Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Subscription Concert Series
The MSO offers a series of eight triple-performance concerts featuring great symphonic masterworks and performances by top-tier guest artists.
Overture Concert Organ Subscription Series
Four concerts featuring the Overture Concert Organ with performances by Greg Zelek, Principal Organist and Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ and guest artists.
Young People's Concerts
The MSO offers concerts designed specifically for school-aged students. Concerts in the series include: Symphony Soup, grades K-3; Link Up, grades 3-5; Fall Youth Concerts, grades 4-8; and the Spring Young People's Concert, middle and high school students. Learn more by visiting: https://madisonsymphony.org/education-community/education-programs/young-peoples-concerts/
Up Close & Musical®
Up Close and Musical brings the power and beauty of classical music into the classrooms of elementary schools throughout Dane County. The curriculum is guided by the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance model and academic standards for music, bringing the Hunt Quartet into six schools four times each year.
HeartStrings®
This music therapy-informed program continues to reach beyond traditional performance settings to bring live, interactive presentations by the Rhapsodie Quartet (compromised of some of the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s best players) into healthcare and residential facilities. Our sessions have demonstrated extraordinary physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes for people of all ages and levels of functioning, reaching nearly 3,200 individuals each season.
Young Artist Competitions
The MSO holds two competitions each season for young artists in Wisconsin: Fall Youth Concerto Competition for grades 3-8 and Bolz Young Artist Competition for grades 9-12.
The Final Forte
In partnership with PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio, this extraordinary event is an opportunity to experience the beauty of musical expression, the drama of competition and the inspiring tale of dreams come true as four gifted young artists vie for top honors in the final round of the Bolz Young Artist Competition. The concert is free to attend and is broadcast live on PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio.
Where we work
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of free performances given
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Older adults, Seniors, Young adults, Children
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Free performances include our Free Farmers' Market Organ Concert series, Free Carol Sing, Free Community Concert, Final Forte, Hunt Quartet Recitals , and Rhapsodie Quartet Recitals.
Total number of performances
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Older adults, Seniors, Young adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of ticketed performances are calculated by season, not calendar year (ex: 2021 total is for the 2021-2022 season). Performance totals include our concerts and education programs.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Madison Symphony Orchestra believes that all people, regardless of age, race, ability, or socioeconomic status, have the right to experience the transformative power of classical music, performed live.
The MSO annually offers a series of eight, triple-performance classical music concerts featuring nationally and internationally renowned guest artists in addition to a multi-media concert event—a production from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s acclaimed Beyond the Score® series. The MSO also offers a ticketed concert series featuring the MSO’s Overture Concert Organ.
Welcoming and delighting first-time concertgoers is key to ensuring a future base of loyal patrons (subscribers) and supporters, which is critical to the long-term fiscal health of our organization.
In addition to ticketed performances, the MSO enriches the community through an array of award-winning Education & Community Engagement Programs, including age-specific programs for children from preschool through college, and HeartStrings®, a music therapy-informed program for individuals with special needs featuring the Rhapsodie Quartet.
We know that introducing children to orchestral music at an early age is the best way to encourage their future involvement with this art form, either as audience members or as performers. Our goal is to double the impact of our Education & Community Engagement programs by our centennial year, 2025.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
In its 99th season, the MSO is one of the most noted regional orchestras in the country. It is a vital, popular, and respected cultural resource for all south-central Wisconsin.
In order to develop strategies for increasing the number of first-time concertgoers and ticket buyers, we recently executed an extensive audience development market research study in partnership with WolfBrown. The administrative and artistic team will use the results to inform programming and develop new strategies over the next 3-5 years to increase the number of new single ticket buyers for MSO concerts. These strategies could include concerts in alternative venues, non-traditional concert formats, themed and “ritual” concerts, and increased digital programming.
In order to meet our goal of doubling the impact of our community engagement programs, we will cultivate new and existing partnerships with area schools and community organizations, and we will expand our current educational program offerings to reach a greater number of children.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc
Board of directorsas of 10/11/2024
Mr. Michael Richman
Kay Schwictenberg
Lynn Stathas
Brian Anderson
Rubin Anthony
Janet Cabot
Martha Casey
Bryan Chan
Elton Crim
James Dahlberg
Robert Dinndorf
Audrey Dybdahl
Marc Fink
David Harding
Mark Huth
Ann Lindsey
José Madera
Oscar Mireles
Rick Morgan
Cyrena Pondrom
Margaret Pyle
Carole Schaeffer
Monique Scher
Derrick Smith
Tamera Stanley
Eric Wilcots
Lynn Allen-Hoffmann
Rosemarie Blancke
Ellsworth Brown
Paul Hoffmann
Mooyoung Kim
David Lauth
Robert Lemanske
Jon Parker
Jon Sims
Todd Stuart
Anna Trull
Jasper Vaccaro
Michael Zorich
Terry Haller
Stanley Inhorn
Valerie Kazamias
Elaine Mischler
Nicholas Mischler
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
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The organization's co-leader identifies as: