Posted on Facebook 5/29

Rave reviews of this weekend’s concerts!

“…the penultimate program of the orchestra's season proved one of its best.” “Vanska and the orchestra made [Sibelius’ Third Symphony] a collection of dark, dramatic dances, bringing rustic folk flavors to a work in which tensions and triumphs surged and dissipated.” Rob Hubbard for the Pioneer Press.

“At 68, [André] Watts seems to have more fluent technique than ever.” “It is likely that these performances [of Sibelius symphonies] will live on as evidence of a great orchestra playing at its peak under the guidance of a conductor with deep insight into this repertoire.” Michael Anthony for the StarTribune.

Read Rob Hubbard’s full review here:  http://www.twincities.com/music/ci_28208024/minnesota-orchestras-performance-sibelius-third-symphony-astounds

Read Michael Anthony’s full review here:  http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-orchestra-restarts-recording-project-with-sibelius/305405381/

Tonight & Saturday at Orchestra Hall:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/392/-/piano-legends-andre-watts-with-osmo-vaenskae#.VFupUfnF_l8

Tonight, broadcast and streamed on MN Public Radio:  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/minnesota_orchestra/

Don’t miss it!

Photograph by Kimmo Savolainen.

Posted on Facebook 5/27

Sibelius 3! Hear it live just before it’s recorded by BIS!  Recording sessions begin this Saturday for Sibelius’ 3rd Symphony (as well as the 6th and 7th).

For a little glimpse into the recording process, watch this fun 5-1/2 minute video from the recording session for Sibelius 5 in June 2011:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0AJYbmx29k 

The legendary Andre' Watts and our Orchestra will also sweep you away with Brahms’ virtuosic, dramatic and tender Piano Concerto No. 2. Bring your hankies! 

Thursday morning is virtually sold out, but some seats remain for the Friday & Saturday night performances.  More info and ticketing here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/392/-/piano-legends-andre-watts-with-osmo-vaenskae#.VFupUfnF_l8

If you’re coming to the Friday night performance, be sure to stay in the Hall afterwards for a free glass of champagne and a panel discussion by Osmo Vänskä and members of the musicians’ artistic advisory committee (Tony Ross, Ken Freed, John Snow, Greg Milliren) about next season, how they chose it, what excites them, etc.! More info here:  http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=87cdbeabf202dba8697dccca4&id=29ccfea3a1&e=654a14e7cb

Photograph by Kimmo Savolainen.

Posted on Facebook 5/24

Brahms – Sibelius – Nielsen – with Vänskä and Watts – this coming weekend’s concerts have something for everyone! 

Our friend Julie Stewart writes: “If you’re looking for the uncommon – that would be Nielsen’s Pan and Syrinx, which most of us won’t have heard live before.  (It’s charming.)   If you’re looking for a preview of what promises to be the Orchestra’s next superstar CD, there’s Sibelius’ 3rd Symphony, which Osmo and the Orchestra are going to record in just a few weeks.  I’m really looking forward to hearing what sort of magic Osmo makes with this lesser-known Sibelius symphony.  And, if you want to hear a beloved old chestnut in the hands of a seasoned pro, there’s Brahms’ 2nd Piano Concerto with Andre Watts.  Music doesn’t get any better than this.”

Be there! Thursday morning is virtually sold out, but some seats are open for Friday and Saturday evenings.  Info and ticketing here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/392/-/piano-legends-andre-watts-with-osmo-vaenskae#.VFupUfnF_l8

If you’re coming to the Friday night performance, be sure to head over to the Atrium afterwards for a free glass of champagne and a discussion by Osmo Vänskä and members of the musicians’ artistic advisory committee (Tony Ross, Ken Freed, John Snow, Greg Milliren) about next season, how they chose it, what excites them, whatever else you’d like to know! More info here:  http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=87cdbeabf202dba8697dccca4&id=29ccfea3a1&e=654a14e7cb

Photograph by Kimmo Savolainen.

Posted on Facebook 4/27

Many of us at SOSMN are amateur musicians who LOVE LOVE LOVE to play in small ensembles for our own enjoyment (and sometimes even for the enjoyment of others!). So you can bet that we’re snatching up our tickets for the late-night chamber music concert on Saturday, May 23 featuring our idols from the Orchestra playing two wonderful compositions (it always helps to hear how it is SUPPOSED to be played!).

