During its fundraising campaign to transform a former downtown movie theater into the Bradley Symphony Center, Milwaukee Symphony officials suggested that they'd be able to stage more artistic and ambitious concerts in a new performance home of their own.

The MSO starts paying off on that promise with its 2020-'21 season, which begins and ends with massive choral symphonies, features a three-weekend 1930s festival, offers an action-packed December of holiday-themed music and brings stand-alone concerts by the famous Vienna Boys' Choir and popular mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.

For the first paid ticketed concert in the center's Allen-Bradley Hall, music director Ken-David Masur called on a mentor and friend from his Boston Symphony and Tanglewood Musical Festival days: Oscar-winning composer John Williams, who can draw from a lengthy list of movie memorable scores, including "Jaws," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Schindler's List."

Williams, 88, will share the podium with Masur for that Oct. 10 concert. How will they divide the workload?

"Nothing should follow John Williams," Masur said. "I'm happy to go first."

In planning the first season in the new hall, Masur said he tried "to look at the opportunities we have with childlike curiosity." He also wants to "let the orchestra breathe and figure out how we sound in there."

At the same time, Masur wants to use the new concert hall to focus attention on the musical quality of the orchestra's musicians themselves.

"That's demonstrated by the number of programs that don't have a traditional sort of soloist," said Bret Dorhout, vice president of artistic planning & operations.

Symphony officials said the Bradley Symphony Center construction project at 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., which is transforming the former Warner Grand Theatre, is on schedule. They plan an acoustic testing period in August.

The MSO plans to open the new space to the public during Doors Open 2020, which will be Sept. 26-27. An Oct. 3 fundraising gala will follow. The campaign has raised more than $129 million toward its $139 million goal. About $90 million of that total is for construction and building costs. The rest is for related initiatives, including increasing the MSO endowment fund.

Some 2020-'21 season highlights:

Big choral bookends. The Classics season opens Oct. 23-25 with a program including Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and concludes with Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony June 18-20, 2021. Both programs will feature the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus.

The Classics season opens Oct. 23-25 with a program including Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and concludes with Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony June 18-20, 2021. Both programs will feature the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. 1930s Festival. The former Warner Grand Theatre opened in 1931 (and has the Art Deco lobby to prove it). "We thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if we highlighted the '30s by introducing works that were written around that time," Masur said. They came up with three consecutive weekends of related music. On Jan. 29-30, 2021, Andreas Delfs will conduct a program featuring Kurt Weill's "Threepenny Opera Suite" and other music, featuring vocalist Ute Lemper, one of the most renowned Weill interpreters. Masur conducts pianist Aaron Diehl in Gershwin's Second Rhapsody Feb. 5-7, 2021. And Masur leads a program called "Prohibition" Feb. 12-14, 2021. Aided by projected period images and video, several guest vocalists will sing a range of related music associated with Rudy Vallee, Josephine Baker, Weill and King Oliver. "We can decorate the hall for the whole festival time period, which we couldn't control before," Dorhout said. Masur said pianist Diehl also would play a speakeasy-style late-night show during his concerts here.

Holiday concerts. MSO leaders have repeatedly said that being able to perform a full slate of December concerts in their own venue is necessary for the symphony's financial health. In December 2020, the symphony will perform 4 holiday pops shows Dec. 11-13. Plus, the MSO will present, without orchestra, holiday concerts by Canadian Brass Dec. 8 and the Vienna Boys' Choir Dec. 19. Also, the MSO will perform its Dec. 17 "Messiah" concert at Allen-Bradley Hall, conducted by Masur, who is passionate about choral music.

MSO leaders have repeatedly said that being able to perform a full slate of December concerts in their own venue is necessary for the symphony's financial health. In December 2020, the symphony will perform 4 holiday pops shows Dec. 11-13. Plus, the MSO will present, without orchestra, holiday concerts by Canadian Brass Dec. 8 and the Vienna Boys' Choir Dec. 19. Also, the MSO will perform its Dec. 17 "Messiah" concert at Allen-Bradley Hall, conducted by Masur, who is passionate about choral music. Visually stimulating programs. During the Oct. 30-31 concerts featuring Tōru Takemitsu's "From Me Flows What You Call Time," members of Third Coast Percussion will play bells hung from the ceiling, controlling them by long ribbons. Stage director Bill Barclay will work with Masur and the Chorus Jan. 22-24, 2021 to stage Ibsen's "Peer Gynt" with actors and puppets, to music by Grieg. And in a June 11-12, 2021 program, Yaniv Dinur will conduct contemporary composer John Adams' "The Dharma at Big Sur," with projected film by Adam Larsen.

Movies with music. Speaking of film, the MSO will perform live to screenings of three films: "Singin' in the Rain" (Oct. 17-18), "Ghostbusters" (Nov. 27-29) and "The Princess Bride" (Jan. 2-3, 2021). Mark Knopfler's "Princess Bride" soundtrack largely consists of acoustic guitar and keyboards, but Dorhout said Knopfler is orchestrating the music himself for these performances.

Here is a chronological list of Milwaukee Symphony concerts during the 2020-'21 season. Symphony officials say it's likely they will add more concerts to their schedule. Unless noted, all concerts will take at the Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. For subscription and other info, call (414) 291-7605 or visit mso.org.

