Vänskä Conducts Romeo and Juliet
Thu Sep 30 — Sat Oct 2, 2021
Orchestra Hall
As we dedicate these concerts to the generous donors at the heart of this Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä leads a program that reaches into the soul. Transformative music calls for unity in Valerie Coleman’s Umoja and speaks of the wonders of a bird in flight in a flute concerto by Kaija Saariaho, performed by Lorna McGhee. Then, the Orchestra retells the tale of star-crossed lovers through Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite.
A Few Things to Know
- Umoja, a Swahili word meaning Unity, is also the first principle of Kwanzaa—encouraging people to strive for and maintain unity in family, community, nation and race.
- In these concerts, the Minnesota Orchestra celebrates the career of cellist Marcia Peck, who retires at the end of October after playing in the Orchestra’s cello section for an incredible 50 years.
- Kari Kriikku’s originally-scheduled performance of Kaija Saariaho’s Clarinet Concerto, D'OM LE VRAI SENS, is being postponed to a future season. Instead, we welcome Lorna McGhee as the soloist in Saariaho’s Flute Concerto, Aile du songe (Wing of the Dream). In addition, Anders Hillborg’s Through Lost Landscapes, also originally scheduled for these concerts, will be performed on a future date.
Program
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COLEMAN
Umoja
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Valerie Coleman’s Umoja, which exists in several versions for vocal and instrumental ensembles, is a stirring anthem that draws its title from the Swahili word for “unity.” The composer states: “Now more than ever, Umoja has to ring as a strong and beautiful anthem for the world we live in today.”
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SAARIAHO
Aile du songe (Wing of the Dream), Flute Concerto
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Kaija Saariaho’s Flute Concerto speaks musically of shadows, landscapes and the wonders of a bird in flight. It has five sections—the first three falling under the heading Aérienne (Aerial) and the last two under Terrestre (Earthly).
- Intermission
-
PROKOFIEV
Suite from Romeo and Juliet
1 min noteOne Minute Note
These Romeo and Juliet selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet, chosen by Osmo Vänskä in the story’s chronological order rather than in one of Prokofiev’s more standard concerts suites, summon vivid images, from a masked ball to a violent duel to a blissful wedding night. The somber closing music reflects the star-crossed lovers’ tragic end.
Artists
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä
conductor
Lorna McGhee
flute
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, founded in 1903 and led since its centennial by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, is recognized for distinguished performances around the world, award-winning recordings, radio broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. The Orchestra tours regularly throughout Minnesota and nationally, and has toured abroad in Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa. Recording has been an important part of the organization’s mission since the 1920s. During Vänskä’s tenure, the Orchestra has undertaken acclaimed recordings, including complete cycles of symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven, Jean Sibelius and—now underway—Mahler.
Since becoming the Orchestra’s music director in 2003, Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä has led the ensemble on several major international tours, including historic tours to Cuba and South Africa and six visits to Europe. His recording projects with the Orchestra have met with great success, including a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance for an album of Sibelius symphonies. Vänskä's 19-year tenure as music director comes to a close at the end of the 2021-22 season, a year in which the Orchestra will celebrate 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.
Lorna McGhee, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s principal flute since 2012, is equally at home in a solo, chamber or orchestral setting. Known for her “exceptionally rich and vibrant tone” (Washington Post), she has performed concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in the U.K.; the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Philharmonia and Victoria Symphony in Canada; the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, San Luis Obispo Symphony and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the U.S.; the Kyushu Symphony in Japan; and the Evergreen Symphony in Taipei.
Your Concert Experience
Join us for Q&A’s, hosted discussions, pre and post-show drinks with musicians and more. All free with your concert ticket!
Navy Band Great Lakes Brass Ambassadors
When: Thu Sep 30 | 10:00-10:45am
Where: Roberta Mann Grand Foyer
As the "Ambassadors to the Midwest," the Navy Band Great Lakes' primary responsibility is to support Navy outreach in an eleven-state area. Their Brass Ambassadors ensemble is comprised of five brass instrumentalists and will perform a wide-ranging program.
Concert Preview
with Brian Newhouse and Valerie Little
When: Fri Oct 1 & Sat Oct 2 | 7:15-7:45pm
Where: Target Atrium
Join the Minnesota Orchestra's Assistant Principal Librarian Valerie Little and special guest Brian Newhouse for an insightful conversation about the evening's program.
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Large Print Programs
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
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