20th season Anniversary Gala Concert: A Night to Celebrate
con vivo!… music with life, Madison’s professional chamber music ensemble, celebrated its 20th Anniversary season with a special concert featuring Madison Symphony Music Director John DeMain conducting 16 musicians in works by Wagner and Dvorak. Maestro DeMain conducted the chamber music gem Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner in its original version, followed by Antonin Dvořák’s masterpiece the Serenade for Winds, Op. 44.
A conversation with Maestro John DeMain
con vivo! spoke with John DeMain prior to his appearance with the chamber music ensemble in 2022:
cv!: Maestro DeMain, you have spent most of your career conducting large symphony orchestras and operas. How does conducting a small chamber ensemble differ from the larger groups?
DeMain: “I have conducted smaller groups, chamber orchestras in St. Paul and Texas, that are the size of Haydn’s orchestras of 23 musicians. With even smaller ensembles like con vivo!, the conducting must be clean, neat, and more precise, rather than using a lot of big gestures. It’s more about helping to coordinate the music and letting the musicians just play.”
cv!: Your appearance with con vivo! For their 20th anniversary concert in June, it will be your fourth time conducting these musicians. What appeals to you about these collaborations?
DeMain: “I love working this close to one-on-one with musicians and don’t get to do this very often. I enjoyed playing chamber music with musicians in St. Paul because you are one among equals. It’s a collaboration rather than the ‘big maestro!’”
cv!: Tell us about what draws you to the repertoire on this concert. (Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds and Siegfried Idyll in its original version by Richard Wagner)
DeMain: “I love Dvořák, one of the great composers! I’m always blown away by the depth and variety in his music. Siegfried Idyll is one of the most beautiful pieces, and this is a rare opportunity to perform it in its original form for chamber ensemble. It’s terrific to have the chance to perform these pieces with con vivo! I congratulate them on 20 years of intimate chamber music making and wish them the best for many more years. I’m honored to be part of this celebration!”
More Than a Performance
con vivo!...music with life is a professional chamber music ensemble founded in 2002 and comprised of seven core musicians who draw upon professional experience with the Madison Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and other regional performing groups to deliver dynamic and high-caliber performances. The members are often joined by guest artists from the Madison music community. In 2011, Madison Symphony conductor, John DeMain and American Players Theater actors joined con vivo! to present Stravinsky's masterpiece, The Soldier's Tale. Maestro DeMain has conducted the ensemble four times, most recently in 2023, and his appearance in 2013 conducting Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Mozart’s Gran Partita for Winds was pronounced the best classical music concert of 2013 (Isthmus, 12/27/13).
con vivo! was honored to represent the Madison arts community nationally by performing at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City on December 13, 2012. In June, 2015, con vivo! was invited to represent Dane County in a cultural exchange with our sister county of Kassel, Germany. The ensemble performed three concerts at the Kultursommer Nordhessen Arts Festival in Kassel, Germany. The Dane County, Kassel Germany Sister County relationship was formed in 2007 to foster the exchange of ideas in the areas of transportation, renewable/sustainable energy, cultural arts, and education.
con vivo!’s repertoire represents a variety of time periods and styles from the classics to lesser-known chamber works to commissioned new works, presented in a concert setting that is uniquely engaging and inviting. The ensemble’s home venue, First Congregational Church at University Avenue and Breese Terrace, is ideally suited for chamber music. Each program includes an element of surprise and a dash of humor, through unannounced additions to the program, antiphonal performances and unusual encore selections. Talented high school musicians have on occasion joined the ensemble in a side-by-side performing experience. Concerts are followed by a reception where audience members and musicians can meet and discuss the performance. Also, each concert is performed at Capitol Lakes Retirement Community free of charge, providing access to chamber music for community members with economic, transportation or health challenges.