Classics

Oct. 23-25: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Aizuri Quartet; Christiane Libor, soprano; Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano; Kang Wang, tenor; Dashon Burton, baritone; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, Cheryl Frazes Hill, director; Beethoven, Symphony No. 9; "Absolute Jest," John Adams; world premiere of a new commission by Eric Nathan.

Oct. 30-31: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Third Coast Percussion; Somei Sato, "Saga"; Takemitsu, "From Me Flows What You Call Time"' Rimsky-Korsakov, "Scheherazade."

Nov. 13-14: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Edgar Moreau, cello; Jean-Frédéric Neuburger, "Aube"; Cello Concerto, Lalo; Symphony in D minor, Franck.

Nov. 20-22: Edo de Waart, conductor; Ronald Brautigam, piano; Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Haydn; Schreker, "Kammersinfonie"; Beethoven, "Coriolan" Overture; Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major.

Jan. 22-24, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Bill Barclay, stage director; Camilla Tilling, soprano; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, Cheryl Frazes Hill, director; Grieg, "Peer Gynt."

Jan. 29-30, 2021: Andreas Delfs, conductor; Ute Lemper, vocalist; Weill, "Threepenny Opera" Suite; Prokofiev, "Lieutenant Kijé"; Weill, songs; Korngold, Suite from "Captain Blood."

Feb. 5-7, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Aaron Diehl, piano; Ives, "Three Places in New England"; Florence Price, Piano Concerto; Barber, Symphony No. 1 in One Movement; Still, "Out of the Silence"; Gershwin, Second Rhapsody.

Feb. 19-20, 2021: Nicholas McGegan, conductor; Rameau, Suite from "Nais"; Handel, Concerto Grosso, Op. 3 No. 2; Vivaldi, Concerto for Strings; Purcell, incidental music from "Abdelazer"; Handel, "Music for the Royal Fireworks."

Feb. 26-28, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Stephen Hough, piano; Mendelssohn, Overture to "Ruy Blas"; Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto No. 1; Bruckner, Symphony No. 4.

March 5-6, 2021: Ruth Reinhardt, conductor; James Ehnes, violin; Janáček "Jealousy"; Dvořák, Violin Concerto; Smetana, "The Moldau"; Kodály, Suite from "Háry János."

March 19-21, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Baiba Skride; violin; Sibelius, "Night Ride and Sunrise"; Sebastian Currier, "Aether" for violin and orchestra; Beethoven, Symphony No. 7.

March 26-27, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; K. O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, Cheryl Frazes Hill, director; Lili Boulanger, "D’un matin de printemps"; Messiaen, "Les offrandes oubliées"; Canteloube, Chants d’Auvergne; Duruflé, Requiem.

April 16-17, 2021: Markus Stenz, conductor; Lars Vogt, piano; Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1; Debussy, "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"; Elgar, Enigma Variations.

May 14-16, 2021: Jader Bignamini, conductor; Augustin Hadelich, violin; Dvořák, "Carnival" Overture; Prokofiev, Violin Concerto No. 2; Tchaikovsky, Suite from "Swan Lake."

May 21-22, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Susato, Renaissance Dances; Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; Stravinsky, Concerto in E-flat (“Dumbarton Oaks”); Gabrieli, Canzon septimi toni; Brahms, Serenade No. 2.

May 28-May 30, 2021: Edo de Waart, conductor; R. Strauss, Serenade in E flat major, "Metamorphosen" and "Eine Alpensinfonie."

June 11-12, 2021: Yaniv Dinur, conductor; Tracy Silverman, electric violin; Adam Larsen, visual artist; Sibelius, Symphony No. 4; George Walker, Lyric for Strings; John Adams, "The Dharma at Big Sur."

June 18-20, 2021: Ken-David Masur, conductor; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, Cheryl Frazes Hill, director; Mahler, Symphony No. 2.

Pops

Nov. 6-8: "Puttin’ on the Ritz: A Celebration of Irving Berlin" with Michael Feinstein, vocalist and pianist.

Dec. 11-13: Holiday Pops with Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Shayna Steele, vocalist; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus.

Feb. 12-14, 2021: "1930s Festival: Prohibition" with Ken-David Masur, conductor; Myra-Maud, vocalist; Madison Clare Parks, vocalist; Bronson Norris Murphy, vocalist.

March 12-14, 2021: Astor Piazzolla Centennial Celebration with Hector Del Curto, bandoneón.

April 9-11, 2021: "The Streisand Songbook" with Ann Hampton Callaway, vocalist.

April 30-May 2, 2021: "Totally '80s" with Stuart Chafetz, conductor; Nicole Parker, vocalist; Aaron Finley, vocalist.

June 4-6, 2021: "Dancing in the Streets: The Music of Motown" with Shayna Steele, vocalist; Chester Gregory, vocalist; Michael Lynche, vocalist.

Specials

Oct. 10: The music of John Williams, with John Williams, conductor, and Ken-David Masur, conductor.

Films with orchestra

Oct. 17-18: "Singin' in the Rain"

Nov. 27-29: "Ghostbusters"

Jan 2-3, 2021: "The Princess Bride"

Symphony Center Presents

(concerts without orchestra)

Dec. 8: Canadian Brass

Dec. 19: Vienna Boys' Choir

Feb. 18, 2021: Joyce DiDonato

Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jhiggy.

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