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. This past fall, Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård began his tenure as music director.

Sarah Hicks is the Minnesota Orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall, a role in which she oversees planning for and conducts many concerts in the broad-spectrum series of popular music, jazz, Broadway classics, movie scores and other genres. She also conducted the Inside the Classics and Sam & Sarah series for ten seasons.

Hicks’ career has seen collaborations with a diverse range of artists, from Hilary Hahn and Dmitri Hvorostovsky to Rufus Wainwright, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson. She has been an artistic leader in concerts featuring artists from Minnesota’s internationally-renowned popular music scene—including shows with The New Standards, multiple sold-out performances with Dessa and a live-in-concert recording released on Doomtree Records, and collaborations with indie band Cloud Cult. A specialist in film music and the film in concert genre, she is passionate about creating concert experiences which combine sight and sound, and that welcome new audiences to the orchestral genre.

Best known for his extensive work with Prince in the 1990s, Tommy Barbarella has a reputation for excellence and versatility extended over the following two decades by touring, recording and performing with the likes of Art Garfunkel, Mavis Staples, Jonny Lang, Nick Jonas, Italian superstar Giorgia and Minneapolis supergroup Greazy Meal. He has contributed his talents to Hollywood features by iconic directors like Spike Lee, Robert Altman and Marc Forester, as well as composing award-winning commercial tracks for Nike, Budweiser, Audi and hundreds of other organizations.

Jeff Bailey has performed in a wide variety of musical settings as a musician, composer, sound designer, producer and educator. He has performed with world renowned artists including Craig Taborn, Joey Arias, The Steeles, James Carter, Joey McIntyre (New Kids on the Block), Eric Gravatt, Charles Lazarus, Rodney Jones, Doc Severinsen, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Wessel Anderson, Pia Toscano, Jonatha Brooke, Geoff Keezer, Andres Prado, Chastity Brown, “Doc” Martin, Fareed Haque, Justin Robinson, Charley Drayton and James Moody.

Tonia Hughes Kendrick is notably among Minnesota’s most gifted artists, acclaimed for her transparent delivery that leaves audiences with a poignant electricity. Being ever willing to take on a challenge, and having an openness to engage in culturally diverse, what she calls “unusual” collaborations, has catapulted her career. Fusing her rich gospel background with the folk singing of Larry Long or the world-class trumpeting of Charles Lazarus with the Minnesota Orchestra or with a Flamenco at The Lab Theater defies categorization and is a further testament of her genre-bending talent.