December 2017, the orchestra purchased the former Warner Grand Theatre, with the intention to relocate there in 2020. In May 2018, Ken-David Masur first guest-conducted the orchestra. The orchestra immediately re-engaged him for a subsequent guest-conducting appearance in September 2018. On the basis of these concerts, in November 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Masur as its next music director, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 seasons. Masur took the title of music director-designate with immediate effect. The orchestra has presented more than 100 world and American premieres of works by composers such as Lukas Foss, Philip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Daron Hagen, Roy Harris, Erich Korngold, Gian Carlo Menotti, Marc Neikrug, Matthias Pintscher, Daniel Schnyder, Jean Sibelius, Roberto Sierra, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Ottorino Respighi, Richard Rodgers, and others. Over 22 compositions have been by MSO musicians. Recordings and broadcasts The MSO has also released 14 recordings on the Koss Classics and Telarc labels. These include such projects as the complete symphonies of Antonín Dvořák; an all-Kodaly disc; an acclaimed recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9; Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique; Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky; and Smetana's Ma Vlast. On September 16, 2005, the MSO became the first American orchestra to sell recordings of recent concerts for download on iTunes and through the orchestra's web site. The Cuba Concerts CD features a live recording made during the MSO's 1999 Cuba Millennium Tour. 1999 also saw the release of an a cappella CD featuring the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. In 2002, the MSO released a CD featuring Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. In 2004, the MSO released the first modern recording in English of Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel, on the Avie label. The orchestra is also featured on radio broadcasts via the WFMT Radio Network. Music directors Harry John Brown (1959–1968) Kenneth Schermerhorn (1968–1980) Lukas Foss (1981–1986) Zdeněk Mácal (1986–1995) Andreas Delfs (1997–2009) Edo de Waart (2009–2017) Ken-David Masur (2019-) See also Lipinski Stradivarius Milwaukee Symphony Chorus References External links Official website American orchestras Culture of Milwaukee Musical groups from Wisconsin Musical groups established in 1959 Wikipedia requested audio of orchestras Performing arts in Wisconsin 1959 establishments in Wisconsin