Classical music: Today is Cyber Monday. Here are some gift guides and links to local music organizations if you want to buy tickets and look into performers, concerts and dates.

By Jacob Stockinger

Today is Cyber Monday, which follows on the heels of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

Just look at those names of Institutionalized Shopping Days. Are we a consumer society or what?

All the news stories that the Ear hears and sees seem to agree: Online buying is by far the fastest growing segment of the holiday retail market.

In that spirit, here are two links to various gifts guides.

First, BBC Music Magazine and the Telegraph newspaper:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/classical-music-here-are-the-best-classical-music-cds-of-2015-according-to-the-bbc-music-magazine-and-the-telegraph-newspaper/

And The New York Times:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/classical-music-its-small-business-saturday-here-are-classical-music-gift-suggestions-from-the-critics-for-the-new-york-times/

But just as important are the local music makers and concert promoters. The Ear thinks that tickets to future concerts make a great gift – especially if you agree to accompany someone and provide companion or maybe even transportation is the person is older.

And you don’t have to buy today.

The important thing is to USE YOUR COMPUTER OR SMART PHONE to browse and shop, to assist you in shopping.

Some of the local groups are even offering major and minor holiday discounts. Or the past several years, the Madison Symphony Orchestra has offered has reduced price tickets. (This year, the MSO tickets sale of seats for $20 or $48 takes place Dec. 12-24.) This year, the Wisconsin Union Theater is waiving handing fees (but not discounting tickets) for the month of December and through Jan. 2. And other deals are likely, given the competitive nature of the performing arts in Madison.

And if you don’t buy them today or the sales come later, at least you can do the research right now and find out what you might want to buy later.

In some cases, as with the FREE Friday Noon Musicales at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, performers and programs are not listed much in advance. And the terrific new ensemble Willy Street Chamber Players won’t announce its new dates and programs until the spring.

The Ear thinks that combining a ticket to a live performance with a recording of the music or a book about music makes a superb holiday gift. And you will be supporting local businesses and local musicians.

So here are some links. But please forgive The Ear if the list is not exhaustive. There are so many classical music groups now in Madison and the surrounding area, it is hard to keep up.

If you want to ask something, please put the name and a link in the COMMENT section. The Ear will be grateful, and so will other readers.

The Ear hopes you find it useful.

A drumroll, please!

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music:

http://www.music.wisc.edu/events/

Edgewood College:

http://www.edgewood.edu

Madison Symphony Orchestra:

https://www.madisonsymphony.org

Madison Opera (a scene from “La Boheme” in a photo by James Gill):

http://www.madisonopera.org

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra:

http://www.wcoconcerts.org

Overture Center for the Arts:

http://www.overturecenter.org

Wisconsin Union Theater:

http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu

Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras:

https://www.wysomusic.org

Oakwood Chamber Players:

http://www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com

Madison Bach Musicians:

http://madisonbachmusicians.org

Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble:

http://www.wisconsinbaroque.org

Middleton Community Orchestra:

http://middletoncommunityorchestra.org

Con Vivo:

http://www.convivomusicwithlife.org

Festival Choir of Madison:

http://festivalchoirmadison.org/seasons/events.html

Madison Choral of Madison:

http://themcp.org/concerts/

Farley’s House of Pianos:

http://www.farleyspianos.com

Fresco Opera Theatre:

http://www.frescooperatheatre.com

Live From the Met in HD:

http://www.metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas/

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