Free | No ticket required
The Madison Early Music Festival invites families to a lively, hands-on Baroque adventure designed for all ages. The event begins with 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.
During the concert, these characters return in a story-driven journey following a protagonist who travels through France, Italy, Germany, and beyond, discovering how Baroque music communicates emotion across cultures. Each child receives a concert passport to complete during the performance, creating a keepsake of their musical journey.
Guided by Dr. Zeynep Alpan, celebrated for her educational work with the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center, and accompanied by Verità Baroque, this interactive concert combines storytelling, live performance, and hands-on exploration to spark curiosity, nurture creativity, and bring Baroque music vividly to life.
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The 2026 Madison Early Music Festival (MEMF) celebrates over 20 years of excellence in early music while inaugurating a new chapter. Since its founding in 2000, MEMF has been a cornerstone of Wisconsin’s musical landscape, bringing international artists, scholars, and students together to explore historical repertoire through concerts, masterclasses, and community engagement. The 2026 revival honors this legacy while expanding the festival into an immersive, interdisciplinary experience—uniting Baroque music, dance, visual art, and innovation.
