KEN-DAVID MASUR opens the Classics Season with BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH SYMPHONY and
ARTISTIC PARTNER DASHON BURTON performs
The orchestra’s BACH FESTIVAL celebrates the great composer with performances of his MAGNIFICAT with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus and a selection of BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS
The MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY CHORUS joins the MSO for performances of BEETHOVEN’S CHORAL FANTASY, HANDEL’S MESSIAH, and ORFF’S CARMINA BURANA
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Season GUEST CONDUCTORS include Edo de Waart, Matthias Pintscher, Ruth Reinhardt, Bernard Labadie,
Iván López-Reynoso, Christian Reif, Jader Bignamini, and Joseph Young
RETURNING GUEST ARTISTS include Dashon Burton, Yefim Bronfman, Leila Josefowicz, Joyce Yang,
Jorge Federico Osorio, Stewart Goodyear, and Augustin Hadelich
The MSO welcomes GUEST ARTISTS Aldo López-Gavilán, Andrei Ioniță, Randall Goosby, George Li, Mahan Esfahani, Rachell Ellen Wong, Alexi Kenny, Third Coast Percussion
The season highlights MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS Matthew Ernst, Katherine Young Steele,
and Megumi Kanda
Milwaukee, Wis. 3/24/2023 – Music Director Ken-David Masur and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announced plans today for the 2023.24 Classics season. The orchestra’s third season in the Bradley Symphony Center and Masur’s fifth season with the MSO will feature classical music’s most exciting and beloved masterpieces performed by virtuoso guest artists and Milwaukee’s hometown orchestra. This season is a continuation of the MSO’s commitment to presenting a wide variety of programming that speaks to our community.
The season will include a week-long Bach Festival will celebrate the 300th anniversary of his Magnifcat in March 2024. Featured guest artist harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, the Grand Prize winner of the inaugural J.S. Bach Competition, will perform a selection of concertos. More details regarding the festival will be announced at a later date.
The season features musical titans, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Ravel’s Boléro, Elgar’s Symphony No. 1, Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique,” Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “New World,” Dukas’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
The orchestra will also perform the incredible music of contemporary composers, including Eleanor Alberga, Daniel Kidane, Valentyn Silverstrov, Matthias Pintscher, Aldo López-Gavilán, John Adams, Jonathan Cziner, Tōru Takemitsu, Tan Dun, Brian Raphael Nabors, and Carlos Simon.
Music Director Ken-David Masur said,
“I’m thrilled to welcome you to a season experience packed with familiar masterpieces alongside exciting new debuts, designed to help us connect and celebrate the joy and energy we experience together live. It’s my great pleasure to announce our new 2023.24 Artistic Partner, Dashon Burton, who is not just an extraordinary vocal artist with a wide range of musical interests, but also a gifted communicator about the wonderful paths music can pave. As a native of Leipzig, one of the great highlights I look forward to sharing with you is our first-ever city-wide Bach Festival, which will feature performances by world class guest artists in our hall and beyond. I can’t wait to welcome you to our beautiful Bradley Symphony Center as we gather to share the glory of live performance with our Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.”
President and Executive Director Mark Niehaus said, “I’m very excited about this season. Ken-David has assembled people and programs that are not to be missed. Each of these concerts was curated to enhance the experiences of our audiences in our hall with our orchestra. I know this season will both invigorate your love for your favorite composers and introduce you to new favorites as you join us for these live performances.”
Music Director Ken-David Masur’s Fifth Season
The Milwaukee Symphony’s third season in the Bradley Symphony Center is Ken-David Masur’s fifth season as music director. During the 2023.24 season, Masur will conduct 11 programs featuring varied and expansive repertoire.
MSO Welcomes New Artistic Partner Dashon Burton
Music Director Ken-David Masur has appointed bass-baritone Dashon Burton as the 2023.24 Artistic Partner. Burton will appear on three performances with the Milwaukee Symphony during the season, including the opening weekend gala and as a featured soloist in Carmina Burana. He previously appeared at the Bradley Symphony Center during performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah in March 2023.
Resonance Food Co.
The Milwaukee Symphony and its hospitality partner have scaled up food and beverages with the creation of Resonance Food Co. Resonance Food Co. offers a medley of choices, prepared on-site by full-time chefs. The second floor Atrium and the ground level Gallery feature full bars with comfortable lounge seating for mingling and conversation. In addition, five bars serve every level of the Bradley Symphony Center, and patrons are welcome to take beverages into the concert hall. Patrons have come to expect signature dishes and bespoke drinks, accented by local flavors and favorite traditions.
About the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national reputation of Milwaukee. The MSO’s 72 full-time professional musicians perform over 135 classics, pops, family, education, and community concerts each season in venues throughout the state. A pioneer among American orchestras, the MSO has performed world and American premieres of works by John Adams, Roberto Sierra, Phillip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Marc Neikrug, and Matthias Pintscher, as well as garnered national recognition as the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes. Now in its 51st season, the orchestra’s nationally syndicated radio broadcast series, the longest consecutive-running series of any U.S. orchestra, is heard annually by more than two million listeners. The MSO’s standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 70,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, and Family Series.
