The official orchestra of PianoArts is the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Wisconsin’s largest cultural organization, the MSO celebrates its 48th season in 2008. Since its inception in 1959, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has consistently received critical acclaim for artistic excellence. Today, the MSO continues to reach new heights under the baton of the organization’s fifth music director, Andreas Delfs, who celebrated his tenth anniversary with the ensemble in the 2006/2007 season. The MSO has performed on tour in Europe, Japan, and Cuba, as well as Carnegie Hall and other venues around the U.S. The MSO is heard regularly on syndicated radio broadcasts throughout the country and has the longest running archive of recordings for any orchestra in the U.S. Recent recordings are on the AVIE and KOSS labels, and include Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, the first modern English recording of the fairy-tale opera, recorded live at Uihlein Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is the first American orchestra to distribute, through digital music stores, recordings previously unavailable for purchase. Performances on “MSO Classics,” an e-label owned by the Orchestra, are available at digital music stores and services, including iTunes Music Store – the world’s most popular digital music store. Each of the MSO’s resident musicians is a gifted virtuoso. In addition to performing with the Orchestra, these musicians provide a strong professional core within Milwaukee’s thriving arts community. Orchestra players make frequent appearance with other local ensembles, perform as soloists internationally, and serve as teachers and mentors to music students and area youth. Today, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is recognized not only as a major orchestra, but as a national leader in arts education. During the PianoArts competition: MSO musicians will participate as duo partners with semifinalists in performances of either a Violin/Piano Duo or a Cello/Piano Duo. An MSO string quartet and second pianist will perform with semifinalists in a concerto master class with Music Director Andrews Sill. MSO pianist Wilanna Kalkhof and frequent substitute pianist Stefanie Jacob will perform the orchestral reduction for the concerto which semifinalists perform in the Semifinal Concerto Round. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will perform a full concerto with finalists in the Finals Concerto Concert.