When Thanksgiving approaches, so too does an influx of classical music performances across the state.
Wisconsin Public Radio “Afternoon Classics” host Lori Skelton says Wisconsin is seeing a unique “concert bottleneck” this autumn, due in part to effects of COVID-19 public gathering restrictions.
Skelton joined WPR’s “The Morning Show” to discuss the season’s most anticipated performances in what she considers the first concert season where everyone’s back on stage. The program included previews of select performers and pieces.
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Below is a list of classical performances this season. If your concert is missing, you can add event details to WPR’s community calendar.
Madison Symphony Orchestra ‘Monumental Moments’
Where: Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St., Madison
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 20; 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22
For more: madisonsymphony.org
Featuring:
- Leonard Bernstein: Three Dance Variations from “Fancy Free”
- Dmitri Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 in A minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 77(99) featuring concertmaster Naha Greenholtz
- Johannes Brahms (orr. Arnold Schoenberg): Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ‘Josefowicz & Boléro’
Where: Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
When: 11:15 a.m., Friday, Oct. 20; 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21; 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22
For more: mso.org
Featuring:
- Matthias Pintscher conducts his new composition “Assonanza” featuring violinist and co-composer Leila Josefowicz
- Works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel
Lake Geneva Symphony’s season-opening concert
Where: Calvary Community Church, 2620 Harris Rd., Lake Geneva
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21
For more: lakegenevaorchestra.org
Featuring:
- Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4
- Paul Dukas: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
- Carl Maria von Weber: Concerto for Clarinet in E-flat Major featuring Mackinzee Carpenter, winner of Lake Geneva’s Young Artist Competition
Kenosha Symphony ‘Masterworks from the Greats’
Where: Reuther Central High School, 913 57th St., Kenosha
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21
For more: kenoshasymphony.org
Featuring:
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture from “Marriage of Figaro”
- Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D Major for Violin featuring violinist Desirée Ruhstrat
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: “Eroica” Symphony
La Crosse Symphony Orchestra Saluting Our Own’
Where: Viterbo Fine Arts Center, 929 Jackson St., La Crosse
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21
For more: lacrossesymphony.org
Featuring:
- Bradley Lebakken (arr.): “America the Beautiful”
- Samuel Zyman: “Fantasia Mexicana”
- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: “Scheherazade”
Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony ‘A Spooky Jamboree’
Where: Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee
When: 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25
For more: festivalcitysymphony.org
Featuring:
- Halloween and spooky themed pops classics for the whole family. Costumes encouraged
Wisconsin Philharmonic ‘Romantic Milestones’
Where: Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Dr., Brookfield
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 27
For more: wisphil.org
Featuring:
- Sergei Rachmaninoff: “Symphonic Sketches” Suites Nos. 1 and 2 orchestrated by Wisconsin composer William Grosvenor Neil. Commissioned by Wisconsin Philharmonic to honor Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday
- Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor with pianist Reed Tetzloff
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ film
Where: Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28 and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 29
For more: mso.org
Featuring:
- Screening of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
- Danny Elfman’s score performed live during screening by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Civic Symphony of Green Bay, Dudley Birder Chorale ‘Choral Chills & Symphonic Scares’
Where: Walter Theatre at St. Norbert College, 315 Third St., De Pere
When: 7:00 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28
For more: gbcivic.org
Featuring:
- Carl Orff: “O Fortuna” from “Carmina Burana”
- John Williams: “Double Trouble” from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
- Ray Parker Jr.: “Ghostbusters”
Present Music live score for silent film ‘Die Stadt Ohne Juden/ The City Without Jews’
Where: Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr., Milwaukee
When: 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 29
For more: presentmusic.org
Featuring:
- Film “A City Without Jews,” by Hans Breslauer foreshadows the events of the Holocaust
- Olga Neuwirth composed the score as a commission
- Performance is in conjunction with the exhibit “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings from the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ‘Beethoven & López-Gavilán’
Where: Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4
For more: mso.org
Featuring:
- Aldo López-Gavilán performs his composition “Emporium”
- Ludwig van Beethoven: “Choral Fantasy”
Red Cedar Symphony Fall concert opening
Where: Augustus Lutheran Church, Cumberland
When: 7:00 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4
For more: redcedarsymphony.org
Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra ‘MW3: Nordic Images’
Where: DECC Symphony Hall, 350 Harbor Dr., Duluth
When: 7:00 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4
For more: dsso.com
Featuring:
- Duluth composer Wendy Durrwachter: “Laurentia” world premiere. Commissioned by Duluth Superior Symphony, the piece takes inspiration from Lake Superior.
