Nightcap Chamber Music Concert
in the AuditoriumFri Jul 22, 2022
Orchestra Hall
For one last time in his 19-year tenure as music director, Osmo Vänskä returns to the Orchestra Hall stage for a late-night NightCap concert in which he exchanges the baton for his clarinet to join Principal Cello Anthony Ross and pianist Jon Kimura Parker in Brahms’ magnificent trio.
A Few Things to Know
- Anthony Ross and Jon Kimura Parker once shared the Orchestra Hall stage as concerto soloists, in a Sommerfest 1993 performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra; then-Concertmaster Jorja Fleezanis was the other soloist.
- Johannes Brahms originally intended his String Quintet of 1890 to be his final composition—but the playing of German clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld helped inspire him to return to composing with a handful of new works late in his life. Four of Brahms’ final ten pieces with an opus number are chamber works with clarinet in a central role: a clarinet trio, a clarinet quintet and two clarinet sonatas—all composed with Mühlfeld in mind.
Artists
Osmo Vänskä
clarinet
Jon Kimura Parker
piano
Anthony Ross
cello
Minnesota Orchestra Conductor Laureate Osmo Vänskä, whose 19-year tenure as the Orchestra’s music director concluded in 2022, is renowned internationally for his compelling interpretations of the standard, contemporary and Nordic repertoires. His multi-year project with the Orchestra to perform and record all ten Mahler symphonies concluded in November 2022 with the Third Symphony. Signature initiatives of his music director tenure included a Sibelius symphonies cycle that earned the Orchestra its first Grammy Award and major tours to Cuba, Europe and South Africa. As a guest conductor, he has received extraordinary praise for his work with many of the world’s leading orchestras.
Known for his passionate artistry and engaging stage presence, pianist Jon Kimura Parker has performed regularly at the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, London’s South Bank, the Sydney Opera House and the Beijing Concert Hall. In 2019 he was appointed the Minnesota Orchestra’s first-ever creative partner for Summer at Orchestra Hall, a new role in which he is serving as a creative force behind the Orchestra’s summer festival and appearing each summer as a host, performer and personality.
Dynamic leader of the Minnesota Orchestra’s cello section since 1991, prize-winning cellist Anthony Ross has appeared as soloist many times with the Orchestra, performing all the standard cello concertos under Osmo Vänskä, Edo de Waart and Eiji Oue. Equally passionate about new music, he has given powerful performances of Michael Daugherty’s Tales of Hemingway, James MacMillan’s Cello Concerto, Paul Moravec’s Montserrat, and he and his wife, cellist Beth Rapier, have championed David Ott’s Concerto for Two Cellos since 1993. Prior to assuming the principal role in Minnesota, Ross performed for four years as principal cello of the Rochester Philharmonic under David Zinman.
Ross’ compelling interpretations have won wide acclaim from Moscow to Kalamazoo, and Dallas to Duluth. As concerto soloist, he has played with the Moscow State Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, the South Dakota Symphony and many other Midwest regional orchestras. Ross’ recordings include Leonard Bernstein’s Three Meditations from Mass, the George Lloyd Cello Concerto with the Albany Symphony, and the sonatas of Rachmaninoff and Elliott Carter.
Your Concert Experience
Join us for Q&A’s, hosted discussions, exhibits and more. All free with your concert ticket!
Sounds + Bites
Come early and stay late for Sounds + Bites: special food experiences and free entertainment by outstanding local performers on the magnificent Peavey Plaza. Enjoy a cocktail beside the reflecting pool during our $5 Happy Hour while you listen. Learn more.
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
ExhibitWhere: Balcony A Lobby
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre uses water, flour, newspaper, paint, and unlimited imagination to tell stories that explore the struggles and celebrations of human existence. Come see themed displays of puppets created by HOBT artists; from large dragon masks to a collection of winged creatures!
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
Sponsored By
The Chamber Music Series is sponsored by Dr. Jennine and John Speier.
The Creative Partner position is supported by Marilyn and Glen Nelson.
