Theater HistoryMeet Our (Past) Staff—Naomi Rhodes | Concert Series History | Travel
Series History Started in 1919, the Wisconsin Union Theater's Concert Series is one of the oldest uninterrupted series of its kind in the United States. Through the series, generations of University of Wisconsin students, staff and faculty, as well as music lovers from all over Wisconsin, have experienced countless memorable performances by virtually every important artist of the 20th century. The quality and variety of artists and music in this series is unsurpassed outside of a few metropolitan areas. World-renowned orchestras, conductors, chamber ensembles and solo artists have shared the Concert Series spotlight. Symphonies from Boston, Montreal, Milwaukee, Minnesota, London, Dresden, Leipzig, Moscow and Leningrad, led by such eminent maestros as Eugene Ormandy, Erich Leinsdorf, Leopold Stokowski, Sir Thomas Beecham, Antal Dorati, Charles Dutoit, Seiji Ozawa and Zdenek Macal have appeared in the Union Theater, the University Pavilion and even Camp Randall Stadium under Concert Series sponsorships. It is not merely the catalog of musical titans-from Jascha Heifetz, Pablo Casals, Paul Robeson and Marion Anderson, to Itzhak Perlman, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Leontyne Price and Yo-Yo Ma, to name just a few-that distinguishes the Union Theater Concert Series, but also the contribution that the series has made to the cultural life of the university, the community and the state of Wisconsin. The high standard that was set in the 20's with the likes of Fritz Kreisler, Serge Rachmaninoff, John McCormack and Josef Lhevine has never wavered, and prevails to this day. Perhaps the most important thing about the Concert Series is the role it has played in the lives of several generations of artists and audiences. For the celebrated masters, the series has provided an attractive setting to which they have returned frequently over the years (e.g. Rudolph Serkin five times; Andres Segovia six times; Yo-Yo Ma five times) to play for a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and appreciative audience. "Promising new-comers" on the other hand, such as Pinchas Zukerman in 1968; Julian Bream, 1959; Murray Perahia, 1971; Carter Brey, 1986) have found a receptive and supportive public before whom they could make their exciting debuts, learn and grow artistically, and later return as acknowledged stars. The generations of young audiences, students coming to the university to learn and grow as human beings, have reaped great rewards from the series. They experienced the pleasure of world-class artists in live performance, often for the first time during their college years, and carried that love of music throughout their lives. Union Theater audiences can take satisfaction in knowing that they are part of a splendid musical tradition that continues to grow and to change each new season. |
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