Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
St. Petersburg String Quartet
with clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan

We open with shining stars of the chamber music galaxy. Called “masters of subtlety and refinement” by the Los Angeles Times, this Grammy-nominated quartet is renowned also for its robust interpretations of Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky and the rousing folk tunes of their Russian homeland. It’s said no classical collection is complete without their recordings. Audiences from Toronto to Tokyo, from Lithuania to London and in music halls across the United States would agree. A clarinet soloist will also perform.

Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009
AMARCORD

They last played our series in 2002, and are still singing Bach and the Beatles, Schubert and Billy Joel. The five former members of St. Thomas’s Boys Choir in Leipzig who make up AMARCORD have delighted concertgoers with their immaculate, a capella elegance. Their concerts have been described as “vocal
magic,” “astonishing” and “world class.” Said one reviewer, famously, “They sing like angels and look like the Backstreet Boys. Well, maybe a little more clean cut.”

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010
Philharmonia of the Nations
with pianist Jon Nakamatsu

Leonard Bernstein’s idea “Let’s make music as friends” was realized in 1995 when colleague
Justus Frantz assembled a multicultural orchestra featuring star talent from 40 nations. Serbs and
Slovenians, Syrians and Israelis, Chinese, French, Russians, Italians and others share a common
language (music) in their recordings, tours and special appearances at the invitation of notables
including the UN Secretary General and the Pope. Special guest Jon Nakamatsu, the most recent
American winner of the Van Cliburn Competition, has been hailed by the New York Times for his
“stunning” elegance, clarity and power.

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Intersection
 

Piano, violin and cello… and three engaging musicians whose soulful expression, instrumental virtuosity and playful performance style make for an unforgettable evening. Their repertoire ranges from tango to bossa nova, from a West Side Story melody to a gossamer Mendelssohn scherzo. Writes the New York Times, “Diamond-hard brilliance, uncommonly poetic depths…breathtaking in precision, dexterity and unanimity of attack.” Cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper has played our series previously with the popular Quartetto Gelato.

Saturday, May 15, 2010
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Edo de Waart, music director

A Civic Music tradition, back once again by popular demand, the MSO presents an up-close
and in-person evening with one of the nation’s premier professional orchestras. Navigating both
delicate passages and bold fortissimo movements with equal facility, the acclaimed, in-demand
ensemble of 85 world-class musicians continues to reach new heights.