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MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA

2020-21 SEASON CALENDAR

Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts

SEASON OPENING: VÄNSKÄ AND THIBAUDET

Thursday, September 24, 2020, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, September 25, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, September 26, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Osmo Vänskä, conductor

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

MONTGOMERY Strum

ROSSINI Overture to William Tell

MACMILLAN Piano Concerto No. 3, The Mysteries of Light

BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique

Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra begin the 2020-21 season with the bold musical

painting of Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique. The program also features an inventive and celebratory

work by Jessie Montgomery and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet as the soloist in a concerto by Scotland’s

James MacMillan that was premiered by Thibaudet and the Minnesota Orchestra in 2011.


GERSTEIN PLAYS RACHMANINOFF: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4

Friday, October 2, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, October 3, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Kirill Gerstein, piano

AUERBACH Icarus

RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 4

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 1

Date: April 17, 2020

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Kirill Gerstein continues his cycle of performing Rachmaninoff’s piano-and-orchestra pieces with the

Minnesota Orchestra with Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano concerto at the center of an all-Russian program

conducted by Osmo Vänskä. The concerts begin with Lera Auerbach’s Icarus and conclude with

Shostakovich’s First Symphony.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY CONCERT

Saturday, October 3, 2020, 11 a.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Lyndie Walker, host

Minnesota Orchestra musicians and talented guest musicians from the audience perform in the Target

Atrium. This inclusive and interactive concert is designed for patrons of all ages and abilities, including

individuals on the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities.

Visit minnesotaorchestra.org/sensoryfriendly for more information.

Live at Orchestra Hall

STAR WARS IN CONCERT: RETURN OF THE JEDI

Thursday, October 8, 2020, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, October 9, 2020, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, October 10, 2020, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Sunday, October 11, 2020, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Sarah Hicks, conductor

“I am a Jedi, like my father before me...” In the spectacular climactic sixth episode of the Star Wars saga,

Darth Vader readies the second Death Star to unleash the final blow to the Rebel Alliance. A full-length

movie screening accompanied by a live performance of John Williams’ Oscar®-nominated score brings this

epic battle for the galaxy to life.

© 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © DISNEY.


GUARANTORS’ WEEK: VÄNSKÄ, KAVAKOS AND PAULUS




Minnesota Orchestra


Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Barry Abelson, cantor

Leah Brzyski, soprano

Christina Baldwin, mezzo

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Joseph Leppek, tenor

Aaron Keeney, bass-baritone

Minnesota Chorale

Minnesota Boychoir

Basilica Cathedral Choirs

Basilica Cathedral Choristers

LEE Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula

SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1

PAULUS To Be Certain of the Dawn

In 2005 the Orchestra premiered Stephen Paulus’ Holocaust memorial oratorio To Be Certain of the Dawn,

with libretto by Michael Dennis Browne. In these special concerts, led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, the

Minnesota Orchestra performs the complete work again in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the

liberation of the Nazi death camps. The Orchestra also performs music by contemporary composer James

Lee III that celebrates the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles, and violinist Leonidas Kavakos plays the heart-

wrenching First Concerto of Shostakovich.

Young People’s Concerts

SYMPHONY SPOOKTACULAR

Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Thursday, October 22, 2020, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Chia-Hsuan Lin, conductor

In the Heart of the Beast Mask and Puppet Theatre

Program to include selections from:

GRIEG In the Hall of the Mountain King, from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1

SAINT-SAËNS Danse macabre

FRANK Danza del Pueblo, from Requiem for a Magical America

MUSSORGSKY A Night on Bald Mountain

WILLIAMS Hedwig’s Flight, from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

CLYNE Auguries, from Abstractions

BACH/Stokowski Toccata, from Toccata and Fugue in D minor

BERLIOZ Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath, from Symphonie fantastique

Young People’s Concerts are the Minnesota Orchestra’s flagship education program, bringing students from

across the metro and state to Orchestra Hall to experience live symphonic music—in many cases for the first

time. Chia-Hsuan Lin conducts a fun program that explores “spooky” sounds through the music of Saint-

Saëns, Mussorgsky, John Williams, Berlioz and more.

For information on attending a Young People’s Concert, visit minnesotaorchestra.org/yp or contact the

Minnesota Orchestra’s Group Sales Department at (612) 371-5671.

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DISNEY IN CONCERT: TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

with the Minnesota Orchestra



Minnesota Orchestra


Filmmaker Tim Burton’s macabre mashup of Halloween and Christmas has been a movie favorite since

1993. The Minnesota Orchestra performs Danny Elfman’s frightfully original score live, while the movie

plays on the big screen.

Presentation Licensed by © DISNEY. All rights reserved.

