Madison Symphony Orchestra
christinaandmichellenaughton.com
A close up of Christina and Michelle Naughton.
Christina and Michelle Naughton
November's special guests for the Madison Symphony Orchestra's program “Enchanted Piano & Personal Favorite” are well-known to Madison audiences. Twin sisters and pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton grew up in Madison, and were two-time winners of the MSO's youth concerto competition in the '00s; since then they have performed around the world. For this concert they will take on Max Bruch’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra. The schedule includes an open rehearsal on Nov. 10 (free, but tickets required) and concerts at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 11; 8 p.m.; Nov. 12; and 2:30 p.m., Nov. 13.
media release: The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) 22/23 Subscription Symphony Season continues in Overture Hall in November with “Enchanted Piano & Personal Favorite” as the piano duo Christina and Michelle Naughton make a much-anticipated return to perform Max Bruch’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra. The program opens with Arturo Márquez, Danzón No. 2, and closes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique.
“This program opens with the lively Danzón No. 2 by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, based upon folk dance from Veracruz,” Music Director John DeMain said. “We then welcome back Madison’s own Christina and Michelle Naughton. The Naughtons — twin sisters — were both soloists multiple times in our youth concerts when they were growing up in Madison, and they have been working as a piano duo since 2010. They first performed as a duo with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in 2012, playing Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and they returned in 2016 for Mozart’s two-piano concerto. Here they play a late romantic work by Max Bruch. We close with the emotional sixth symphony of Tchaikovsky, the Russian master’s final work.”
About Christina and Michelle Naughton
Christina and Michelle Naughton, twin sisters, were raised in Madison Wisconsin, where they began taking piano lessons from their mother at the age of four. They were winners of Madison Symphony Orchestra youth concerto competitions in 2004 and 2005, and launched their professional career in 2010 with debuts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the Mann Center for Performing Arts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, after which The Philadelphia Inquirer described them as "paired to perfection.” Since then, they have undertaken several international tours and have performed at festivals around the world. They are graduates of the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, where they were each awarded the Festorazzi Prize.
Symphony Concert, Ticket and Event Details
The lobby opens 90 minutes prior to each concert. The Symphony recommends concert attendees arrive early for each performance to make sure they have time to pass through Overture Center’s security stations. All ticket holders are welcome to attend a free half-hour pre-concert talk one hour before each performance by Madison Symphony Chorus Director Beverly Taylor in Overture Hall.
Single tickets are on sale now through the Overture Center Box Office. Tickets can be purchased online at overture.org, in-person or by phone by calling (608) 258-4141 during Box Office hours. $15 student rush tickets may be purchased beginning the Friday of the concert weekend through the performance time on each day at the Overture Box Office.
Three performances of the “Enchanted Piano & Favorite” concerts will take place November 11, 12 & 13, and ticket prices range from $20 to $98. More information is found at https://madisonsymphony.
Free Open Rehearsal Thursday, November 10
The Madison Symphony Orchestra is one of the few orchestras in the nation to welcome the public into select rehearsals, free of charge. Reservations are now open for the general public to attend our final rehearsal with Christina & Michelle Naughton on Thursday, November 10. Seating is limited and registration is required. More information is available at https://madisonsymphony.
Money Back Guarantee
The MSO will continue to offer a refund for tickets to any concert that cannot be performed for any reason. The MSO will adhere to all public health guidelines and cooperate with Overture Center for the Arts for the safety of its audiences, musicians and staff. Programs, dates, and artists subject to change.
About the Madison Symphony Orchestra
The Madison Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 97th season in 2022–2023. 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. 2023–2024 is Music Director John DeMain’s 30th anniversary season. The MSO’s 100th anniversary season celebration will take place during the 2025–2026 season. Learn more at madisonsymphony.org
Major funding for “Enchanted Piano & Personal Favorite” is provided by NBC 15, Audrey Dybdahl, in memory of Philip Dybdahl, Howard Kidd and Margaret Murphy, Nancy Mohs, David and Kato Perlman, Peggy and Tom Pyle, and the Skofronick Family Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by Dr. Thomas and Leslie France, Melinda V. Heinritz, in memory of her mother, Lynda Kay Vogler, von Briesen & Roper, s.c., and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.