Events for May 2016
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Roderick Cox, conductor
Magic Circle Mime returns for a classical matinee performance designed especially for families!
We all know that Music reigns at Orchestra Hall… but what happens when three meddlesome characters—Music, Noise and Silence—barge in and cause a ruckus? Only with the help of the audience, and Music, will the conductor be able to bring harmony back to the Orchestra. Musical selections include excerpts from Strauss’ Blue Danube, Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite, Bach’s Fugue in G minor, Ives’ Country Band March and more.
Download program pages (pdf)
Please note: This event is open to children of all ages; recommended for ages 6 and over. One-hour concert. No intermission.
For over forty years the Minnesota Youth Symphonies has inspired talented K-12 musicians and amazed audiences with performances of great orchestral literature. Our Spring Concert will feature all of our orchestras. Additional work will soon be announced.
The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program. All artists, programs, prices, dates and times subject to change. All sales are final; no refunds. Prices listed include a non- discountable $2.50 facility fee. There is a $5.00 service charge per transaction for all phone and online orders.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Vasily Petrenko, conductor
- Inon Barnatan, piano
SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 8
RACHMANINOFF
Piano Concerto No. 1
The young Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan debuts at Orchestra Hall with Rachmaninoff’s soaring Piano Concerto No. 1, a perfect vehicle for an artist the London Evening Standard calls “a true poet of the keyboard, refined, searching, and unfailingly communicative.” Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko steps onto the podium with his signature work, Shostakovich’s thrilling Eighth Symphony, famously smuggled out of World War II-era Soviet Union to America by CBS journalist Bill Downs.
- Minnesota Orchestra Musicians:
- Douglas C. Carlsen, trumpet
- Charles Lazarus, trumpet
- Michael Gast, horn
- R. Douglas Wright, trombone
- Steven Campbell, tuba
Join a brass quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra at Surly Brewing Company for a free Symphony and Suds micro-concert. This new initiative brings Minnesota Orchestra musicians to your favorite local brewpubs and your favorite local brews to Orchestra Hall.
After hosting our musicians on May 5, Surly Brewing Company will be featured at Orchestra Hall for the May 20 Inside the Classics: The Evolution of Opera Minnesota Orchestra concert.
Please note: This not a ticketed event. Brewpub space and parking is limited. This event is not at Orchestra Hall. Please see off-site address listed below.
Surly Brewing Company
520 Malcolm Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Directions »
#PintOfMusic Photo Contest
Instagrammers! The first 50 to show their Instagram account at our marketing table will receive a free Surly beer! Then, submit your best photos on Instagram using the #PintOfMusic hashtag for a chance to win BIG prizes:
Contest Prizes
All winners’ photos may be featured in 2016-17 Minnesota Orchestra promotional or institutional print and/or electronic materials with appropriate photo credit!
Grand Prize:
Four-pack of tickets to May 20 concert with drink vouchers ($150 value) and private backstage tour and musician meet and greet ONSTAGE for winner and up to three guests (priceless!)
Silver Prize:
Minnesota Orchestra t-shirt, May 20 private backstage tour and musician meet and greet ONSTAGE for winner and up to three guests (Minnesota Orchestra tickets not included)
Bronze Prize:
May 20 private backstage tour and musician meet and greet ONSTAGE for winner and up to three guests (Minnesota Orchestra tickets not included)
All professional, recreational and amateur photographers with Instagram accounts are welcome to participate. No flash photography will be allowed during musical performance. All photos must include hashtag #PintOfMusic and be posted before May 6 at 5pm to be considered for the photo contest.Eligible photos will be reviewed by Minnesota Orchestra staff and, depending on quantity and quality, may be subjected to an online community vote. Contest winners will be contacted via Instagram by the Minnesota Orchestra. Winning photos may be featured in 2016-17 Minnesota Orchestra promotional or institutional print and/or electronic materials with appropriate photo credit.
Event Sponsor:
A tradition since 1972, GTCYS’ Festival Concerts showcase the talents of all eight orchestras – from beginning to pre-professional – in two joyous performances. This concert features individual performances from Philharmonia East, Sinfonia, Camerata, Philharmonic, and Symphony, as well as the soul-stirring finale of all students playing Holst's Jupiter en masse.
