PRESS RELEASE: Rachel Barton Pine Returns to the Madison Symphony Orchestra Feb. 20, 21, 22. Tania Miller returns to guest conduct with MSO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Feb. 5, 2026

Rachel Barton Pine Returns to the Madison Symphony Orchestra Feb. 20, 21, 22

Tania Miller returns to guest conduct with MSO

Madison, Wis. – The Madison Symphony Orchestra will welcome back internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine on February 20, 21 and 22 in Overture Hall, concerts under the direction of guest conductor Tania Miller. The program showcases works by Felix Mendelssohn, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky.  

The concert opens with Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a work created when the composer was just 17 years old. This piece of work captures the magic of Shakespeare’s magical kingdom, the humor of the lovers’ entanglements and the grandeur of Theseus’ court.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto is a virtuosic, romantic showpiece from 1945 incorporating theme from four of his colorful Warner Brothers film scores.  Fleeing to America and finding haven in Beverly Hills, Korngold refused to compose any concert music until the war had ended.   With the defeat of Germany, the Violin Concerto marked his return to the concert hall.   Rachel Barton Pine performs this work.  She last performed with Madison Symphony in 2019.

Following intermission, MSO performs Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), dreamlike music inspired by a poem about a faun’s afternoon reverie.

Following intermission, MSO performs Debussy’s impressionistic Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. These concerts will conclude with Stravinsky’s kaleidoscopic ballet music for Petrushka (1947 edition), originally composed for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. 

About Tania Miller:

Canadian Conductor Tania Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator. She has recently been named as Artistic Director of the Brott Music Festival in Canada and is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and of the Brott Opera.

 About Rachel Barton Pine
Rachel Barton Pine is an internationally known American violinist who has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Camerata Salzburg as well as the Chicago, Vienna and Detroit symphony orchestras. She is widely recognized for championing historically informed performance and works by contemporary and underrepresented composers.

Single tickets for all concerts and events can be purchased through the Overture Center Box Office or online https://madisonsymphony.org/event/pinereturns.  

 About the Madison Symphony Orchestra
The Madison Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 100th Anniversary season in 2025–2026. The MSO has grown to be one of America’s leading regional orchestras, providing Madison and south-central Wisconsin with cultural and educational opportunities to interact with great masterworks and top-tier guest artists from around the world. 2025–2026 marks John DeMain’s 32nd year and final season as Music Director. Learn more at madisonsymphony.org.

The Presenting Sponsor for these concerts is the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation and Major Sponsors include Madison Symphony Orchestra League, Peter and Leslie Overton, Cyrena and Lee Pondrom and Richman & Richman LLC. Additional sponsors include Jane Hamblen and Robert F. Lemanske, Kenneth A. Lattman Foundation, Ann Lindsay in memory of Chuck Snowdon and the Wisconsin Arts Board.