The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s second FREE organ concert on Farmers’ Market days features Wyatt Smith this Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in Overture Hall.

By Jacob Stockinger

This Saturday morning will see the second of three FREE performances of the impressive and custom-built Overture Concert Organ (below) to be hosted by the Madison Symphony Orchestra during Dane County Farmers’ Market Saturdays.

The 45-minute concert will take place at 11 a.m. at Overture Hall of the Overture Center, 201 State Street. (The last free organ concert is on Saturday, Aug. 17.)

No tickets or reservations are needed for these 45-minute concerts featuring Wyatt Smith this weekend, and later Sam Hutchison and 14-year-old newcomer Adrian Binkley.

A complete list of Overture Concert Organ performances is at www.madisonsymphony.org/organperformances .

This Saturday morning, the award-winning organist Wyatt Smith (below) returns to the stage at 11 a.m. with J. S. Bach’s Toccata in F Major (played in Bach’s own St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany, in a YouTube video at the bottom) and an intriguing selection of virtuosic movements from Kurt Knecht’s “Missouri Sonata” and Louis Vierne’s popular work, the Symphony in D. The talented Smith just received full tuitio to do a master’s degree at Yale University.

(On Aug. 17, audiences will receive a special treat at 11 a.m. in Overture Hall with the debut of a young rising star from Waunakee, Wis.

Fourteen-year-old organist Adrian Binkley (below) is a student of MSO Principal Organist Samuel Hutchison. Adrian is already an experienced recital artist and plans to study organ performance at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan next fall. Both he and Samuel Hutchison will perform at this concert.

The Free Farmers’ Market Concerts are generously sponsored by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation and are presented in partnership with Overture Center for the Arts and 77 Square. Support for all Overture Concert Organ programs is provided by the Diane Endres Ballweg Fund with additional support from Friends of the Overture Concert Organ.

With a gift from the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, the Madison Symphony Orchestra commissioned the Overture Concert Organ, which is the stunning backdrop of all MSO concerts.

As curator for the instrument, Samuel Hutchison (below) is responsible for organ programming and education events. In addition to the Free Farmers’ Market Concerts, the instrument is featured in the MSO Christmas and April 2014 concerts along with three Free Community Hymn Sings and a Christmas Carol Sing.

Subscribers to the 2013-14 Overture Concert Organ season (NOT the same as the Farmers Market organ concerts) receive a 25% discount. For information and to subscribe, visit: http://www.madisonsymphony.org/organseason

The Madison Symphony Orchestra engages a wide range of audiences in classical music through a full season of concerts with established and emerging soloists of international renown, an organ concert series, and diverse educational and community engagement programs and activities. MSO’s Music Director John DeMain is celebrating 20 years with the Madison Symphony Orchestra this season.

Learn more at www.madisonsymphony.org