Join us at 10:30 pm.  It will be especially convenient for those of you attending that evening’s 8:00 concert (Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducting Beethoven Symphony #7 and Brahms Piano Concerto #1 with Garrick Ohlsson), but the NightCap concert available to everyone for just $10.00!  Grab a complimentary drink and some chocolate, and then discover how wonderful the Atrium is for intimate chamber music concerts like this. 

Hear Gounod's “Petite symphonie for Wind Instruments” performed by Adam Kuenzel, John Snow, Marni Hougham, David Pharris, Tim Zavadil, Mark Kelley, Norbert Nielubowski, Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, and Bruce Hudson.

Hear Mozart's Quartet in D Major for Flute and Strings performed by Greg Milliren, Joanne Opgenorth, Gareth Zehngut, and Pitnarry Shin.

Tickets here:   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/444/-/nightcap-petite-symphony#.VT5qcCFViko

Posted on Facebook 5/22

The press is heaping praise on yesterday’s exceptional performances following a history-making tour of Cuba and the thrilling news of contract extensions for Osmo Vänskä and Orchestra musicians. Hear the concert yourself tonight or Saturday night. Info and tickets here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/390/-/garrick-ohlsson-plays-brahms#.VV8qL_lVikq  

Rob Hubbard wrote for the Pioneer Press: “Under the direction of 91-year-old conductor laureate Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, the orchestra delivered one of the most brisk and bouncy interpretations of [Beethoven’s] Seventh I've heard in some time. It completed a rewarding concert that opened with a flawless, fascinating interpretation of Johannes Brahms' First Piano Concerto by Garrick Ohlsson, who always does something deep and insightful with whatever piece he plays.” Read Rob’s whole review here:  http://www.twincities.com/music/ci_28166876/minnesota-orchestra-review-ohlssons-exceptional-skrowaczewskii-surprises

“…the music [Skrowaczewski] draws from this orchestra seems more vital and energetic than ever” says Michael Anthony in his review of yesterday morning’s concert for the StarTribune.  His review here:  http://www.startribune.com/skrowaczewski-ages-well-with-minnesota-orchestra/304649771/

And remember to catch Saturday’s NightCap of chamber music at 10:30 in the Atrium! Info about that performance here:  http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/may-2015/may-21-nightcap

We hope to see you this weekend! Let’s raise the roof off Orchestra Hall, welcoming our heroes home.

Posted on Facebook 5/19

This Thursday, Friday and Saturday Stanislaw Skrowaczewski is back on the podium! Be there to welcome him. And let’s lift the roof off Orchestra Hall when our heroes take the stage after their history-making tour to Cuba!

Audience favorite Garrick Ohlsson plays Brahms’ first Piano Concerto and then the Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, “the apotheosis of the dance” per Richard Wagner. Will the musicians’ absorption of the dance rhythms of Cuba add even more fire to this spectacular symphony? Come and decide for yourself!

A few seats are still available for each performance. Get yours while you can! Info here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/389/-/garrick-ohlsson-plays-brahms#.VVtbpPlViko 

$12 advance student rush tickets are available for Saturday night’s performance. Info here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/special-offers/student-rush-tickets

Posted on Facebook 5/23

Rum. Real 16th-century Pirates of the Caribbean. Hemingway’s bars & cocktails. Classic cars. Pirate forts. Emeralds, gold ingots & bars of silver. Backstage frenzy. Intrigued?  

We will publish a final wrap-up of press stories about the MN Orchestra’s Cuba trip soon, but we thought that we’d assemble some of the more personal stories from Scott Chamberlain, who reported for MinnPost on the trip. He published these on his personal “Mask of the Flower Prince” blog.

