Putting the band back together

WAUPACA, Wis. — The Waupaca Area Orchestra will return to the concert stage on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in a special performance presented by the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival as part of its 63rd anniversary celebration. Admission is $15 at the door.

Titled, “A Rebirth Concert,” the performance marks the return of an ensemble that has a special history in the Waupaca area. The orchestra will be conducted by Stephan Wucherer, with Ashley Springer serving as concert mistress and featured violin soloist.

The orchestra’s history began approximately 13 years ago when Wucherer, a cellist, responded to an email from local violinist Emily Sipiorski, who was looking for a cellist for a wedding. Although the two had never performed together, that chance meeting quickly developed into a friendship and professional partnership and ultimately into the creation of the Waupaca Area Orchestra.

Over the following years, Wucherer and Sipiorski brought together musicians from throughout central Wisconsin, many of whom otherwise would not have had the opportunity to perform with a symphony orchestra. The ensemble performed more than a dozen concerts over five seasons, primarily at the Gerold Opera House in Weyauwega, with performances also presented in other area communities.

One memorable performance featured Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 at the Jensen Center in Amherst.

Financial difficulties eventually brought the orchestra’s first chapter to an end, but the interest in reviving the ensemble remained.

“Many of the musicians who perform yearly with the Civic Choir Orchestra have performed over the years with the Waupaca Area Orchestra and occasionally have asked if we would ever do another concert,” Wucherer said.

About a year ago, Dan Wolfgram approached Wucherer about bringing the Waupaca Area Orchestra back under the umbrella of the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival. Wucherer accepted the opportunity and has spent the past year working with Wolfgram and Justin Sipiorski to make the orchestra’s return a reality.

The concert is also a tribute to Emily Sipiorski, whose passion and dedication were instrumental in establishing the Waupaca Area Orchestra. Sipiorski is no longer with the orchestra, but her influence remains an important part of its story.

The program was selected in part to reflect the type of music that was especially meaningful to Sipiorski.

“Though she is no longer with us, we honor her memory and all the incredibly hard work that she did to start and maintain the Waupaca Area Orchestra,” Wucherer said.

The orchestra’s return will begin with a chamber orchestra, a decision that is both practical and personal. Chamber music was one of Sipiorski’s favorite forms of music, and Wucherer believes she would have enjoyed the program.

The smaller ensemble also provides an opportunity to rebuild the orchestra’s roster of musicians and generate enthusiasm for future performances, with the eventual goal of expanding the ensemble and returning to full symphonic works.

The October 17 program features music by three of the great composers of the Baroque and Classical eras, along with a modern work.

The concert opens with Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 83 in G minor, “The Hen.” One of Haydn’s six celebrated Paris Symphonies, the work gets its nickname from the “clucking” musical figure heard in its second theme.

The orchestra will also perform Fantasy on “Sleepers, Wake,” J.S. Bach’s beloved chorale arranged for orchestra by Vernon Leidig.

The program continues with Morten Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium,” transcribed for strings by Sandra Dackow.

The concert concludes with the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, featuring Springer as soloist..

The 2026 Waupaca Area Orchestra includes musicians from throughout central Wisconsin, continuing the ensemble’s original mission of bringing area musicians together to create high-quality orchestral music for the community.

“I am so excited about our new partnership with the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival and I’m looking forward to many more concerts in the future,” Wucherer said.