Were you at our E.T. performances October 28 - 29, 2016? View and order your fun photobooth pictures below, and be sure to watch the videos, put together by our friends at Intermedia Arts!

We're giving a big thanks to our student ambassadors who brought nearly 500 students from the Twin Cities area and beyond to Orchestra Hall for the first campus night of the 2016-17 season! The evening featured Dvořák's New World Symphony, Copland's Lincoln Portrait and guest soloist Esther Yoo on Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, as well as a host of student-focused concert activities.

Member since: 1982
Position: Co-Principal Bassoon, currently Acting Principal Bassoon
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
Education: University of Nebraska

Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, November 11 & 12, 2016

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Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, November 3,4 and 5

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This Fall, violinist Esther Yoo made her U.S. debut with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and then traveled north for her Canadian debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her next stop is Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, where she will perform Bruch's First Violin Concerto with the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä. We had the chance to get to know a little bit about her, why she loves Bruch's Concerto and much more about her very full musical career.

Our friends at the London Philharmonic Orchestra produced a series of wonderful interviews featuring Music Director Osmo Vänskä on his beloved Sibelius. He conducts the entire Sibelius cycle with the London Philharmonic later this month. Video: 

Photo: Stage Manager Gail Reich with Technical Director Joel Mooney at Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2016.

Hours before and after a Minnesota Orchestra concert, Gail Reich is hard at work moving instruments and equipment, carefully handling the Orchestra’s precious belongings along with her fellow stagehands. A stage manager with the Minnesota Orchestra since 1992, she is retiring this fall. With the recent tour to Europe in mind, we’ve talked with her about what her job is like on the road.

Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, October 14th and 15th

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Our 2016-17 Season launched this week with Joshua Bell performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Osmo Vänskä conducting Brahms' Symphony No. 2.

The Minnesota Orchestra performed the music of Beethoven and Prince to more than 65,000 people at U.S. Bank Stadium yesterday. We'll post photos, press, and video here.

Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, September 29th, 30th, October 1st

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Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, September 22nd and 23rd

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Our new Principal Clarinet, Gabriel Campos Zamora, returned from his first Minnesota Orchestra tour with a unique story to tell.

One week, four countries, five appearances—and now the Minnesota Orchestra’s fifth European tour with Music Director Osmo Vӓnskӓ is a wrap. Landing in Denmark on Friday afternoon, musicians wound their way through the carnival-like atmosphere of the Tivoli Gardens amusement park to enter Tivoli Concert Hall for the tour’s final concert. “There is nothing better than playing great music with a great orchestra,” said Principal Horn Michael Gast. “We’ve loved sharing concerts with these international audiences.”

Having joined the Minnesota Orchestra just two seasons ago, major international touring is a new thing to me. Last season's historic trip to Cuba was an unforgettable experience, but a tour of four different countries is very different. 

It is impossible to visit Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw without thinking of the musical greats who have performed in this space—Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Louis Armstrong. On Wednesday, it was Osmo Vӓnskӓ and the Minnesota Orchestra who had their turn on the famous stage, performing Beethoven’s Fifth in what Osmo called “one of the best, best halls in the world.”

Tuesday was time to push forward to Scotland. Following a 90-minute bus ride to Helsinki, a two-and-a half-hour flight to Edinburgh and a slow line through customs, the Orchestra arrived in this capital city with barely two hours to spare before a 6:30pm touch-up rehearsal and an 8pm concert. The performance was part of the Edinburgh International Festival, generally considered one of the most important cultural celebrations in the world.

On Monday morning Minnesota Orchestra musicians met and mentored student players from Finland’s VIVO Symphony Orchestra, a training orchestra that is made up of talented young players from all corners of Finland. Osmo conducted Dvořák's New World Symphony during the two hour session, encouraging students to focus on articulation, phrasing and playing ever-softer dynamics.

The Orchestra arrived in Lahti, Finland early on Sunday afternoon with just two hours to warm-up, rehearse and acclimate to the striking wood-and-glass Sibelius Hall before a 4pm concert. Our ensemble last played a concert in this city—located about 60 miles northeast of Helsinki on the shores of Lake Vesi—in 2004, just six months into Osmo Vänskä’s first Minnesota season. Now, after 12 years, Osmo and Orchestra demonstrated how they’ve grown together. All photos © Greg Helgeson.

Photo: Principal Percussion Brian Mount settles in for the overseas flight.

We've arrived in Helsinki, Finland—all 115 of us! Most photos © Greg Helgeson.

One week, four countries, five appearances—and now the Minnesota Orchestra’s fifth European tour with Music Director Osmo Vӓnskӓ is a wrap. Find videos, photos, press, and other information from our tour right here.

Great music, sumptuous refreshments, the incomparable Andrew Litton on the podium and at the piano—what more could you want from Sommerfest? We have the answer: new this summer are “Experience Cafés,” a variety of interactive events and exhibits held at stations throughout the Orchestra Hall lobby and adjoining outdoor spaces at all Sommerfest performances.

Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, July 23

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Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, July 16

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Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, July 15

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Please note: this program has changed. Read the press release for full details.

Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, July 9

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Download program page (pdf) | Buy tickets to this performance, July 8

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The New Standards, the versatile piano-bass-vibraphone trio that has won a global following since its formation in the Twin Cities a decade ago, will take the stage for a first-time collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra on Saturday, July 2. As they prepped for this musical mash-up, band members Chan Poling (piano) and John Munson (bass) talked to us about the Minneapolis music scene, Orchestra Hall’s first onstage bar and the joy of sharing music with fans. Complete concert details »

We're recording Mahler's Fifth Symphony with BIS records this week! Here are some scenes from today's recording sessions.

In a season that opened with Mahler's 4th Symphony, Friday's performance of Mahler's 5th Symphony concluded the season in a blaze of orchestral glory. Christian Tetzlaff's reading of Berg's Violin Concerto was both energetic and refined. Photos by Greg Helgeson.

This summer the Minnesota Orchestra is inviting the entire Twin Cities bicycling community to Bike to Orchestra Hall! Starting with the launch of Sommerfest 2016 on July 8th, show your bike helmet or gear at out Box Office when you bike to Orchestra Hall and get 50 percent off tickets to select concerts (see eligible concerts).

In this string-spotlighting program, star concertmaster Erin Keefe beams brightly as program soloist. Photos by Greg Helgeson.

The magic of the Big Top was at Orchestra Hall this weekend! Were you there? Which part was your favorite? All photos by Courtney Perry.

This Inside the Classics concert explored the evolution of opera from Monteverdi and Mozart to Bizet and Puccini. Photos © Greg Helgeson.

Christine Van Loo has performed with the acrobatic troupe Cirque de la Symphonie for a decade and is considered a legend in the sport of acrobatic gymnastics. On May 21 and 22, she performs onstage, above stage and flying through the air at Orchestra Hall in concerts with Cirque de la Symphonie, the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Sarah Hicks. The Minnesota Orchestra musicians may be acrobats on their instruments, but having an aerialist like Christine in Orchestra Hall is a rare treat, and we wanted to learn more about her before these upcoming shows.

The Minnesota Orchestra’s historic trip to Cuba is (already!) a year in the past—but its impact is still being felt near and far.

The Minnesota Orchestra and Hilary Hahn performed Sibelius at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 3, 2016. Photos © Stephanie Berger.

Top photo, L to R: the 2016 Composer Institute participants! Michael Gilbertson, Emily Cooley, Kirsten Broberg, Anthony Vine, Nick DiBerardino, Joshua Cerdenia, and Matthew Browne.

The Composer Institute 2016 came to its conclusion last night with Future Classics conducted by Osmo Vänskä. We present these photos from the performance:

The Eroica is almost a concert unto itself. Pair it with Symphony No. 8 and Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring soloist Yevgeny Sudbin, and you've got one incredible night of Beethoven! Photos by Courtney Perry.

All photos © Greg Helgeson

From an intimate version of Christmas Time is Here to a New Orleans-style Frosty the Snowman, acclaimed soloists and Charles Lazarus’ seasoned rhythm section and the Lazarus Brass— stellar Minnesota Orchestra brass players—brought energy and excitement to everyone’s holiday favorites. Photos by Courtney Perry.

Natasha Paremski performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, conducted by Andrew Litton. The program also included Rimsky-Korsakov and Vaughan Williams. Photos by Greg Helgeson.

Our 2015-16 Young People's season kicked off this week! We've got some great photos from our first concert, The Color of Music. Special thanks to students from Hilltop Elementary in Inver Grove Heights for letting us photograph their concert experience!

A night of food and music at Orchestra Hall. Photos by Courtney Perry.

After five and a half years of brainstorming, planning and re-planning, the Minnesota Orchestra at last performed Saturday night at the Historic Holmes Theatre in Detroit Lakes.

With the arrival of the full orchestra on Thursday night, Friday was a big day in Detroit Lakes!

We performed for our biggest audiences yet on Thursday in in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota--some 600 students from Detroit Lakes Middle School.

Our second day in in Detroit Lakes included visits to nursing homes, schools, and even the local jail.

Our Brass Quintet and String Quartet have arrived in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota! Their busy day on Tuesday included a visit to Detroit Lakes High School, the library, and a Silver Sneakers fitness class.

The Minnesota Orchestra continues its Common Chords outreach project with a weeklong residency in Detroit Lakes as the Orchestra and conductor Sarah Hicks travel to the western Minnesota city September 22-26 for a week of concerts and more than 25 events tailored to the Detroit Lakes community. Common Chords Home »

Photos by Courtney Perry