Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

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courtesy New Amsterdam Records

A close-up of Michael Mizrahi.

Michael Mizrahi

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra presents a pair of works in honor of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth (delayed from a past season): Symphony No. 6 (the Pastoral); and Piano Concerto No. 1, which will be ably addressed by Michael Mizrahi, a professor at Lawrence University in Appleton and international concert performer. The show opens with a suite of works drawn from composer-in-residence Bill Banfield’s opera Edmonia, with guest singers from the UW Mead Witter School of Music: soprano Jerzy Gillon, mezzo soprano Madison Barrett, and soprano Isabel Celata. Tickets at overture.org. (Also: Mizrahi plays a Salon Piano Series concert, 7:30 p.m., May 13, at Farley’s House of Pianos; more info at eventbrite.com.)

media release: The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s final concert of the 22-23 Masterworks series is titled "Banfield & Beethoven" and will take place on Friday, May 12, 2023 at 7:30 PM in Capitol Theater of the Overture Center for the Arts. Tickets are on sale and available by going online at wcoconcerts.org/beethoven or by calling the Overture Center Ticket Office at 608.258.4141. A pre-concert discussion will take place in Wisconsin Studio at 6:30 PM which is free and open to the public. Doors open for the pre-concert lecture at 6:00 PM.

Michael Mizrahi returns to Madison to perform Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 1” alongside Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral”, in this delayed celebration of the composer’s 250th anniversary. The Pastoral Symphony with its inspiration of nature, set the stage for others to follow.

WCO Composer in Residence, Dr. Bill Banfield opens the program with a Suite from his opera, “Edmonia” featuring guest soloists from the Mead Witter School of Music at UW Madison. Soprano Jerzy Gillon, mezzo soprano Madison Barrett, and soprano Isabel Celata under the direction of David Ronis, Associate Professor and Director of University Opera.

Praised as "intrepid" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "engaging" (Houston Chronicle), and "endlessly fascinating" (WQXR New York), pianist Michael Mizrahi has won acclaim for his compelling performances of a wide-ranging repertoire and his ability to connect with audiences of all ages. He has appeared as concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and teaching artist across the United States and abroad. For Mizrahi’s full biography visit: https://wcoconcerts.org/beethoven

In the past 25+ years, Bill Banfield has produced a body of productive music/ arts scholarship activities, books, compositions, recordings, establishing an active teaching, student and music/ lecture programming development, professional service and creative work, that contributes to contemporary arts leadership. For Banfield’s full biography visit: http://www.billbanfieldmusic.com/bill-b

Come experience an evening of powerful music at Capitol Theater. 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. 

About the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Our very own Maestro Andrew Sewell and the musicians of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO) bring national caliber music to more than 250,000 music lovers annually. No other arts organization in Wisconsin performs free for more people each year. Founded in 1960, the WCO is one of Madison’s gems, a national-caliber chamber orchestra behind the now four-decade summer tradition of Concerts

on the Square.

The WCO also presents the classical Masterworks series at the Overture Center, the annually sold-old Messiah, and education concerts for families and children. In 2021, the WCO launched its first Composer in Residence program, bringing in acclaimed composer, author, musician and professor Dr. Bill Banfield to write major works while in residence. While headquartered in Madison, the orchestra has played around the state. To learn more about the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra visit wcoconcerts.org.