Target sponsors 2010-11 season of free Minnesota Orchestra
family concerts
Concert tickets are free to entire community, compliments
of Target; Reservations facilitated through random drawing;
Initial entries accepted July 19-September 30
Concerts feature holiday tunes, musical stories,
water-inspired works and American music
(July 16, 2010) -- The Minnesota Orchestra today announced
the line-up for the fifth season of its popular Target Free
Family Concerts, with performances spotlighting holiday
masterpieces, narratives told through music, works inspired by
water, and music by American composers from Sousa to the
Orchestra’s own Charles Lazarus. The eight-concert series will
feature solo appearances by Lazarus; the Orchestra’s Principal
Tuba Steven Campbell, who will perform George Kleinsinger’s
Tubby the Tuba with Orchestra piccolo player Roma Duncan
Kansara as narrator; and 12-year-old pianist Bo Peng—winner of
the 2010 YPSCA School Music Auditions. Also taking the stage
are dancers from Black Label Movement and student violin
ensembles from throughout Minnesota. The series runs from
December 2010 to May 2011, offering weekend afternoon
presentations at Orchestra Hall in a family-friendly one-hour
format.
As in previous seasons, Target Free Family Concert tickets
will be offered through a random drawing that is convenient and
accessible for all families. During designated periods—the
first of which begins July 19, 2010—individuals can register for
tickets online at minnesotaorchestra.org/target,
by phone at (612) 371-5656 or (800) 292-4141, or in person at
the Orchestra’s Box Office. All tickets will be issued
randomly, and registrants will be contacted with drawing results
within two weeks of the drawing closing. For complete details
on drawing registration, see below.
“The community’s response to the first four seasons of Target
Free Family Concerts has been fantastic,” says Minnesota
Orchestra President and CEO Michael Henson. “By removing all
potential price barriers to these concerts, Target has provided
a remarkable opportunity for our Orchestra to reach out to new
audiences. We are delighted to be able to present a fifth
season of this free series.”
“At Target, we believe that music is an educational tool that
can open our minds to other traditions, cultures and points of
view,” says Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target.
“By partnering with the Minnesota Orchestra, we hope the Target
Free Family Concerts will provide families with the opportunity
to experience world class music together, while nurturing a
child’s love of learning.”
Complimentary ticket registration
Due to high demand for Target Free Family Concert tickets,
the Orchestra issues complimentary tickets randomly, giving all
interested individuals an equal chance to attend a concert. The
random drawing is divided into two phases. Individuals who are
interested in winter concerts (December’s “Sleigh Ride” and
January’s “Musical Tales”) may register online at minnesotaorchestra.org/target,
by phone at (612) 371-5656 or (800) 292-4141, or in person at
the Orchestra’s Box Office between July 19 and September 30,
2010. Those interested in attending the spring programs
(March’s “Water Music” and May’s “American Riffs”) will have the
same opportunity to register online, by phone or in person
between October 1, 2010 and January 5, 2011.
Neither time of entry nor method of entry (online, phone, in
person) will increase chances of receiving tickets, since all
tickets will be issued randomly. Registrants for the winter
concerts will be notified of results in October.
The programs
Target Free Family Concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra
offer varied programs designed to introduce young listeners to
the wonders of symphonic music in a fun and meaningful way,
often incorporating a great deal of visual interest and
conversation from the stage. More than 50,000 people have
attended a Target Free Family Concert since the series was
launched in 2006. The Orchestra’s Assistant Conductor Courtney
Lewis leads all concerts in the 2010-11 series.
The season launches on Saturday, December 4, with
holiday-themed concerts that feature selections from
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, among other works, as well as a
special performance of the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth
Symphony, with student violin ensembles playing the choral part.
