KINGS OF SOUL A Schirmer Theatrical/Greenberg Artists Co-Production Arrangements by Jeff Tyzik Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 7:30 pm Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 2:30 pm ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL Byron Stripling, conductor Chester Gregory, vocalist Jeremy Keith, vocalist Darren Lorenzo, vocalist Chris Kuffner, bass guitar Eric Metzgar, drums ISAAC HAYES AND DAVID PORTER Soul Man BARRETT STRONG AND NORMAN WHITFIELD I Can’t Get Next to You ROQUEL DAVID, BERRY GORDY, AND GWENDOLYN GORDY Lonely Teardrops BERRY GORDY AND WILLIAM “SMOKEY” ROBINSON Shop Around NAPOLEON BROWN, OSCAR CADENA, MARGARET HENDRICKS, AND HERMAN LUBINSKY Night Time is the Right Time WILLIAM “SMOKEY” ROBINSON Get Ready AL BELL, ALLEN JONES, AND OTIS REDDING Hard to Handle JAMES CAMPBELL, REGINALD CONNELLY, AND HENRY WOODS Try a Little Tenderness WILLIAM “SMOKEY” ROBINSON AND RONALD WHITE My Girl JAMES BROWN AND BETTY JEAN NEWSOME It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World BEN E. KING, JERRY LEIBER, AND MIKE STOLLER Stand by Me SYLVESTER “SLY STONE” STEWART Dance to the Music 22
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INTERMISSION
BARRY WHITE Love’s Theme LEON HUFF, GENE MCFADDEN, AND JOHN WHITEHEAD Back Stabbers CURTIS MAYFIELD Move On Up KENNY GAMBLE, CARY GILBERT, AND LEON HUFF Me and Mrs. Jones KENNY GAMBLE AND LEON HUFF You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine BARRETT STRONG AND NORMAN WHITFIELD Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) KENNY GAMBLE AND LEON HUFF Close the Door MARVIN GAYE AND ED TOWNSEND Let’s Get It On AL GREEN AND MABON LEWIS “TEENIE” HODGES Love and Happiness ROD TEMPERTON Rock with You GARY JACKSON, RAYNARD MINER, AND CARL SMITH (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher ALL ARRANGEMENTS LICENSED BY SCHIRMER THEATRICAL, LLC
Creative Team Robert Thompson, Creative Producer Jeff Tyzik, Producer & Arranger Jami Greenberg, Producer & Booking Agent Betsey Perlmutter, Producer Alex Kosick, Associate Producer
This weekend’s media sponsor is WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO. The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours. Video or audio recording of this performance is prohibited. All programs are subject to change. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on the Naxos, Telarc, Koss Classics, ProArte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout labels. MSO Classics recordings are available for digital streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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Guest Artist Biographies CHESTER GREGORY Chester Gregory is an award-winning Broadway actor, singer, and recording artist, renowned for his extraordinary vocal talent, commanding stage presence, and deep emotional resonance. With starring roles in iconic productions such as Hairspray, Dreamgirls, Sister Act, Disney’s Tarzan, and Motown: The Musical, Gregory has become a dynamic force in musical theater and live performances, captivating audiences with a unique energy that resonates across both grand Broadway stages and intimate concert settings. His breakthrough role as legendary singer Jackie Wilson in The Jackie Wilson Story earned him widespread acclaim and a personal standing ovation from Michael Jackson. Known for blending soul, storytelling, and precision, Gregory brings authenticity to every performance, whether delivering an electrifying showstopper or a heartfelt ballad. A recipient of the NAACP Theatre Award, Joseph Jefferson Award, and Black Theatre Alliance Award, Gregory has performed across the U.S., gaining recognition not only for his vocal abilities, but also for his emotional depth and stage presence. His influence extends beyond live performances through his social media, where he engages millions, sharing his artistic journey, humor, and passion for wellness. JEREMY KEITH Jeremy Keith is a highly accomplished alternative and soul recording artist, known for his distinctive tone and impressive background vocal work. With a career spanning over 20 years, he has earned international recognition, notably as the lead vocalist for BB King’s All-Star Band at Sea and as a background vocalist for Grammy Award-winning artist Stephanie Mills, among other musical icons. One of his standout contributions includes background vocals on Kaleo’s double platinum hit, “Way Down We Go.” Keith’s music is marked by its emotional depth, powerful vocals, and heartfelt lyrics. Blending his passion for R&B with an alternative soul edge, he draws inspiration from his family and close friends. His latest release, “Try,” has garnered widespread acclaim for its refreshing sound and mature vocal delivery. When he’s not in the studio, Keith enjoys spending quality time with loved ones or unwinding at the beach. He’s currently touring as a solo artist and vocal coach. DARREN LORENZO Darren Lorenzo hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and received his Bachelor of Arts in mass communications at Clark Atlanta University. Lorenzo has appeared in numerous regional, international, and national tours, offBroadway, Broadway, concert, and theatrical productions such as Vegas! The Show, Way Back Music, Meeting at the Crossroads, Waitress: The Musical, Rock & Roll Man, The Wiz, The Color Purple, After Midnight, Five Guys Named Moe, Saturday Night Fever, Madagascar: The Musical, Smokey Joe’s Café, No Strings, Fosse, Hair, Daddy Cool, Philip Hamilton’s Voices, Freestyle Love Supreme, What the World Needs Now, and Solid Gold Soul.
