October 2025 Concerts: A Season of Discovery Begins
Concert Dates, Tickets & Locations:
📍 Friday, October 24 at 7:00 PM – Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge Chapel Buy Tickets
📍 Saturday, October 25 at 7:00 PM – Oakwood Village University Woods Arts Center Buy Tickets
📍 Sunday, October 26 at 2:00 PM – Arts + Literature Laboratory Buy Tickets
Join us October 24, 25, & 26 for a program spiced with mystery and macabre, paired with Oakwood’s signature playful energy, as we welcome special guest violinists Leanne Kelso and Holly Wagner.
🎟 Tickets: $25 General Admission | $20 Seniors | $5 Students
🎟 Season Pass: $119 Adults | $90 Seniors
Concert Program:
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String Quartet No. 3 (Dmitri Shostakovich, 1906-1975)
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“Out of the Depths” for oboe, bassoon, and string quartet (Korine Fujiwara, b. 1967)
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“Tango Trio” for oboe, bassoon, and piano (Miguel del Aguila, b. 1957)
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Quartet in A minor for strings and piano (Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911)
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“Polka” for violin and piano (Alfred Schnittke, 1934-1998)
Performers:
Valree Casey, oboe
Amanda Szczys, bassoon
Marie Pauls, viola
Maggie Darby Townsend, cello
Stacy Regehr, piano
Guest Artists:
Leanne Kelso, violin
Holly Wagner, violin
Program Highlights:
The spirited and mischievous “Polka” by Alfred Schnittke sets the stage for an array of impish and dramatic delights. The Russian composer is a common thread between two other distinct composers: fellow Russian Dmitri Shostakovich, whose musical influence is evident in his early works, and Gustav Mahler, most widely known for his lush and robust symphonic works. A profound, yet unfinished work, Mahler’s Piano Quartet in A minor was written during the composer’s teen years at the Vienna Conservatory, and included musical sketches that Schnittke attempted to complete and quoted in his own later work.
Written in 1946 amidst the climate of Stalinist cultural oppression, String Quartet No. 3 by Dmitri Shostakovich was dubbed a “war quartet”. Oakwood will present the first two movements of this work, which the composer subtitled “Calm unawareness of the future cataclysm” and “Rumblings of unrest and anticipation.”
Two living composers add further dimension to this lineup of 20th century heavy hitters, GRAMMY-nominated Miguel del Aguila and Korine Fujiwara of the Carpe Diem String Quartet. Del Aguila’s “Tango Trio” abstracts the Argentine-Uruguayan tango and Brazilian samba idioms, while Fujiwara’s “Out of the Depths” draws inspiration from sacred music of the Renaissance and Baroque.
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a dynamic group of Madison-based professional musicians who present concerts of historically and stylistically diverse chamber music animated by engaging verbal program notes. Their delightful, curated mix of wind and string instruments lends itself to introducing culturally significant works by living and lesser-known composers and shedding a new light on standard repertoire. These vibrant individual artists can be seen performing with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Madison Opera.
Start your fall with a vibrant musical journey that celebrates both tradition and innovation. We can’t wait to share this powerful program with you!