Scott hunted down two of Papa Hemingway’s favorite rum joints, El Floridita and La Bodeguita del Medio. Read about what he discovered there (and get a little primer on rum itself) here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/reflections-on-cuba-running-down-hemingways-cocktails/

“It is a summer day in 1527. The day began like many others in the ramshackle village of Havana… but soon a startled cry came from the coast.” So begins Scott’s “Real Pirates of the Caribbean” story. Read it here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/havana-and-the-real-pirates-of-the-caribbean/ 

His guide at Havana’s oldest pirate fort, Castillo de la Real Fuerza, was thrilled when she learned that Scott was from the U.S. and was a historian. So she gave him a personal tour of the fortress, guiding him to artifacts and info and spectacular views. Read all about it here:   https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/reflections-of-cuba-talking-pirates-in-a-pirate-fortress/

Mr. “I get a sunburn if I get too close to a 100-watt light bulb” took a chance on a taxi ride in a 60-year-old classic convertible and got a whole new perspective on the city and these cars. Read about it here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/reflections-on-cuba-seeing-havana-by-classic-car/

And for some glimpses of frenetic backstage activity and stories about what it took for our MN Orchestra stage crew and their Cuban counterparts to make everything work, read here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/16/a-look-backstage-from-cuba/

We hope that you enjoy these stories as much as we did!  Thanks, Scott!

Posted on Facebook 5/19

Alert! You will probably need some tissues as you read some of the heartwarming personal stories in today’s recap of news from the Cuba trip. 

Scott Chamberlain’s report for MinnPost was published Monday. He talks about the crazy “media scrum” at the concerts and events, marveling at how the musicians could maintain their focused, powerful playing with photographers right in their faces. In his inimitable style, Scott takes us into the performances with his vivid descriptions of their intensity, passion and emotion. He talked to Cuban audience members and translates/shares their responses for us (one example: “That that music, that performance was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The sound was lush, full, and deep, so wonderfully dense and grand. But then in an instant, it was so ephemeral and still, and if you reached out to try and touch it, it was gone. I can’t describe it. It’s like trying to describe the touch of sunlight on your skin.”) He talks about the bedlam that erupted when the Orchestra played the Cuban and American national anthems Saturday night. He talks about the encores, including the Finnish "Säkkijärven Polka," and how the Cubans totally “got” it since “again, they understand dance!”  Read Scott’s report here:  http://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/2015/05/two-nights-minnesota-orchestra-cuba-powerful-performances-engender-palpable-uni

Violist Sam Bergman talks about the human connections, the people they met, the moments of joy and humor they shared, the finding of common ground, and the overwhelming enthusiasm of the Cubans. Read his report here:   https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/20-cuba-diary-leaving-la-habana 

Clarinetist Rena Kraut posted this delightful story about clarinet “groupies” that followed her and her colleagues everywhere. She also gives us a glimpse of what it was like to experience Saturday night’s powerful concert from backstage.  http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/17/notes-from-cuba-second-movement?WT.mc_id=fcf7ed378f7680e85cf3bf55f6b6409a

And read Rena’s absolutely heartwarming and unforgettable story about her interactions with the woman who cleaned her hotel room.  http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/18/notes-cuba-finale?WT.mc_id=978714019e88f972ed59c99256186586

Michael Cooper reported in Sunday’s New York Times on the late Saturday night / early Sunday morning “jamming” with Orquesta Aragón at the Habana Café, which included Osmo Vänsä playing an iconic trumpet solo on his clarinet!  Cooper also recaps the spectacular Saturday night concert and the whole trip. Read it here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/arts/music/fire-and-ice-minnesotans-join-orquesta-aragon-in-havana.html?emc=edit_th_20150518&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25767547&_r=0  (By the way, Cooper’s Saturday night article was #1 on the Times’ “most emailed” list on Sunday morning!)

Finland’s top newspaper, the Helsingin Sanomat, posted a video of the late Saturday night jam session!   http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/a1431829564867 

On Sunday Euan Kerr recapped the trip for MPR. Find his audio and text here:  http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/17/mnorch-cuba-sunday?WT.mc_id=694aa145b0dd3bcc00c728d9c3fb4716

And on Monday Euan Kerr reported audience, musician and staff reactions to the tour and especially to the playing of Cuban and American national anthems at the beginning of Saturday night’s concert. Find his report here:  http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/05/18/mn-orchestra-returns-home

Graydon Royce reported for the StarTribune on Saturday’s visit to a cigar factory and other connections the “cultural ambassadors” (25 patrons and Board members) made with Cubans and diplomats.  http://www.startribune.com/musical-diplomacy-blooms-in-the-havana-heat-on-minnesota-orchestra-s-cuba-trip/303951901/ 

On Sunday Graydon added some more details about the late-night jam session (which included Charles Lazarus, Dave Williamson and Peter Hogan as well as Osmo Vänsä). Read it here:   http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-orchestra-s-last-late-night-in-havana/304065981/?section=%2F

