Bringing The World Together Through Music
Osmo Vänskä leads the music of Beethoven and Bongani Ndodana-Breen.
TWIN CITIES • CAPE TOWN • DURBAN • PRETORIA • SOWETO • JOHANNESBURG
The Minnesota Orchestra will embark on a five-city tour to South Africa in August 2018, planned in partnership with Classical Movements. Offered as part of the world-wide celebration of Nelson Mandela's Centenary, the tour will draw together South African and American performers and music, offering musical exchanges with student groups and large-scale performances in colleges, city halls and churches. Read the press release.
Sommerfest, Minneapolis Jul 13 – Aug 1, 2018
Minnesota audiences will be the first to experience the “Music for Mandela” project as part of the Orchestra’s annual Sommerfest, which will explore musical expressions of peace, freedom and reconciliation. The Festival will include an International Day of Music, special guest speakers and South African musicians. Sommerfest details will be announced on March 2.
South Africa Tour Aug 10 – 18, 2018
Vänskä and the Orchestra will subsequently depart for a five-city tour of South Africa, marking the first visit by a professional U.S. orchestra to South Africa. The concerts will showcase music that derives from both South African, American and European musical traditions, ranging from Beethoven’s Fifth and Ninth Symphonies to a world premiere by South African composer Bongani Ndodana-Breen, commissioned by Classical Movements and written in tribute to Mandela.
About This Concert:
Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra perform in Cape Town, South Africa.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Goitsemang Oniccah Lehobye, soprano
SIBELIUS
En Saga
NDODANA-BREEN
Harmonia Ubuntu
BERNSTEIN
Overture to Candide
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5
For tickets to the Cape Town concert, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Presented by Classical Movements, in association with Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
About This Concert:
Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra perform in Durban, South Africa.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Goitsemang Oniccah Lehobye, soprano
SIBELIUS
En Saga
NDODANA-BREEN
Harmonia Ubuntu
BERNSTEIN
Overture to Candide
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5
Tickets available to the general public via Computicket.
Presented by Classical Movements, in association with KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra
About This Concert:
Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra perform in Pretoria, South Africa.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Goitsemang Oniccah Lehobye, soprano
SIBELIUS
En Saga
NDODANA-BREEN
Harmonia Ubuntu
BERNSTEIN
Overture to Candide
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5
Tickets available to the general public via Computicket.
Presented by Classical Movements, in association with the University of Pretoria, as part of the Music Department's 2018 Enrichment Festival, and the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra.
About This Concert:
Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra perform in Soweto, South Africa.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Goitsemang Oniccah Lehobye, soprano
- Minette du Toit-Pearce, mezzo
- Siyabonga Maqungo, tenor
- Njabulo Madlala, bass-baritone
- Gauteng Choristers
- Minnesota Chorale
SIBELIUS
En Saga
NDODANA-BREEN
Harmonia Ubuntu
BERNSTEIN
Overture to Candide
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 9, Choral (final movement)
TRADITIONAL / arr. Khumalo / orch. Van Dijk
Akhala Amaqhude Amabili (for chorus and orchestra)
MATYILA/arr. Khumalo
Bawo Thixo Somandla (for chorus)
MOERANE/arr. Cock
Ruri (for chorus and orchestra)
MAVI/arr. MXADANA/orch. Kuusisto
Usilethela uxolo (Nelson Mandela) (for chorus and orchestra)
Tickets available to the general public via Computicket.
Presented by Classical Movements
About This Concert:
Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra perform in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, conductor
- Goitsemang Oniccah Lehobye, soprano
- Minette du Toit-Pearce, mezzo
- Siyabonga Maqungo, tenor
- Njabulo Madlala, bass-baritone
- Gauteng Choristers
- Minnesota Chorale
BERNSTEIN
Overture to Candide
NDODANA-BREEN
Harmonia Ubuntu
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 9, Choral
Tickets available to the general public via Computicket.
Presented by Classical Movements, in association with Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Johannesburg Festival Orchestra.
The tour is funded by generous contributions from an anonymous couple.
Additional support is provided by the Douglas and Louise Leatherdale Music Director Fund.
Tour Partners
Music for Mandela Corporate Consortium Sponsors
