Visions – Madison Symphony Orchestra’s 99th season

The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) second performance of its electrifying 99th season of Visions will feature the first of several guest conductors. Nicholas Hersh has received critical acclaim for his creative programming and natural ability to connect with both musicians and audiences. Hersh calls the concert “extremely evocative” and describes the music as “all about the relationship between the human and the supernatural.” The program begins with the MSO premiere of “This Midnight Hour” by British composer Anna Clyne, a work based on the poetry of Charles Baudelaire and Juan Ramón Jiménez that is sure to provide the listener with a visual journey. Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins returns to perform two pieces, beginning with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ tender The Lark Ascending, based on a poem by George Meredith. Then he plays Tzigane, Maurice Ravel’s virtuoso take on Roma violin playing. The critically acclaimed Hall-Tompkins plays with “tonal mastery, technical mastery and force of personality” that you won’t want to miss. The program ends with Hector Berlioz’s monumental Symphonie Fantastique, a passionate and musical vision.

Performances of “Visions” will take place on Friday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Overture Hall, 201 State Street.