Posted on Facebook 3/17

Friday night, 3/27 only! Let the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band help you march out March and warm up your early Spring with their lively performance at Orchestra Hall! 

Tickets ($30-$70) and more info here:   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/419/-/preservation-hall-jazz-band#.VP8NB_zF_l8

And EVERYONE is invited to a special “Gin & Jazz” Happy Hour at 6:30 at the second level lobby bar, hosted by The Crescendo Project! It’s open to both Crescendo Project members and non-members, but they do need a headcount so please respond here:   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/564/-/gin-and-jazz#.VQgrz47F_l9

Posted on Facebook 3/17

Stuck in town with no “spring break” trip for you this week? Well, no worries! Climb upon the MN Orchestra’s “Carousel” this weekend and you’ll be humming and tapping your toes and almost feeling like you’ve been on vacation. Furthermore, according to the forecast, you won’t even have to walk through a storm to get there!

You have four opportunities to see this semi-staged production, and some tickets remain for each performance. Details and ticketing here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/355/-/rodgers-and-hammerstein-s-carousel#.VPsUiPzF_l8

Come with family or friends, or come by yourself – either way, by the time you leave, you won’t walk alone!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC0lOHBxreg

Advance student rush tickets ($12) are available for the Friday & Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon performances. Info here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/special-offers/student-rush-tickets

Posted on Facebook 3/7

"June Is Bustin' Out All Over!" Well, maybe not quite, but on this, our first sunny-and-above-freezing day in a long time, we almost feel like jumping on a carousel!  And we (and you) can virtually do so in two weeks (March 19-22) when our MN Orchestra, soloists, actors and dancers perform Rodgers & Hammerstein’s charming and infinitely hummable “Carousel.” 

Hear “If I Loved You,” “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “Soliloquy,” “This is a Real Nice Clambake,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and much much more.

Conducted by Sarah Hicks; stage directed Robert Neu; sung and acted by superstars Gabriel Preisser, Sarah Lawrence, Kersten Rodau, Paul Coate, Kathleen Humphrey, Riley McNutt, Penelope Freeh, Gary Briggle, Vera Mariner; choreographed by the marvelous Penelope Freeh; “backed up” by a full symphonic orchestra (ours!) – wow, just wow. Don’t miss it!

Performances are Thursday morning, Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoon March 19-22. Tickets ($30-$64) and more info (including a link to the movie soundtrack) here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/355/-/rodgers-and-hammerstein-s-carousel#.VPsUiPzF_l8

Advance student rush ticket ($12) info here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/special-offers/student-rush-tickets

Posted on Facebook 3/10

Jazz/pop and trumpet fans! This Saturday night trumpeter Chris Botti, America’s largest-selling instrumental artist (with four number-one jazz albums to his credit, along with multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards) performs with his band and our MN Orchestra, all under the direction of Sarah Hicks. Tickets ($40-$105) and more info here:   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/417/-/chris-botti#.VP8FffzF_l9  

Just a few tickets remain, so act fast!

To learn more about Chris and his band, read the program notes here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/images/programnotes/1415/botti.pdf

Posted on Facebook 3/7

Friday the 13th won’t be scary AT ALL when conductor Sarah Hicks and violist Sam Bergman take the stage to inform and entertain us with their uniquely insightful and humorous introduction to Brahms Symphony No. 1 during the first half of that night’s concert! After intermission, the full MN Orchestra performs this complex, difficult and evocative (yet tuneful and accessible) masterpiece to life for us.  

Brahms said that it took him more than 20 years to write this monumental symphony (completed in 1876), from first sketches to the final score. What an experience it will be to get inside it with musicians who have long-studied and mastered its intricacies.  

Do you have friends who “aren’t sure” about classical music or are slightly afraid of it? This might be JUST the concert for them – you might even want to buy a Casual Pass (more about that below) and use multiple vouchers to bring them along with you! More info about this concert and individual tickets (just $29) here:   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/455/-/inside-the-classics-beethoven-s-tenth#.VPs81vzF_l9
 
Be one of the first 100 people to buy a Casual Pass ($99 for six flexible vouchers to “Inside the Classics” and “Symphony in 60” concerts) and attend a free after-party with Sarah and Sam on Friday!  Details, including info about the other concerts available with this package, can be found here:   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/special-events/casual-classics

Advance student rush tickets ($12) are available for this concert. Info here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/special-offers/student-rush-tickets

Posted on Facebook 3/4

What do Lemony Snicket, Franz Schubert, Igor Stravinsky and Nathaniel Stookey have in common? They will tickle the ears and hearts and imaginations of thousands of school kids who will be bused to Orchestra Hall this week to experience our Minnesota Orchestra!

“The Composer is Dead” is a musical “who done it” adventure with narration written by popular children's author Lemony Snicket and music by Nathaniel Stookey. The kids will also hear the Allegro Moderato movement of Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished” and Stravinsky’s “Circus Polka.” Details here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/304/-/young-people-s-the-composer-is-dead#.VPaHMvnF_l8

The program will be repeated as a Family Concert on Sunday at 2:00 pm. Those tickets are $15 for adults and free for children. It appears to be sold out, but call the box office at 612.371.5656 for availability.  More info here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/427/-/the-composer-is-dead#.VPaJo_nF_l8

Of course, these very important concerts are not inexpensive to produce and the buses for the school kids are not free! So kudos to donors, the Young People’s Symphony Concert Association (YPSCA), and volunteers who make it all possible! Learn more about YPSCA here:  http://www.ypsca.org/

Posted on Facebook 3/3

Warm up for St. Patty’s Day this Friday night! Master Celtic fiddler Eileen Ivers and her band perform toe-tapping Celtic and American fiddle music at 8:00 pm at Orchestra Hall. Joining Ms. Ivers are Deirdre Brennan (lead vocals), Buddy Connolly (accordion, whistles and keyboard), Greg Anderson (acoustic guitar and bouzouki), Lindsey Horner (upright bass and electric bass), Dave Barckow (percussion) and special guests O’Shea Irish Dance.

Info and tickets ($30-$40) here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/469/-/celtic-and-americana-fiddle-eileen-ivers#.VPXz8PnF_l9

Learn more about Ms. Ivers and her band in the program notes, which you can read here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/images/programnotes/1415/ivers.pdf

(The MN Orchestra does not perform on this concert.)