Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra sets ‘Transformations’ season amid venue shift

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Launching its 78th concert season with the theme “Transformations,” the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra (CWSO) is highlighting the power of music to change both listeners and musicians. The season’s opening concert will take place on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Rapids Performing Arts Center (PAC).
While the CWSO has performed in the Sentry Theater for years, one key adaptation this season involves exploring new venues after construction at its main venue necessitated a move.
“It’s kind of funny how the name or the title of the season ended up taking on a deeper meaning after we had selected it,” said Andy Moran, music and executive director. “We had selected it in April, a few months ago, because a lot of the music that we’re performing we feel is transformative on a couple of different levels.”
“We hope that our audience experiences a kind of enlightenment and transformation as they hear our performances,” Moran added. “But the deeper level transformation that ended up happening, and we weren’t aware of it at the time, was that our organization was going to need to adapt and transform this year because our primary performing venue is undergoing construction for the next four years.”
While the change in venue was unanticipated, Moran said it aligns with another core objective for the orchestra: making live classical music more accessible.

“We’re hoping to break down the barriers of folks having accessibility to our performances and to live classical music in general,” he said.
The October program, titled “A New World,” features Antonín Dvorák’s New World Symphony in alignment with America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The ensemble for the performance will comprise roughly 30 string players, 12 woodwind players, 12 brass players, percussionists, and guest pianist Alex Fong of San Francisco.
Moran, who has been with the CWSO for 10 years — starting as a French horn player before stepping into the roles of conductor and director — noted the organization’s lasting legacy in the region.
“It’s a real point of pride that central Wisconsin has an organization like the CWSO that has been around for this long,” Moran said. “Many communities our size in the state and in other states really don’t have that, and so we’re proud that we’re here.”
The temporary closure of the Sentry Theater for renovations presents the CWSO with a unique opportunity to reach smaller local communities, broaden its audience and increase access to live symphonic music.
Learn more about CWSO and upcoming performances at www.cwso.org.