Madison Symphony Orchestra Overture Concert Organ Series
Lyyra Ensemble with Greg Zelek, organ
Thursday, November 21
7:30pm
Overture Hall
$25 - 40
Lyyra, the brand-new, all-female vocal ensemble created by the Voces8 Foundation, will sing a varied program featuring arranged works for their distinct voices. I’ll have the pleasure of accompanying a few of the works on our Overture Concert Organ and look forward to sharing this spectacular new ensemble with our Madison audience.
– Greg Zelek
Featuring
Greg Zelek, organ
Lyyra:
MaryRuth Miller
Anna Crumley
Elizabeth Tait
Aryssa Leigh Burns
Ingrid Johnson
Cecille Elliott
Music
Meet the Artists
Organ
Greg Zelek
Praised as “extraordinary in the classical music world” (Jon Hornbacher, PBS Wisconsin Life) and a “musical star” (Bill Wineke, Channel 3000), Greg Zelek is the principal organist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and curator of the Overture Concert Organ, where he oversees all of the MSO’s organ programming. Since September 2017, Zelek has proudly held the Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curatorship.
In addition to concertizing throughout the United States, Zelek regularly performs with orchestras as both a soloist and professional ensemble member, including the MET Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Florida Orchestra, New World Symphony, Ridgewood Symphony, Miami Symphony and Madison Symphony. He regularly performs as a soloist around the country at venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jacoby Symphony Hall with the Jacksonville Symphony and St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., among others.
Lyyra Ensemble
New ensemble Lyyra looks set to reach a glittering place in choral music’s constellation – it was created by The VOCES8 Foundation to build support and visibility for upper voices and their potential. The group’s sound combines velvety richness alongside starlike brilliance. With a broad texture and exhilarating range of sound, the group’s members specialize in classical, jazz, pop, and folk music from diverse traditions and backgrounds. Lyyra is the only professional six-voice women’s a cappella group in the US.
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Houston plays host to Lyyra’s debut concert on February 16, 2024. The group’s launch day will also be marked by the release of its debut video single “When The Earth Stands Still” by Don Macdonald and the world premiere performance of “More Love,” written for Lyyra by Taylor Scott Davis.
Lyyra joins colleagues VOCES8 to perform at the American Choral Directors Association conference in Providence later in February before setting off on its first US tour in April. Preceded by single and video releases, including works arranged for Lyyra by its own members, Lyyra releases its debut EP, More Love, on May 10 in time for Mother’s Day.
Reflective of music, harmony and the night sky, Lyyra takes its name from the constellation that represents Orpheus’ famed lyre. Formed of six exceptional women, Lyyra seeks to redefine what is possible for upper voices in this genre, and to extend The VOCES8 Foundation’s global mission to deliver world-beating concert experiences alongside integrated learning and participation work. Lyyra delivers inspirational, uplifting, dynamic performances and has the desire to make change in the world.
Lyyra is MaryRuth Miller, Anna Crumley, Shabnam Abedi, Elizabeth Tait, Aryssa Leigh Burrs, and Deborah Stephens.
Lyyra is produced for VOCES8 Records by Barnaby Smith and Paul Smith, and its Creative Director is Erik Jacobson for The VOCES8 Foundation USA.
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