mission

The Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra will enrich the cultural lives of the residents of the Central Wisconsin area by presenting high quality concerts, fostering an appreciation of symphonic music, providing a performance venue for area musicians, and developing an educational opportunity for youth.

celebrating music and film: a concert for area fourth graders

During the 60th Season, the CWSO performed two Dorothy Vetter Memorial Education Concerts on February 20th, 2009. Over 1,300 area fourth graders attended free of charge and heard music from their favorite movies, such as E.T., Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, while watching famous film footage. Our Music Director and Conductor, Dr. Patrick Miles visited most all of the schools in the weeks leading up to this special concert.

Teacher booklets and printouts were created and distributed to the classroom in the fall of 2008 in preparation for the concert. The students learned about the orchestra, instruments, the Theramin, and how a film score is created.

Our goal was to make this program accessible to all children in the community, regardless of their socio-economic situation or parental involvement. We believe that experiences like our Young People concerts will complement and enhance the arts education provided to students in our community.

other outreach efforts

Patrick Miles, our Music Director, is available as a guest speaker to area organizations at no cost. His presentations feature lively topics with music, discussion, questions, and answers that fascinate and inform. He is available by appointment through the CWSO office: 715-345-CWSO (2976).

Other community and educational outreach efforts include master classes, colloquiums, and school visits by orchestra members and guest artists throughout the year.