This performance will be performed without an intermission and will last approximately 1.5 hours.
Silent Auction will close at 4:30pm. Bidding is open to all!
Please note: The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program. All sales are final; no refunds. Prices listed include a non- discountable $2.50 facility fee. There are no service charges for in-person transactions. There is a $5.00 service charge per transaction for all phone and online orders.
A tradition since 1972, GTCYS’ Festival Concerts showcase the talents of all eight orchestras – from beginning to pre-professional – in two joyous performances. This concert features individual performances from Phiharmonia West, Concertino, Concert Orchestra, and Symphony, as well as the soul-stirring finale of all students playing Holst's Jupiter en masse.
This performance will be performed without an intermission and will last approximately 1.5 hours.
Silent Auction will close at 4:30pm. Bidding is open to all!
Please note: The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program. All sales are final; no refunds. Prices listed include a non- discountable $2.50 facility fee. There are no service charges for in-person transactions. There is a $5.00 service charge per transaction for all phone and online orders.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Asher Fisch, conductor
- Amber Wagner, soprano
WAGNER
Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
Brünnhilde’s Immolation, from Götterdämmerung
STRAUSS
Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
We’re thrilled to welcome Asher Fisch, Seattle Opera’s superb principal guest conductor, back to Orchestra Hall. Fisch is a renowned Wagner interpreter who will bring us touchstone selections from the opera icon as well as musical gems by Richard Strauss, including his beloved Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks. The Orchestra will be joined onstage by the wondrous young American soprano Amber Wagner for performances of Prelude and “Liebestod” from Tristan and Isolde, and Brunnhilde’s Immolation from the opera Götterdämmerung.
- Minnesota Orchestra Musicians:
- Greg Milliren, flute
- John Snow, oboe
- David Pharris, clarinet
- Norbert Nielubowski, bassoon
- Bruce Hudson, horn
Join a woodwind quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra at Insight Brewing for a free Symphony and Suds micro-concert. This new initiative brings Minnesota Orchestra musicians to your favorite local brewpubs and your favorite local brews to Orchestra Hall.
After hosting our musicians on May 12, Insight Brewing will be featured at Orchestra Hall for the May 26 Symphony in 60: Erin Keefe Plays Brahms Minnesota Orchestra concert.
Please note: This not a ticketed event. Brewpub space and parking is limited. This event is not at Orchestra Hall. Please see off-site address listed below.
Insight Brewing
2821 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Directions »
#PintOfMusic
The extraordinary talent of our musicians shines in these rich and diverse chamber music concerts programmed and performed by members of the Minnesota Orchestra.
- Wendy Williams, flute
- Julie Gramolini Williams, oboe
- Gregory T. Williams, clarinet
- Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, horn
- J. Christopher Marshall, bassoon
- Adam Kuenzel, flute
- Kathy Kienzle, harp
- Rebecca Albers, viola
- Cecilia Belcher, violin
- James Garlick, violin
- Katja Linfield, cello
- Kristen Bruya, bass
TOMASI
Cinq Danses profanes et sacrées (Five Dances, Sacred and Profane)
DEBUSSY
Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
DVOŘÁK
String Quintet in G major
Download program page (pdf)
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Sam Bergman, host and violist
- Sarah Hicks, conductor
- Christina Pier, soprano
- Carrie Henneman Shaw, soprano
- Eric Barry, tenor
What goes into the magic of opera? Sam, Sarah, the Orchestra and fabulous singers will lift the curtain on the glories of arias, the way the overture propels listeners into the story, the sweeping power of the orchestra underneath the voices.
Here’s the whole history in one delightful evening: how opera began centuries ago as an entertainment for a few royals, using just a handful singers and players, and how we arrived at today—when huge opera houses are packed with rabid fans from across the social spectrum, aficionados who can’t get enough of this dramatic combination of singers, players, stage and story.
