Madison Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an orchestra headquartered in Madison
, Wisconsin
. Its conductor is John DeMain
, who began his 14th season with the orchestra in the fall of 2007. The orchestra was founded in 1925 as a small community ensemble and is now a full-sized orchestra.
The Madison Symphony performs in Madison's "Overture Hall" one of two theaters in Madison's "Overture Center for the Arts
", a gift given to Madison by longtime M.S.O. patrons Jerome Frautschi and his wife, Pleasant Rowland
Frautschi. The Frautschis' gift held the distinction of being the largest gift ever donated to the performing arts by a single donor in American history, actually exceeding the entire budget of the "National Endowment for the Arts
". Their gift in turn inspired a wave of gifts to the performing arts nationwide. Overture Hall has been described as "one of the acoustically finest halls in America" by guest artists, conductors, and visiting shows alike; and among other notable features the hall possesses the magnificent "Overture Concert Organ", custom built for the Overture Center by renowned organ builder, Johannes Klais {orgelbau} of Bonn, Germany. At twenty tons, the Klais organ is the largest movable object in any theater in America, with a capability to move forward and back into storage on a set of railroad tracks. It provides the orchestra with superior augmentation to such works as Richard Strauss
' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" or Gustav Holst
's "The Planets
".
Artists such as guest conductor Vladimir Spivakov
and pianist Emanuel Ax
were engaged for concerts in the 2007-2008 season.
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Its conductor is John DeMain
John DeMain
John DeMain is an American conductor. In 2011 he begins his 18th season as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin. He is also artistic director of the Madison Opera. DeMain lives in Madison with his wife Barbara and their daughter Jennifer John DeMain is an American...
, who began his 14th season with the orchestra in the fall of 2007. The orchestra was founded in 1925 as a small community ensemble and is now a full-sized orchestra.
The Madison Symphony performs in Madison's "Overture Hall" one of two theaters in Madison's "Overture Center for the Arts
Overture Center
Overture Center for the Arts is a performing arts center and art gallery in Madison, Wisconsin, which replaced the Civic Center. The center was commissioned by Jerome Frautschi, designed by Cesar Pelli, and built by J.H. Findorff and Son. Flad Architects and Potter Lawson led the project as...
", a gift given to Madison by longtime M.S.O. patrons Jerome Frautschi and his wife, Pleasant Rowland
Pleasant Rowland
Pleasant Rowland is an American educator, writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Rowland is best known for creating the American Girl brand...
Frautschi. The Frautschis' gift held the distinction of being the largest gift ever donated to the performing arts by a single donor in American history, actually exceeding the entire budget of the "National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
". Their gift in turn inspired a wave of gifts to the performing arts nationwide. Overture Hall has been described as "one of the acoustically finest halls in America" by guest artists, conductors, and visiting shows alike; and among other notable features the hall possesses the magnificent "Overture Concert Organ", custom built for the Overture Center by renowned organ builder, Johannes Klais {orgelbau} of Bonn, Germany. At twenty tons, the Klais organ is the largest movable object in any theater in America, with a capability to move forward and back into storage on a set of railroad tracks. It provides the orchestra with superior augmentation to such works as Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" or Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
's "The Planets
The Planets
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst...
".
Artists such as guest conductor Vladimir Spivakov
Vladimir Spivakov
Vladimir Teodorovich Spivakov is a leading Russian conductor and violinist best known for his work with the chamber orchestra....
and pianist Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
were engaged for concerts in the 2007-2008 season.