Madison Symphony Orchestra Overture Concert Organ Series
Empire Brass Celebration with Greg Zelek, organ
Thursday, April 3
7:30pm
Overture Hall
$25 - 40
I was lucky enough to meet the Empire Brass as a high school student when they came to my hometown for a clinic and a concert back in 1984. Years later, I was even luckier when I was asked to join the group, becoming a member of the ensemble for 16 seasons and getting to perform some of the finest brass music in the world’s greatest concert halls. I am so pleased to be part of this concert program that features highlights from the group’s famous recordings and ground-breaking repertoire for both brass and organ, including the world premiere of my newly commissioned work to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Overture Concert Organ. Please join us for an Empire Brass Celebration!
– Mark Hetzler
Featuring
Greg Zelek, organ
Empire Brass Quintet:
Marc Reese, trumpet
Derek Lockhart, trumpet
Gregory Miller, horn
Mark Hetzler, trombone
Kenneth Amis, tuba
Matt Endres, percussion
Music
Johann Sebastian Bach, My Spirit Be Joyful, Cantata 146
Giovanni Gabrieli, Canzon Duo Decimi Toni
Sergei Prokofiev, Lt. Kije: Wedding and Troika
Gustav Holst, Jupiter
Kenneth Amis, Bell Tone’s Ring
Mark Hetzler, “World-premiere in celebration of the 20th of the Overture Concert Organ”
Fats Waller, Ain’t Misbehavin’
George Gershwin, Summertime
Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story Suite (Something’s Comin’, Maria, America)
Upcoming Classical Music Events
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November 18
Tuesday
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Greg Zelek with Caleb Hudson, Trumpet
Overture Hall
Trumpeter Caleb Hudson has made a name for himself as one of the most virtuosic trumpet soloists as well as a respected pedagogue. Experience his incredible talent in a program featuring many arrangements for organ and trumpet.
7:30 PM -
November 21 - November 22
Classical Music, Music, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Handel's Messiah
Bethel Lutheran Church
Kicking off the holiday season early, join the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Festival Choir of Madison for a favorite holiday tradition.
Multiple Showtimes -
November 21 - November 23
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Radiance
Overture Hall
“Rainbow Body,” a luminous work by American composer Christopher Theofanidis, weaves ancient and modern worlds together to take us on a spellbinding journey. Inspired by the chant “Ave Maria” by medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen, the piece reimagines her melodies in lush, cinematic orchestration.
Multiple Showtimes -
December 5 - December 7
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music A Madison Symphony Christmas
Overture Hall
This spectacular annual celebration has become a joyful way to begin the holiday season in our community for concertgoers of all ages. The Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Youth Choirs and the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir join us to bring this special concert to life.
Multiple Showtimes -
January 23 - January 25
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Heartbeat
Overture Hall
The Symphony's new year begins with Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Escaramuza” (meaning “skirmish” in Spanish), a dynamic and colorful work inspired by her Peruvian heritage. This spirited piece captures the energy of the lively Kachampa Andean dance, celebrating the agility and strength of Inca warriors.
Multiple Showtimes -
January 30
Friday
Classical Music, Music, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Masterworks II - Prokofiev Prowess
Capitol Theater
Join the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra for an electrifying evening showcasing the fiery virtuosity of guest pianist Ilya Yakushev in Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3.”
7:30 PM -
January 31
Saturday
2025/26 Season, Classical Music, Film, Music, Overture Presents Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ Part 2 in Concert
Overture Hall
In the epic finale to the Harry Potter Film Concert Series the battle between good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war!
Multiple Showtimes -
February 13 - February 15
Classical Music, Madison Opera, Music, Theater Everlasting Faint
Capitol Theater
Based on the true story of the 1897 “Greenbrier Ghost,” “Everlasting Faint” is a ghost story, a maternal love story, a true crime drama and an all-American opera. Don’t miss this world premiere by Madison composer Scott Gendel and librettist Sandra Flores-Strand.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 20 - February 22
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Playful Pursuits
Overture Hall
“Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a decidedly playful overture by a very youthful Felix Mendelssohn. This sparkling work captures the magic of the fairy kingdom, the humor of the lovers’ entanglements and the grandeur of Theseus’ court.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 24
Tuesday
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Felix Hell, Organist
Overture Hall
Organist Felix Hell, who first performed in Madison in 2012, returns with a brilliant and unique program that he calls “Cathedral of Sound: The Organ as Orchestra.”
7:30 PM -
February 27
Friday
Classical Music, Kanopy Dance, Music, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Masterworks III - Regeneration with Kanopy Dance Company
Capitol Theater
Universal rhythms explored through music and movement—weaving together themes of transformation and the endless cycle of renewal.
7:30 PM -
March 20 - March 22
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Force of Nature
Overture Hall
Strauss’ “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks” is a mischievous tone poem that follows the antics of a legendary trickster. From daring escapades to clever pranks, the music captures Till’s irreverent spirit with virtuosic orchestral writing and humor.
Multiple Showtimes -
March 21
Saturday
2025/26 Season, Classical Music, Cover Bands, Music, Overture Presents One Night of Queen performed by Gary Mullen and The Works
Capitol Theater
Get ready to rock! This high-energy, two-hour stage show brings the legendary music and iconic theatrics of Queen to life, featuring the incredible Gary Mullen & The Works.
7:30 PM -
March 27
Friday
Classical Music, Music, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Masterworks IV - Dueling Violins
Capitol Theater
Prepare to be mesmerized as two extraordinary violin masters, Gilles Apap and Eric Silberger, return to the stage for “Dueling Violins”—not as rivals, but as creative counterparts.
7:30 PM -
March 28 - March 29
Classical Music, Film, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark™ Live in Concert
Overture Hall
Madison Symphony Orchestra’s MSO at the Movies presents “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark™ Live in Concert,” featuring John Williams’ GRAMMY® Award-winning score performed live to the film led by conductor Kyle Knox at Overture Hall.
Multiple Showtimes -
March 31
Tuesday
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music An Evening of Chamber Music and Organ
Overture Hall
Trumpeter Caleb Hudson has made a name for himself as one of the most virtuosic trumpet soloists as well as a respected pedagogue. Experience his incredible talent in a program featuring many arrangements for organ and trumpet.
7:30 PM -
April 10 - April 12
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Four the Soul
Overture Hall
Peruvian composer Jimmy López’s “Fiesta! Four Pop Dances for Orchestra” is a vibrant and exhilarating celebration of life, culture and happiness. Filled with pulsating rhythms, bold colors and infectious energy, it draws from the rich traditions of Latin American music and ends with a blazing techno finale.
Multiple Showtimes -
April 17
Friday
Classical Music, Music, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Masterworks V - Saint-Saëns & Salome
Capitol Theater
Closing the 2025/26 Masterworks season is an evening of works known for their virtuosic demands and lush expressive beauty.
7:30 PM -
April 24 - April 26
Classical Music, Madison Opera, Music, Theater Così fan tutte
Overture Hall
Two sisters, two suitors and a drunken wager about the nature of fidelity—what could possibly go wrong? Mozart’s deliciously risqué romantic comedy is full of sublime arias, sparkling ensembles and the complications that ensue when young love and flirtation encounter reality.
Multiple Showtimes -
May 1 - May 3
Classical Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music Voices Eternal
Overture Hall
Hear the world premiere of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer "EARTH: A Choral Symphony," commissioned by the Symphony for their 100th Anniversary. The piece explores themes of truth and possibility focusing on the wonder of Earth and our place in its story.
Multiple Showtimes