And here’s the recap that Graydon published on Sunday evening:  http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-orchestra-wins-hearts-in-cuba-as-it-caps-a-historic-trip/304004891/

Take a look at MPR’s Nate Ryan’s 38 wonderful photos from the last 24 hours of the tour (especially if you like vintage Desotos!) here:  http://www.classicalmpr.org/blog/classical-notes/2015/05/18/photos-minnesota-orchestras-final-24-hours-in-havana

On Saturday Fox News Latino reported on the concerts and on the interactions with Cuban music students:  http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2015/05/16/minnesota-orchestra-played-to-sold-out-house-in-havana-as-tensions-ebb-between/

Watch local Fox9 News’ video coverage and report on the Orchestra’s return to Minneapolis (including short interviews of musicians, staff, Board and patrons) here:  http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/29087567/a-grateful-minnesota-orchestra-returns-from-cuba

What a trip!  

Posted on Facebook 5/16

Broadcast & print media, websites, Facebook and Twitter have been BURNING UP with news about the Orchestra’s tour and last night’s concert! Here is today’s installment of just some of the reports.

Michael Cooper of the NY Times reported on last night’s concert (and included a nod to many of us who were Tweeting and Facebooking real-time during the broadcast!):   http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/arts/music/minnesota-orchestra-in-groundbreaking-cuba-tour-sells-out-house.html?smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto&_r=1

Euan Kerr had a phone conversation with MPR’s Kerri Miller on Friday morning:   http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/15/bcst-kerr-cuba

Violist Sam Bergman posted about nightlife, the side-by-side rehearsal, wonderful interactions between the musicians and students, and preparations for Friday’s and Saturday’s concerts:   https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/17-cuba-diary-day-3-game-day

Clarinetist Rena Kraut takes us to the streets of Havana and rides in a cocotaxi:   http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/16/notes-from-cuba-interlude?WT.mc_id=84073e19e8fed6a018361dcb6c497d58

Here’s the Orchestra’s photo gallery from Day 3   https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/stories/18-cuba-photos-day-3

Our friend Scott Chamberlain is reporting for MinnPost. He talks about the students’ response to the master classes and side-by-side rehearsal, and about what our musicians are learning from the Cubans.    http://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/2015/05/perfect-cultural-exchange-minnesota-orchestra-musicians-share-global-language-m

Scott Chamberlain has also posted some more personal reflections (including being asked to translate for Osmo at Friday morning’s rehearsal!) on his own “Mask of the Flower Prince” blog. See here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/1625/  
and here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/cuban-surprises/

Graydon Royce reported for the StarTribune on the musicians’ visits with the Cuban music high school and college:   http://www.startribune.com/at-cuban-schools-minnesota-orchestra-musicians-teach-and-learn/303808971/?c=n&clmob=y

Here’s Graydon’s report from the Friday night concert:   http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-orchestra-s-concert-friday-night-in-cuba-draws-enthusiastic-crowd-of-music-fans-media/303981221/

Here’s a terrific StarTribune photo gallery:   http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-orchestra-performs-first-cuba-concert/303993131/

From the Havana Times:   http://goseecuba.com/the-minnesota-orchestra-plays-cuba/

Here’s the BBC News report:   http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32762780

Here’s a report from Al Jazeera America:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zwfgmqlGsw#sjs

Even Myanmar TV is reporting it!   http://www.myanmarinternational.tv/news/minnesota-orchestra-performs-havana

And here’s a great little 45-second video report from AFP News Agency:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe1jdbs5pmg 

Join in the fun! Explore online reports with hashtag #MNOrchCuba or #Cubadisco  And post or tweet or retweet yourself! We’ll be watching for you.

Posted on Facebook 5/15

WHAT A CONCERT! Let's do it again Saturday night!

