Bass-baritone Dashon Burton has been named the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's artistic partner for the 2023-24 season, and will participate in several different programs. Photo by Tatiana Daubek.
“ ‘I’d say every program has something on it that people are going to like as well as something that may be new,’ said Bret Dorhout, [Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra] vice president of artistic planning, who works with music director Ken-David Masur on mapping out each season,” writes Jim Higgins in last Friday’s (3/24) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Dvořák’s ‘New World’ Symphony and Ravel’s ‘Bolero’ are among the classical tradition’s greatest hits on next season’s playlist. Masur’s innovations as Milwaukee Symphony’s leader have included recruiting an artistic partner, a high-caliber soloist who also gets involved in local music through educational outreach … The MSO will have a new partner next season: vocalist Dashon Burton.… Bass-baritone Burton, who is singing Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ this season … with the MSO, will be featured in three different programs in 2023-24 … Burton also will be involved in such outreach activities as master classes and school visits. Burton [is] also a great storyteller and musical evangelist who can connect with listeners, including younger ones, Masur said. The season will include works by two Ukrainian composers … Valentyn Silvestrov … Boris Lyatoshynsky … Masur has programmed one of the signature—and most unusual—works by Tōru Takemitsu … with guest artists Third Coast Percussion.”
