Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra Realigns Final Concert of the 2010-2011 Season

Feb. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- The Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra board has decided to conclude the 2010-11 season with “Remembrance: Legacy of the Civil War,” a joint performance with the Bel Canto Chorus on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at Christ King Parish in Wauwatosa. The MCO concert scheduled for March 27, 2011 at Calvary Presbyterian Church, Milwaukee, will be rescheduled to a future season.

“This was a difficult decision and one the board did not take lightly,” said Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra board president Jim Nelson. “We’re facing an extraordinarily difficult fund-raising environment in the Greater Milwaukee area. Individual donors have either reduced or deferred their giving for this season. Our organization has pledged never to go into debt again, and so in order to allow the ensemble to continue, the board felt it needed a longer time window to seek new sources of funding.”

Music director Richard Hynson added, “In this challenging economy, the MCO hopes to reproduce the success of our collaboration with In Tandem Theater in January 2010 presenting Stravinsky’s “A Soldier’s Tale”, and with the upcoming Bel Canto performance. Plans are already underway to explore additional collaborative opportunities with arts groups and institutions in the Milwaukee area to achieve efficiencies that will benefit the orchestra in the long-term. We plan to remain a part of the local arts community for years to come.”

Patrons who hold tickets for the March 27, 2011 Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra concert may use them to attend the March 13, 2011 performance. They may also choose to receive a refund, or donate the ticket to the MCO.

“Remembrance: Legacy of the Civil War” will be performed on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. at Christ King Parish,  2604 N. Swan Blvd., Wauwatosa. The concert commemorates the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and will feature “Festival Overture on the National Air” by Dudley Buck; the world premiere of “A Remembrance: A Musical Legacy of the American Civil War” by Daniel J. Van Gelderen, and “An American Requiem” by Joseph Baber.  

A pre-concert demonstration of period dance begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Gathering Space at Christ King Parish.  Patrons can learn about and try the unique dances of the Civil War era, presented by the Kenosha Civil War Museum and the Westside Soldiers Aide Society. Tickets are $17 - $25 and are available by calling 414-481-8801, or online at http://www.BelCanto.org.

The Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the only professional chamber orchestra in the greater Milwaukee area, has been performing the highest quality chamber music for more than 30 years. The MCO provides a unique experience for audience members as well as important performance opportunities to professional musicians in the area. For more information visit http://www.MilwaukeeChamberOrchestra.org or call 414-881-9900.

# # #

Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the only professional chamber orchestra in the Greater Milwaukee Area, Richard Hynson, music director, provides a unique, intimate musical experience for its audience and performers. http://www.MilwaukeeChamberOrchestra.org