Five Reasons Not to Miss the Day of Music (Seriously)

Go ahead and pencil in Saturday, July 15 on your calendar. Then write over that with a permanent marker. That’s when the Minnesota Orchestra's International Day of Music will kick off Summer at Orchestra Hall festivities. More than 25 Twin Cities-based musical and dance acts, including the full Minnesota Orchestra, will perform across four stages from noon to midnight—all for free. Below are five reasons not to miss the celebration.

1. A music festival without the hassle of a music festival.

Maybe you missed Coachella this year and don’t want to drive to Chicago for Lollapalooza. Well, good news: the Day of Music has all the excitement of a major festival packed into twelve hours. Music and movement can be found outside and inside Orchestra Hall, so you won’t be roasting in the sun all day. Plus, an equally impressive and eclectic lineup of food trucks will meet all your nourishment needs.

2. It’s impossible to get bored.

You can do a lot between four stages. For instance, during one particular hour, Alma Andina presents their Latin rhythms while the hip-hop dance collective Meridian Movement Co. performs across the street; at the same time, pianist Luke Turner offers an intimate concert indoors while the Cuban American Youth Orchestra plays in the Hall’s auditorium. This variety is made possible by our programming partner The Cedar Cultural Center and our summer Artist in Residence BRKFST Dance Company.

3. Intimate performances in the auditorium all day long.

Speaking of the Cuban American Youth Orchestra, that is just one of the ensembles that will perform within the Hall’s air-conditioned auditorium. Students from Walker | West will present a showcase to begin the day, while smaller ensembles of Minnesota Orchestra musicians will follow, performing chamber music alongside pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

4. Some serious percussive drama.

Yes, four. That’s the number of downtown churches that will peel their bells in unison at the conclusion of Antonín Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony—the final piece in the Minnesota Orchestra’s 8:30 p.m. outdoor performance on Peavey Plaza. This feat is organized by our friends at City of Bells, who we partnered with during last year’s festival to culminate Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Different music, same awe-inspiring bells.

5. Minneapolis indie icon Miloe closes the festival.

Miloe began his rise to stardom in 2020 when, at just 19 years old, he released the hit single Winona. He followed that up with an EP entitled Greenhouse later that year and gaps, his third EP, in 2022. Miloe’s influences are head-spinning, and his charm is contagious. See what all the fuss is about when he takes the Orchestra Hall stage with his family band The Kabeyas at 10:30 p.m.