Minnesota Orchestra Presents Symphony Ball 2022: Brilliance, Relive The Remarkable

The Orchestra’s largest annual fundraiser, held May 7 at Orchestra Hall, features the Minnesota Orchestra and Grammy-nominated guitarist Cory Wong, plus dining, auctions, dancing and entertainment

Chaired by Lisa and Bruce Paradis, the 2022 Symphony Ball pays tribute to Music Director Osmo Vänskä and Concertmaster Erin Keefe as honorary chairs

The Minnesota Orchestra will present an in-person Symphony Ball for the first time in three years with the Brilliance Ball slated for Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Orchestra Hall. Celebrating the power of music made in Minneapolis, Symphony Ball 2022 will relive musical milestones of Music Director Osmo Vänskä’s 19-year tenure with the Orchestra and feature special guest Cory Wong performing with the ensemble. The gala evening, which is the Orchestra’s most significant annual fundraising event, is chaired by Lisa and Bruce Paradis and pays tribute to Osmo Vänskä and Concertmaster Erin Keefe as honorary chairs.

Tickets starting at $500 are now available for the full evening, which includes dining, live and silent auctions, musical performances and dancing. $125 Concert and After-Party tickets are also available that feature access to the Minnesota Orchestra concert featuring Cory Wong, as well as drinks and dancing afterward with Twin Cities-based Afro-Latin ensemble Malamanya. For more information and ticket options, see event details at the end of this press release or visit minnesotaorchestra.org/symphonyball.

The concert portion of the evening will be led by Vänskä and feature music that exemplifies major moments of his time with the Orchestra. Grammy-nominated guitarist and songwriter Cory Wong, along with his rhythm section and famed brass trio HornHeads, will perform a set of Wong’s original songs with the Orchestra arranged for the full ensemble by Tommy Barbarella.

Since its inception in 1956, the Symphony Ball has raised millions of dollars in support of the Minnesota Orchestra, its musicians and education programs. The 2020 Ball was cancelled in the early months of the pandemic and the 2021 Symphony Ball was offered as a first-ever Virtual Symphony Ball. The 2022 event marks a return to the traditional in-person event, as well as Vänskä’s final Symphony Ball, as he prepares to step down as music director at the end of the 2021-22 season this summer.

“The theme of Brilliance encapsulates all that Osmo and the musicians have accomplished together over the past 19 years,” noted Lisa and Bruce Paradis. “We have the opportunity to relive the remarkable! Brilliance will be reflected in all aspects of the evening—from iridescent décor, and highlights of music from past tours, recordings, festivals and awards, along with musical pop-ups and guest artists.”

Osmo Vänskä, conductor           
Osmo Vänskä, the Minnesota Orchestra’s tenth music director, is renowned internationally for his compelling interpretations of the standard, contemporary and Nordic repertoires. His 19-year tenure comes to a close at the end of the 2021-22 season, a year in which the Orchestra is celebrating his lasting impact through performances of Sibelius symphonies and other signature repertoire, reconnections with favorite guest soloists and the continuation of a project to perform and record all ten Mahler symphonies. Vänskä has led the Orchestra on five major European tours, as well as a 2018 visit to London’s BBC Proms, and on historic tours to Cuba in 2015 and South Africa in 2018. His recording projects with the Minnesota Orchestra have also met with great success, including the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance for their recording of Sibelius’ First and Fourth Symphonies and a 2018 Grammy nomination for their recording of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, both on the BIS Records label. More: minnesotaorchestra.org.

Cory Wong, guitar
Straight out of Minneapolis, Cory Wong positioned himself as music’s answer to motivational speakers like Tony Robbins since emerging in 2011. Head-spinning rhythm guitar wizardry, technical ebullience, laugh-out-loud jokes and radiance on stage established him as both a sought-after collaborator and celebrated solo artist alike. He lent his talents to television programs such as The Voice at the start of his career. After an impromptu meeting at the weekly jam hosted by Prince’s rhythm section (where the Purple One often either performed or watched), he crossed paths with Vulfpeck who welcomed him as a frequent collaborator and member of the band. Solidifying a fruitful partnership, the group named their most popular instrumental track Cory Wong in tribute. Lighting up the stage in the band everywhere from Red Rocks Amphitheatre to Madison Square Garden, he remains a cornerstone of Vulfpeck’s storied gigs. In the end, Wong transmits joy in its purest form through the guitar. More: corywongmusic.com.

SYMPHONY BALL
Brilliance
Relive the Remarkable

Saturday, May 7, 2022 / Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Cory Wong, guitar 

Tickets that include dinner start at $500

 Event begins at 5:00 p.m.

 Includes welcome reception with dinner, silent and live auctions, fundraising program, the Minnesota Orchestra performance, desserts, live music and dancing with Malamanya

Partier Tickets: $125

 Arrive at 8:00 p.m.

 Includes live auction, fundraising program, Minnesota Orchestra performance, desserts, live music and dancing with Malamanya

Purchase Tickets

Special thanks to presenting sponsor: Huntington Bank

Proof of vaccination or a negative PCR within 72 hours is required. All guests must wear a face covering in the Auditorium and are encouraged to wear masks whenever food and beverage are not being consumed. Updated safety procedures will be available on the Symphony Ball webpage and communicated well in advance of the event

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