Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra & Andrew Sewell
Biography Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra & Andrew Sewell
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra
was founded in 1960 by Gordon B. Wright as the Madison Summer Symphony Orchestra. The Summer Symphony’s repertoire consisted of great orchestral music from all ages. Our concerts were free to the public from the beginning. Upon leaving Wisconsin in 1969, Wright tapped David Lewis Crosby to lead the orchestra.
In 1974, the Madison Summer Symphony officially became the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra to reflect our expanded mission to serve communities across the state throughout the entire year. Continuing to grow, in 1980, we debuted our first season of indoor concerts, called the Artist Series, at the Madison Civic Center during its first year of operation. That series has evolved over time and today is the WCO’s Masterworks series, which has brought dozens of world-class guest performers to Wisconsin audiences.
In the winter of 1983, Madison businesswoman Pleasant Rowland saw the opportunity to improve access to the arts and create a sense of community while gathering on the beautiful Wisconsin State Capitol lawn. By the next summer, that idea evolved into our first season of Concerts on the Square. Like today, the series was completely free of charge for the entire community. It has grown into a gem of Madison, and annually over 200,000 patrons come together on Square for this six-concert series.
Following the unexpected passing of Maestro Crosby in 1998, Andrew Sewell was named Music Director in fall 2000. Under Maestro Sewell’s 20 years of leadership, the WCO’s ventures have grown to include the statewide Young Artist Concerto Competition, Messiah performances at Blackhawk Church, performances of The Nutcracker in collaboration with Madison Ballet, and our Side by Side project concerts with young musicians of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras.
The WCO has been a resident company of Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, WI since its opening in 2004. The Overture Center was made possible by the trailblazing philanthropy of Jerry Frautschi, who donated $205 million to initiate its creation. Since becoming one of the resident companies of Overture, the WCO has fully established itself as one of the premier chamber ensembles in the United States and brings the best of classical music to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites each year.
Andrew Sewell
Maestro Sewell enters his twenty-fifth season as music director of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and eighth season with the San Luis Obispo Symphony.His previous appointments include tenures with the Wichita, Toledo and Mansfield Symphonies.
Known for his innovative programming and knack for discovering new talent, Sewell is a highly skilled orchestra builder with a wide knowledge and range of repertoire. In demand as a guest conductor, he has led the Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, Columbus, Syracuse, Illinois, Monterey, Gulf Coast, and Eugene Symphony Orchestras, as well as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Christchurch Symphony, National Symphony of Mexico, Kyushu Symphony (Japan), City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, OK Mozart Festival, WI Peninsula Music Festival, and Masterworks Festivals in the US and London.
A native of New Zealand, Maestro Sewell received his music training on the violin, piano and cornet, and began conducting at age 16. Six years later, he made his professional opera debut with the Mercury Opera and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Winning the Australian Guarantee Corporation’s Young Achiever’s Award allowed him to further his studies abroad. Sewell holds a Master of Music degree with Honors in Conducting from the University of Michigan.
Over the years Andrew has been credited with numerous awards for services to music including the 2017 Service to Music Award from the Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras, the 2013 Rabin Arts Youth Award for Individual Achievement by the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, the 2005 Best Individual Artist Award by Wichita Arts Council, and 2005 Musician of the Year by the Wisconsin State Journal, for services to music and the greater arts community.
While not conducting, Andrew enjoys cycling the backroads of Wisconsin and San Luis Obispo and visiting family in New Zealand. He and his wife, Mary, have three grown children and reside in Madison.