Relaxed Family Concert

SYMPHONY SPOOKTACULAR


Minnesota Orchestra

Chia-Hsuan Lin, conductor

In the Heart of the Beast Mask and Puppet Theatre

Program to include selections from:

GRIEG In the Hall of the Mountain King, from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1

SAINT-SAËNS Danse macabre

FRANK Danza del Pueblo, from Requiem for a Magical America

MUSSORGSKY A Night on Bald Mountain

WILLIAMS Hedwig’s Flight, from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

CLYNE Auguries, from Abstractions

BACH/Stokowski Toccata, from Toccata and Fugue in D minor

BERLIOZ Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath, from Symphonie fantastique

Chia-Hsuan Lin conducts a 60-minute family-friendly concert that explores “spooky” sounds through the

music of Saint-Saëns, Mussorgsky, John Williams, Berlioz and more. The Minnesota Orchestra's Relaxed

Family Concerts are inclusive experiences for audiences of all abilities, including individuals on the autism

spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities.


RUNNICLES CONDUCTS HAYDN AND BRUCKNER

Thursday, October 29, 2020, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall


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Minnesota Orchestra

Donald Runnicles, conductor

Johannes Moser, cello

HAYDN Cello Concerto in C major

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7

Donald Runnicles makes a highly-anticipated return to Orchestra Hall to conduct Bruckner’s Seventh

Symphony. Also featured is cellist Johannes Moser, in performances of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major.


VALČUHA CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S NINTH

Thursday, November 5, 2020, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, November 6, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, November 7, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Melody Moore, soprano

Kelley O’Connor, mezzo

Siyabonga Maqungo, tenor

Mark S. Doss, bass-baritone

Minnesota Chorale

SCHREKER Chamber Symphony

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9, Choral

For the first time in its history, the Minnesota Orchestra performs Austrian composer Franz Schreker’s

Chamber Symphony, as a prelude to a grand celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Juraj Valčuha leads

an acclaimed roster of soloists and the Minnesota Chorale in Beethoven’s masterpiece, the Ninth Symphony.

Music & Mindfulness

YOGA CLASS AT ORCHESTRA HALL

Sunday, November 8, 2020, 10 a.m. / Orchestra Hall Lobby

Minnesota Orchestra Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel plays musical selections while instructor Courtney Perry

from Life Time leads an all-levels yoga class that will inspire and center body and soul.


SCHEHERAZADE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Wednesday, November 11, 2020, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Thursday, November 12, 2020, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

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Minnesota Orchestra

Conductor to be announced

KOUYOUMDJIAN With Heart

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Flight of the Bumblebee

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Selections from Scheherazade

BACEWICZ Overture for Orchestra



time. This program highlights composer Rimsky-Korsakov’s storytelling through the tale of princess

Scheherazade and features the world premiere of With Heart, a new work by Armenian-American film

composer Mary Kouyoumdjian.




UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY GLEE CLUB


Saturday, November 14, 2020, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall


U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club

Charles Lazarus, trumpet

The talented young Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs join

forces with the Minnesota Orchestra to celebrate Veterans Day weekend in spectacular fashion. Together,

they’ll perform patriotic favorites, Broadway hits, choral and operatic classics, and collaborate with the

Minnesota Orchestra’s own Charles Lazarus on some very special arrangements.


Saturday, November 14, 2020, 11 a.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Lyndie Walker, host




Please note: the full Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.


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BRAHMS, MOZART AND STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD

Friday, November 20, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall


Minnesota Orchestra

Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor

Baiba Skride, violin

BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Haydn

MOZART Violin Concerto No. 4

STRAVINSKY The Firebird

If you’ve ever enjoyed one of the brilliant concert suites lifted from Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird, you’ve

heard a synopsis. Dima Slobodeniouk leads the Minnesota Orchestra in Stravinsky’s complete ballet, as well

as Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto, featuring virtuoso

violinist Baiba Skride.

Chamber Music in the Target Atrium

CHAMBER MUSIC: INSPIRATIONS

Sunday, November 22, 2020, 4:30 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Rui Du, violin

Sarah Grimes, violin

Céline Leathead, violin

Ben Odhner, violin

Catherine Schubilske, violin

Sam Bergman, viola

Kenneth Freed, viola

Jenni Seo, viola

Sabina Thatcher, viola

Katja Linfield, cello

Beth Rapier, cello

Erik Wheeler, cello

Kathryn Nettleman, bass

Susan Billmeyer, piano

HINDEMITH Sonata for Bass and Piano

MOZART String Quintet in C major

SCHUBERT String Trio in B-flat major

DVOŘÁK String Quintet in E minor

Minnesota Orchestra’s Chamber Music series begins with a program built out of unique inspirations. The

music, selected by Orchestra musicians, includes Dvořák’s American String Quintet, Hindemith’s Sonata for

Bass and Piano, one of Mozart’s string quintets and a trio by Franz Schubert.


