Name: Madison Early Music Festival
Start: 2026-01-23T19:30:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-25T19:30:00-06:00
Location: Hamel Music Center

The Madison Early Music Festival (MEMF) returns in 2026 with a dedication to Uniting the Arts by bringing together Baroque music, dance, visual art, and innovation.
Led by the BBC-praised Verità Baroque, the 2026 festival features works by Vivaldi, Telemann, and Quantz, new compositions commissioned for Verità, internationally acclaimed special guests, and the lecture-recital “Quantz & Physics”, marking the 100th anniversary of Schrödinger’s seminal paper.
Explore historical repertoire through workshops, masterclasses, dance sessions, and performances guided by world-class faculty and international guests. Experience works by Vivaldi, Telemann, and Quantz, new compositions commissioned for Verità, and the lecture-recital “Quantz & Physics,” marking the 100th anniversary of Schrödinger’s paper.
Interactive family concerts, reimagined Baroque dance, and electronic soundscapes invite audiences of all ages into a living world where history, science, and imagination meet.
Learn more/purchase tickets/register for workshops at https://memf.wisc.edu/
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Events
The Storm of Emotions – Verità Baroque (Opening Celebration)
January 23 at 7:30 pm | Collins Recital Hall
$35 GA; $30 senior
Students free (ticket required)
Weekend Pass
$90 GA; $75 senior
Students free (ticket required)
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Immersive Art Experience at the Chazen Art Museum
January 24 at 11 am | Chazen Art Museum
Free | No ticket required
Verità Baroque transforms the galleries of the Chazen Museum of Art into a living stage, creating a multisensory encounter with visual art.
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Quantz and Physics Lecture Recital
January 24 at 7:30 pm | Collins Recital Hall
$35 GA; $30 senior
Students free (ticket required)
Weekend Pass
$90 GA; $75 senior
Students free (ticket required)
This program combines a physics lecture by UW Assistant Professor Dr. Elio König with a concert by Verità Baroque, exploring the incommensurability of acoustic waves, Baroque-era tunings, and reflections on quantum mechanical wave theory.
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Interactive Educational Family Concert
January 25 at 11 am | Hamel Music Center
Free | Ticket required
Featuring a Baroque Instruments Petting Zoo, where children and adults can see, hear, and even try instruments—each introduced as a playful “animal character” with its own unique voice and personality.
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Student Showcase and Dance Performance
January 25 at 7:30 pm | Collins Recital Hall
$35 GA; $30 senior
Students free (ticket required)
Weekend Pass
$90 GA; $75 senior
Students free (ticket required)
The Madison Early Music Festival concludes with a celebratory Student Showcase Concert, highlighting the creativity, growth, and collaboration of participants throughout the festival.