Merchandise: Osmo Vänskä, Orchestra Builder

136 Pages
Hardcover with dust jacket
$45.00
ISBN-13: 978-1-933794-20-4
ISBN-10: 1-933794-20-8
Available: Kirk House Publishers, Baker & Taylor

Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä has been praised for his intense and dynamic performances, recognized for his compelling interpretations of the standard, contemporary,and Nordic repertoires, and known for the close rapport he establishes with the musicians he leads.

This beautifully illustrated book chronicles Vänskä’s efforts as the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and examines his past work and influences as a conductor and musician in Finland. 

“He is a true orchestra builder, relentless in rehearsal. . . .
For him music has a social function. It brings people together;
it can bind a city, and it can bind a nation. . . .
it can console, it can uplift, it can tell us the truth about our lives.

Text by Michael Anthony • Photography by Greg Helgeson and Ann Marsden

Michael Anthony served as music critic of the Minneapolis Star Tribune from 1971 to 2007, writing about a wide range of music: rock and jazz to classical and opera. Anthony has written for numerous publications, among them The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Opera News, Musical America, Opera Canada, and MinnPost.com.

Greg Helgeson began working with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1983 after providing photography for local and national music publications.

Ann Marsden is owner of Ann Marsden Photography. One of her specialties is portraiture, and she has spent many hours photographing Osmo Vänskä for the Minnesota Orchestra Association.