ALEJANDRO CATURLA: Danzon
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
PROKOFIEV: Romeo and Juliet Suite

If you have a computer or mobile device and an internet connection you can hear it live. Details here:  http://www.yourclassical.org/story/2015/05/13/minnesota-orchestra-live-from-cuba

Posted on Facebook 5/15

Today’s NY Times headline: “Minnesota Orchestra’s Cuba Trip Puts It at the Cultural Vanguard”  Michael Cooper also says “…against all odds, the scrappy Minnesotans got there first.” And he quotes Kevin Smith: “All of a sudden this trip has galvanized the organization, and given everybody this sense of excitement and adventure and confidence that we can do anything.” Your buttons will burst with pride when you read his article in today’s Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/arts/music/minnesota-orchestras-cuba-trip-puts-it-at-the-cultural-vanguard.html?_r=0

MPR broadcaster Brian Newhouse posted a wonderful video and Nate Ryan’s amazing photos:   http://www.classicalmpr.org/blog/classical-notes/2015/05/14/cuba-day-1-from-frost-to-incredible-warmth

The Orchestra posted photos from performances, master classes and individual sessions with Cuban music students here:   https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/14-cuba-photos-day-2 

KSTP TV’s lead news story last night was Tom Hauser’s live report from Cuba! Watch it here:  http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3796717.shtml?cat=127  They also posted a photo gallery.

A Cuban publication called “CUBARTE – The Portal of Cuban Culture” posted a terrific story and photos:    http://www.cubarte.cult.cu/en/noticia/minnesota-orchestra-visit-national-music-school-and-university-arts/24983

Both tonight’s and Saturday night’s concerts will be broadcast and live-streamed on MN Public Radio and American Public Media!  This means that pretty much anyone anywhere will be able to hear them.  Details and repertoire here:  http://www.yourclassical.org/story/2015/05/13/minnesota-orchestra-live-from-cuba   And we hear that 55+ stations across the U.S. in the American Public Media network will be broadcasting at least one of the concerts as well!!! 

Plan ahead! The StarTribune is hosting a free happy hour at their headquarters on May 28, featuring photos from the trip.  Details here:  http://www.startribune.com/may-28-stribhq-happy-hour-featuring-photos-from-minnesota-orchestra-s-cuba-tour/303837901/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it 

Posted on Facebook 5/14

Sights! Sounds! Stories! Sensations! CUBA! The info is flowing in so fast that we can barely keep up with it! And each of the reporters gives us a unique perspective on this historic trip. Take a few minutes to check out these links – you’ll be happy you did and oh, so proud of our Orchestra, the passion they bring, and the passion they kindle in others.

Violist Sam Bergman’s Day 1 post:  https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/13-cuba-diary-day-one

Clarinetist Rena Kraut’s Day 1 report for MPR:  http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/14/notes-from-cuba-downbeat

The Orchestra’s photo gallery with captions:   https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/12-cuba-day-1

Graydon Royce’s first report from Cuba for the StarTribune:   http://www.startribune.com/with-selfies-and-tchaikovsky-orchestra-arrives-in-havana/303659791/

Graydon Royce’s 5/14 report about Wednesday afternoon and evening activities:   http://www.startribune.com/musicians-tour-old-havana-before-rehearsing-for-first-time-today/303745971/

Tom Hauser’s video report for KSTP Channel 5:   http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3794862.shtml 

Posted on Facebook 5/12

MN Public Radio is blazing trails too for this week’s broadcasts from Cuba! 

Some tidbits: “…when Byers and his team sat down and examined the map of undersea cables in the Caribbean, they found almost no connectivity to the rest of the word, save for two connections to Venezuela. But because both MPR’s sibling company American Public Media and Cuban state radio (ICRT) are associate members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), it was possible to make a satellite connection from Cuban radio in Havana to a downlink in Geneva, Switzerland, and from there to a site in London that could connect to MPR in St. Paul.

“Fortunately, as May approached, MPR found an easier solution. The plan is now to use a direct uplink by satellite from Havana to St. Paul, where MPR will downlink the broadcast both at its own Fitzgerald Theater downlink site and at a backup location a few blocks away at Twin Cities Public Television.”

Read the full story here:   http://current.org/2015/05/minnesota-public-radio-and-minnesota-orchestra-open-broadcast-door-to-cuba/

Way to go, MPR!!!

