Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Performs The Godfather in Concert

MILWAUKEE, WI (December 19, 2025) — The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and Associate Conductor Ryan Tani ring in the New Year with The Godfather in Concert, presented January 2 and 3, 2026, at the Bradley Symphony Center. The orchestra performs Nino Rota’s iconic, Oscar®- nominated score live to film, accompanying the complete movie on the big screen.

Audiences can relive Francis Ford Coppola’s three-time Academy Award®- winning masterpiece as the MSO brings Rota’s unforgettable music to life, heightening the drama of the Corleone family’s rise — and near fall — from power. Starring Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather features career-defining performances by Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, and Robert Duvall. This powerful fusion of cinema and live orchestral performance is an offer audiences won’t want to refuse.

This performance is produced by CineConcerts.

Both performances begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at mso.org or by calling the MSO Box Office at 414-291-7605.

Ryan Tani, associate conductor

Now in his third season with the MSO and his first as its associate conductor, Ryan Tani has built a reputation for inventive programming, as well as an energetic connection with audiences in Milwaukee and beyond. At the MSO, he conducts a wide range of concerts — including education, family, pops, and classics — and has stepped in for Edo de Waart and led sold-out performances in his 2025 classics debut. He has served as cover conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, and Bozeman Symphony.

A committed advocate for new music, Tani was music director of Baltimore’s Occasional Symphony, commissioning over 20 works and supporting dozens of composers in just three years. At Yale, he served as conducting fellow of the Philharmonia and resident conductor of New Music New Haven, earning the Dean’s Prize for artistic excellence.

Tani’s community-focused work includes leading multiple ensembles across Montana, including the Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, and Montana State University symphonies. Committed to connecting with audiences off the podium, he also developed outreach programs, taught university courses, and fostered collaborations between artists and the public — efforts that continue to shape his approach today.

He holds degrees from Yale, the Peabody Institute, and the University of Southern California, and has studied with Marin Alsop, Peter Oundjian, Markand Thakar, Larry Rachleff, and Donald Schleicher. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife Bronte and his corgi Darby and enjoys cooking, reading, and playing violin.

Nino Rota, composer

Composer Nino Rota (1911 – 1979) was born into a family of musicians in Milan. He was initially a student of Giacomo Orefice and Ildebrando Pizzetti until he moved to Rome while still a child and completed his studies under Alfredo Casella at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in 1929. In the meantime, he became an enfant prodige, famous as both a composer and a conductor. His first oratorio, L’infanzia di San Giovanni Battista, was performed in Milan and Paris as early as 1923, and his lyrical comedy, Il Principe Porcaro, was composed in 1926.

From 1930 to 1932, Rota lived in the U.S.A. He won a scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia and studied composition under Rosario Scalero and conducting under Fritz Reiner.

Rota returned to Italy and earned a degree in literature from the University of Milan. In 1937, he began a teaching career that led to the directorship of the Bari Conservatory, a title he held from 1950 until his death in 1979.

Rota’s work in film dates back to the early forties, and his filmography includes virtually all of the noted directors of his time. The first of these is Federico Fellini. Rota wrote the scores for all of Fellini’s films, from The White Sheik in 1952 to The Orchestra Rehearsal in 1979.

Rota also collaborated with other directors, including Renato Castellani, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, Mario Monicelli, Francis Ford Coppola (he received the Oscar for Best Original Score for The Godfather II), King Vidor, René Clément, Edward Dmytrik, and Eduardo de Filippo. Additionally, he composed the music for many theatrical productions by Visconti, Zefirelli, and de Filippo.

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About CineConcerts

CineConcerts is one of the leading producers of live music experiences performed with visual media, and is continuously redefining live entertainment. Founded by Producer/Conductor Justin Freer and Producer/Writer Brady Beaubien, CineConcerts has engaged over 1.3 million people worldwide in concert presentations in over 900 performances in 48 countries working with some of the best orchestras and venues in the world including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and many more. Recent and current live concert experiences include Rudy in Concert, The Harry Potter Film Concert Series, Gladiator Live, The Godfather Live, It’s a Wonderful Life in Concert, DreamWorks Animation In Concert, Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage 50thAnniversary Concert Tour, Breakfast at Tiffany’s in Concert, and A Christmas Dream Live.

About the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, 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.

In 2021, the MSO completed the restoration of a historic downtown movie palace, opening the Bradley Symphony Center. The venue has become a vibrant hub for music and community engagement, sparking renewal along West Wisconsin Avenue and serving as a catalyst for cultural activity in Milwaukee.

The MSO’s commitment to education and outreach reaches tens of thousands of students annually. Its nationally recognized Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, now in its 36th year, integrates music across subjects and provides vital opportunities in schools where arts programming may be limited. ACE offers lesson plans, classroom visits by MSO ensembles, and concerts tailored to each grade level. Along with Youth and Teen concerts, Family Series, and Meet the Music pre-concert talks, these programs provide students and families with meaningful, transformative experiences in music.

Through its artistic excellence, innovative programming, and community engagement, the MSO continues to inspire new audiences, nurture the next generation of musicians, and strengthen Milwaukee’s reputation as a vibrant center for music and the arts.

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.