Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will say thank you to the community with a series of free events to close out its centennial anniversary.
Centennial Festival Weekend celebrates MSO’s 100 years. This season has seen big events with renowned names across the world, but it plans for one big push to close it out. Centennial Fest has plans for around 40 different events all day, each day on Saturday-Sunday, June 13-14. Events range from yoga, food trucks, a chance to sample different instruments and a wide range of different performances.
Hitting 100 years is a big deal and proof that MSO is a true arts organization that has stood the test of time, said Robert Reed, executive director of Madison Symphony Orchestra.
“It says a lot about who this community is, that it believes that an orchestra should be here, that you know who our musicians are,” Reed said. “It means a lot for all of us that we can have great entertainment, physical entertainment, year after year after year.”
But this season was a bit different than most, Reed said. This year will also mark the end of its music director John DeMain’s tenure, as he plans to step down soon. Some concerts included acts that have a close relationship with DeMain — and he wanted to feature them this season.
The centennial season opened in September 2025. Talents like Kazem Abdullah, world-renowned conductor, internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine and more have been guests throughout the season.
“It’s been wonderful to have so many great people performing with us and so many opportunities would be seen by the public from our movie series, that we were able to get away with doing Toy Story and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Reed said.
This centennial celebration is also something different than what MSO has done before. Reed describes the celebration as more of a jazz festival with its different locations and breadth of acts.
Acts all day for free is a perfect way to get acquainted with MSO, Reed said. One of its hopes with all-day performances without any cost is to remove barriers.
“The symphony is for this community, and we wanted to make sure that we can celebrate with the community,” Reed said. “Hopefully, some of those acts and their audiences will come and get to know the symphony better as we get to know them better.”
Centennial Festival Weekend will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14. 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Every event is free; there is no registration required unless you wish to enter its raffle. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
A full schedule of events and locations can be found on MSO’s website.
