Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society Chamber Music Festival
UW Hamel Music Center-Collins Recital Hall 740 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Diana Popowycz
A trio at the June 9, 2024, Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society concert.
A trio at the June 9, 2024, Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society concert.
Schedule:
Incendiary Artist Spotlight: JUST KEN with Kenneth Olsen, cello, and Jeffrey Sykes, piano | Friday, June 6, 7:30 pm.
YOUR EARS ARE BURNING | Saturday, June 7, 7:30 pm.
RING OF FIRE | Sunday, June 8, 2:30 pm.
Incendiary Artist Spotlight: GREGORIAN CHANT with Ara Gregorian, viola, and Jeffrey Sykes, piano | Friday, June 13, 7:30 pm.
THE ETERNAL FLAME | Saturday, June 14, 7:30 pm.
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE THERE'S FIRE | Sunday, June 15, 2:30 pm.
Incendiary Artist Spotlight: HYE-JIN YOUR BETS with Hye-Jin Kim, violin, and Jeffrey Sykes, piano | Friday, June 20 7:30 pm.
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE | Saturday, June 21, 7:30 pm.
SPARKS OF GLORY | Sunday, June 22, 2:30 pm.
media release: Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society (BDDS) presents its 34th summer chamber music festival, FIRE FROM HEAVEN, June 6 – 22, 2025. This festival features nine concerts over three weekends, each weekend offers three different programs. Performances will be held in the state-of-the-art new Hamel Music Center in Collins Hall, part of the Mead Witter School of Music, on the UW-Madison campus, 740 University Avenue.
One moment, silence; the next, a composer ablaze with ideas, creating music that will endure for centuries. That’s the power of Fire from Heaven, the inspiration behind the great chamber works we celebrate in Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society’s 34th season. Where does it come from? When will it strike? Whatever its source, it arrives like a bolt of lightning, igniting music that transforms, uplifts, and astonishes. This season, we revel in that thrilling unpredictability, as each concert brings forth a blaze of musical brilliance, lighting up the stage with passion, energy, and fire.
Concerts are spiked with stories about the music, mystery guests, and even door prizes. Artistic co-directors and performers Stephanie Jutt, flute, and Jeffrey Sykes, piano, are joined by 14 musicians from Madison and around the country including violinists S
BDDS’s Incendiary Artist Spotlight series sets the stage ablaze with three intimate, one-hour concerts featuring beloved BDDS musicians. Just Ken showcases the extraordinary Kenneth Olsen, whose cello playing blazes with warmth, depth, and power, Collins Hall, Friday, June 6, 7:30 – 8:30 pm. Gregorian Chant turns up the heat with violist Ara Gregorian, whose soulful interpretations bring fire and nuance to Rebecca Clarke’s stormy Viola Sonata, Collins Hall, Friday, June 13, 7:30 – 8:30 pm. Finally, Hye-Jin Your Bets is a high-stakes evening of virtuosic and heartfelt music-making with violinist Hye-Jin Kim, weaving Dvořák, Ponce, and Smetana into a luminous tapestry of sound, Collins Hall, Friday, June 20, 7:30 – 8:30 pm. With lively on-stage conversations punctuated by stunning performances, these Friday night programs offer an up-close encounter with the kind of artistry that fuels Fire from Heaven. All are welcome for a reception in the lobby following, to meet the artists.
The first spark of Fire from Heaven flares in Your Ears Are Burning, a program that sizzles with inspired musical conversation. The title playfully suggests whispers spreading like wildfire—just as musical ideas ignite between composers and performers. Mozart’s Kegelstatt Trio delights in effortless musical dialogue, while Miguel del Aguila’s Submerged plunges into rich, evocative sonorities. Schubert’s monumental E-flat major Trio—written in a creative blaze near the end of his life—radiates warmth, urgency, and transcendence. As we embark on this season of musical fire, this opening concert promises to set hearts—and ears—alight. Collins Hall, Saturday, June 7, 7:30 pm.
Some fires burn slow and steady, while others blaze with intensity—Ring of Fire is the latter, a program alive with passion, drama, and dazzling energy. Schumann’s Märchenerzählungen
For centuries, eternal flames have burned as symbols of memory, resilience, and the enduring power of the human spirit. From the sacred fires of ancient temples to modern memorials honoring those we must never forget, these unquenchable flames remind us that some lights never fade. The Eternal Flame pays tribute to that lasting strength through Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, presented here in a luminous chamber arrangement. Offering solace and reflection, this masterpiece burns with warmth and transcendence, its message undiminished across centuries. With the Madison Choral Project’s soaring voices and an ensemble of extraordinary musicians, this program honors the fire of remembrance and the music that keeps it alive. Collins Hall, Saturday, June 14, 7:30 pm.
A wisp of smoke is often the first sign of something powerful stirring—Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire traces the spark of inspiration as it grows into full musical brilliance. Mason Bates’ The Life of Birds flutters and soars with vivid energy, while Elgar’s Violin Sonata smolders with deep emotion. Rebecca Clarke’s Prelude, Allegro, and Pastoraleblends playfulness and introspection, leading to Beethoven’s Gassenhauer Trio, where wit and charm burst into full flame. This program kindles a journey through sound, proving that even the smallest spark can ignite unforgettable musical fire. Collins Hall, Sunday, June 15, 2:30 pm.
Great Balls of Fire is an evening of high-voltage energy and exhilarating artistry. Henriëtte Bosmans’ Impressions shifts from haunting lyricism to vibrant Spanish flair, while Paul Wiancko’s Cities of Air swirls with luminous textures. Moszkowski’s Suite for Two Violins and Piano dazzles with fiery virtuosity, setting the stage for a thrilling, surprise-filled finale. Stas Venglevski and the Houston Accordion Orchestra will ignite the concert’s second half, played with passion, rhythm, and sheer musical joy. Collins Hall, Saturday, June 21, 7:30 pm.
Some moments in music glow quietly, while others burst into brilliance—Sparks of Glory celebrates both. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 13, in his own intimate arrangement, shimmers with elegance and charm. Zhou Tian’s Viaje embarks on a journey of vivid colors and expressive depth, while Brahms’ towering Piano Quintet—his Op. 34, a perfect match for BDDS’s 34th season—ignites with stormy passion and triumphant grandeur. With an all-star lineup of BDDS musicians, this grand finale crackles with energy, sending sparks of brilliance into the musical heavens. Collins Hall, Sunday, June 22, 2:30 pm.
TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 3, 2025!
Single general admission tickets can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/BDDS2025. Single tickets start at $47. Student tickets are always $10! Tickets are available at the door at all locations. Series tickets, starting at $123 for three different concerts, are available through Campus Ticketing until May 1. For tickets visit https://tinyurl.com/
Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society always features great music played with joy, creativity, spontaneity, and a technique that is second to none. BDDS is aimed at people who are curious, open-minded, and up for anything. People who want to have serious fun.
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