Posted on Facebook 5/12

Our Orchestra in Havana – 1929 | 1930 | 2015 – read some astonishing parallels in Scott Chamberlain’s report on what he found as he dug through Orchestra archives!  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/havana-1929-the-minnesota-orchestras-first-historic-tour-to-cuba/

Posted on Facebook 5/11

Cuba…MN Orchestra...Kevin Smith…Amy Klobuchar…Marilyn Carlson Nelson…Tony Oliva.  Connect the dots with Graydon Royce’s column in this morning’s StarTribune!  http://www.startribune.com/symphonic-diplomacy-is-goal-of-minnesota-orchestra-s-cuba-trip/303236621/

Posted on Facebook 5/6

Rena Kraut is a local freelance clarinetist who occasionally “subs” for the MN Orchestra, who is lucky enough to be going on the trip to Cuba next week, and who also happens to be a very fine writer. Luckily for us, MPR has contracted with Rena to write dispatches from the field! Her first post includes interesting insights into the world of a professional orchestral musician, observations about the unique relationship MN Orchestra musicians have with us, their audience, and more.  Read it here:  http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/05/notes-cuba-an-introduction

Our friend Scott Chamberlain will be accompanying the Orchestra to Cuba too, and writing for MinnPost. He recently posted a reading list for those of us who want to know more about the country, its history, its music, the Revolution, Havana, its fiction & literature, etc. Read Scott’s post here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/a-cuban-reading-list/

And yesterday MPR announced that next Friday’s and Saturday’s concerts from Havana will be broadcast live! More info here:  http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/05/05/listen-live-to-mn-orchestra-s-historic-cuba-concerts-on-classical-mpr 

Do we live in the best state in the country, or what!?!

Posted on Facebook 5/1

Cuba – are you eager to learn more about its history, its music, the Revolution, Havana, its fiction & literature, etc.?

Well, our friend the intrepid blogger (and soon-to-be reporter) Scott Chamberlain is here to help! Scott has assembled a fantastic reading list of books about Cuba. See it here:  https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/…/a-cuban-read…/

A huge THANK YOU to those of you who helped raise the funds that will allow Scott to join the press corps for the MN Orchestra’s Cuba trip later this month! Stay tuned for his dispatches from the field. Meanwhile, happy reading!

Posted on Facebook 4/18

Did you see Kevin Smith talking about the Cuba trip on Almanac last night? Watch it here:  http://www.mnvideovault.org/index.php?id=27672&select_index=4&popup=yes#4

May 15-16. Our beloved MN Orchestra musicians, led by Osmo Vänskä. Broadcast on MPR May 15. Covered by Twin Cities, national, Cuban and international press. Our musicians sharing their knowledge in a "side by side" rehearsal with Cuban students. A collaboration with the Cuban choir "Coro Entrevoces." WOW!

Posted on Facebook 4/27

It doesn’t get much more American than a brass quintet, and our MN Orchestra power combo – wow, just wow!  You’ve seen them at Sociable Cider Werks, you’ve seen them at the “Get in Gear” race, now see them in the Orchestra Hall Target Atrium late night on Saturday, May 9!

Grab a complimentary drink then settle in at 10:30 to hear music of Gershwin, Tilson Thomas, Bernstein and more, played by Doug Carlsen, Charles Lazarus, Michael Gast, Doug Wright, and Steven Campbell. It will be very convenient for those of you attending the Eric Whitacre concert that evening, but this event is open to everyone – tickets are just $10.00   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/443/-/nightcap-american-voices-for-brass#.VT6czSFViko

Can you think of a better way to spend a balmy May evening? We can’t! Join us.  

Posted on Facebook 5/8

If you haven’t caught some late-night jazz in the Orchestra Hall Atrium yet, you owe it to yourself to give it a try! The sound and intimate setting are great, you can watch pedestrians and cars going by on Nicollet and 11th Street through the big windows (or even wave at them!), and you can enjoy some very fine performances while you sip your favorite beverage from the bar just outside the Atrium.

Tonight, for example, you can hear American trumpeter, composer and educator Ron Miles along with Bryan Nichols on piano, Anthony Cox on bass/cello, and JT Bates on drums. What a cool way to end the evening! More info and tickets ($15) here:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/466/-/ron-miles-with-the-atrium-jazz-ensemble#.VUyrUflViko

Or, if a Saturday soirée fits your calendar better, consider tomorrow night’s 10:30 session with the MN Orchestra’s brass quintet in that same venue. Read our post about that event here:   http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/may-2015/may-9-nightcap

Happy weekend!

