Handel’s Messiah

About This Concert

Before the season rushes ahead, and the to-do list becomes too long to ever get done, set aside an evening for your soul. Handel’s Messiah opens with a tender call, “Comfort ye,” and its ringing Hallelujah Chorus will echo in your spirit throughout the holidays.

Program

HANDEL
Messiah / 140 min

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Program Notes PDF

Artists

• Minnesota Orchestra
• Nicholas Kraemer, conductor
• Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
• Daniel Moody, countertenor
• Richard Croft, tenor
• Benjamin Bevan, baritone
• Minnesota Chorale

Fun Facts

• Handel’s Messiah was originally associated with Easter and premiered in April 1742 in Dublin.
• The Star Tribune crowns the Minnesota Chorale “…one of the area’s preeminent choirs, [combining] impeccable diction with a real commitment to the music.”
• The San Francisco Chronicle hailed Sherezade Panthaki as “a phenomenon” and praised the “multifold splendor of her singing."
• The Minnesota Orchestra—then known as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra—first performed Handel’s Messiah on Christmas Day 1903, just seven weeks after its inaugural concert. On that occasion, founding Music Director Emil Oberhoffer led the Orchestra and the Philharmonic Club chorus, and the vocal soloists were Jennie Osborn Hannah, Alma Johnson Porteous, Edward C. Towne and Frederick Martin. Since 1966 the ensemble has presented the work nearly every year with a variety of distinguished conductors and soloists, although this year’s performances of Messiah are the Orchestra’s first since 2016. 
• Celebrate the season with a specialty cocktail at the Hall! From our Mistletoe Mule to our Raspberry Frost - the holiday drink menu is sure to delight! Come early, linger late. We've got a Night Cap waiting.

Accessibility at Orchestra Hall

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