2025 Wrap-Up

In this season of looking back —before surging forward to 2026—we compiled a by-the-seasons look at some of our favorite moments over the last 12 months. We hope you enjoyed them too!

Winter

We kicked off 2025 by throwing open our doors to welcome audiences for our inaugural Nordic Soundscapes Festival, where before each concert, concertgoers could sample the unique culture, cuisine and sense of hygge (that's cozy in Danish) of Scandinavia before hearing the Minnesota Orchestra showcase music from Thomas Søndergård’s corner of the world. (Don't miss your chance to check out the next one in early January 2026!)

In a special Valentine’s Day broadcast of This Is Minnesota Orchestra, First Associate Concertmaster Susie Park electrified audiences in a performance of Gabriela Ortiz’s recent concerto Altar de cuerda. If you missed it, you can catch the entire episode (plus hours of other performances and cool content) over on our YouTube channel!

We love seeing families come to Orchestra Hall for all kinds of performances, but especially our Relaxed Family Concerts, and after the March iteration—which featured a program all about music and storytelling—young attendees were given a mini-masterclass  on conducting with their hand-decorated batons by Thomas Søndergård.

Spring

In April, the future looked bright as four young composers arrived at Orchestra Hall for the return of the week-long Composer Institute led by composer Kevin Puts. The 2025 participants (shown with their mentors from left to right: Soomin Kim, Elise Arancio, Institute Director Kevin Puts, Thomas Søndergård, Andrew Faulkenberry and Benjamin Webster) were given a crash course in everything orchestral from publishing to performance, with a packed house full of curious listeners attending the final performance to hear the future in motion at Orchestra Hall.

The arrival of spring meant the arrival of drama to Orchestra Hall, in the form of the Orchestra’s first performances of Puccini’s masterful final opera Turandot in four decades, headlined by some of the opera world’s brightest stars. Enjoy this viral rehearsal clip of tenor Limmie Pulliam singing the iconic Nessun dorma over on our TikTok, and give us a follow!

Summer

The sweeping melodies of the Romantic era were the focus of our Summer at Orchestra Hall season, which welcomed audiences for a variety of experiences including full-orchestra concerts, chamber music, film concerts and the Grand Piano Spectacular. In a bittersweet moment, we bid farewell to Jon Kimura Parker as our creative partner for Summer at Orchestra Hall after an incredible five-year tenure and countless musical memories made in the sweet glow of a Minnesota summer.

The colorful costumes of Twin Cities-based Mexican folk dance ensemble Los Alegres Bailadores brightened Orchestra Hall for our summer Relaxed Family Concert, where the company showcased Mexican dance traditions in a concert that demonstrated the natural connections between dance and music.

Fall

The fall saw a flurry of exciting activity including performances with one of the world’s great mezzos, a new album release and the Orchestra’s first trip to the University of Iowa in over 40 years. See some of what we’ve been up to in this gallery:

Respectful and gentlemanly, Arek Tesarczyk was known among his colleagues across his 21 years with the Orchestra for his wry wit, kind nature and humble spirit. Principal Cello Anthony Ross described him as “the rock of the cello section who created a lush pillow of sound that enhanced the whole section.”

Outgoing and big-hearted, Ken Freed wholeheartedly threw himself into many roles during his 27 years with the ensemble, from educator and conductor to champion jokester and serious chamber musician. “Funny, talented and deeply beloved, Ken was the heart and soul of the Orchestra,” said Concertmaster Erin Keefe.

The Orchestra carries forward the joyful, kind-hearted spirit of these extraordinary musicians.