The Final Forte

Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte is a free concert that will be broadcast live at 7:00 p.m. on PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio on Wednesday, March 6. The concert is FREE and open to the public. Audience members can register in advance, and must arrive by 6:45 p.m. on Wed., March 6, prior to the beginning of the live broadcast. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and close at 6:45 p.m. due to the broadcast and the event begins at 7 p.m. No tickets will be issued. Seating is general admission in select areas of the hall.

This extraordinary event is an opportunity to experience the beauty of musical expression, the drama of competition and the inspiring tale of dreams come true as four gifted young artists vie for top honors in the final round of the 2024 Bolz Young Artist Competition. Broadcast from Overture Hall at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, the concert features the magnificent Madison Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director John DeMain.

The Final Forte competitors will each perform as a soloist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Overture Hall:

Katarina Kenney, cello — Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, 4th mvmt
Elliot Lesperance, marimba — Abe’s Prism Rhapsody
Andre Peck, piano — Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, 1st mvmt
Jane Story, violin — Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, 1st mvmt

Learn more about the soloists and the event

Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte is presented by the Madison Symphony Orchestra, PBS Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Public Radio.

Major funding for Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte is provided by W. Jerome Frautschi, Diane Ballweg, and Barbara and Norm Berven, with additional support from James Dahlberg and Elsebet Lund, Julie and Larry Midtbo, Elizabeth Olson, Kato Perlman, Cyrena and Lee Pondrom, Sentry Insurance Foundation, Trust Point, Darcy Kind and Marc Vitale, Dr. A. Beyer-Mears, Joan Johnston, the Focus Fund for the Arts and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.