Upcoming Events - 2026

Make Music Madison

Sunday, June 21st

This recurring solstice celebration sees live music happening all over the city, and in cities across the country. Madison alone has over 500 artists playing at over 160 venues throughout the day. We're currently signed up for two locations, and still have a couple of days to add more, so stay tuned. Check the link above in the title to see our MMM artist page.

If you're interested in playing a little at one of these, please let me know. Otherwise, get out into the city and see what's going on! Hopefully the weather forecast mellows between now and then.

• 10-11 at Willy Street Park
• 12-2 at St John's Lutheran Church

Muso - MCGS Guitar Showcase

Saturday, June 27th from 5-8pm

2040 Winnebago St

Muso is another local nonprofit organization whose mission is promoting acoustic performances. They've got a small, but fantastic venue for listening and performing with a stage and great mic/PA situation. We've wanted to do more with them for a while and happy it's finally starting to come together. We'll be using the same open mic formula we've employed for years at Lakeside.
Performers sign up here

Casual Club

Sunday, June 28th at 7pm

The Neighborhood House, 29 South Mills Street

On the last Sunday of each month, Steve Waugh hosts a gathering where you can share what you're working on and talk shop in a supportive environment without the pressure of a public stage performance. Bring a guitar and a few bucks toward the rental of the space, if you can spare it.

Lakeside Street Coffee House - MCGS Guitar Showcase

August 21 and October 23 at 7pm

Lakeside Street Coffee House, 402 W Lakeside St

These evenings are always amazing and precious. We've got two dates set for the 2nd half of 2026, so please mark your calendars.

Performer digital sign-ups will be opened later as the dates get closer. I'll send a reminder.

Leonela Alejandro at Overture on April 28th

 

MCGS is proud to present a concert Leonela Alejandro at the Overture Center's Promenade Hall!  This will be a ticketed event through Overture, so please visit the link below to reserve yours.

Experience the finesse and expressive power of award-winning classical guitarist Leonela Alejandro. Hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Alejandro has emerged as one of the most compelling young voices in classical guitar, captivating audiences with performances that are both technically brilliant and deeply expressive.


A winner of more than a dozen national and international competitions, including top prizes from the Guitar Foundation of America and major festivals across the U.S. and Europe, Alejandro brings world-class credentials and unmistakable musical presence to the stage. Her career spans solo recitals, orchestral concerto performances and premieres of new works, all delivered with striking energy and emotional depth.


Don’t miss this chance to hear a rising star whose playing is as powerful as it is precise—an unforgettable evening of classical guitar artistry.

Tickets through Overture box office here.

More about Leonela on her website.

Lakeside Street Guitar Showcase and Cargo Coffee Concerts

 

Lakeside Street Showcase:

Our Classical Guitar Showcase at Lakeside Street Coffee House has a few more dates lined up on select Fridays in 2025.  Music starts around 7:00.  Please mark your calendars and we hope to see you there!

August 1st

September 12th

November 7th

Cargo Coffee:

We've also teamed up with Cargo Coffee on East Washington to do a series of "Second Saturdays" concerts for the next several months.  These are a little different in that they're longer performances with featured performers scheduled in advance.  Come see some of your favorites in the spotlight. Music for these events goes from 6:30-8:30.

August 9th

September 13th

October 11th

Make Music Day at Farmer's Market

 

MCGS will be participating in Make Music day on Saturday, June 21st.  We'll be on the King St. corner of the Capitol Square and will be there most of the morning with a break for the UW Marching Band to take over.  Well be playing from 8:00-10:00 and again from 11:00-12:00.  It's a Farmer's Market day, so come on out and say hi!

If you're new here, WELCOME!

Most of our official MCGS-sponsored concerts, both past and upcoming, are posted here.  However, our members and teachers have several other performances around town that you might like to check out!  Please follow us on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/MadisonCGS

For information on donations and memberships, please visit our "join" page:
https://www.madisoncgs.org/p/join.html

To join our mailing list and get periodic updates about our upcoming events, please drop us a line at:

info@madisoncgs.org

Marko Topchii at Christ Presbyterian on February 18th

 

MCGS is excited to host a rising star in the guitar world for a special concert at Christ Presbyterian Church on E Gorham on Tuesday, February 18th.  

