Our November E-News highlights our upcoming Christmas concerts & Carol Sing, a Beethoven Birthday Party, Overture’s Black Friday Sale, and more!
A Madison Symphony Christmas
December 3, 4, & 5
Beginning with caroling in the lobby, and the entire audience singing Christmas carols together for the finale, this beloved annual Madison tradition brings the holiday season to a glorious start! Embrace the spirit of the season with our orchestra, opera stars, and three choruses for a celebration sharing hope and joy with everyone who joins us.
Free Community Carol Sing
Saturday, December 4 at 11:00 a.m.
Bring your pipes, and your friends and family, to raise a joyful noise with the Overture Concert Organ. Always a fan favorite, the Carol Sing will get everyone in the mood for Christmas. Join Madison Symphony Orchestra Principal Organist Greg Zelek for this wonderful event that is sure to delight audiences of all ages.
MSO Hymn and Carol Sings are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome, and no tickets or reservations are needed. Each event takes place in Overture Hall and lasts 45 minutes to one hour.
Happy (Belated 250th) Birthday Beethoven!
Two Chamber Music Concerts & Birthday Party
Wednesday, December 15
Music Director John DeMain emcees two chamber music concerts in the Overture Center Playhouse to honor more than 250 years of Beethoven’s contribution to classical music, in an intimate setting. Between the concerts, attendees are invited to a Beethoven Birthday Party in Overture Center’s Promenade Hall to celebrate together. Join us for a marathon set of concerts featuring many of Beethoven’s greatest chamber works performed by Madison Symphony Orchestra musicians and special guest artists including pianists Christopher Taylor and Thomas Kasdorf, and tenor Justin Kroll.
All single tickets for both events are $15 per concert (limited seating) and go on sale for the general public on Monday, November 29, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. — subscribers, you received an exclusive presale code in your email yesterday!
Save the date to join us for this long-awaited celebration of Beethoven’s birthday!
Other Recent News & Stories
Overture Black Friday Sale
Wednesday, November 24th at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, November 29th
Get a head start on your holiday shopping during Overture’s Black Friday Sale! Beginning at 6:00 p.m. today, take 25% off 2022 Madison Symphony Orchestra performances, January through May (excludes Christmas and Overture Concert Organ performances). Look for the “Enter Promo Code” link at the top of any page on Overture’s site and use the code CASSEROLE for the discount!
Explore our concerts & buy tickets
Symphony Moments: Grand Panorama
The reviews for Grand Panorama are in! Read reviews from Matt Ambrosio and Bill Wineke, hear what audience members had to say, and view pictures from the weekend. Thanks to all who attended these concerts and made the weekend so special!
Announcing the Barbara and Norman Berven Principal Clarinet Chair
We are thrilled to announce that the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Clarinet chair has been endowed and named with a generous gift from Barbara and Norman Berven! Get to know the Bervens and find out more about their connection to the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
As 2021 draws to a close, all of us at the Madison Symphony Orchestra would like to express our gratitude and wish you a happy Thanksgiving — from our family to yours!
Since our return to live performances this season, we’ve welcomed thousands of you back to Overture Hall to share the unparalleled experience of live orchestral music performed by the MSO and outstanding guest artists. As we all rediscover what it means to gather in-person instead of virtually, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to share these special moments with you.
If you’ve already joined us for a performance or supported us in any way this season, we thank you. If not, we hope to see you at the Symphony soon!
Upcoming Community Events and Resources
Just Bach Monthly Concert
Luther Memorial Church, Madison
Wednesday, December 15
Just Bach is a monthly concert series in Madison, celebrating the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Founded to share the immense range of Bach’s vocal and instrumental repertoire with the Madison community at large, Just Bach features musicians — including several MSO musicians — who play on period instruments using historically-informed performance practice, bringing the music to life in the manner and style that Bach intended. Concerts will be in-person and recorded but not live-streamed; the recorded concert video will be posted on the Just Bach YouTube channel on the Sunday afternoon following the concert. Learn more and attend or tune in at https://justbach.org/
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Overture Hall
Sunday, November 28
Celebrating 35 years of holiday magic—Mannheim Steamroller makes history again as they bring their annual tour to fans throughout the country. The best-selling Christmas artist of all time, Grammy Award-winner Chip Davis has created a show featuring beloved Christmas music along with dazzling multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting. Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 40 million albums, 29 million in the Christmas genre. Their holiday CDs have been synonymous with Christmas and occupy top positions on Billboard’s Seasonal Chart every year. Buy tickets at https://www.overture.org/events/mannheim-steamroller-christmas.
Kanopy Dance Company – Winter Fantasia
Promenade Hall at Overture Center
December 2-5
Winter Fantasia, a treasured holiday tradition, features two cherished winter stories rooted in Scandinavian folklore and brought to life through the magic of dance. In choreographing Winter Fantasia’s “Once Upon a Winters Eve” and the “Norse Tree of Life”, Kanopy’s co-artistic director, Lisa Thurrell, was inspired by her childhood and her imaginary journeys into the lives of the mythological Tomten, a mischievous but protective spirit in Scandinavian folklore, and by the shimmering fairies who appear during the winter solstice.
Also on the program, a delightful performance of a Kanopy original, “Winter in The City”, inspired by Leonard Bernstein’s score from “On the Town”. “On the Town” follows the fun and romantic adventures of three exuberant sailors on a 24-hour leave in New York — a wonderful town! Kanopy’s Winter in the City is a delightful twist on that iconic tale — with a starry-eyed innocent small-town actor, dancer or dreamer at center stage trying to make it in a city wrapped up in the warm romance and frosty magic of winter. Think Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street stepping out into the mean streets of the “City” — nervous, but with anticipation and wonder and ready to capture its heart. Learn more and buy tickets at https://www.overture.org/events/kanopy-winter-fantasia.
BJSO presents: The Nutcracker Ballet
Janesville Performing Arts Center
December 17-19
The Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra presents The Nutcracker Ballet,
adapted by Stageworks Projects and Britton Dorcey. Learn more and buy tickets at https://itkt.choicecrm.net/templates/JANE/#/events.
Receive Symphony Email News!
Our E-News & Stories newsletters are sent out via email approximately once a month. To sign up to receive this and other email news from the Madison Symphony Orchestra, sign up now!