During last year’s season of Concerts on the Square, Andrew Sewell, music director of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, slipped into the crowd one evening “incognito.”
“When you get on the periphery, you get the feeling that there’s an audience out there with people who came for different reasons,” Sewell said.
Maestro Andrew Sewell speaks to the audience at Concerts on the Square.
Now in his 27th year with Concerts on the Square, Sewell leads a charming Madison summer tradition that draws thousands to sprawl on blankets and listen to live orchestral music.
The six-week season returns June 24 and runs each Wednesday through July 29 on the King Street corner of Capitol Square. Attendees may begin placing blankets at 3 p.m. each concert evening. Streets close to traffic at 5 p.m., and performances begin at 7 p.m. Inclement weather moves the concert to the following day.
Jeans ‘n Classics returns for the 13th season to Concerts on the Square in 2026.
Elton John, Rob Dz and Dvořák
Concerts on the Square’s 43rd season opens June 24 with a piano rock, hit-filled night of Billy Joel and Elton John anthems performed with Jeans ’n Classics. The Canadian group delivered a Pink Floyd tribute last summer, and will make its 13th appearance at the summer series.
On July 1, “Unity in Sound,” will mark the United States’ 250th anniversary. Sewell said the program will blend traditional patriotic favorites, including the “1812 Overture” and “Armed Forces Salute,” with new music from Madison hip-hop artist and activist Rob Dz.
The program “intentionally” marks celebrates 50 years of hip-hop, weaving the genre into a patriotic orchestral setting. Hip-hop, CEO Joe Loehnis noted, is “true Americana.”
CEO of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Joe Loehnis welcomes guests to Concerts on the Square.
Program materials describe the evening as an opportunity to “gather, listen, and celebrate together in the heart of our Capitol.”
“One of the beautiful things about music is it’s this universal language,” Sewell said. “Regardless of what’s happening in America, we can come together through music.”
On July 8, violinist and concertmaster Suzanne Beia and principal cellist Karl Lavine will step out from their orchestra seats to take center stage for a night of well-known classical favorites. The concert will celebrate the artistry of the orchestra’s own musicians through works that highlight the expressive range of the violin and cello. Pieces will include Donizetti’s intimate Concertino in D minor for violin and cello and Dvořák’s heartfelt Romance in F minor.
Guest violinist Tim Kliphuis follows on July 15 with a full orchestral program described as “Parisian sparkle,” evoking the vibrant jazz culture of 1930s Paris. Blending gypsy jazz, folk and classical traditions, Kliphuis will perform music inspired by Django Reinhardt and debut four new compositions of his own.
Fans of Hollywood will find plenty to love on July 22, when the program turns to the silver screen with favorites from “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The evening will also spotlight rising talent — guest pianist Angelina Chang, a senior from Madison West High School, won the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s 2026 Youth Concerto Competition.
Concerts on the Square has been an annual summer tradition in Madison since 1984.
The season concludes July 29 with the return of pianist Stuart Goodyear, who will perform “Rhapsody in Blue” alongside new original works. The orchestra last performed the Gershwin classic two summers ago during its 100th anniversary season, but Sewell said audience demand — and Goodyear’s enthusiasm — made its return inevitable.
“It’s such a popular piece,” Sewell said. “It just never gets old with folks.”
New reserved seating options
Concerts on the Square draws roughly 30,000 to 50,000 people per show over six Wednesdays. The giant video screens that now dot the Capitol lawn started as a pandemic workaround, but they’ve reshaped Concerts on the Square, helping people “fill out the quadrants” and enjoy the show from the far edges of the Square.
“Since the beginning, Concerts on the Square has been free to attend,” said CEO Loehnis. “But it costs over $1 million each year for us to present these free concerts, and we could not do it without the support of our community.”
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra will invite a series of guest performers to Concerts on the Square this summer.
The investment yields substantial returns for downtown businesses. A 2023 study commissioned by the orchestra in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater found that Concerts on the Square generates close to $16 million in local economic impact each summer.
Primary funding comes from corporate and local business sponsorships — major sponsors include MGE and American Family Insurance. Donations are also received at the event.
This year, Sewell says the table reservation option is getting an upgrade, offering new seating for concertgoers. Attendees can make premium table reservations in select areas around the Square for parties of four or more, with contribution levels starting at $300. Those reservations function as tax-deductible charitable donations.
“As generations have gone by, people’s grandchildren now come to this. People celebrate anniversaries,” Sewell said. “It’s really exciting to see how things have changed over the years.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated a fact about Angelina Chang. She won the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s 2026 Youth Concerto Competition.
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