Madison Symphony Orchestra Venues

These photos are drawn from the MSO archives, and appear here with the MSO's permission. They document many of the most important venues in which the orchestra and chorus performed in the 78 years before our move to the Overture Center.

(396K) 1848 x 1240 Madison Civic Chorus at Christ Presbyterian Church in 1930, almost certainly at their concert on March 18, 1930. The first conductor of the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus, Dr. Sigfrid Prager, is standing at far left. Choral selections on this program included Massenet's Eve, and selections from Handel's Judas Maccabeus. [Photo provided by Tom Consigny, a current member of the Madison Symphony Chorus, whose mother is in this photo -- photo was in pretty bad shape, with lots of cracks and fading. I did a bit of editing using Adobe Photoshop.]
(915K) 3803 x 1495 Madison Civic Symphony and Chorus in the UW Stock Pavilion, early 1930s. Sigfrid Prager is standing in the center behind the last row of the chorus. [note: large panoramic photo from the MSO archives - I had to cut a few folks off from either side.]

(89K) 370 x 306 Madison Civic Music production of Gounod's Faust in the Parkway Theater, December 1932.
(109K) 1470 x 344 Madison Civic Symphony in the UW Stock Pavilion, February 1946. At center is soprano Marjorie Lawrence: one of the relatively few "big name" soloists the Symphony was able to bring to Madison in the years during and directly after the war. Sigfrid Prager and MATC Director Alexander Graham are standing at left. [note: large panoramic photo from the MSO archives. At some point in the past, someone folded this one in half to fit into a file folder and there was a large crack down the center. I was able to obscure this somewhat with Photoshop, but the crack is still partly visible to the right of Ms. Lawrence.]

(509K) 1610 x 860 Madison Civic Orchestra rehearsal in the gymnasium of the Madison Vocational Audult School, January 1946. Dr. Sigfrid Prager conducting.
(848K) 1408 x 1088 Madison Civic Symphony and Chorus performing Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" in the UW Stock Pavilion on May 23, 1948. Farewell performance of Dr. Sigfrid Prager, Concert in the UW Stock Pavilion.

(618K) 1870 x 1330 Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in concert in the Masonic Temple Auditorium, May 8, 1949, performing Brahms's "Alto Rhapsody," with soloist Nan Merriman. Walter Heermann conducting.
(451K) 1580 x 960 Walter Heermann conducting the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in rehearsal in the mid 1950s -- probably for a performance of Handel's "Messiah" on December 23, 1956. Shows the rather cramped quarters of a MATC lecture hall, where the orchestra rehearsed through much of the 1950s and early 1960s.

(333K) 1600 x 1080 Walter Heermann conducting the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in concert in the Central High School Auditorium in the 1950s -- probably a performance of Handel's "Messiah" on December 23, 1956.
(499K) 1850 x 1310 Walter Heermann conducting the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in concert in the later 1950s.

(1296K) 4035 x 1515 Madison Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert, May 1962, at the close of Roland Johnson's first season as conductor. Pops programs were held at the Dane County Youth Building (now the Exhibition hall of the Alliant Energy Center) for several years afterwards. From the mid 1970s until the opening of the Oscar Mayer Theatre, Pops program were held at the Dane County Coliseum.
(167K) 938 x 600 Madison Symphony Orchestra in the newly-renovated MATC Auditorium in ca.1969.

(540K) 1995 x 1365 Interior shot of the newly-renovated MATC Auditorium in ca.1969. Note lovely avocado seats!
(160K) 870 x 608 Madison Symphony Orchestra in concert at the UW Stock Pavilion in October 1969. This concert featured the renowned soprano Eileen Farrell.

(577K) 1830 x 1090 Madison Symphony Orchestra performance in the Masonic Temple Auditorium, Jan. 23, 1971. Roland Johnson is conducting. Vocal soloist is Ilona Kombrink, singing Ravel's "ShŽherezade."
(277K) 998 x 660 The Madison Symphony Orchestra and several hundred student string players at the University Fieldhouse in April 1972, at the All-City Strings Festival.

(275K) 1388 x 1125 Madison Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal for a live broadcast over WHA-TV in January 1974.
(150K) 751 x 253 Madison Symphony Chorus in the First Congregational Church, 1994. Seated at front are Chorus Director Alan Rieck and Ann Stanke.

(628K) 1793 x 1088 Madison Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Oscar Mayer Theatre, May 2003, John DeMain conducting.