On Sunday, January 30, the Orchestra offers a program built
around musical stories, including Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s
Apprentice and Kleinsinger’s Tubby the Tuba, and
12-year-old Bo Peng will perform two movements from a Haydn
piano concerto. The third program, performed on Sunday, March
27, spotlights three centuries of music inspired by water, from
Handel’s Water Music to Minnesota composer Steve
Heitzeg’s Aqua. The season concludes on Sunday, May 8,
with an all-American program starring Orchestra trumpeter
Charles Lazarus as host, soloist and composer.
The Target Free Family Concerts on Saturday, December 4, and
Sunday, January 30, will be accompanied by free pre-concert
activities to engage young listeners, coordinated by
WAMSO—Minnesota Orchestra Volunteer Association. In the lobby,
children can visit Sound Factory stations where trained
volunteers will help them play and learn about orchestral
instruments.
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves
guests at 1,699 stores nationwide and at Target.com. Target
is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping
experience with access to unique and highly differentiated
products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has
given 5 percent of its income through community grants and
programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving
equals more than $3 million a week.
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WINTER TARGET FREE FAMILY CONCERTS
Individuals may enter a random drawing for winter concert
tickets online at minnesotaorchestra.org,
by phone through Minnesota Orchestra Ticket Services at (612)
371-5656 or (800) 292-4141, or in person at the Box Office,
between July 19 and September 30. (Box Office and Ticket
Services are open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 noon to 5 p.m.)
SLEIGH RIDE
Saturday, December 4, 2010, 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Travel from one country to the next on a sleigh ride led by
great composers! You’ll hear Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker,
complete with dancers onstage, plus sleigh-ride inspired
favorites by Mozart and others. Celebrate the New Year as they
do in Japan, with the stirring finale from Beethoven’s Ninth
Symphony. For a grand conclusion, the Orchestra will share the
stage with hundreds of elementary-age violinists.
MUSICAL TALES
Sunday, January 30, 2011, 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Music can tell a story in many ways. Here the Orchestra tells
a story loved by kids everywhere—Dukas’ Sorcerer’s
Apprentice, a tale of a magic spell that simply has to be
stopped. In addition, young pianist Bo Peng shares a story told
purely through music—two movements of a Haydn piano concerto.
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SPRING TARGET FREE FAMILY CONCERTS
Individuals may enter a random drawing for spring concert
tickets online at minnesotaorchestra.org,
by phone through Minnesota Orchestra Ticket Services at (612)
371-5656 or (800) 292-4141, or in person at the Box Office, from
October 1 to January 5. (Box Office and Ticket Services are open
Tuesday through Saturday from 12 noon to 5 p.m.)
WATER MUSIC
Sunday, March 27, 2011, 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Water has been an inspiration for artists of all kinds for
thousands of years. Handel’s Water Music is among the
most famous musical works. Debussy’s La Mer (The Sea)
will include a fantastic visual component, as dancers and fabric
artists literally fill Orchestra Hall. There’s also an
environmental aspect with Steve Heitzeg’s Aqua, which
celebrates the work of Jacques Cousteau in saving the planet’s
water systems.
AMERICAN RIFFS
Sunday, May 8, 2011, 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter Charles Lazarus hosts and stars
in this concert, which features a grand celebration of all the
traditions that contribute to America's sound: blues, gospel,
ragtime, jazz and more.
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TICKETS: All tickets are free (for both adults and children)
through a random drawing. Participants may register at the times
listed above online at minnesotaorchestra.org/target,
by phone at (612) 371-5656 or (800) 292-4141, or in person at
the Minnesota Orchestra Box Office at 11th and Marquette in
Minneapolis. Households are limited to one entry per drawing
with a limit of six tickets allowed for each drawing.
All programs, artists, dates and times subject to change.
Target Free Family Concerts are sponsored entirely by
Target.
_____________________________________________________________
PRESS CONTACTS:
Gwen Pappas, Director of Public Relations
(612) 371-5628 • gpappas@mnorch.org
Sandi Brown, Public Relations Coordinator
(612) 371-5641 • sbrown@mnorch.org
