborn Samuel C. Hutchison In memory of Lillian Porcaro Alexis M. Carreon In memory of Grace Potts Sarah Potts In memory of Walter Pridham Karen Pridham In memory of Maurice and Arlene Reese Richard and Pamela Reese In memory of Will Risley Diane Risley In memory of Dr. Pearl Sanders Valerie Shatavsky
In memory of Jennie Biel Sheskey John and Twila Sheskey Charitable Fund In memory of Durwin Smith Valerie and Andreas Kazamias In memory of Chuck Snowdon Ann Lindsey In memory of Joan Kee Sparks Donna Hendrickson Christensen and Brian Christensen Judith Hughes Anonymous In memory of Jo and Bob Sparks Angie Sparks Laura Sparks In memory of John Steinhauer Marilyn Ebben In memory of Patricia D. Struck Larry Bechler In memory of Kristina Cuthbert Stuart The Stuart Family In memory of Les Thimmig Patricia Crowe In memory of Carol and John Toussaint Elaine and Nicholas Mischler In memory of John Toussaint Samuel C. Hutchison Reynold V. Peterson In memory of Nicki L. Towner Zachary Goldberger and Erin Fouch In memory of Ann Wallace Marcy and Tom Leland In memory of Margaret C. Winston Paul and Susan Erickson In memory of Ed Young Valerie and Andreas Kazamias Elaine and Nicholas Mischler
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ENDOWMENT GIVING: THE CENTURY SOCIETY We gratefully acknowledge our Century Society donors, who have made commitments of $100,000 or more to the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s endowment through outright or planned gifts, as of September 2026. Their gifts create a solid financial foundation upon which the MSO can realize its vision to be a leader in classical music performance, education, community engagement, and artistic innovation for generations to come. New Century Society members are always welcome. Visit madisonsymphony.org/ endowment to learn more about endowment giving and view a full list of endowment donors. Carla and Fernando Alvarado Rozan and Brian Anderson Dennis Appleton and Jennifer Buxton Diane Ballweg Chuck Bauer and Chuck Beckwith Barbara and Norman Berven Dr. Annette Beyer-Mears Rosemarie and Fred Blancke Eugenie Mayer Bolz Family Foundation Jim and Cathie Burgess Martha and Charles Casey Margaret Christy Pat and Dan Cornwell James F. Crow James Dahlberg and Elsebet Lund William and Alexandra Dove
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The Evjue Foundation, Inc. Linda I. Garrity George Gay George and Candy Gialamas Tyrone and Janet Greive Terry Haller Carl M. Hudig Dr. Stanley and Shirley Inhorn Patricia Kokotailo and R. Lawrence DeRoo Arno and Hazel Kurth Myrna Larson James Victor Lathers Peter Livingston and Sharon Stark Madison Symphony Orchestra League Gary and Lynn Mecklenburg Claudia Berry and David E. Miran Nicholas and Elaine Mischler David and Kato Perlman John L. Peterson Sheila Read The Reuhl Family Pleasant T. Rowland Harry D. Sage JoAnn Six Gareth L. Steen Harry and Evelyn C. Steenbock Steinhauer Charitable Trust Thomas E. Terry Marilynn Thompson Judith and Nick Topitzes Katherine and Thomas Voight William and Joyce Wartmann Elyn L. Williams Margaret C. Winston Six Anonymous Friends
MSO AFTER DARK + OUT AT THE SYMPHONY
SPECIAL EVENTS
AFTER
MSO DARK BEETHOVEN & BOUQUETS FRIDAY 10.16.26
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26 |27 SEASO N
AT-A-GLANCE S U B S C R I P T I O N S & TICK ETS
Create Your Own
Customize your symphony experience with a Choose Your Own Subscription. Mix and match three or more concerts and save up to 10% off regular ticket prices! madisonsymphony.org/cyo
Single Tickets On Sale Now!