This page created on a Macintosh using PhotoPage by John A. Vink.

(396K) 1848 x 1240	Madison Civic Chorus at Christ Presbyterian Church in 1930, almost certainly at their concert on March 18, 1930. The first conductor of the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus, Dr. Sigfrid Prager, is standing at far left. Choral selections on this program included Massenet's Eve, and selections from Handel's Judas Maccabeus. [Photo provided by Tom Consigny, a current member of the Madison Symphony Chorus, whose mother is in this photo -- photo was in pretty bad shape, with lots of cracks and fading. I did a bit of editing using Adobe Photoshop.]	(915K) 3803 x 1495	Madison Civic Symphony and Chorus in the UW Stock Pavilion, early 1930s. Sigfrid Prager is standing in the center behind the last row of the chorus. [note: large panoramic photo from the MSO archives - I had to cut a few folks off from either side.]
(89K) 370 x 306	Madison Civic Music production of Gounod's Faust in the Parkway Theater, December 1932.	(109K) 1470 x 344	Madison Civic Symphony in the UW Stock Pavilion, February 1946. At center is soprano Marjorie Lawrence: one of the relatively few "big name" soloists the Symphony was able to bring to Madison in the years during and directly after the war. Sigfrid Prager and MATC Director Alexander Graham are standing at left. [note: large panoramic photo from the MSO archives. At some point in the past, someone folded this one in half to fit into a file folder and there was a large crack down the center. I was able to obscure this somewhat with Photoshop, but the crack is still partly visible to the right of Ms. Lawrence.]
(509K) 1610 x 860	Madison Civic Orchestra rehearsal in the gymnasium of the Madison Vocational Audult School, January 1946. Dr. Sigfrid Prager conducting.	(848K) 1408 x 1088	Madison Civic Symphony and Chorus performing Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" in the UW Stock Pavilion on May 23, 1948. Farewell performance of Dr. Sigfrid Prager, Concert in the UW Stock Pavilion.
(618K) 1870 x 1330	Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in concert in the Masonic Temple Auditorium, May 8, 1949, performing Brahms's "Alto Rhapsody," with soloist Nan Merriman. Walter Heermann conducting.	(451K) 1580 x 960	Walter Heermann conducting the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in rehearsal in the mid 1950s -- probably for a performance of Handel's "Messiah" on December 23, 1956. Shows the rather cramped quarters of a MATC lecture hall, where the orchestra rehearsed through much of the 1950s and early 1960s.
(333K) 1600 x 1080	Walter Heermann conducting the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in concert in the Central High School Auditorium in the 1950s -- probably a performance of Handel's "Messiah" on December 23, 1956.	(499K) 1850 x 1310	Walter Heermann conducting the Madison Civic Orchestra and Chorus in concert in the later 1950s.
(1296K) 4035 x 1515	Madison Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert, May 1962, at the close of Roland Johnson's first season as conductor. Pops programs were held at the Dane County Youth Building (now the Exhibition hall of the Alliant Energy Center) for several years afterwards. From the mid 1970s until the opening of the Oscar Mayer Theatre, Pops program were held at the Dane County Coliseum.	(167K) 938 x 600	Madison Symphony Orchestra in the newly-renovated MATC Auditorium in ca.1969.
(540K) 1995 x 1365	Interior shot of the newly-renovated MATC Auditorium in ca.1969. Note lovely avocado seats!	(160K) 870 x 608	Madison Symphony Orchestra in concert at the UW Stock Pavilion in October 1969. This concert featured the renowned soprano Eileen Farrell.
(577K) 1830 x 1090	Madison Symphony Orchestra performance in the Masonic Temple Auditorium, Jan. 23, 1971. Roland Johnson is conducting. Vocal soloist is Ilona Kombrink, singing Ravel's "ShŽherezade."	(277K) 998 x 660	The Madison Symphony Orchestra and several hundred student string players at the University Fieldhouse in April 1972, at the All-City Strings Festival.
(275K) 1388 x 1125	Madison Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal for a live broadcast over WHA-TV in January 1974.	(150K) 751 x 253	Madison Symphony Chorus in the First Congregational Church, 1994. Seated at front are Chorus Director Alan Rieck and Ann Stanke.
(628K) 1793 x 1088	Madison Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Oscar Mayer Theatre, May 2003, John DeMain conducting.