Lunar New Year for Families
with the Minnesota OrchestraSun Feb 6, 2022
Orchestra Hall
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Minnesota Orchestra and welcome the Year of the Tiger with a vibrant event that draws upon cultural traditions past and present. This one-hour Relaxed Family Concert is designed for audiences of all ages and abilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities. Come enjoy music with family and friends in an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome to be who they are!
A Few Things to Know
- Lunar New Year will feature a variety of music—some soft and some loud—because we know that different audience members like different levels of sound. Review our tip sheet (coming soon) to read about quiet spaces, noise-canceling headphones and other options which are available for tailoring the concert experience to fit your family's preferences.
- Come early to watch a traditional Chinese dance performance, color Lunar New Year artwork or play a Chinese character matching game with our community partners, snap a family photo in front of our special new year’s backdrop or play a holiday trivia game on your phone.
- Prepare for the concert experience with our playlist, lobby map, pre-visit story and other materials. Scroll down this page for those resources!
- Tickets are just $12. Advance student rush also available.
Program
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LI
Spring Festival Overture
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CHOI
Arirang Fantasy
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CHEN/HE
Excerpt from The Butterfly Lovers
Violin Concerto -
WU
In the Dark Night
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TANG
Sketches of Singapore
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SON/J. Kuusisto
Circle of Unity
Artists
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, now in its second century, ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished history of acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning recordings, broadcasts and educational engagement programs; and a commitment to intentionally build concert programs to feature more works by composers of color, exploring music both contemporary and historic. In September 2024, Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård began his second season as music director.
Junping Qian, who is now in his third year of leading the Minnesota Orchestra’s Lunar New Year celebration, served as assistant conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra from 2018 to 2020 and was a visiting faculty member at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Dr. Benhong Rosaline Tsai, now in her third year of hosting the Minnesota Orchestra’s Lunar New Year concerts, is a global talent management executive who has held transformative leadership roles in multiple Fortune 500 organizations such as Ecolab, Honeywell and Xcel Energy. She currently serves as Vice President of Talent, Learning, and Org Effectiveness at Thrivent, a Fortune 500 financial services firm based in Minneapolis.
Jing hu master Mr. Zhengang Xie and yue qin master Ms. Mei Hu, a husband-and-wife team, are listed as members of the elite group among the musicians in the Directory of Current Chinese Artists of 1998, which Hu participated in editing. While in China, as the top “Cheng” style Peking Opera fiddlers, Xie and Hu performed and recorded as solo jing hu and yue qin players with many top Beijing Opera houses, including the Beijing Opera House and National Opera House.
Jing hu master Mr. Zhengang Xie and yue qin master Ms. Mei Hu, a husband-and-wife team, are listed as members of the elite group among the musicians in the Directory of Current Chinese Artists of 1998, which Hu participated in editing. While in China, as the top “Cheng” style Peking Opera fiddlers, Xie and Hu performed and recorded as solo jing hu and yue qin players with many top Beijing Opera houses, including the Beijing Opera House and National Opera House.
Your Concert Experience
Join us for Q&A’s, hosted discussions, exhibits and more. All free with your concert ticket!
Indulge at the Elixir Haus
When: Pre-Concert and Intermission
Where: Cargill Commons
Beverage service is available before and during each winter concert at Elixir Haus (located outside Orchestra Hall). Grab your coat and head outside for a sip of spirits or a cup of hot cocoa.
Lunar New Year Trivia
Test your Lunar New Year knowledge with a Kahoot trivia game for all ages, designed by Know Factory Trivia's Brian Ward and Asian Media Acess. Play on your own device using the link below!
Consultant & Partner
Fei Xie, artistic consultant
Asian Media Access, artistic partner
Additional Materials:
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Program Notes (Translation)
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Lobby Map (English)
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Lobby Map (Translation)
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Tip Sheet: Relaxed Family Concert (English)
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Tip Sheet: Relaxed Family Concert (Translation)
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Social Story (English)
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Social Story (Translation)
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Going to Orchestra Hall Pre-Visit Story (English)
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Going to Orchestra Hall Pre-Visit Story (Translation)
Accessibility Services
- ASL interpretation
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Braille & Large Print Programs
- Open Captioning
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.