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.

Canadian conductor Jordan de Souza has been appointed general music director of Theater Dortmund and chief conductor of Dortmund Philharmoniker with a five-year contract commencing in August 2025. In the 2023-24 season he returns to Canadian Opera to conduct La Bohème; Opéra de Montréal for La Traviata; and the Philharmonia Orchestra for a concert in their Royal Festival Hall Series, following a very successful collaboration with them conducting Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier at Garsington Opera in 2021.

The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy, Avi Avital has been compared to Andres Segovia for his championship of his instrument and to Jascha Heifetz for his incredible virtuosity. Passionate and “explosively charismatic” (The New York Times) in live performance, he is the driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin. For more than two decades he has reshaped the history and the future of his instrument, playing it in the most prestigious halls all over the world. In addition to that, Avital has expanded the mandolin repertoire not only with transcriptions of various pieces, but by commissioning over 100 works for the mandolin including concertos for mandolin and orchestra by Jennifer Higdon, Anna Clyne, Avner Dorman and Giovanni Sollima.