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Johan Dalene | © Mats Bäcker
Nordic Soundscapes Festival:

Nordic Tales and Folklore

Thu Jan 16 — Sat Jan 18, 2025

Orchestra Hall

~2 hours, including intermission

Our Nordic adventures continue, this time anchored by selections from Grieg’s beloved Peer Gynt. You’ll also hear how Norway’s Ørjan Matre takes a collection of Grieg piano pieces and creates an otherworldly and welcoming soundscape. Fun Fact: Denmark’s Carl Nielsen was at the summer home of Grieg’s widow when he began to compose his only violin concerto.

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A Few Things to Know

  1. In the Hall of the Mountain King is one of Grieg’s most recognizable pieces of music; its accelerating rhythms and foreboding, suspenseful energy has found its way into countless commercials, television shows, films and video game soundtracks. 
  2. Ørjan Matre uses electronics, such as delay effects and amplification to transform his fellow Norwegian composer Grieg’s piano pieces into new sonic experiences, exploring how an orchestra might sound like a swarm of butterflies or to find out what happens when familiar Norwegian folk tunes move in slow motion.
  3. Winner of the 2019 Carl Nielsen Competition, violinist Johan Dalene’s previous performances of the Nielsen Violin Concerto have received rave reviews, including one in Norway’s Nordjskye Stiftstidende, whose writer called it “the finest performance I can remember…as if you are hearing the concerto here for the very first time.”
  4. Plan your visit to Orchestra Hall

Date & Time

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Program

  • MATRE

    Lyric Pieces

  • NIELSEN

    Violin Concerto

  • ALFVÉN

    The Mountain King Suite

  • GRIEG

    Selections from Peer Gynt

Artists

Minnesota Orchestra

Thomas Søndergård

conductor

Johan Dalene

violin

Plan your visit

  • Pre-concert activities
  • Valet Parking
  • Pre-order Beverages
  • Directions & Parking
  • Helpful Tips
All Classical and Chamber Concerts

Half Off Half Hour

50% off wine, beer, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages.

  • For 7pm concerts:  5:30-6pm
  • For 8pm concerts:  6:30-7pm
  • For 11am concerts: 9:30-10am
  • For 2pm concerts:  12:30-1pm

Pre-Concert Performance and Activities

When: Thu, Jan 16 | 10:15-10:45AM
Where: Roberta Mann Grand Foyer

Melissa Holm-Johansen, soprano
Bryon Wilson, piano

The Museum of Danish America of Elk Horn, IA presents a morning of music, art and delicious Danish Kringle from O&H Danish Bakery of Racine, WI. In the Lobby Melissa Holm-Johansen sings in Danish the music Edvard Grieg wrote during the years of Danish rule in Norway, while Cynthia McKeen shares her Danish papir klip artwork.

Pre- and Post-Concert Performance

Renee Vaughan and the Nordstär Ensemble

When: Fri, Jan 17 | 7:15-7:45PM; Post-concert
Where: Roberta Mann Grand Foyer

Renee Vaughan and the Nordstär Ensemble, featuring Ponyfolk, bring traditional Swedish folk tunes and selections from other Nordic traditions to the Minnesota Orchestra’s Nordic Soundscapes Festival. Based in Minnesota and inspired by Nordic roots, this ensemble features Renee Vaughan (nyckelharpa), Paul Sauey (guitar), Clif Nesseth (fiddle), and Sarah Pradt (hardingfele). Their performance of traditional folk music—at turns bright and melancholy—highlights the unique rhythms of Nordic culture and sets the stage for an evening of orchestral works, including Grieg’s Peer Gynt. Presented in partnership with the American Swedish Institute, we are also joined by local artist Jeanette Torkelson who will demonstrate the artistry of Norwegian woodworking. 

Pre-Concert Performance and Activities

The Mindekirken Choir

When: Sat, Jan 18 | 6:15-6:45PM
Where: Roberta Mann Grand Foyer

This special evening of Norwegian music and art is presented in partnership with The Norway House. The Mindekirken Choir is the principal choral ensemble of the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis, MN. The choir, which has been in existence for over a century, performs mainly in the Norwegian language, but also sings in other Nordic languages as well as in English. John David De Haan has been the Mindekirken Choir's conductor since 2011. 

Know Before You Go

An engaging performance awaits, and the fun doesn’t stop there. Make this visit your own with food and activity options. Browse these helpful tips, and when your concert date arrives, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Directions & Parking

All the information you need to know for getting to and from Orchestra Hall. Parking is just steps away from Orchestra Hall in the city-owned and skyway-connected 11th and Marquette Ramp.

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Accessibility Services

  • Armless & Bariatric Chairs
  • Assistive Listening Devices
  • Large-Print Programs
  • Noise-Cancelling Headphones
  • Service Animals
  • Wheelchair & Accessible Seating

Additional services are available upon request.

Sponsored by

MSAB

With this concert, we gratefully recognize Al and Kathy Lenzmeier for their generosity as lead sponsors for this program.

The 2024-2025 Classical Season is presented by Ameriprise Financial.