Posted on Facebook 5/4

SINGERS! We know that you love Eric Whitacre and his choral music – and rightfully so!  Experience three world premieres of his compositions – a new orchestral arrangement of “Lux Aurumque” and the MN Chorale performing “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!” and “Deep Field” with the Orchestra. What a testament to the MN Chorale and the MN Orchestra that Eric chose to premier these works right here in Minneapolis!

Whitacre conducts these concerts this Friday & Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. They also include Aaron Copland’s 1941 “Quiet City” featuring Marni Hougham on English horn and Manny Laureano on trumpet, Stephen Paulus’ deeply moving “Pilgrim’s Hymn,” a new orchestral arrangement of Steven Bryant’s “Ecstatic Waters,” and Jonathan Newman’s “Blow It Up, Start Again.”  Eric will undoubtedly address the audience from the stage in his always-charming and always-informative style! 

Read about Whitacre’s “Deep Field” and the amazing technology that will allow YOU to be one of the “performers” in our previous posts for this program (see below).

If you don’t already have your tickets ($29-$96), here’s where to get them:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/386/-/eric-whitacre#.VUIx9flVikp   A few small “clumps” of seats are still available for each performance, so you and your choir pals might even be able to sit together if you snap them up soon!

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

Posted on Facebook 5/3

Avoid the rush! Download Eric Whitacre’s “Deep Field” app to your smartphone today so that it’s ready to go when it’s time for you to “play your part” in this weekend’s concerts!

Meanwhile, you can look at some great photos on the app, watch a short video by Eric, and read some background info. And then, at the concert, when Eric gives the signal, you will become a “player” in the final measures of the piece – your phone will participate in creating “shimmering ambient music” in the Hall and a picture of one of the galaxies discovered by the Hubble telescope will appear on your screen.  All of us together will thus recreate a portion of the huge Hubble image. SO COOL!

Just search for “Deep Field Eric Whitacre” in the App Store or Google Play Store. (We hear that the wi-fi signal has been strengthened in the Orchestra Hall lobby, so you should be able to download the app before the concert or at intermission as well, but don’t risk it – download it now!)

Click here for a video in which Whitacre talks about “Deep Field” and other pieces on the program:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RFl1azxI-g

If you don’t already have your tickets ($29-$96), here’s where to get them:  http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/386/-/eric-whitacre#.VUIx9flVikp 

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

Posted on Facebook 4/30

TECHNOLOGY meets ART! Don’t leave home without your smartphone for the May 8-10 concerts!  We’ll post more about these performances over the next few days, but we’ll start today with this intriguing video from composer/conductor Eric Whitacre:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6htUXEalbhI 

Yup, we in the audience will be asked to USE our smartphones during the performance of “Deep Field.” Wow. This is a first!

Get your tickets right now so that you don’t risk missing this “happening!”   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/386/-/eric-whitacre#.VUIx9flVikp

We hope to see you and your phone at Orchestra Hall!

Posted on Facebook 4/30

“…possibly the most interesting [program] of the entire season so far…” says Michael Anthony in his review for the StarTribune this morning. Read it here:  http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/302015831.html

Just a few tickets remain for tonight’s performance. Get yours online or by calling the box office at 612.371.5656   http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/384/-/bernstein-and-copland#.VUN-e_lViko

Posted on Facebook 4/29

Three all-American guys are giving us a big present this week:  a brand new all-American trumpet concerto! Composer Steve Heitzeg, MN Orchestra trumpet Charles Lazarus, and MN Orchestra Board member Paul Grangaard (who commissioned the piece) collaborated on “American Nomad” – read all about it in Pamela Espeland’s MinnPost column:   http://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2015/04/minnesota-orchestra-premiere-american-nomad-trumpet-concerto

Then watch Charles Lazarus tell (and demonstrate!) a little more about the piece in this short video:  https://www.facebook.com/minnesotaorchestra/videos/vb.54292558044/10152784009068045/?&theater

Then click here for more info and tickets to Thursday morning’s or Friday evening’s concert:   https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/383/-/bernstein-and-copland#.VTMKByFViko 

A big SOSMN thank you to Steve, Charles and Paul. We can hardly wait to hear the result of your collaboration!

Posted on Facebook 4/28

Burt Hara. The Copland Clarinet Concerto. This Thursday & Friday. Need we say any more?

Well, perhaps just a little! Former MN Orchestra Principal Clarinet Burt Hara brings his spectacular silky mellifluous sound back to the Twin Cities (from Los Angeles, where he now plays with the LA Philharmonic) to perform the gorgeous Copland concerto in this concert of American music. 

