UW Chamber Orchestra visits Brookfield’s Wilson Center

The UW Chamber Orchestra performs at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield in a free concert on Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.

The orchestra, made up of 34 undergraduate and graduate students at UW–Madison’s School of Music, plays under the direction of James Smith, director of orchestras at the school.

Daniel Grabois, assistant professor of horn, will be the soloist for the featured work, “Horn Concerto No. 2” by Richard Strauss. The program begins with the Overture to “Don Giovanni” by Mozart, directed by graduate assistant conductor David Grandis, and concludes with “Symphony No. 3” by Schubert.

The Chamber Orchestra performs several times each semester at the School of Music, both in concerts of orchestral repertoire and in collaboration with University Opera and UW Choral Union.

Last month, the orchestra served in the orchestra pit of the Carol Rennebohm Auditorium in Music Hall for three performances of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” (from which the overture for the present program is taken). In December 2011, it was on stage in Mills Hall with Choral Union’s 150 voices for works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Dominick Argento, Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen.

Among the members of the orchestra are a number from the greater Milwaukee area, including:

• Mariah Schultz, violin, of Milwaukee, a 2009 graduate of the Milwaukee High School of the Arts.  She is a junior (Bachelor of Music) majoring in violin performance who studies with Felicia Moye.
• Patrick Wade, violin, of Milwaukee, a 2006 graduate of the Milwaukee High School of the Arts.  He is a first-year graduate student (Master of Music) who studies with Felicia Moye.

• Valerie Sanders, violin, of Greenfield, a 2011 graduate of Divine Savior Holy Angels High School.  She is a freshman majoring in violin performance who studies with Felicia Moye.
• Marissa Reinholz, viola, of Mequon, a 2009 graduate of Homestead High School.  She is a junior majoring in viola performance who studies with Sally Chisholm.
• Taylor Skiff, cello, of Mequon, who was home-schooled.  He is a senior  majoring in cello performance who studies with Uri Vardi.
• David Pierringer, flute, of Milwaukee, a 2008 graduate of Pius XI High School.  He is a senior majoring in flute performance and communication arts who studies with Stephanie Jutt.
• Eamonn Ferguson, horn, of Waterloo, who was home-schooled.  He is a junior majoring in horn performance who studies with Daniel Grabois.

The Wilson Center concert is generously sponsored by JoAnne and Donald Krause of Brookfield and is the fifth outreach concert by School of Music ensembles the couple has supported at the center since 2007.

A reception for musicians and audience will follow the concert.  The Wilson Center is located at 19805 W. Capitol Drive in Brookfield. For free tickets, please call the center’s box office at (262) 781-9520.  For information about the UW–Madison School of Music, click here.