Winds of Change

Winds of Change

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong arrived in Milwaukee only 17 months ago, but he’s already made his mark on the community and its music. His performance of Schoenberg’s “Verklarte Nacht” at St. Josaphat’s Basilica was one of MSO’s highlights last season. This month, he kicks off another Basilica concert series, with music appropriate for the space’s quiet grandeur. Titled “Transformation,” this concert includes Richard Strauss’ probing tone poem, “Death and Transfiguration,” as well as works by Ravel and Arvo Pärt. Transformation (Nov. 16-17). Basilica of St. Josaphat, 2333 S. Sixth St., 414-291-7206, mso.org.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong arrived in Milwaukee only 17 months ago, but he’s already made his mark on the community and its music. His performance of Schoenberg’s “Verklarte Nacht” at St. Josaphat’s Basilica was one of MSO’s highlights last season. This month, he kicks off another Basilica concert series, with music appropriate for the space’s quiet grandeur. Titled “Transformation,” this concert includes Richard Strauss’ probing tone poem, “Death and Transfiguration,” as well as works by Ravel and Arvo Pärt.

Transformation (Nov. 16-17). Basilica of St. Josaphat, 2333 S. Sixth St., 414-291-7206, mso.org.

Paul Kosidowski is a freelance writer and critic who contributes regularly to Milwaukee Magazine, WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio and national arts magazines. He writes weekly reviews and previews for the Culture Club column. He was literary director of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater from 1999-2006. In 2007, he was a fellow with the NEA Theater and Musical Theater Criticism Institute at the University of Southern California. His writing has also appeared in American Theatre magazine, Backstage, The Boston Globe, Theatre Topics, and Isthmus (Madison, Wis.). He has taught theater history, arts criticism and magazine writing at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.