Thank you so much for being a part of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. We’re excited to bring you some news of upcoming concerts and events plus stories from the past month! Read further to find out what to expect in this April 2026 E-News & Stories.
- MSO Upcoming Concerts & Events
- Symphony: LA Guitar Quartet
- Special Events: MSO After Dark
- Education: Hunt Quartet Recital
- News & Stories
- Organ Concert Review
- 26/27 Organ Subscriptions
- 26/27 Symphony Subscriptions
- Celebrating Your Support
- Post-Concert Celebration With Emanuel Ax
- A Symphony Story: Sharifa Merchant
- Community Events
- Madison Opera
- Forward Theater
- WISC
- Looking Forward To Next Month
- Symphony: Voices Eternal
- Special Event: Out at the Symphony
- Education: Rhapsodie Quartet Recital
MSO Upcoming Concerts & Events
The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s March concerts will feature Guest Conductor Laura Jackson and the world-renowned Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. The program showcases works by Jimmy López, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Jean Sibelius.
Event Details
When: Apr. 10th & 11th at 7:30 pm
Apr. 12th at 2:30 pm
Location: Overture Hall
Tickets: $22-$125
Come enjoy an exclusive post-concert Latin Night at Cielo Bar and Restaurant on the square. The event will be from 9:30-11:30 PM following the LA Guitar Quartet performance. DJ Jimmy Celius will keep the night groovy, empanadas, cash bar and snacks will be provided. Concert and event tickets are $40 and event-only tickets are $20.
Event Details
When: Friday, Apr. 10th at 9:30 pm
Location: Cielo Bar & Restaurant
Tickets: $20-$40
The Hunt Quartet, made up of Madison Symphony violinists Paran Amirinazari and Hillary Hempel, violist Jennifer Paulson, and cellist Trace Johnson, are excited to put on this free performance at the First Unitarian Society Landmark Auditorium!
Event Details
When: Apr. 22nd at 7:00 pm
Location: First Unitarian Society – Landmark Auditorium
Tickets: FREE
News & Stories
An Evening with Chamber Music
Our last Overture Concert Organ concert was on March 31st last week. It was a great way to close our what was an amazing season. We were thrilled to read a wonderful review by Bill Wineke about that concert and wanted to share it with you!
2026-2027 Organ Subscriptions Are Live!
The 26-27 organ season promises a dynamic and inspiring lineup of performances. You’ll first experience a Sunday matinee featuring an all-Bach program that I’m honored to perform. In November, we’ll celebrate the legendary Celia Cruz with a vibrant tribute featuring Lucrecia and the Celia Cruz All-Stars, marking 100 years of her extraordinary legacy. February brings the highly anticipated Overture debut of Raúl Prieto Ramírez, and the season concludes in May with a joyful collaboration alongside the Madison Youth Choirs. It’s a season full of energy, artistry, and celebration! – Greg Zelek
2026-2027 Symphony Subscriptions!
Welcome to the next century of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Come experience the 2026-2027 season as it brims with orchestral masterworks, world-class soloists and conductors, sonic power and passion, and the arrival of the soon-to-be-announced new music director. Madison Symphony Orchestra’s 2026-2027 season will be a journey of newness, artistry and innovation. There is no better way to explore the season than to subscribe. You’ll get the best seats in the stunning Overture Hall before they go on sale to the wider public, and you’ll enjoy substantial savings while you are at it!
Celebrating Your Support
Post-concert Celebration With Emanuel Ax
Guests celebrated with John DeMain and pianist Emanuel “Manny” Ax at receptions after the March 20-22 concerts. John and Manny reminisced and expressed their mutual desire to collaborate again in the future. Sponsors were thanked and members of the woodwind section were introduced.
A Symphony Story: Sharifa Merchant
Sharifa Merchant leads a creative life filled with gratitude and takes inspiration from young musicians and the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
Community Events To Check Out!
Madison Opera: Così fan tutte
April 14th & 26th, 2026
Love is a game. Everyone change partners.
Two sisters, two suitors and a drunken wager about the nature of fidelity—what could possibly go wrong? Mozart’s deliciously risqué romantic comedy is full of sublime arias, sparkling ensembles and the complications that ensue when young love and flirtation encounter reality.
Join us for love, laughter and true humanity as a vibrant young cast brings this enthralling classic back to Madison for the first time in 17 years.
Learn More
Forward Theater: Lady Disdain
April 9th-26th, 2026
Rolling World Premiere. Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray.
A wildly successful romantasy series needs the best of the best to voice its audiobooks. Who better, alas, than exes Bea and Ben? Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” gets a makeover—and Beatrice and Benedick a do-over—in this fierce and sexy comedy about the hottest books on the market and standing up for those you love—including yourself.
Learn More
Wisconsin Union Theater: Attacca Quartet with Caroline Shaw
April 16th, 2026
The synergy of the Attacca Quartet and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw is unparalleled, appearing on full display on their GRAMMY Award-winning 2019 album Orange and again in 2023’s Evergreen. At the forefront of a new generation redefining what it means to be classical artists in the 21st century, both the ensemble and composer easily traverse boundaries of genre and repertoire while always keeping the audience’s experience at the heart of their music-making. Come hear as they team up again for a performance of cutting-edge music that proves that the future of classical is bright.
Learn More
Looking Forward To Next Month!
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