A Journey Through Madison's Classical Music Scene
Classically SpeakingNovember 2011
 |
11/29/11Seasonal Sweets (and a few empty calories) from Wisconsin Chamber OrchestraThe traditions are safe, a surprise falls flat—but hey, it’s a party |
 |
11/21/11Doubleheader at Mills: Powerful Pro Arte and Wonderful WingraThe Pro Arte Quartet continues its Centennial Season bash, and the Wingra Woodwind Quintet gives us even more to be thankful for |
 |
11/17/11Freely Giving Thanks Before ThanksgivingFree concerts this weekend by the Pro Arte Quartet and Wingra Quintet are truly priceless |
 |
11/12/11Madison Symphony: 1+1+1= ?Three disparate musical bedfellows make for a memorable—if puzzling—evening |
 |
11/05/11Madison Opera’s “Onegin”: A Lot of Promises, Some KeptNotable debuts and favorite alumni mark the beginning of Madison Opera’s 51st season |
 |
11/02/11A Bi-Coastal Executive Finds Herself Right at HomeMadison Opera’s Kathryn Smith fell in love with the city at first bite |
Years before I contributed my first classical review to the Los Angeles Times in 1988, I started a class in music appreciation for adults that had one aim: to put a few cracks in the “ivory tower elitism” I found pervasive in the classical music world since my boyhood days. Whether as a critic, program annotator or band director, that goal has never changed. After all, Mozart and Beethoven and the gang wrote their music for people like you—not critics or professors!