Marko Topchii, a renowned classical guitarist born into a musical family in Ukraine in 1991, has garnered widespread acclaim for his exceptional talent and numerous competition victories. With over 100 awards in international classical guitar competitions, including First Prizes in prestigious events such as the International Guitar Competition Francisco Tarrega and the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in New York, Marko has established himself as a one of a kind musician in the classical guitar world.

Marko’s performances have graced some of the most esteemed venues worldwide including Carnegie Hall (New York), the Salle Cortot (Paris) and Yamaha Ginza Hall (Tokyo). His collaborations with orchestras, spanning more than 15 concertos for guitar and orchestra, showcase his depth and flexibility as a guitarist.

Marko Topchii's discography includes several solo albums recorded under legendary classical music labels, Naxos and Contrastes. His most recent Naxos recording was released in Spring 2024 as part of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America’s Laureate Series.

Beginning his guitar studies at the age of four under Volodymyr Homenyuk, Marko went on to graduate from the Kharkiv Conservatory and pursue advanced studies under notable mentors like Volodymyr Dotsenko and Yuri Aleksik. In 2018, he joined the professional studies programme of the San Francisco Conservatory in the class of Judicaёl Perroy, with whom he continued his studies at Haute Ecole de Musique de Geneve as part of the Master Soloiste programme.

Lovro Peretic - In Concert

 

MCGS is thrilled to welcome Croation guitarist Lovro Peretic to Madison as our first guest artist concert for 2024!  

Last year, he won the International Concert Artist competition of the Guitar Foundation of America (USA). As the winner, he will depart on an extensive concert tour, playing around 50 concerts throughout USA and Canada in 2023/2024 concert season, and performing at the GFA 50th Anniversary Convention at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City this June.
Also, he recorded his debut album for the Naxos Records, the world’s leading classical music label, which was released in June 2023. In 2020, Lovro won the 3rd Eurostrings competition, arguably the biggest competition for guitar in Europe, which brought him an opportunity to give numerous concerts and master classes in 18 European countries.

Lovro will also be holding a masterclass at the Monroe Street Arts Center the day before (April 24th) at 7:30p.  For details on participation in the masterclass, please contact Christopher Allen at crallen1@madisoncollege.edu.

Adam Cicchillitti & Steve Cowan Guitar Duo at St. Andrew's Episcopal, Sunday April 16th

PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME IS AT 6pm FOR THIS SHOW.  

Adam Cicchillitti and Steve Cowan have set a benchmark in the world of classical guitar with their award-winning recordings, commissions of major orchestral works, and competition performances. On their debut release, FOCUS, Tracy Anne Smith (American Record Guide) states that “with sensitive, authoritative, au courant playing, Adam Cicchillitti and Steve Cowan retain their individuality while communicating like old friends.” FOCUS was awarded Classical Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards in 2021. Also in 2021, the duo released it’s third album with Analekta Records, INTIMATE IMPRESSIONS, featuring original arrangements of piano, harp, and guitar music written in 20th century Paris. The album has been streamed over 1.5 million times worldwide. Cowan and Cicchillitti toured Canada under the auspices of Prairie Debut in 2020-2022 and with Debut Atlantic in 2018. They were awarded third prize at the 2021 international ensemble competition of the Guitar Foundation of America, arguably the most prestigious guitar ensemble competition in the world.

The duo has established its identity at the forefront of new music for guitar. At the inaugural 21st Century Guitar Conference in Ottawa, Steve and Adam commissioned and premiered nine new electroacoustic works by the New York-based composer collective, ICEBERG New Music. In 2022/23, the duo undertook their most ambitious project with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts: to premiere and record six new commissions for two guitars and orchestra with Ottawa-based chamber ensemble 13 Strings. Cicchillitti and Cowan are sponsored by Augustine Strings and play guitars by Sergei de Jonge and Bruno Boutin.