If you are new to the Twin Cities, trust us – you want to hear Burt!

If you’ve been around a while, we know that you love Burt – come and show him how much you miss him!

A few tickets remain. Get them here:  https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/383/-/bernstein-and-copland#.VTMKByFViko  or by calling the box office at 612.371.5656

Posted on Facebook 4/26

Critics heaped praise on the MN Orchestra’s March 2012 world premier of Judd Greenstein’s “Acadia.” Hear it again this Thursday and Friday in a program that also includes Bernstein’s “Divertimento,” Heitzeg’s “American Nomad” (a world premier featuring our own Charles Lazarus on trumpet) and Copland’s Clarinet Concerto (featuring our old friend Burt Hara).

William Randall Beard wrote this for the StarTribune three years ago:  “At times, [“Acadia”] sounded like a lush, epic film score, sometimes complicated by strong dissonances. But sections composed using modal scales created the feeling of innocent folk music. He could whip the music into a frenzied cacophony, but he always seemed completely in control of the effects he was creating. In the finale, he drew all the elements together into a quiet and very satisfying conclusion.” Read his full review here:  http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/145405695.html

Rob Hubbard wrote in the PioneerPress: “…he shows off a good storyteller's sense of arc, introducing conflict, letting the sides be heard, then resolving in something triumphal and transcendent.” Read his full review here:   http://www.twincities.com/music/ci_20295467/acadia-shows-off-greensteins-triumphant-transcendent-vision

And our friend Emily Hogstad wrote this in her “Song of the Lark” blog: “Certain passages were so clever and so unexpectedly beautiful that I looked around to try to catch someone, anyone’s, eye. ‘Can you believe this?’, I wanted to ask them. ‘Are you feeling what I am? What am I feeling? Because I don’t know – I’ve never felt anything like this before. What do you think?’ But no one else met my glance; rows upon rows of people were totally absorbed, sitting absolutely quietly, concentrating. No coughs, no sneezes, no rustling of programs. It felt as if the very walls were listening.” Read Emily’s whole blog post here:  https://songofthelark.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/review-premiere-of-judd-greensteins-acadia-minnesota-orchestra/ 

You can even listen to a recording of the piece on the composer’s website – just click here:   http://www.juddgreenstein.com/works/acadia.html

Then scurry right over to the MN Orchestra’s ticketing system to snap up some of the few remaining seats!  https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/383/-/bernstein-and-copland#.VTMKByFViko  Or call the box office at 612.371.5656

We hope to see you Thursday morning or Friday night.

Posted on Facebook 4/19

April 30 – May 1 – familiar and new “American Voices” with our MN Orchestra and some of our favorite soloists. A few tickets remain, so read this intro from Julie Stewart (a member of SOSMN’s leadership team) and then get your tickets here:  https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/383/-/bernstein-and-copland#.VTMKByFViko

American Voices: Made in America celebrates (you guessed it!) American music, presenting Aaron Copland’s justifiably famous Clarinet Concerto, a lesser-known but terrific Divertimento by Leonard Bernstein, and two very new works: Steve Heitzeg’s ‘American Nomad’ (a world premiere), written for and featuring the Orchestra’s own Charles Lazarus on trumpet, and Judd Greenstein’s ‘Acadia,’ a work commissioned and premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra in 2012.  Burt Hara, the Orchestra’s former principal clarinetist, will be returning from Los Angeles to play the Copland, to a no doubt warm and boisterous welcome from the audience.  

Bernstein’s Divertimento starts off sounding a bit like West Side Story but quickly morphs into many other varying moods and sounds, all packed into less than 20 minutes.  The Copland is a study of opposites: the haunting, soulful first movement (can any other instrument do haunting and soulful the way a clarinet can?), followed by the jazzy, upbeat and dazzling second movement.  The Heitzeg and Greenstein will both be new to my ears, and I can’t wait to hear them.   

Throughout the concert, I’ll be listening for what unites all these pieces - what makes them recognizably American?  Jazzy rhythms, melodies as simple and sweeping as the prairie sky, a certain informality, a certain optimism, perhaps even a touch of innocence?  Whatever it is, join us and you’ll get a chance to judge for yourself in these concerts April 30 – May 1.