2023.24 CLASSICS Season
C01: Season Opener: Beethoven 5
Fri, Sep 22, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Sep 23, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Sun, Sep 24, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Daniel Kidane Be Still
Eleanor Alberga The Soul’s Expression
Schubert Selected Songs
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
C02: Brahms, Stravinsky & Prayer for Ukraine
Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Sep 30, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Valentyn Silvestrov Prayer for the Ukraine
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1
Stravinsky Petrushka
C03: Josefowicz & Boléro
Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 11:15 am
Sat, Oct 21, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Oct 22, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Debussy Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
Matthias Pintscher Assonanza
Debussy “Ibéria” from Images pour orchestra
Ravel Boléro
C04: Beethoven & López-Gavilán
Fri, Nov 3, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Nov 4, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Aldo López-Gavilán, piano
Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
Cheryl Frazes Hill, chorus director
Beethoven Overture to Fidelio
Aldo López-Gavilán Emporium
Beethoven Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt (“Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage”)
Beethoven Choral Fantasy
C05: de Waart Conducts Elgar
Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 11:15 am
Sat, Nov 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Edo de Waart, conductor
Joyce Yang, piano
John Adams The Chairman Dances
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Elgar Symphony No. 1
C06: Ruth Reinhardt Returns
Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Nov 18, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Ruth Reinhardt, conductor
Andrei Ioniță, cello
Jonathan Cziner Rear-view
Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2
Brahms Symphony No. 4
Handel’s Messiah
Fri, Dec 8, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Dec 9, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
Cheryl Frazes Hill, chorus director
Handel Messiah
C07: Labadie Conducts Mozart
Fri, Jan 26, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Jan 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Bernard Labadie, conductor
Matthew Ernst, trumpet
Rigel Symphony in C minor
Hummel Trumpet Concerto
Mozart Symphony No. 40
C08: Mozart Oboe & Symphony
Fri, Feb 2, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 3, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Katherine Young Steele, oboe
Mozart Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”
Mozart Oboe Concerto in C major
Reger Variations & Fugue on a Theme of Mozart
C09: Beethoven Piano & Pictures at an Exhibition
Fri, Feb 9, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 10, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Iván López-Reynoso, conductor
Jorge Federico Osorio, piano
Revueltas Redes Concert Suite
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
C10: Goosby Plays Mendelssohn
Fri, Feb 23, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 24, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Feb 25, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Christian Reif, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin
Pejačević Overture in D minor
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Bartók Concerto for Orchestra
C11: Tchaikovsky 6 & Brahms Songs
Fri, Mar 1, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Mar 2, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Dobrinka Tabakova Thrace
Brahms/Glanert Vier Präludien und Ernste Gesänge (“Four Preludes and Serious Songs”)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”
C12: Bernstein & Gershwin
Fri, Mar 8, 2024 at 11:15 am
Sat, Mar 9, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Mar 10, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Jader Bignamini, conductor
George Li, piano
Bernstein Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major
Ravel Valse nobles et sentimentales
Gershwin An American in Paris
C13a: Bach Fest I: Brandenburg
Fri, Mar 22, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Mar 23, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord & leader
Rachell Ellen Wong, violin & leader
J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
J.S. Bach Violin Concerto in E major
J.S. Bach Suite No. 3 in D major
C13b: Bach Fest II: Magnificat
Sat, Mar 23, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord & leader
Rachell Ellen Wong, violin & leader
Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
Cheryl Frazes Hill, chorus director
J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
J.S. Bach Harpsichord Concerto in A major
J.S. Bach Violin Concerto in A minor
J.S. Bach Magnificat in D major
C14: Liszt Piano & Symphonie Fantastique
Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 11:15 am
Sat, Apr 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Apr 28, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1
Liszt Totentanz
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
C15: Dvořák’s New World Symphony
Fri, May 10, 2024 at 11:15 am
Sat, May 11, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Joseph Young, conductor
Alexi Kenny, violin
Brian Raphael Nabors Pulse
Barber Violin Concerto
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 “New World”
C16: Takemitsu & The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Featuring Third Coast Percussion
Fri, May 17, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, May 18, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Third Coast Percussion
Women of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
Dukas Fanfare from La Peri
Takemitsu From Me Flows What You Call Time
Debussy Nocturnes
Dukas Sorcerer’s Apprentice
C17: Carmina Burana & Fate Now Conquers
Fri, Jun 7, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sat, Jun 8, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sun, Jun 9, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Megumi Kanda, trombone
Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
Cheryl Frazes Hill, chorus director
Carlos Simon Fate Now Conquers
Tan Dun Three Muses in Video Game
Orff Carmina Burana
C18: Season Finale: Hadelich Plays Tchaikovsky
Fri, Jun 14, 2024 at 11:15 am
Sat, Jun 15, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
Lyatoshynsky Grazyhna
Sibelius Symphony No. 7
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major