"The Christmas holiday, the orchestra seemed to say, is for all of us..."

"The cumulative effect was mesmerizing and exciting."

"Not the least of the show's strengths is the conducting of John DeMain."

"For me, this performance was the ultimate triumph of a most stimulating concert."

"The audience probably knew not to clap after the first movement, but Chang's playing was stunning. They clapped anyway."

"[Chang displayed] clean and polished playing...controlled virtuosity...and a certain indefinable panache."

"The entire evening seemed to revolve around harnessing and controlling energy..."

"One aspect of “The Planets” that does not come across in the...CD...is the work’s very satisfying sonic blast."

"...the symphony is a truly moving experience and the UW campus is graced to have our very own, very talented symphony here in Madison."

"A riveting performance of tuneful, dramatic, and brilliantly
scored music."

"...The Madison Symphony Orchestra has become an excellent regional orchestra...."

"The opening night audience was immidiately on its feet, cheering unashamedly."

"The orchestra gave a stunning and beautiful performance leaving the audience breathless...."

"I'm always thrilled to play a piece that's such a howling success with the public," Ohlsson said.

"...DeMain's tenure has been a golden age for the MSO...."

"It was one of the greatest inspirations of my life..."

We've compiled a host of resources to increase your enjoyment of MSO concerts and classical music. Start on the Concert Page of your chosen concert to click on links for guest artist websites, then check out our other offerings below!

Published five times a year, The Score comes to you with a wealth of information. Engaging articles about upcoming concerts, composers and artists take you deeper into the music, and calendars of events keep you updated on the endless possibilities for musical enjoyment with the MSO.

Our erudite and often humorous Program Notes Annotator, Michael Allsen, has been praised for the consistent quality of his program notes by the local press. Find out about the composers, their lives, their work, their motivations, and much more when you read our Program Notes.