Purchase single tickets ($20-$115) by phone (608) 258-4141, in-person at the Overture Box Office, online at madisonsymphony.org or overture.org. SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS
2026 BEETHOVEN’S PASTORAL SYMPHONY OCT 16-18 VIVALDI | PIAZZOLLA | L. BOULANGER | HINDEMITH | BEETHOVEN
Laura Jackson, Music Director Designate Kyle Knox, Resident Conductor Naha Greenholtz, Violin
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LAURA JACKSON CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY NOV 6-8
SIMON | RACHMANINOFF | TCHAIKOVSKY
Laura Jackson, Music Director Designate Joyce Yang, Piano
A MADISON SYMPHONY CHRISTMAS DEC 4-6
John DeMain, Music Director Emeritus Renée Richardson, Soprano Demetrious Sampson, Jr., Tenor Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, Tamera & Leotha Stanley, Directors Madison Youth Choirs, Michael Ross, Artistic Director
2027 STERLING ELLIOTT RETURNS JAN 15-17 TICHELI | HAYDN | STRAUSS
Carl St. Clair, Guest Conductor Sterling Elliott, Cello
RACHMANINOFF & BEETHOVEN FEB 19-21 ORTIZ | BEETHOVEN | RACHMANINOFF
John DeMain, Music Director Emeritus Inon Barnatan, Piano
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GARRICK OHLSSON PLAYS CHOPIN MAR 12-14 SHAW | BRAHMS | CHOPIN
John DeMain, Music Director Emeritus Garrick Ohlsson, Piano
TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO APR 9-11 WAGNER | TCHAIKOVSKY | GENDEL/VINCENT
John DeMain, Music Director Emeritus Blake Pouliot, Violin Karen Chia-ling Ho, Soprano Rehanna Thelwell, Mezzo-soprano Kyle Ketelsen, Bass-baritone Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director Madison Youth Choirs, Michael Ross, Artistic Director
LAURA JACKSON CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH MAY 7-9 BARBER | HIGDON | BEETHOVEN
Laura Jackson, Music Director Designate Time For Three, Guest Artists
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OVERTURE HALL INFORMATION RESTROOMS Women’s and men’s restrooms are located on each level of Overture. Family assist/gender inclusive restrooms, available to persons of any gender identity and expression, are available in the following areas: • Lower-Level Rotunda: to the right of the stairway. • First floor lobby / Overture Hall: near coat check. • Second floor: Gallery 2—second door to the left off the elevators. Amenities at gender-inclusive restrooms include: • Lockable door to provide privacy for individual users • Ample room for an assistant/family member, if needed • Accessible sink, stool and urinal (floor level) • Changing stations • Power-assist doors (Level 1 restrooms only) COAT CHECK Coat Check will be available all day during Festival Weekend. You can check coats, hats, umbrellas or even bags if you are coming from the Farmer’s Market. Coat Check is located on the First Floor Lobby/ Overture Hall next to the Restrooms. ACCESSIBILITY Overture Center is fully accessible to persons with mobility, hearing, and visual impairments. Ushers
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are available at each concert to assist you. Wheelchair or transfer seating is available; please notify the Overture Center Box Office when purchasing your ticket. If you require an assistive-listening device, please alert an usher at the concert. Braille programs are also available upon request. Please contact Heather at hrose@madisonsymphony.org at least three weeks prior to the concert you wish to attend. GUEST CONSIDERATIONS The musicians and your fellow audience members thank you! • Please feel free to take photos before and after the concert, and during intermission! Once the lights dim, please turn off all cell phones and electronic devices. • Please do not wear perfumes, colognes or scented lotions as many people are allergic to these products. • Smoking is not permitted anywhere in Overture Center for the Arts. • Food and beverages are available at bars and concession stands in the Overture Lobby. Please take note: We will adhere to all public health guidelines and cooperate with Overture Center for the Arts to ensure your safety. We invite you to visit madisonsymphony.org/ health for more information on health and safety. Overture Center safety information can be found at overture. org/health.
BOARDS & ADMINISTRATION MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2026-2027 OFFICERS Michael Richman, Chair Janet Cabot, Secretary Doug Reuhl, Treasurer Ellsworth Brown, Immediate Past Chair Barbara Berven, Member-at-large Oscar Mireles, Member-at-large Derrick Smith, Member-at-large Anna Trull, Member-at-large Jasper Vaccaro, Member-at-large DIRECTORS Rubin Anthony Barbara Berven Rosemarie Blancke Ellsworth Brown Janet Cabot Cecilia Carlsson Bryan Chan Elton Crim Marc Fink Jane Hamblen Rose Heckenkamp-Busch Luis Herrera Paul Hoffmann Mooyoung Kim Phillip La Susa Jennifer Sloan Lattis David Lauth Robert Lemanske Ann Lindsey José J. Madera Marta Meyers Oscar Mireles Richard Morgan Leslie Overton Jon Parker Lester Pines Michael Richman
