The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra uses a new website and a new brochure to announce its new Masterworks season plus other innovations
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
In many ways, there is much that is familiar or tried-and-true about the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (below, in a photo by Mike Gorski) and its new Masterworks season for 2020-21.
But in other ways it seems as if the WCO is reinventing and rebranding itself – perhaps under the direction of its new CEO Joe Loehnis – as the ensemble starts a double anniversary: its 60th season of existence and its 20th year under the baton of music director Andrew Sewell (below in a photo by Alex Cruz).
As in past years, the WCO programs feature a mix of familiar composers and works with new and neglected ones. It also features both new and returning guest soloists.
Start with what’s new.
The new WCO home website – like the new brochure that has been mailed out — has been redesigned, with more visuals and more information about the 34-member orchestra. The Ear finds both the new brochure and the new home page to be more attractive, better organized and easier to use. Take a look for yourself: https://wcoconcerts.org
There also seems to be a heightened emphasis on donations and raising money, including a new organization called “Friends” that brings special benefits for $30 or even more perks at $8 a month.
And the website seems more customer-friendly. There is a section on the website about “What to Expect,” which includes how to choose seats, how to dress, when to applaud and so forth. There is also a portal for streaming events and concerts.
There is more, much more, including the pre-concert dinners for the Masterworks concerts and the culturally diverse programs for the postponed Concerts on the Square (below), to run this summer on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. (NOT the usual Wednesdays at 7 p.m.) from July 28 to Sept. 1.
There seems to be more emphasis on Sewell, who this year provides extensive first-person notes about each program and the guest artists. (In the YouTube video at the bottom, you can hear Sewell discuss the new Masterworks season with Wisconsin Public Radio host and WCO announcer Norman Gilliland.)
This season will see two performances of Handel’s “Messiah”: one on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Blackhawk Church in Middleton; and another downtown on Sunday, Dec. 20, at the UW-Madison’s Hamel Music Center.
The Masterworks series of concerts – held on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. in the Capitol Theater of the Overture Center – will begin in late November rather than in late January. The six concerts include five new ones and the postponed appearance of harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, whose appearance this season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, on May 14.
Two of the concerts – on two Saturdays, Feb. 20 and April 10 – will also be performed in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts (below).
You can read more about the community outreach and music education programs, especially the Youth and Education programs. They include the free Family Series and “Side by Side” concerts (below, in a photo by Mike DeVries for The Capital Times, WCO concertmaster Suzanne Beia, right, tutors a WYSO student); the Super Strings educational program; and the Young Artists Concerto Competition for grades 9-12.
Here are the Masterworks series:
NOV. 20 – Pianist John O’Conor (below) returns in a program of the Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” by Beethoven; the Septet by Igor Stravinsky; and the Symphony No. 1 in D Major by Luigi Cherubini.
JAN. 15 – Cellist Amid Peled (below, in a photo by Lisa Mazzucco) returns in a program of Cello Concerto No. 1 by Dmitry Kabalevsky and the Andante by Jacques Offenbach; plus the Wind Serenade in D minor by Antonin Dvorak; and the Symphony No. 34 by Mozart.
FEB. 19 – Violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky (below) in returns in Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and Astor Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons in Buenos Aires”; plus the Suite for Strings by Leos Janacek.
MARCH 19 – Grammy-winning Spanish guitarist Mabel Millán (below) making her U.S, debut in an all-Spanish program that features the Concierto del Sur (Concerto of the South) by Manuel Ponce; the Sinfonietta in D major by Ernesto Halffter; and the overture “Los Esclavos Felices” (The Happy Slaves) by Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga.
APRIL 9 – Pianist Michael Mizrahi (below), who teaches at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wis., on the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Beethoven plus the Serenade No. 1 by Johannes Brahms.
MAY 14 — Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis (below) in the Harp Concerto by Alberto Ginastera; plus the Sinfonietta by Sergei Prokofiev and the Symphony no. 88 by Franz Joseph Haydn.
Single tickets, which go on sale in July, are $15 to $80. Season subscriptions are available now with seat preference through July 1, bring a discounted price with an extra 10 percent off for first-time subscribers.
For more information, go to the website at https://wcoconcerts.org; call 608 257-0638; or mail a subscription form to the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Attn: Subscriptions; PO Box171, Madison, WI 53701-0171.
