Concerts on the Square

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Elvis Suarez/GlassWorks MultiMedia

Tiempo Libre on the street.

Tiempo Libre

We’ll explain this one in case you are new to Madison. People flock to the Capitol Square, put blankets down on the lawn, or the sidewalk, or any available patch of ground, picnic intensely, and listen to lively, varied programs from the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. It’s definitely a scene. The Concerts on the Square season kicks off with guest artists Tiempo Libre, who play a lively Afro-Cuban-Caribbean mix. They were last year’s opening guest artists, but a string of bad weather days resulted in the concert never taking place. Blankets, as always, cannot be laid as placeholders until 3 p.m. Find the full season schedule (weekly through July 31) at wcoconcerts.org.

media release: Tiempo Libre 2.0 – June 26 (rain date, June 27)

Your favorite Madison tradition is back and opening the season with Tiempo Libre 2.0! This three-time Grammy-nominated Afro-Caribbean music group is one of the hottest Latin bands today, featuring an irresistible mix of jazz harmonies, contemporary sonorities, and seductive Latin rhythms. Playing alongside our world-class WCO musicians, don’t miss the grand opening of our 2024 season.

More on the season:

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s iconic Concerts on the Square returns for its 41st Season this summer. Concerts will take place on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM starting June 26, 2024, and ending on July 31, 2024 on the King Street corner of the Capitol Square and are free and open to the public.

A Madison tradition, Concerts on the Square has grown from an idea by American Girl Founder Pleasant Rowland into a nationally recognized concert series, attracting more than 250,000 people annually for concerts on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol.

“Last year, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra celebrated the 40th anniversary season of Concerts on the Square with our community” says Joe Loehnis, CEO. “Despite unusual weather circumstances, we were able to come together for five memorable concerts. In 2024, we are excited to announce that Tiempo Libre will return to Madison to open our season on June 26. They last appeared with us in 2012 and were planning to open our 40th season, but mother nature had other plans. We can’t wait to kick the season off with this high energy, Cuban ensemble alongside our very own WCO musicians."

While 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of Concerts on the Square, this year marks another very special anniversary for the WCO; Andrew Sewell will celebrate the start of his 25th Season as the conductor of Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. In honor of this milestone, the WCO invites community members to join the Friends of the WCO with a donation of $5/month or more by texting ‘CONCERTS’ to 801801 or by going online to http://wcoconcerts.org/friends .

“Andrew is one of the true gems of our orchestra and arts community” says Loehnis. “He’s one of the many reasons I came onboard as CEO with the WCO. Andrew has a gift to curate programs that not only entertain, but also connect with audiences in ways that only music can do. And he does it in a humble, service-oriented way, which makes him quite unique in this field. To him, it’s all about the community and how they are moved, elevated, or transformed. That’s the secret sauce in our mission driven work.”

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years,” says Sewell. “This season audiences can look forward to the return of Tiempo Libre to open the season, and a variety of outstanding soloists, composers, dancers, singers, and repertoire throughout. This concert series has continued to broaden and expand, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it for the last 25 years and to continue in the tradition.”

Each concert will include the full orchestra along with special guests and will feature an array of genres and diverse, cross-cultural programming meant to entertain and introduce the community to music they may not otherwise hear. This season features Grammy award-winning artist Bill Miller on July 10 and a collaboration with Kanopy Dance on July 24. “We’re beyond thrilled and grateful for this truly singular opportunity to introduce the magic of modern dance to WCO’s vast community audience through this dynamic collaboration. We applaud WCO and Andrew Sewell for continually elevating the audience experience and for supporting and showcasing innovative new works and voices” says Kanopy Dance Associate Director Susanne Voeltz.

While Concerts on the Square is true a community treasure, this free to attend concert series is funded through sponsorships and individual contributions. “Since the beginning, Concerts on the Square has been free to attend. We are reliant on generous sponsors, table patrons, and community members who donate to the WCO. It costs over $1 million dollars each year for us to present these free concerts, and we could not do it without the support of our community” says Loehnis.

“In 2023 we worked with a third party to gather data from attendees that focused on the economic impact to downtown. We’re excited to share that information with the public this Spring and celebrate the impact that the arts can have on a community when it comes to dollars and cents. In addition to transforming lives through music, Concerts on the Square has also supported the economic vitality of downtown, and we are looking forward to sharing some of that information.”

Visit https://wcoconcerts.org/cos to learn more about each of the individual concerts. Each performance begins at 7 p.m. People can begin putting down blankets to reserve spots around the Capitol at 3 p.m. Each concert is free and open to the public. As it does every year, the WCO will have limited reserved seating and tables.

To keep up-to-date with performance schedules, community members can sign up for email updates on the WCO website or follow the orchestra on Facebook and Instagram. To donate, visit http://wcoconcerts.org/donate .