We hope you are staying warm on this chilly weekend! A reminder to be careful with your instrument during this cold snap. If you have a stringed instrument, store it away from exterior walls and out of closets over then next several days. If you must travel with your instrument, warm the car up before bringing the instrument out, don’t leave it out longer than it needs to be (yes, bring it into the grocery store with you), and keep it in the heated cabin of your car with you. *Advice from Nathaniel Taft, Taft Violins*
Play-In This Tuesday
A reminder that we’ll meet this Tuesday for our end of the month Play-In! 5:15 Tune, 5:30 Play in Room 4D at MYArts.
RSVP for Rachel Barton Pine Recital/Workshop
We’re looking forward to our special recital/workshop with Rachel Barton Pine! Please see the flier below for details.
All attending SSM students and families must RSVP here. RSVPs are due January 27th, but please fill out the form ASAP if you plan on attending.
For performing students, arrival time is 5pm. The event will start promptly at 5:30pm. We know this is a tricky time to travel. Please consider picking your children up directly from school that day and carpooling to the WYSO building. You are able to drop your student off at WYSO, then park (parking is available at the MYArts lot, Lapham elementary (after 5pm) and the WYSO building. There is an additional overflow room at WYSO where the workshop will be streamed for more relaxed participation.
Volunteering for Rachel Barton Pine Event
We’re seeking parent volunteers to help with our Rachel Barton Pine workshop on February 17. An event of this size depends on the support of many volunteers, and we’d be grateful for your help to make it a success!
https://www.signupgenius.com/
Winter Wings in Wisconsin Free Family Concert
January 25 | 10:00 AM | Hamel Music Center
Take flight on a joyful winter journey as Taya the Goldfinch searches for her lost friend, the Cuckoo Bird. This interactive family concert features live Baroque music performed by the internationally acclaimed ensemble VERITÀ, led and directed by celebrated educator Dr. Zeynep Alpan. Through music, movement, and sound-making inspired by the birds of Wisconsin, audiences of all ages become part of the story. Pre-concert activities begin at 10:00 AM and include a wing-making station, an instrument petting zoo, and a visit from the Bird Alliance, where families can learn more about Wisconsin’s birds. Coffee and tea will be provided. The concert begins at 11:00 AM. More details HERE.
Madison Early Music Festival–January 21-25
The Madison Early Music Festival (MEMF) returns in 2026 with a renewed dedication to Uniting the Arts—bringing together Baroque music, dance, visual art, and innovation. Led by the BBC-praised Verità Baroque, combining baroque repertoire with new compositions commissioned for Verità, and internationally acclaimed guest artists. Highlights include the lecture-recital Quantz & Physics, created with UW–Madison collaborators to mark the 100th anniversary of Schrödinger’s seminal paper. More info and tickets HERE.
Wisconsin Union Theater Discounted Tickets
The Wisconsin Union Theater at UW has offered discounted tickets to Joyce DiDonato with Time For Three on February 12. Discounted tickets are $10 for Suzuki students, parents $25.
Below are links to the sales sites that has the code already activated for you, no need to manually enter it. If you need it, it is SUZUKISTRINGS.
Music for Rachel Barton Pine Workshop
We’ll be learning music to prepare for the Rachel Barton Pine workshop on February 17th. Music can be purchased HERE and audio files are available HERE.
The pieces we’ll be playing are as follows:
MBC Volume 1–Fairytales, Just So in the North, Mele Sue
MBC Volume 2–Le Jour de May, Richmond Hill, Deserted Garden (Prelude & Sonora)
MBC Volume 3–Rippling Spring Waltz (Prelude and Sonora), Call to the Feast (maybe Sonora)
Winter/Spring Calendar
Overture Center Community Ticket Program
Suzuki Strings takes part in Overture Center’s Community Ticket program. The Community Ticket Program helps ensure that all people, regardless of economic ability, have access to the performing arts. Through partnerships with more than 100 local social services organizations, the program reaches families throughout Dane County that are able to receive tickets for $3, and Broadway shows are $4.25. Occasionally we will be offered tickets for certain shows, and I’ll post them here. The promo code for the concerts is SUZUKI.
Madison Symphony Orchestra: Heartbeat
20 tickets available per show, 4 tickets per patron, no seat restrictions.
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Saturday, January 24th – 7:30pm
Sunday, January 25th – 2:30pm
Tickets available January 5th, 11:00am
Overture Presents: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
50 tickets available, 6 tickets per patron, no seat restrictions.
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Tuesday, January 27th – 7:30pm
Tickets available January 5th, 11:00am
Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra: Masterworks II – Prokofiev Prowess
25 tickets available, 5 tickets per patron, balcony only.
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Friday, January 30th – 7:30pm
Tickets available January 5th, 11:00am
Forward Theater: Ironbound
15 tickets available per show, 3 tickets per patron, orchestra side sections and balcony only.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Thursday, January 29th – 7:30pm
Friday, January 30th – 7:30pm
Saturday, February 7th – 7:30pm
Friday, February 13th – 7:30pm
Saturday, February 14th – 7:30pm
Tickets available January 5th, 11:00am