- Henryk Wieniawski: Concerto No.2 for violin featuring concertmaster Erin Aldridge
- Jean Sibelius: Symphony No.2
Red Cedar Symphony Fall concert
Where: Bethany Lutheran Church, Rice Lake
When: 4:00 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 5
For more: redcedarsymphony.org
Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra ‘Majestic Brahms’
Where: Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St., Madison
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 10
For more: wcoconcerts.org
Featuring:
- Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 13 in D Major
- Gerald Finzi: Suite from “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
- Johannes Brahms: Concerto No. 2 for Piano with Maxim Lando
Racine Symphony Orchestra ‘Musical Flights’
Where: Uncorkt, 240 Main St., Racine
When: 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 10
For more: racinesymphony.org
Featuring: Wine tasting and chamber music
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ‘De Waart Conducts Elgar’
Where: Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
When: 11:15 a.m., Friday, Nov. 10; 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: mso.org
Featuring:
- John Adams: “The Chairman Dances”
- Sergei Rachmaninoff: “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” with Joyce Yang
- Edward Elgar: “Enigma Variations”
Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra ‘Honoring Our Heroes’
Where: Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, 400 W. College Ave., Appleton
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: foxvalleysymphony.com
Featuring:
- Missy Mazzoli: “These Worlds in Us”
- Aaron Copland: “Lincoln Portrait”
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: “Eroica” Symphony No. 3
Oconomowoc Chamber Orchestra ‘An Evening of Classic & Sacred Music’
Where: Good Shepherd Methodist Church, 800 Lake Dr., Oconomowoc
When: 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: oconchamberorch.org
Featuring: Crawford Gates: “The Healing Power of Jesus Christ” world premiere
Madison Symphony Orchestra ‘Overture Concert Organ Series: Ken Cowan’
Where: Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St., Madison
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: madisonsymphony.org
Featuring:
- Olivier Messiaen: “Le Banquet Céleste”
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 548
- Franz Liszt: “The Dance in the Village Inn” Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra ‘Family Concert: Once Upon a Time… Musical Fairy Tales’
Where: Lake Geneva Middle School, 600 N. Bloomfield Rd., Lake Geneva
When: 3:00 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: lakegenevaorchestra.org
La Crosse Symphony Orchestra ‘Hollywood Magic’
Where: Viterbo Fine Arts Center, 929 Jackson St., La Crosse
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: lacrossesymphony.org
Featuring:
- Erich Wolfgang Korngold: “Overture to The Adventures of Robin Hood”
- Igor Stravinsky: Concerto for violin with Alexi Kenney
- Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor
Salon Piano Series presents Maxim Lando ‘Inner Demons’
Where: Farley’s House of Pianos, 6522 Seybold Rd., Madison
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11
For more: salonpianoseries.org
Featuring:
- Lowell Libermann: “Frankenstein”
- Florence Price: “Sinner Please Don’t Let This Harvest Pass”
- Franz Liszt: Reminiscences of Don Juan
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ‘Ruth Reinhardt Returns’
Where: Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
When: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17 and 18
For more: mso.org
Featuring:
- Jonathan Cziner: “Rear-view”
- Dmitri Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 2 featuring Andrei Ioniţă
- Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4
Festival City Symphony ‘Beyond Words: Harmonious Symphonic Poems’
Where: Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 1812 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee
When: 5:00 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 19
For more: presentmusic.org
Featuring:
- Raven Chacon: “Owl Song”
- Brian Packham: world premiere of new work commissioned by The Two Sisters
- The Bucks Native American Singing and Drumming Group
- Live streaming available
Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra and UW-Eau Claire Choirs ‘Messiah’
Where: Pablo Center at the Confluence, 128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire
When: 2:00 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 19
For more: eauclairechamberorchestra.com
Featuring:
- George Frideric Handel: “Messiah”
- With voice faculty Ken Pereira, Mark Mowry, Christine Amon, and Emily Sternfeld-Dunn
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ‘Elf In Concert: Film with Orchestra’
Where: Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
When: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 24 and 25; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 26
For more: mso.org
Featuring:
- Screening of “Elf”
- John Debney’s score performed live during screening by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
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