#5: Frank Glazer at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Why? Because showing up will put you two degrees of separation away from Artur Schnabel, one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. At 95, Glazer not only has connections to legends like Schnabel – his connections to Milwaukee go way back. And he’s still a formidable performer as he closes in on the century mark.
#4: Bel Canto Chorus at Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center (790 N. Van Buren St.)
Why? Because Richard Hynson and the Bel Cantos have found a truly original theme for this season: the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. And because there’s truly original music on tap, as well. It opens with Carol Barnett’s Bluegrass Mass, featuring the chorus, the Bel Canto Boy Choir, and bluegrass group Above the Town.
#3: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra plays Rachmaninoff at the Marcus Center.
Why? Because last year Joyce Yang came to town to play Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto, and that all-Sergei program sold out the weekend. This year, Yang returns to perform the beloved sumptuous “Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini,” and Music Director Edo de Waart has built another Rachmaninoff program around it, including the “Symphonic Dances,” his last composition.
#2: Joan Baez at Alverno Presents.
Why? Two words: Joan Baez. Because she’s a musician who embodies the spirit of an era. Musically, she once brought the likes of Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to a wide audience. These days, she’s just as likely to cover Ryan Adams or Steve Earle (who produced her latest album, Day After Tomorrow). And because she sounds as soulful as ever, even as she closes in on her seventh decade.
#1: “European Design since 1985” at Milwaukee Art Museum.
Why? Because the last 25 years have been a design explosion in Europe, and this exhibit, which originated at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, grabs examples from the exclusive and esoteric (John Angelo Benson’s lounge chair made out of straw) to the everyday (IKEA watering cans). After a visit, you may want to open up your own in-home museum, displaying wares that are “museum worthy.”
