From the ever popular Concerts on the Square to the classical and contemporary slate of lively works from the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society festival, summer is a great time to indulge in (or foster a new interest in) classical music. This year, there’s even more music in store, as the Madison Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 100th anniversary with a free two-day festival. There’s free opera, too. And jazz kicks in as the days shorten…not classical, exactly, but America’s own classic music invention.

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society celebrates its 35th season this summer with three weekend concerts on June 5-7, June 19-21, and June 26-28. All shows for the first two weeks happen in the Hamel Music Center’s Collins Hall on the UW-Madison campus. But there will be three different venues in the final week: Stoughton Opera House (June 26), Collins Hall (June 27), and the Hillside Theater at Taliesin (June 28).

Looking back on their years of working together, Stephanie Jutt, flutist and co-artistic director of Bach Dancing, says she and Jeffrey Sykes, pianist and co-artistic director, trust in each other’s taste and vision and have been fortunate to make an ideal working team.

They have created a relaxed vibe for the concerts which often have surprises like door prizes and mystery guests. But Sykes says the beginning was chaotic. “When we were planning the first concert in 1991, we had no idea what we were doing,” he says. “We broke just about every ‘rule’ for how a chamber music festival was supposed to work, and plenty of naysayers told us this or that would never work.” But he says that some of those things are exactly what ended up defining their duo.

So, the word “never” appears in all the concert titles this season, and it also describes what the two strive for. “We’ll never play something that doesn’t set our own hearts on fire, and we’ll never give it less than our all,” says Sykes.

The first performance on June 5 features what BDDS calls an Incendiary Artist, someone who is engaging and brilliant. The concert is titled “Thought You’d Never Ask (aka Sally Forth),” featuring violist Sally Chisholm, a member of the Pro Arte Quartet and professor of viola at UW-Madison. She performs Shostakovich’s Sonata for viola and piano, op. 147, John Harbison’s Sonata for viola and piano (2018), and Benjamin Britten’s Lachrymae, Op. 48. Sykes plays piano.

Harbison’s compositions encourage exploration of other art forms as well. The June 7 concert features his Mirabai Songs (1982), based on the works of a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet. On June 27, Harbison’s Six American Painters (2002) offers a musical take on the works of George Caleb Bingham, Thomas Eakins, Martin Johnson Heade, Winslow Homer, Hans Hofmann and Richard Diebenkorn.

Jutt says she loves all the concerts this season, but is looking forward to the location changes during the final week. “We return to our original format of three concerts in three different venues, and it’s so much fun for our audience and our musicians.”

Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Centennial Festival Weekend

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the Madison Symphony Orchestra will offer a free two-day festival open to the public June 13-June 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Overture Center.

In a phone interview with Isthmus last July, the MSO’s music director John DeMain said that the centennial celebration will be like the Brat Fest where you can sample many varieties of music. “There will be rock music, world music, and jazz as well as classical,” he says.

DeMain will also conduct his final concert as the MSO’s music director on June 14. He has held the position for 32 years.

Concerts on the Square

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s Concerts on the Square promises something for everyone. “We have a variety of popular styles represented this year,” says music director Andrew Sewell. “We hope this variety brings the community from all walks of life together.”

This free concert series takes place on the King Street side of the Capitol every Wednesday from June 24 to July 29, starting at 7 p.m. Food and beverage vendors are available and you can also bring your own snacks.

During the opening concert on June 24, you can sing along while Jeans ‘n Classics plays hits by Billy Joel and Elton John. On July 1, the WCO celebrates America’s 250th birthday. This show also features local hip-hop legend Rob Dz.

On July 8 WCO’s concertmaster Suzanne Beia and principal cellist Karl Lavine step into the limelight with music by Donizetti, Ravel, and other classical giants.

Violinist Tim Kliphuis plays an eclectic show on July 15 with music by Edvard Grieg, Django Reinhardt and Stèphane Grappelli. And the star performer on July 22 is young Madison pianist Angelina Chang. She plays the first movement of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

The final concert on July 29 features pianist Stewart Goodyear. “He has performed multiple times with us indoors, including for the opening of the Capitol Theater [in 2005],” says Sewell. “He has composed several orchestral works and concertos, which we will feature.”

While Concerts on the Square happens over a six-week period, preparing for the event is a year- round process, according to Joe Loehnis, the chamber’s CEO. He says that he and Sewell review each season before planning the next one. “Our staff compiles notes on each performance on what went well, what we can do better, and then in September we get together as a team and review those notes and start to plan operational changes, enhancements, and big ideas for the following summer.”

Opera in the Park

The Madison Opera’s free Opera in the Park event is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, at 8 p.m. in Madison’s Garner Park. The rain date is Sunday, July 19.

Opera in the Park celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and, in light of the milestone, general director Kathryn Smith offers some history. “Since the first Opera in the Park in 2002, a quarter of a million audience members have enjoyed this free concert, including the online digital version in 2020.” And it has become a family tradition. “Children who waved their first lightstick in 2002 now bring their own children to the concert,” says Smith.

This summer’s lineup features soprano Kathryn Henry, a Wisconsin native making her Madison Opera debut. Mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams and baritone Thomas Glass also make their debuts with the company. Tenor Joshua Stewart returns. He sang Charlie Parker in the Madison Opera’s 2017 performance of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.

The concert includes selections from Bellini’s Norma and Bizet’s Carmen, two operas that will be performed during the Madison Opera’s 2026-2027 season in the Overture Center. Selections from Lucia di Lammermoor, The Pearl Fishers, Sweeney Todd, and musical theater numbers will also be showcased.

The Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Madison Opera Chorus will round out the show under the direction of conductor John DeMain.

Jazz at Five

Before autumn leaves start to turn, we can enjoy the last days of summer listening to jazz on the Capitol lawn with Jazz at Five. This free performance series happens on Wednesday evenings from Aug. 5 to Sept. 2.

Each concert features two back-to-back shows, starting at 5 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.. Youth combos play at 4 p.m. Event director Spencer Stanbery says concerts are always on the Capitol grounds. Just follow the music.

Beginning on Aug. 5 is the mellow jazz of the Tom Gullion-Doug White Quartet followed by the Madison-based funk band Rare Element.

On Aug. 12, the Michael Hackett Sextet offers a traditional jazz experience while Hornado plays an energetic fusion of jazz and funk. Aug. 19 juxtaposes the bossa nova jazz of Canção with the cool jazz of the Tim Whalen Trio.

The season moves towards its end on Aug. 26 with the UW Jazz Ensemble All Stars and the UW Faculty Band with pianist Dan Cavanagh. The Summit of the Big Bands wraps things up on Sept. 2.