How far has the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra come in 50 years?
A very long way, as we found out Friday night in the Overture Center’s Capitol Theater — its indoors home venue for the concert season — when the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra closed out its 50th anniversary season. The ensemble played to a three-quarters house – not bad considering all the other musical (University Opera’s “Maria Stuarda” and the Pro Arte String Quartet) and non-musical events going on the same night. That tells me the WCO has developed a loyal following beyond the fair-weather friends it always has when it plays the free summer Concerts on the Square. Of course, the WCO has been progressing – some steps backward to many steps forward – ever since it was founded. It especially matured during its many years under the late David Lewis Crosby . But it seems to have blossomed especially during the tenure, now entering its 10th year, of its current New Zealand-born music director Andrew Sewell (below). I know personally because I have heard the WCO play for 35 or so years of