Tags: #AlexanderSitkovetsky, #AmitPeled, #AndrewSewell, #AntoninDvorak, #AntonioVivaldi, #AppletonWisconsin, #AstorPiazzolla, #BaroqueMusic, #BBCYoungMusicianoftheYear, #BlackhawkChurch, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CapitolTheater, #CelloConcerto, #ChamberMusic, #ChiefExecutiveOfficer, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ClassicalGuitar, #ClassicalGuitarist, #CommunityOutreach, #ConcertsontheSquare, #COVID-19, #customer-friendly, #DmitriKabalevsky, #DmitryKabalevsky, #EmperorConcerto, #ErnestoHalffter, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FamilyEvent, #FourSeasons, #FourSeasonsofBuenosAires, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GrammyAward, #GuestArtist, #GuestSoloist, #GuitarConcerto, #HamelMusicCenter, #Handel'sMessiah, #HarpConcerto, #HarpMusic, #HighSchool, #HighTechnology, #HomeWebsite, #IgorStravinsky, #JacobStockinger, #JacquesOffenbach, #JoeLoehnis, #JohannesBrahms, #JohnO'Conor, #JuanCrisóstomoArriaga, #LawrenceUniversity, #LawrenceUniversityConservatoryofMusic, #LeosJanacek, #LiveStreaming, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #LuigiCherubini, #MabelMillán, #MasterworksSeason, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MexicanComposer, #MichaelMizrahi, #MilwaukeeWisconsin, #ModernMusic, #MusicDirector, #MusicEducation, #NewMusic, #NormanGilliland, #OvertureCenter, #PianoConcerto, #RadioHost, #Russianviolinist, #SharonLynneWilsonCenterfortheArts, #SidebySide, #SpanishComposer, #SpecialGuest, #StringMusic, #SuperStrings, #SuzanneBeia, #TheCapitalTimes, #TheEar, #TheHappySlaves, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VisualArt, #WindSerenade, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WisconsinPublicRadio, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #WYSOconcerts, #YolandaKondonassis, #YoungArtistConcertoCompetition, #YouTubevideo, 2020, 2021, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Amit Peled, Andante, Andrew Sewell, anniversary, announcer, Antonín Dvořák, Antonio Vivaldi, appearance, applaud, Appleton, April, Arriaga, Art, artist, Arts, attractive, audience, Ástor Piazzolla, Baroque, baton, Beethoven, benefits, better, Blackhawk Church, blog, Brahms, brand, brochure, Brookfield, Capitol Theater, cellist, Cello, CEO, Chamber music, Cherubini, choral music, Christian, church, Classical music, community outreach, Compact Disc, Competition, composer, Concert, concertmaster, concerto, concerts, Concerts on the Square, conductor, conservatory, coronavirus, covid, donate, donation, double, dress, Dvorak, Early music, easier, Education, Emperor Concerto, emphasis, ensemble, Ernesto Halffter, event, existence, expect, expectations, extensive, Facebook, familiar, Family, February, first-person, forgiveness, forward, Four Seasons, Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, free, friend, friends, George Frideric Handel, gift, give, grade, Grammy, Grammy Award, Graphics, guest artist, guest soloist, guitar, guitar concerto, Halffter, Hamel Music Center, Handel, happy', harp, harpist, heightened, hi tech, high school, home website, host, Igor Stravinsky, information, Jacob Stockinger, Jacques Offenbach, Janacek, January, Joe Loehnis, Johannes Brahms, John O'Conor, Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, July, Kabalevsky, Lawrence University, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, Leos Janacek, like, link, live streaming, look, Ludwig van Beethoven, Luigi Cherubini, Mabel Millán, Madison, march, masterwork, May, Mead Witter School of Music, member, Messiah, Mexican composer, Michael Mizrahi, Millán, Milwaukee, Mizrahi, modern, money, more, Mozart, Music, Music director, Music education, neglected, new, New Music, Norman Gilliland, notes, November, O'Conor, Offenbach, Orchestra, organization, organized, outreach, Overture, Overture Center, Overture Center for the Arts, pandemic, past, Peled, performance, performer, perk, photo, Pianist, Piano, Piano concerto, Piazzolla, portal, post, posting, postpone, program, Radio, raise, rebrand, redesign, reinvent, return, Season, section, September, septet, Serenade, series, share, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Side by Side, Sinfonietta, single, Sitkovetsky, slave, south, Spain, Spanish, special, Stravinsky, stream, streaming, strings, subscription, suburb, Suite, summer, Super Strings, Suzanne Beia, symphony, tag, technology, The Capital Times, The Ear, The Happy Slaves, ticket, tutor, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, use, UW, UW-Madison, Violin, violinist, visual, Vivaldi, WCO, Website, Wind Serenade, winds, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, wisconsin public radio, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, woodwinds, works, WPR, WYSO, year, Yolanda Kondonassis, young, Young Artist Concerto Competition, yourself, YouTube
Recent Comments
The Well-Tempered Ear 
Classical music: The Middleton Community Orchestra honors retired music critic John W. Barker with a special performance of Brahms and a season dedication
7 Comments
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
How does an individual musician or musical group pay tribute and say thank you to a critic?
By performing, of course.
And that is exactly what 30 members of the Middleton Community Orchestra did, playing under guest conductor Kyle Knox (below top), last Friday night for the veteran music critic John W. Barker (below bottom).
The orchestra performed for him at the downtown Capitol Lakes Retirement Community, near the Capitol Square, where the ailing Barker lives with his wife Margaret.
Because of space limitations, word of the special performance never went public. But the large basement room was packed with affectionate and respectful fans and friends.
The MCO members played the lyrical and sunny Serenade No. 1, Op. 11, of Johannes Brahms. (You can hear the opening movement of the Serenade by Brahms in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The orchestra also announced that it would dedicate its upcoming 10th anniversary season to Barker as a gesture of thanks for all he has done over the past nine years to promote the mostly amateur orchestra — which opens its new season on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
“I’ve known this piece most of my life,” said Barker, who soon turns 86 and who started reviewing in his teens. “It’s lots of fun.”
And so was the unusual honor.
“An orchestra paying tribute to a critic? It’s unprecedented,” Barker quipped, as both he and the audience laughed. Barker also quoted the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius who once said, “A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic.”
After the 40-minute performance, Barker spoke briefly to the players and audience.
“The job of the critic,” he said, “is to stimulate performers to play up to their best standards and to give readers some background and context. Being critical doesn’t mean being negative, although at times I have made some negative comments. But you never have to be nasty. I guess I’ve succeeded,” he said looking around at the players and the public, both of whom generously applauded his remarks.
Barker’s list of personal accomplishments is impressive. He has written local music reviews for The Capital Times, Isthmus and this blog.
But he is a participant as well as a critic. He has sung in many choirs, including 47 years in the one at the local Greek Orthodox Church, and has performed with the Madison Opera. He directed Gilbert and Sullivan productions for the Madison Savoyards.
Barker is an emeritus professor of Medieval history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which may help to explain his general taste for the traditional. He also is a well-known classical music critic, with a national reputation, who has written for 63 years for the American Record Guide. For many years, he hosted an early music radio show on Sunday mornings for WORT-FM 89.9.
He also worked with Opera Props, the support group for University Opera, and was a member of the Board of Advisors for the Madison Early Music Festival. And he frequently gave pre-concert lectures in Madison. He has published two books on Wagner and written a definitive history of the Pro Arte Quartet.
But this time even the voluble Barker had to admit, “I am grateful and thankful. I am very moved, even floored. But I’m afraid I’m finally at a loss for words.”
You can leave your own words of tribute in the Comment section.
To see the full “Barker season” schedule for the Middleton Community Orchestra and to read many of Barker’s past reviews of the MCO, go to: http://middletoncommunityorchestra.org
Thank you, John, for all you have done to enrich the cultural and musical life of Madison!
Share this:
Like this:
Tags: #AmateurMusicians, #AmericanRecordGuide, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BoardofAdvisors, #CapitalLakesRetirement Community, #CapitolLakes, #CapitolSquare, #CapTimes, #ChamberMusic, #ChoralMusic, #CriticalAcclaimed, #EmeritusProfessor, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FinnishComposer, #Fridaynight, #GilbertandSullivan, #GreekOrthodoxChurch, #GuestArtist, #HomeWebsite, #IsthmusNewspaper, #JeanSibelius, #JohannesBrahms, #JohnW.Barker, #KyleKnox, #MadisonEarlyMusicFestival, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonSavoyards, #MedievalHistory, #MiddletonCommunityOrchestra, #MusicCritic, #MusicReview, #NationalReputation, #OperaProps, #OrchestralMusic, #ProArteQuartet, #RichardWagner, #SpecialPerformance, #StringQuartet, #SundayMorning, #ThankYou, #TheCapitalTimes, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UniversityOpera, #WORT-FM89.9, accomplishment, admit, affectionate, ailing, amateur, American Record Guide, anniversary, applaud, audeience, audience, background, basement, blog, board, Board of Advisors, Book, Cap Times, Capitol Lakes, Capitol Lakes Retirement Community, Capitol Square, Chamber music, choirs, choral music, church, Classical music, classicalmusic, comments, composer, conductor, context, critic, cultural, culture, dedicate, downtown, Early music, earlymusic, emeritus professor, enrich, erect, Facebook, fan, festival Madison Early Music Festival, Finnish composer, forward, Friday, Friday night, friend, fun, generous, gesture, Gilbert and Sullivan, grateful, gratitude, Greek Orthodox Church, group, guest artist, History, home website, honor, host, impressive, individual, Isthmus, Jean Sibelius, job, Johannes Brahms, John W. Barker, Kyle Knox, laugh, lecture, life, like, limitation, link, list, local, loss, lyrical, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Savoyards, Medieval, member, MEMF, Middleton Community Orchestra, morning, moved, music critic, music review, musical, Musician, nasty, national, negative, Newspaper, night, opera, Opera Props, Orchestra, orchestral music, past, pay, perform, performer, personal, piece, play, player, post, posting, pre-concert, Pro Arte Quartet, professor, promote, published, quip, quote, Radio, remarks, reputation, respectful, Retirement, Richard Wagner, room, schedule, Season, Serenade, share, show, sing, singer, space, special, special performance, standards, statue, stimulate, String quartet, sun, Sunday, sunny, tag, taste, teens, thank you, thankful, thankfulness, The Capital Times, traditional, tribute, university, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University Opera, unprecedented, unusual, UW-Madison, Veteran, voluble, Wagner, Website, well-known, Wisconsin, words, WORT-FM 89.9, written, years