Please note: This event is recommended for ages 13 and over. All concerts are open to children ages 6 and over when accompanied by an adult. This concert is a mixture of conversation and opera excerpts, with one intermission.
MONTEVERDI
Toccata from Overture to Orfeo
LULLY
“Ma chère liberté,” from Proserpine
HANDEL
“Piangerò la sorte mia,” from Giulio Cesare
MOZART
“Porgi amor qualche ristoro,” from The Marriage of Figaro
MOZART
Overture to Don Giovanni
DONIZETTI
“Una furtiva lagrima,” from The Elixir of Love
ROSSINI
“Una voce poco fa,” from The Barber of Seville
VERDI
Overture to La forza del destino
BRITTEN
Moonlight, from Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
VERDI
“Celeste Aida,” from Aida
WAGNER
“Dich Teure Halle,” from Tannhäuser
BIZET
“La Fleur que tu m’avais jetée” (Flower Song), from Carmen
STRAUSS
Salome’s Dance, from Salome
PUCCINI
“O soave fanciulla,” from La Bohème
About Inside the Classics
Intrigued by classical music? Let violist-host Sam Bergman and conductor Sarah Hicks be your guides in exploring the classics through witty conversation and orchestral excerpts. View more Inside the Classics concerts »
Download program page (pdf)
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Sarah Hicks, conductor
If the Minnesota Orchestra ran away and joined the circus, this is what it would look like.
On stage, our world-class musicians creating the perfect soundscape, while all around them (and flying over their heads!) the internationally acclaimed artists—aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, jugglers and strongmen of Cirque de la Symphonie— make the most astounding feats look easy. It’s a rare combination of every imaginable kind of artistry, executed at the highest level by the only cirque company that performs exclusively with symphony orchestras. The perfect show for the whole family—it’s the magic of the Big Top brought to the concert hall.
Please note: This event is recommended for ages 8 and over. All concerts are open to children ages 6 and over when accompanied by an adult.
DVOŘÁK
Carnival Overture
KHACHATURIAN
Dance of Ayshe, from Gayane
BIZET
Danse Bohême, from Carmen Suite
ROSSINI
Tarentella, from Suite from La Boutique fantasque
SMETANA
Dance of the Comedians, from The Bartered Bride
TCHAIKOVSKY
Valse, from Suite from The Sleeping Beauty
WILLIAMS
Flight to Neverland, from Hook
ABREU/Dragon
Tico Tico
GLINKA
Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila
GINASTERA
Final Dance (Malambo), from Estancia
ANDERSON
Bugler’s Holiday
FALLA
Ritual Fire Dance, from El amor brujo
J. STRAUSS, JR.
Thunder and Lightning, Polka schnell
TCHAIKOVSKY
Waltz from Swan Lake
STRAVINSKY
Selections from The Firebird Suite
BIZET
Les Toréadors, from Suite No. 1 from Carmen
Download program page (pdf)
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Erin Keefe, violin
PUTS
Two Mountain Scenes
BRAHMS
Violin Concerto
Johannes Brahms created one of the most beloved works for the “soprano” of the strings in his Violin Concerto, performed in these concerts by the Orchestra’s concertmaster, Erin Keefe.
Please note: This event is recommended for ages 13 and over. All concerts are open to children ages 6 and over when accompanied by an adult.
About Symphony in 60
Feel the electricity of a classical concert in only 60 minutes! Come early for happy hour, enjoy the performance and stay late for a post-concert onstage gathering with Minnesota Orchestra musicians. View more Symphony in 60 concerts »
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Erin Keefe, violin
PUTS
Two Mountain Scenes
NIELSEN
Symphony No. 6, Sinfonia semplice
BRAHMS
Violin Concerto
The soul of a great orchestra is found in its strings, and this program spotlights the glories of the Minnesota Orchestra's own string section—a burnished yet bright sound that virtually sings.
Danish composer Nielsen lavished beautiful string writing into his Symphony No. 6. And Johannes Brahms created one of the most beloved works for the “soprano” of the strings in his Violin Concerto, performed in these concerts by the Orchestra's star concertmaster, Erin Keefe.