ONLINE: WCO Winter Chamber Series

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Ingrid Laas

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra filming January's Winter Concert Series installment.

The Winter Chamber Series from Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra kicks off with a wide-ranging program featuring works by composers canonical (Gabrieli, Schubert) to current (Valerie Coleman, of Imani Winds), plus a side of 20th century sounds (Alec Wilder). Find tickets here, and note that each concert in this series will only be available for 72 hours after the premiere. The WCO has also launched a Musician Relief Fund drive; donate here.

press release: As it nears the launch of its Winter Chamber Series, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra today unveiled its Musician Relief Fund to support its artists, who have faced financial uncertainty since the pandemic hit.

The fund, designed to replace lost wages from canceled performances, aims to raise at least $30,000 to help WCO musicians. Classical musicians have been hit hard nationally over the past 10 months, uncertain of when they’ll again be able to perform live.

To jumpstart the fundraising, WCO has partnered with EatStreet, the Madison-based restaurant delivery platform. From Jan. 14-28, anyone in Madison and Janesville who uses promo code “WCO” on EatStreet will receive $1 off their order and a $10 coupon to use on a Winter Chamber Series ticket. Every time the WCO code is used, EatStreet will make a donation to the Musician Relief Fund.

WCO has been proactive in its efforts to help its musicians and to keep them playing. From virtual performances to drive-in Concerts on the Square, the WCO has continually found creative ways to share live music with the community.

“Our musicians are family; they’re the heart and soul of our orchestra, and it’s our responsibility to help them,” said Maestro Andrew Sewell, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. “As a nonprofit we rely on the gracious support of our donors, and they’ve continued to go above and beyond. It’s truly remarkable.”

The fund goes live in conjunction with the launch of the Winter Chamber Series. The virtual, four-concert series kicks off Friday, Jan. 22, with the remaining three concerts scheduled for Feb. 26, March 26 and April 16.

Tickets are $30 per concert. Viewers can buy a bundled package starting Jan. 23, getting the final three concerts for $75, saving $15. Tickets are available through Overture.org. For more information on the series, visit WCO's Winter Chamber Series page online..

The WCO will feature chamber works for multiple ensembles, ranging from trios to octets. The performances will highlight the versatility and caliber of the orchestra’s 34 world-class musicians.

Each concert will be on-demand starting at 7:30 p.m. the day of the concert launch, and available for 72 hours after the launch. All programs will be 60-75 minutes long and will go deeper than just the music. The WCO’s musicians will share personal stories about their journeys as classical musicians as well as their lives outside of music. 

“The Winter Series is for our community, our supporters and our musicians,” said Joe Loehnis, CEO, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. “We want to deliver remarkable performances that lift the soul and bring people together. And in return we’re hopeful fans rally to support the Musician Relief Fund – because without our musicians we don’t have an orchestra.”

Tickets for this event are exclusively for a single online viewing. The purchase of this ticket gives you access to watch the production anytime from January 22, 2021 thru January 25, 2021. All sales final.

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 wcoconcerts.org/donate. 

Jan. 22 program: The music of Valerie Coleman and Alec Wilder are two new names that some listeners may not be familiar along with Gabrieli and Schubert as we kick off our Winter Chamber Series. Valerie Coleman is a performing artist and composer with the Imani Winds and has written many works for the wind quintet genre. American composer Alec Wilder’s Octets were written in the early 1940s while commuting from Philadelphia to New York city. These jazz inspired works have fanciful titles and are a unique ensemble of harpsichord, drumset, three clarinets, flute, oboe, and bassoon. Schubert’s String Quintet is on a grand scale: the first movement serving as a stand-alone piece. Finally, Giovanni Gabrieli’s Canzonas are plentiful in the brass repertoire and provide a fitting fanfare opening to the season.

Program:

Giovanni Gabrieli: Four Canzonas

Valerie Coleman: Tzigane for Wind Quintet

Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C major D956 (mvt I)

Alec Wilder: Four Octets

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 wcoconcerts.org/donate.