Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra to perform “Messiah,” resume in-person classical series in January

After a two-year hiatus, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah will return with a December 8 performance at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Madison, Wisconsin. The performance will also feature solo vocalists Sarah Lawrence, Kirsten Larson, Gene Stenger, and Christopher Burchett, and a chorus of 22 singers from the Madison and Milwaukee region. Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and masks are required in the venue. Guest conductor for the performance will be Scott Foss, a conductor and clinician of choral music who also serves as the classical and concert choral editor for music publisher Hal Leonard; Andrew Sewell is WCO’s music director. The orchestra normally performs its classical series at the Overture Center in Madison, which has been closed during much of the pandemic; the series’ return will take place January 28, 2022 and include the world premiere of composer in residence William Banfield’s Symphony No, 8 (“Here I Stand”), written in honor in honor of the work of Paul Robeson, plus Patrice Rushen’s Sinfonia and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with pianist Christopher Taylor and WCO Concertmaster Suzanne Beia as soloists.