madisonsymphony.org
Sophia Rogers Carole Schaeffer Kay Schwichtenberg John Sims Derrick Smith Dan Spellman Lynn Stathas Todd Stuart Anna Trull Jasper Vaccaro Ellis Waller Eric Wilcots LIFE DIRECTORS Terry Haller Valerie Kazamias Elaine Mischler Nicholas Mischler Douglas Reuhl HONORARY DIRECTORS Jennifer Berne, President Madison College Kathy Evers, First Lady of the State of Wisconsin Melissa Agard, Dane County Executive ADVISORS Elliott Abramson Michael Allsen Carla Alvarado Ted Bilich Camille Carter Martha Casey James Dahlberg Bob Dinndorf Audrey Dybdahl Laura Gallagher Tyrone Greive Michael Hobbs Mark Huth Stephanie Lee Joseph Meara
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Gary Mecklenburg Larry Midtbo Abigail Ochberg Greg Piefer Cyrena Pondrom Margaret Pyle Mary Lang Sollinger Bill Steffenhagen Judith Topitzes Carolyn White Anders Yocom Stephen Zanoni Ex Officio Directors Rozan Anderson Mark Bridges Charles McLimans Jim Wear Ex Offico Advisors Dan Cavanagh Daniel Davidson John Wagner Directors Emeritus Helen Bakke Wallace Douma Fred Mohs Stephen Morton Beverly Simone John Wiley MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOUNDATION INC. BOARD, 2026-2027 OFFICERS Nicholas Mischler, President Jon Parker, Vice President Robert Reed, Secretary-Treasurer DIRECTORS Ellsworth Brown Joanna Burish Jill Friedow Juan Gomez Jane Hamblen Nicholas Mischler
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Jon Parker Gregory Reed Robert Reed Douglas Reuhl Michael Richman MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2026–2027 OFFICERS Rozan Anderson, President Don Sanford, President-Elect Ledell Zellers, Recording Secretary Janet Renschler, Corresponding Secretary Leslie Overton, Treasurer Barbara Berven, Immediate Past President/Nominations Louise Jeanne, VP Administration Jackie Judd, AVP Administration Kathy Forde, VP Communications & Annual Report Jessica Yehle, AVP- Communication Lori Poulson, VP Education (and Youth Docent Programs) Jacqui Shanda, AVP Education Judy Kalan, Music Discovery Talks Susan Thomson, VP-Membership Recruitment & Retention Michael Bridgeman, VP Membership Records Lynn Stegner, VP Special Projects and Chair Cheers Joshua Bell Dinner Teressa Smith, AVP Special Projects Anna Trull, Chair Symphony at Sunset Don Sanford, Parties of Note 2026-2027 Jan Cibula, VP Social Activities Mary Lou Tyne, Fall/70th Anniversary Luncheon Rosemarie Blancke, Chair Holiday Party and Chair Spring Luncheon/Annual Meeting Valerie Kazamias, Mid-winter Luncheon Pat Bernhardt, Holiday Party Jim Patch, Men’s Bridge Marilyn Ebben, Women’s & Couples Bridge ADVISORS Pat Bernhardt
Deb Beduhn Rosemarie Blancke Janet Cabot Marilyn Ebben Valerie Kazamias Fern Lawrence Ann Lindsey Linda Lovejoy Elaine Mischler Beth Rahko Judith Topitzes Carolyn White Nancy Young FRIENDS OF THE OVERTURE CONCERT ORGAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2026-2027 OFFICERS Charles McLimans, President William Steffenhagen, Past-President David Willow, Secretary-Treasurer Greg Zelek, Ex-Officio DIRECTORS Herman Baumann Quinn Christensen Paula Doyle Audrey Dybdahl Mark Huth Sage Kirkpatrick Douglas McNeel Mark Moore Mary Ann Nanassy Jennifer Younger ADVISORS Fernando Alvarado Diane Ballweg Jim Baxter Barbara Berven Ellsworth Brown Janet Cabot John Gauder Terry Haller Ellen Larson Latimer Robert Lemanske Gary Lewis madisonsymphony.org
Elaine Mischler Vicki Nonn David Parminter Reynold Peterson Rhonda Rushing Teri Venker Anders Yocom EX OFFICIO Greg Zelek, Principal Organist and Elaine & Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC. ADMINISTRATION Robert Reed, Executive Director David Gordon, Executive Assistant & Board Liaison Ann Bowen, General Manager Simon Arno, Receptionist & Administrative Assistant Alexis Carreon, Personnel Manager Jennifer Goldberg, Orchestra Librarian, John & Carolyn Petersen Chair Jaquie M. Rice, Director of Finance Lisa Kjentvet, Director of Education & Community Engagement
Katelyn Hanvey, Education & Community Engagement Manager Casey Oelkers, Director of Development Meranda Dooley, Manager of Individual Giving Rachel Cherian, Manager of Sponsorships & Institutional Giving Christopher Stager, Interim Marketing Director Heather Rose, Marketing Communications Manager Isabella Clinton, Audience Experience Manager Emma Potter, Digital Marketing Manager Greg Zelek, Principal Organist and Elaine & Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ
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