This story first appeared in the Fall 2024 edition of The Score.
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Curator Notes
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by Greg Zelek
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I want to thank everyone who attended our organ series concerts last season! We opened with a bilingual concert featuring a Latin-American band from Miami. It was probably the most unique concert I have ever curated and it was certainly the first time I have seen an audience stand up to dance at an organ concert. We then had two solo organ concerts performed by world-class organists Ken Cowan and Chelsea Chen. We closed the 23/24 organ series with a Madison collaboration that showcased the UW-Madison Wind Ensemble directed by Scott Teeple. I am proud that our concerts attracted diverse audiences that continue to grow in attendance and enthusiasm. Our season wrapped up with our Voices of Spring Gala that included selections of French jazz music that I played alongside guitarist Alvaro Bermudez. This event that consists of a 4-course meal on a beautifully decorated Overture stage with music in between courses, and raised over $46k towards our organ endowment. It was a pleasure to see so many of you throughout the season, and I cannot wait to keep up the energy with our upcoming 20th anniversary season!
We open the 24/25 season with my former Juilliard professor and GRAMMY award winning organist, Paul Jacobs. I recently had the honor of performing at the Oregon Bach Festival where he is the director of the Organ Institute, and he expressed his excitement to be back in Madison. He spoke again about how special our audience is, which is no surprise to us!
Our second concert in November spotlights a newly formed vocal ensemble, Lyyra. This all-female group consisting of 6 exceptional singers was created by the famed Voces8 Foundation. They will perform a wide range of repertoire that has been composed or arranged for their particular ensemble. I will perform a few works with them and also play some solos that show off the many colors of our Overture Concert Organ.
In February, Limmie Pulliam will once again grace our Overture stage in a program with some of the most famous tenor arias, as well as gospel arrangements for tenor and organ. I am excited for our audience to get another opportunity to hear his remarkable voice after his performances at the MSO Christmas concerts and with the Madison Opera over the past few seasons.
Last year, Mark Hetzler and I were chatting about his adventures with the Empire Brass over the many years that he performed with them. I mentioned that it would be interesting to bring former members from that group back, and we even joked about calling it “Empire Strikes Back”…! After laughing about the whole thing, the conversation turned more serious, and we started thinking about how incredible it actually WOULD be to bring former members together. Within days, Mark made contact with many of the alumni, and the group was formed. I am thrilled to welcome 5 alumni members of the Empire Brass to Overture for a concert of organ and brass music that was regularly performed by the group over the many decades. The program also includes the world-premiere performance of a piece written by Mark Hetzler specifically for the 20th anniversary of the Overture Concert Organ.
I look forward to celebrating 20 years of the Overture Concert Organ, a gem in our Madison community!
– Greg Zelek
Principal Organist and Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ
Stream Greg Zelek’s album!
In August of 2022, Greg Zelek recorded his debut album on the Overture Concert Organ as the Curator and Principal Organist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. We’re excited to announce that this album is now available on streaming services including Spotify, YouTube, and more!