MCE  Summer 2026 Reminders and Updates
Celebrating our great year together!
Congratulations to our graduating seniors!  
 
Abbot Carlson, East High, Recipient of the East High Orchestra Senior Award! Senior recital, Saturday, May 30, 2:30 First Methodist.  Flyer attached.
Elliot Hanson-Haack, La Follette High School, Recipient of the La Follette Director’s Award
Austin Reyes, recipient of the Soughton High School Senior Award and a full four year music  scholarship to UW-Whitewater to study music education!
Thank you and your families for your outstanding leadership and years of commitment.  We are so proud of you!
 
Congratulations to our Bird Bear Scholarship Recipient
Jaden Butor!
Jaden was recommended by his school orchestra teacher and received summer and fall lessons, “Triple Forte Festival” and fall tuition with MCE amounting to an $2500 Award.
 
Congratulations to our rising seniors who applied and received partial tuition waiver work study awards.  
Alicia Montanye, Andrew Cayton, Gigi Griffin senior internship work study awards.
  Andrew Bricco Senior Artistic Director Award!
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Many many thanks to all of the families for their hard work to support our scholarships fund!  We were able to award over $5000 in scholarships this spring!
There are  still  students in need of sponsorship for lessons.  If you would like to sponsor a student’s fall or summer  lessons please email madisoncelloensemble@gmail.com or contact Beth at 608-513-4763.
 
Congratulations to our students who auditioned for  WYSO – all MCE students made their goal placement!
Nico Ruoti and Jonas Feith  – Youth Orchestra
Madeleine Healy Plotkin & Baldwin Tao  Philharmonic
Alciai Montanye and Tobie Chin – Concert!
 
Congratulations to the Adult Ensemble for their May 9th Recital and Benefit to support Voces de la Frontera.  
Over $1000 was raised to support Voces! 
The adults were honored by an invitation to perform at Summerfest 2026, Thursday August 18th at 4:30 at the Tiki Stage! 
Our intergenerational program is an important component of MCE’s mission and we are very grateful for the support and involvement of our adult members!  Cheers to a great year!
 
This year MCE performed monthly outreach concerts for seniors, at community sites and schools, and hosted two incredible workshops.  We were honored by invitations to perform at Summerfest and the MSO Gala, and our students received recognition in their high schools, through collegiante and camp music awards and WSMA Festivals. MCE premiered original works by our faculty, received grant awards and performed music raising over $2,000 for local charities through benefits. We were invited to share on WORT about MCE and the value of music for wellbeing. MCE received  a nomination by the MAMAS for youth program of the year and Bach Around the Clock thanked us for being the most well attended performance and a highlight of their festival! Individually our students contribute to their school, church and peer communities through music with leadership and compassion.  Thank you all for a wonderful year. Let’s rock it again at the Gala and Make Music Madison! 
Cheers to Cellos!
Registration  for the MCE/Farley’s Chamber Program is due May 29th!  
Please submit this weekend if you have not yet registered.
 If you are uncertain about your video submission register anyway, and your teacher will help you to submit a piece. 
 A video from your phone is fine. It is not an audition , it is a playing excerpt to help the guest conductor and coaches plan music and best place you with peers to match your level of challenge. 
Flyer is attached with registration information.
 
MSO 100th Anniversary GALA! Our “BIG CONCERT” 
Saturday, June 13th Call 9:00 am,  Perform 10 am, Free Admission for All.
                                                                                                                     Overture Center, 201 State Street, Madison WI
                                                               Attendance Required by ALL MCE cellists. Concert Dress MCE T-shirts. Black Bottoms, no shorts, dark shoes and socks
Music in Binders in concert order. No folders or loose paper allowed. Concert order is attached.
Enter at the Henry Street backstage musician’s stage entrance, check in and proceed to the 2nd floor Promenade Hall.
Only one  adult is allowed backstage.  Each student’s mother’s name is on the list for backstage pass.  Use that name to enter with your cellist. 
 
                                             Dress rehearsal is required for all June 9th.  Arrive at MYArts by 5:30 to unpack, have a healthy and fun treats to celebrate our seniors 
                                                                                                                               and be seated for downbeat at 6pm. 
                                                                                                         Ensemble 1 will be done by 7:00 Ensemble 2 & 3 will rehearse until 8 pm
 
                                                                                                  Make Music Madison, June 21 3pm Muso, 2040 Winnebago Street, Madison.  
                                                                                                                     This is an optional event as it falls on Father’s Day.
                                                           We will program music based on participants and Beth MUST know by June 1st if you plan to join the ensemble.
                                                                                Email Beth at Madisoncelloensemble@gamil.com or text at 608-513-4763 to confirm participation.
                                                          MCE has a history of performing every year since the inception of this amazing worldwide celebration of community and music.
                                                                                                                                         We hope you can participate!
June Dates for calendar:
    • June 6th – Margaret’s studio recital MYArts, 2pm
    • June 9th –  Dress rehearsal. All in seats, music in binder in concert order by 6pm. Please begin to arrive by 5:30 to tune and set up and have a pre rehearsal celebration snack to honor our graduating senior !
    • June 13th  -MSO Gala. All Call 9am. Must have T-shirts and black bottoms. Enter Henry Street. Perform 10am.
    • June 18th  – Adult Ensemble Summerfest 4:00 Call time 2:pm
    • June 21st – Makel Music Madison, Muso and tbd Optional.  Call 2:30pm and perform 3pm-4pm.  Please respond to this email  by June 1 if you will be participating.  Repertoire will be based on student’s performing
Upcoming event reminders:
June 15th – look for MCE survey to share ideas and feedback.  This will inform our fall programming and your input is greatly valued and appreciated!
July 29 – August 2, 1-5 pm Fantastic Folk & Fiddle Festival  
Fall registration Opens on Website August 3rd and is due by August 24th. Any scholarship requests or tuition assistance must be made via email by August 24th with registration.
August 10-14 , 9-4 MCE/Farley’s House of Music Chamber immersion special guest artists Peter Thompson and Kaliegh Accord!  Sign up with your Chamber groups and return to play with friends! 
Fall Groups and Ensembles begin after Labor Day the week of September 8, 2026. 
 
Please make every effort in this busy time of  the year to attendall all rehearsals with your music organized  in its binder. Students with more than two unexcused rehearsals May through June 9th  will not be included in the Gala 
 Missing music and missing cellists truly hinders a productive rehearsal and impacts our performance. We are a team and everyone’s  full participation matters. 
 All music is on the website https://madisoncelloensemble.org/ 
We appreciate what every student contributes!