| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra | |
|---|---|
| Orchestra | |
 Official logo | |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Music director | Ken-David Masur |
| Website | www |
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The orchestra performs primarily at the Bradley Symphony Center in Allen-Bradley Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for Florentine Opera productions.
The precursor ensemble to the orchestra was the Milwaukee Pops Orchestra, a part-time ensemble which had been founded 10 years earlier. In 1959, the orchestra formally changed its name to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, hiring Harry John Brown as its first music director. During his nine-year tenure, Brown led the orchestra's transition from a semi-professional pops group to a fully professional, full-time symphony orchestra.
During the tenure of Kenneth Schermerhorn, the orchestra's second music director, from 1968 to 1980, the orchestra had begun its 'State Tour' programme of concerts around Wisconsin, to such cities as Fish Creek, Fond du Lac, Marinette, Ripon, Rhinelander, Three Lakes, West Bend, and Whitewater, Wisconsin, as well as Naperville, Illinois. The orchestra also initiated its concerts for students, gave its first performance at Carnegie Hall in 1972, and embarked upon its first international tour to the Dominican Republic in March 1974. At Schermerhorn's invitation, Margaret Hawkins founded the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus in 1976. Lukas Foss served as the orchestra's third music director, from 1981 to 1986, which saw a notable increase in performances of contemporary music and American compositions, along with the orchestra's first European tour in 1986.
Zdeněk Mácal was the orchestra's fourth music director, from 1986 to 1995. The orchestra began to record for Koss Classics during this period, recording the entirety of Antonín Dvořák's symphonies and tone poems under Mácal's baton, established its Arts in Community Education program in 1990, and toured Japan in 1992. From 1995 to 1997, Stanisław Skrowaczewski served as the orchestra's artistic advisor, prior to the advent of Andreas Delfs as the orchestra's fifth music director from 1997 to 2009. In 1999, the orchestra performed in Cuba, the first American symphony orchestra to do so since the U.S. embargo against Cuba was implemented in 1962. Despite luggage delays, food poisoning that affected the majority of the touring musicians, and the political controversy surrounding the tour, the orchestra played to great acclaim, resulting in the release of The Cuba Concerts in 2000. In 2004, the orchestra released its recording in English of Engelbert Humberdinck's Hansel and Gretel . Delfs became the orchestra's conductor laureate after the conclusion of his tenure in 2009.
Edo de Waart was the orchestra's music director from 2009 to 2017. [1] His appointment was unusual in that de Waart had not conducted the orchestra prior to his appointment. [2] Upon the conclusion of his tenure, the orchestra granted de Waart the title of conductor laureate. [3]
In December 2017, the orchestra purchased the former Warner Grand Theatre, [4] which was restored and remodeled, and opened to full audiences in October 2021.
In May 2018, Ken-David Masur first guest-conducted the orchestra. The orchestra immediately re-engaged him for a subsequent guest-conducting appearance in September 2018. On the basis of these concerts, in November 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Masur as its next music director, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 seasons. Masur took the title of music director-designate with immediate effect. [5] In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MSO extended the initial duration of Masur's tenure first contract as music director through the 2023-2024 season. In November 2023, the MSO announced an extension of Masur's contract as its music director through the 2025-2026 season. [6] In October 2024, the MSO announced that Masur is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2025-2026 season. [7]
The orchestra's current assistant conductor is Ryan Tani. Past principal pops conductors have included Doc Severinsen, who holds the title of Principal Pops Conductor Emeritus, and Marvin Hamlisch.
The orchestra has presented more than 100 world and American premieres of works by composers such as Lukas Foss, Philip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Daron Hagen, Roy Harris, Erich Korngold, Gian Carlo Menotti, Marc Neikrug, Matthias Pintscher, Daniel Schnyder, Jean Sibelius, Roberto Sierra, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Ottorino Respighi, Richard Rodgers, and others. Over 22 compositions have been by MSO musicians.
The MSO has also released 14 recordings on the Koss Classics and Telarc labels. These include such projects as the complete symphonies of Antonín Dvořák; an all-Kodaly disc; an acclaimed recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 ; Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique ; Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky ; and Smetana's Ma Vlast . On September 16, 2005, the MSO became the first American orchestra to sell recordings of recent concerts for download on iTunes and through the orchestra's web site. [8]
The Cuba Concerts CD features a live recording made during the MSO's 1999 Cuba Millennium Tour. 1999 also saw the release of an a cappella CD featuring the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. In 2002, the MSO released a CD featuring Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker . In 2004, the MSO released the first modern recording in English of Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel on the Avie label.
The orchestra is also featured on radio broadcasts via the WFMT Radio Network.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) is an American chamber orchestra based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Its principal concert venue is the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. In collaboration with five artistic partners, the orchestra's musicians present more than 130 concerts and educational programs each year in over 14 venues throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The SPCO is regularly heard on American Public Media's nationally syndicated radio programs "Performance Today" and SymphonyCast.
The San Francisco Symphony, founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus (1972) are part of the organization. Michael Tilson Thomas became the orchestra's music director in 1995, and concluded his tenure in 2020 when Esa-Pekka Salonen took over the position.
The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall.
Edo de Waart is a Dutch retired conductor. He is Music Director Laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. De Waart is the former music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (2016-2019), chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic (2011-2016) and Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (2010-2014).
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is a Dutch symphony orchestra based in Rotterdam. Its primary venue is the concert hall De Doelen. The RPhO is considered one of the Netherlands' two principal orchestras of international standing, second to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. In addition to symphony concerts, the RPhO performs as the opera orchestra in productions at De Nederlandse Opera, as do other Dutch ensembles.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, commonly abbreviated as HKPO or HKPhil, is a symphony orchestra based in Hong Kong. First established in 1947 as an amateur orchestra under the name Sino-British Orchestra (中英管弦樂團), it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957 and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding of the government.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. The orchestra has performed at the Sydney Opera House as its home concert hall, since the venue's opening in 1973. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and the first female conductor in the post.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Falletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it presents over 120 classical series, pops, rock, youth, and family concerts. During the summer months, the orchestra performs at parks and outdoor venues across Western New York.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra was founded in 1930 and is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circle.
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930 by cellist Hans Kindler, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Sir Andrew Frank Davis was an English conductor. He was the long-time chief conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He was music director at the Glyndebourne Festival from 1988 to 2000, and especially known for conducting the traditional Last Night of The Proms, including Last Night speeches. He was music director and principal conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2000 to the 2020/21 season.
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the New Zealand Government, per the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Act 2004. It is currently based in the Michael Fowler Centre and has frequently performed in the adjacent Wellington Town Hall before it was closed in 2013. It also performs in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.
The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in San Diego, California. The orchestra performs at Jacobs Music Center and The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. It serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera.
The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra is resident at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Markus Stenz is a German conductor. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik Köln with Volker Wangenhein and at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa.
Andreas Delfs is a German conductor. He is the music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Jaap van Zweden is a Dutch conductor and violinist. He is currently music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Seoul Philharmonic.
The Milwaukee Symphony Chorus is the choral ensemble of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1976 by Margaret Hawkins at the request of then-MSO music director Kenneth Schermerhorn, it was originally called the Wisconsin Conservatory Symphony Chorus and filled a need for the MSO to have a chorus of consistent quality. It became the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus in 1985, upon coming under the auspices of the MSO.
The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is a Belgian symphony orchestra based in Antwerp, with the Queen Elisabeth Hall as its principal concert venue. The orchestra performs in a number of venues in various cities in Belgium:
Ken-David Masur is a German-born American conductor.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
