12 Photos, 12 Months—Looking back on 2021
Travel back to see the most memorable Orchestra moments of 2021 and how the year changed the way we gather and celebrate music.
January
2021 begins amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—digital concerts remaining central to our work, reaching audiences near and far. Here, a glimpse into the staging protocols that keep musicians safe and allow concerts to continue via TV, radio and livestream.
February
A fantastical partnership with the Minnesota Zoo brings together a delightful concert experience for young people (and the young at heart.) Musical Menagerie, hosted and conducted by Sarah Hicks, brought on-location interactions with some surprising stars and marked our first Young People’s Concert to be broadcast on TV.
March
Thousands of audience comments filled each seat in Orchestra Hall—bringing a renewed sense of light and life back into our concert space. Your words encouraged and uplifted musicians and staff—thank you!
April
Musicians of the Orchestra shared composer Carlos Simon’s moving An Elegy: A Cry from the Grave in honor of lives wrongfully taken by oppressive powers.
May
A peek backstage! The stage was set with some fascinating equipment to film our first-ever virtual Symphony Ball. Over a week of recording, musicians learned the ins and outs of filming for production.
June
A small, energetic, and very physically-distanced audience returns to Orchestra Hall for the first time since March of 2020.
July
On a beautiful summer evening, Orchestra Hall was filled with Minneapolis frontline workers to honor their ongoing work during the pandemic. Musicians supplied the tickets free of charge through their Bellwether Fund and joined the honored guests on the patio for summer socializing before the concert.
August
We prepare for the year-long celebration of Osmo Vänskä’s final season as music director—hearing from him and others about how this partnership has sparked magic for so many years. In his final season, Osmo opened his home for a series of portraits, one shown here.
September
In a unique collaboration, Minnesota Vikings fans enjoyed a bold new pregame video featuring the Orchestra performing “Symphony of the North” as the Vikings returned to U.S. Bank Stadium for a new season.
October
On a chilly October afternoon, the musicians gathered outside Orchestra Hall to capture the last full Orchestra photo with Osmo Vänskä as music director.
November
The Minnesota Orchestra was joined by the Minnesota Chorale and four soloists for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in mid-November. This marked the return of a full choir onstage for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. A historic evening.
December
The Orchestra’s annual holiday show was reimagined with new faces, voices and music taking the stage. Joyful Echoes celebrated traditions from a multitude of backgrounds—we look forward to continuing to celebrate music’s connecting power into 2022.
