The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Guitar Festival brings guitarists together for a genre-spanning weekend
Artistic Partner David Robertson leads the Guitar Celebration concerts Jan. 22–23, with three additional Festival performances at Colectivo Coffee Roasters and Vivarium.
MILWAUKEE, WI (10/28/26) — The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) celebrates the guitar’s remarkable range with its Guitar Festival, featuring performances and events Jan. 19–23, 2027. The festival’s centerpiece is the Guitar Celebration, two concerts led by Artistic Partner David Robertson at the Bradley Symphony Center on Friday, Jan. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 23.
For the Guitar Celebration concerts, Robertson leads the MSO and seven acclaimed guitarists: Steve Mackey, Joe Gore, Gretchen Menn, Heiko Ossig, Daniele Gottardo, Jiji Kim, and James Moore. Together as Another Night on Earth, they perform music written specifically for guitar, spanning classical, rock, and contemporary styles. The program ranges from the lyrical sweep of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez to the rhythmic energy of Frank Zappa’s G-Spot Tornado.
The program includes:
- David Robertson, Strings Attached
- Joe Gore and David Robertson, Falling Through Time: Suite for Electric Guitar
- Steve Mackey, Aluminum Flowers
- Daniele Gottardo, Concertino for Guitar and Orchestra
- Joaquín Rodrigo, Concierto de Aranjuez
- Frank Zappa, G-Spot Tornado
The Guitar Festival also includes three performances before the weekend concerts: two at Colectivo Coffee Roasters Prospect Café and one at Vivarium on Farwell Avenue. These events feature MSO musicians and members of Another Night on Earth.
COFFEE BREAK AT COLECTIVO COFFEE ROASTERS PROSPECT CAFÉ
Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 19–20, 2027, at 6:30 p.m.
As the MSO’s Guitar Festival begins, enjoy an early-evening performance by MSO musicians and members of Another Night on Earth. Guests can relax with coffee pairings and samples provided by Colectivo Coffee Roasters.
JAM SESSION AT THE VIVARIUM
Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027, at 7:00 p.m.
Before joining the MSO for the Guitar Celebration concerts at the Bradley Symphony Center, Another Night on Earth takes the stage at Vivarium for a Thursday-night jam session. Experience the spontaneity and virtuosity of guitar music as these seven artists come together to see where the music takes them.
GUITAR CELEBRATION CONCERTS AT THE BRADLEY SYMPHONY CENTER
Friday and Saturday, Jan. 22–23, 2027, at 7:30 p.m.
In a program unlike any other, the MSO celebrates the rhythms and range of the guitar as Artistic Partner David Robertson invites seven of the world’s finest crossover guitarists to bring its scintillating repertoire to life. These concerts span genres from classical to rock, with music specifically written for guitar by composers from Joaquín Rodrigo to Frank Zappa. Expect the unexpected as a host of contemporary guitar legends join forces with the full power of the MSO to create a genre-fusing, technically demanding, and completely captivating musical exploration.
For tickets and more information, visit mso.org or call the MSO Box Office at 414-291-7605.
ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is Wisconsin’s largest cultural institution and one of the nation’s leading orchestras. Since its founding in 1959, the MSO has performed more than 130 concerts annually, including classics, pops, family, education, and community programs throughout the state. The orchestra has premiered works by composers such as John Adams, Philip Glass, J.E. Hernández, Roberto Sierra, Marc Neikrug, Matthias Pintscher, and Dobrinka Tabakova, earning national recognition for artistic innovation. The MSO was also the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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