Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Zoo Partner to Present "A Musical Menagerie" Family Concert on Twin Cities PBS (TPT)

Live daytime concert on Friday, February 12, is free to all on TPT Channel 2 and online at minnesotaorchestra.org

Sarah Hicks conducts the Minnesota Orchestra in music inspired by animals

Program marks first time a Minnesota Orchestra Young People’s Concert has ever been televised

On February 12, 2021, at 3 p.m. Central, tigers, gibbons and violins will share the spotlight in a special Minnesota Orchestra Young People’s Concert, presented in partnership with the Minnesota Zoo, Minnesota Public Radio and Twin Cities PBS (TPT).  Conducted by Sarah Hicks, the one-hour program, titled Musical Menagerie, invites students and families to explore the connections between music and animals in a concert that presents a variety of composers and styles of music, as well as unique film elements with animals and special guests. It will be available for live viewing on TPT Channel 2, online at minnesotaorchestra.org, and streaming on demand following the live broadcast.  

Minnesota Orchestra musicians will perform music connected with animals, including selections by composers such as Perkinson, Ravel, Rimsky-Korsakov, Vivaldi and Grace Williams, among others. Live musical performances will be interspersed with filmed segments featuring experts from the Minnesota Zoo who will introduce young people to bees, bears, tigers, gibbons, birds, and aquatic creatures. The experience is designed to increase young peoples’ understanding of how music can communicate ideas, empathy for animals and interest in conservation efforts.

“The Minnesota Zoo is thrilled with this partnership and the opportunity to connect new audiences to animals through the unique lens of music,” says Carol Strecker, Director of Education, Events and Experiences at the Minnesota Zoo. “We are especially excited to engage viewers beyond the performance through specially designed educational activities and resources that explore the intersection of music and animals, including empathy, animal communication and more.”

Young People’s Concerts have been a flagship program of the Minnesota Orchestra since their launch in 1911. Generations of students have since experienced the power of classical music through Minnesota Orchestra performances, with nearly half a million students participating in a Young People’s Concert in the last decade alone. The February 12 program marks the first time a Minnesota Orchestra Young People’s concert has ever been televised.

In addition to the concert, associated teaching curriculum prepared by the Minnesota Orchestra’s Education department and by the Minnesota Zoo, as well as activities led by local partners including dance company Ballet Co.Laboratory and artist Jimmy Longoria, will be available online through PBS Learning Media and on the Minnesota Orchestra’s website. Select activities and concert clips will also be shared on Saturday, February 13, 2021, as part of TPT’s Second Saturdays program, where kids and families can stay active and connected in a safe and fun learning environment.

“We are very excited to bring Musical Menagerie to life in partnership with the Minnesota Zoo and TPT,” says Jessi Ryan, the Minnesota Orchestra’s Director of Education and Community Engagement. “We hope that the concert and activities bring joy to students and their families, and spark special interest in learning about music and the environment.”  The concert is designed for students in grades one through six but is appropriate for audiences of all ages.

YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCERT EXPERIENCE
Musical Menagerie

Friday, February 12, 2021, 3 p.m. Central
TPT Channel 2 / minnesotaorchestra.org

Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Erin Keefe, violin
Felicity James, violin
Minnesota Zoo

This concert will be available for live viewing on TPT Channel 2 and online at minnesotaorchestra.org, as well as on demand at minnesotaorchestra.org following the live broadcast.