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Guest Artist Biographies CHRIS KUFFNER Chris Kuffner has been a professional bassist, guitarist, and music producer for 20 years. He has performed, produced, or recorded music with such visionary artists as Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, Ingrid Michaelson, David Byrne, Jason Mraz, A Great Big World, Jenny Owen Youngs, and many others. After a lifetime in New York City, Kuffner recently relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found himself making music with up-and-coming country artists like Caylee Hammack, Brooke Eden, and Chris Housman. He has also become a member of the Nashville-based Americana band Steele Fountain, a group of incredible players who have toured extensively with the likes of Sting and Steven Tyler. ERIC METZGAR Eric Metzgar is an in-demand drummer and versatile collaborator who offers his musicianship to various jazz and pop artists and symphony orchestras worldwide. He has had the opportunity to play with numerous first-rate performers, including Jeff Tyzik, Sutton Foster, Joe Locke, Jimmy Greene, Shayna Steele, Byron Stripling, and Delfeayo Marsalis. Metzgar is a passionate educator deeply invested in music teaching and learning. Each summer, he teaches at the Cape Ann Jazz Workshop under the direction of saxophonist Alexa Tarantino. He maintains a private studio and serves as a clinician at grade schools and universities. Metzgar holds a Bacher of Music degree in drum set performance and a Master of Music degree in music teaching and learning from the Eastman School of Music. He lives in New York City and tours frequently around the world.
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Georgi Dimitrov Nathan Hackett Michael Lieberman** Erin H. Pipal CELLOS Susan Babini, Principal, 2026.27 SEASON Dorothea C. Mayer Principal Cello Chair Shinae Ra, Assistant Principal (2nd chair) Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus MUSIC DIRECTOR Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair Esther Chae Madeleine Kabat BYRON STRIPLING Peter Szczepanek Principal Pops Conductor Peter J. Thomas* Stein Family Foundation Principal Pops Adrien Zitoun Conductor Chair BASSES RYAN TANI Principal, Donald B. Abert Associate Conductor Principal Bass Chair Andrew Raciti, Acting Principal CHERYL FRAZES HILL Nash Tomey, Assistant Principal Chorus Director (3rd chair)* Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair Brittany Conrad TIMOTHY J. BENSON Nicholas De Laurentis** Assistant Chorus Director Broner McCoy Paris Myers FIRST VIOLINS Jinwoo Lee, Concertmaster, HARP Charles and Marie Caestecker Julia Coronelli, Principal, Concertmaster Chair Walter Schroeder Principal Harp Chair Ilana Setapen, First Associate FLUTES Concertmaster, Thora M. Vervoren Sonora Slocum, Principal, First Associate Concertmaster Chair Margaret and Roy Butter Jeanyi Kim, Associate Concertmaster Principal Flute Chair Alexander Ayers Heather Zinninger, Assistant Principal Autumn Chodorowski Jennifer Bouton Schaub Yuka Kadota Chihiro Kakishima PICCOLO Elliot Lee Jennifer Bouton Schaub Dylana Leung OBOES Kyung Ah Oh Katherine Young Steele, Principal, Lijia Phang Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League Yuanhui Fiona Zheng Principal Oboe Chair SECOND VIOLINS Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal Jennifer Startt, Principal, Margaret Butler Andrea and Woodrow Leung ENGLISH HORN Principal Second Violin Chair Ji-Yeon Lee, Assistant Principal (2nd chair) Margaret Butler, Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to Shannon Fitzhenry, Assistant Principal John Martin (3rd chair) Heejeon Ahn CLARINETS Lisa Johnson Fuller Principal, Franklyn Esenberg Clay Hancock Principal Clarinet Chair Paul Hauer Jay Shankar, Acting Principal, Hyewon Kim Donald and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair Vinícius Sant’Ana** Besnik Abrashi, Acting Assistant Principal Yiran Yao Max Reese** VIOLAS Principal, Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner E-FLAT CLARINET Max Reese** Family Principal Viola Chair Kunjing Dai, Acting Principal, BASS CLARINET Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Besnik Abrashi Assistant Principal Viola Chair Samantha Rodriguez, Acting Assistant BASSOONS Principal (2nd chair) Catherine Van Handel, Principal, Alejandro Duque, Acting Assistant Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Principal (3rd chair) Principal Bassoon Chair* Elizabeth Breslin Rudi Heinrich, Acting Principal
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Matthew Melillo, Acting Assistant Principal Laressa Winters** CONTRABASSOON Matthew Melillo HORNS Matthew Annin, Principal, Krause Family Principal French Horn Chair Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal Dietrich Hemann, Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair Darcy Hamlin Dawson Hartman TRUMPETS Matthew Ernst, Principal, Walter L. Robb Family Principal Trumpet Chair David Cohen, Associate Principal, Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair Tim McCarthy, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair TROMBONES Megumi Kanda, Principal, Marjorie Tiefenthaler Principal Trombone Chair Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal BASS TROMBONE John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball Bass Trombone Chair TUBA Robyn Black, Principal, John and Judith Simonitsch Principal Tuba Chair TIMPANI Dean Borghesani, Principal Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal PERCUSSION Robert Klieger, Principal Chris Riggs PIANO Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair PERSONNEL Antonio Padilla Denis, Director of Orchestra Personnel Paris Myers, Assistant Manager of Orchestra Personnel LIBRARIANS Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair Matthew Geise, Assistant Librarian & Media Archivist PRODUCTION Tristan Wallace, Production Manager/Live Audio Lisa Sottile, Production Stage Manager * Leave of absence during the 2026.27 season ** Acting member of the MSO for the 2026.27 season