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Meet MSO's Guest Conductor: Andrew Litton

Steve J. Sherman, Copyright © 2007

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra plays concerts tonight and tomorrow night at the Marcus Center’s Uihlein Hall.

Although Edo de Vaart is the music director and principal conductor for the symphony, the MSO each year brings in internationally regarded guest conductors, as well.

This weekend, the award-winning Andrew Litton takes the helm for a program that includes works by Barber, Bernstein and Prokofiev.

For more than 30 years, Litton has led symphonies around the world, including Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic, the Bournemouth Symphony in England, and here in this country, with the Dallas and Denver Symphonies.

Conductor Andrew Litton talks with Lake Effect's Bonnie North about his upcoming show and on the unexpected romanticism of Prokofiev’s fifth symphony.

"Some could say it’s a bit of a cop-out after he was so dissonant and astringent in his youth," Litton says. "But in some ways – listen, there’s many composers who have done that – so maybe people push the envelope as far as they can, and then they decide – you know what? I want to write something people can sing."

Bonnie North
Bonnie joined WUWM in March 2006 as the Arts Producer of the locally produced weekday magazine program Lake Effect.