DISNEY IN CONCERT: TOY STORY


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Sunday, November 29, 2020, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Nicholas Buc, conductor

Ever wonder what toys do when people aren’t around? Toy Story answers that question with a fantastic fun-

filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys—Woody, the lanky, likable cowboy, and

Buzz Lightyear, the fearless space ranger.

Presentation Licensed by ©DISNEY. All rights reserved.


BEETHOVEN AND DEBUSSY

Thursday, December 3, 2020, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, December 4, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

David Afkham, conductor

Ning Feng, violin

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, Pastoral

DUTILLEUX L’arbre des Songes (Tree of Dreams)

DEBUSSY La mer

David Afkham is one of Germany’s most gifted young conductors. In his first Minnesota Orchestra

appearance, he leads a program born outdoors including Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, the Pastoral;

Dutilleux’s violin concerto, Tree of Dreams, featuring violinist Ning Feng; and Debussy’s abstract painting

of the sea, La mer.


MERRY AND BRIGHT

Saturday, December 5, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall


The Lazarus Brass

Tommy Barbarella, keyboards

Jeff Bailey, bass

David Schmalenberger, drums

Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter Charles Lazarus brings his program of holiday hits back to Orchestra Hall for

the sixth consecutive season, performing holiday favorites ranging from an intimate version of Christmas

Time is Here to a New Orleans-style Frosty the Snowman. Joining him are singers, a rhythm section and the

Lazarus Brass, an ensemble featuring several Minnesota Orchestra brass players. Please note: the Minnesota

Orchestra does not perform on this program.

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RUSSIAN MASTERS: RACHMANINOFF AND TCHAIKOVSKY


Saturday, December 12, 2020, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Xian Zhang, conductor

Kirill Gerstein, piano

CLYNE Within Her Arms

RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3

TCHAIKOVSKY Suite from Sleeping Beauty

TCHAIKOVSKY Francesca da Rimini

American conductor Xian Zhang makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut in a program that opens with Anna

Clyne’s tender memorial to her mother, Within Her Arms, and concludes with music of heroines from fairy

tale and history in Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Suite and Francesca da Rimini. The centerpiece: Kirill

Gerstein continues his cycle of performing Rachmaninoff’s piano-and-orchestra works with the Third Piano

Concerto.


HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS


Saturday, December 19, 2020, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Sunday, December 20, 2020, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Peter Rothstein, stage director

Kevin Kling, writer and storyteller

Robert Elhai and Peter Ostroushko, composers

Eric McEnaney, musical preparation

Christina Baldwin, ensemble

Robert O. Berdahl, ensemble

Greta Oglesby, ensemble

Huxley Westemeier, ensemble

The Minnesota Orchestra’s own holiday show, which debuted in December 2017, is back at Orchestra Hall

for its fourth season with old favorites and exciting, new material. Sarah Hicks conducts this unique program

conceived and directed by Peter Rothstein and written and narrated by Kevin Kling, with storytelling,

original musical arrangements, and guest artists from the Twin Cities music and theater communities.

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AN EVENING WITH GEORGE WINSTON

Monday, December 21, 2020, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

George Winston, piano

Grammy-winning pianist George Winston delivers a solo performance of his signature melodic folk, winter-

themed, New Orleans R&B and stride piano music, in addition to several new selections from his recently

released album Restless Wind.

Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.


AUDRA MCDONALD


Tuesday, December 22, 2020, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Andy Einhorn, conductor

Audra McDonald, vocals

American musical icon and six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald joins the Minnesota Orchestra

for a special concert featuring holiday music, plus a signature mix of art songs, pop tunes and Broadway

classics.

Minnesota Orchestra Dvořák Festival

A NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION: ROSS PLAYS THE CELLO CONCERTO

Thursday, December 31, 2020, 8:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, January 1, 2021, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Anthony Ross, cello

DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture

Cello Concerto

Symphony No. 8

The Minnesota Orchestra’s January festival of music by Antonín Dvořák begins with New Year’s Eve and

New Year’s Day concerts featuring the exciting Carnival Overture and the beloved Eighth Symphony.

Principal Cello Anthony Ross solos in the centerpiece of this New Year’s concert: Dvořák’s emotional Cello

Concerto.

The performance on December 31 includes a post-concert party with live music from Belle Amour vintage

jazz, a complimentary Champagne toast and a countdown to the New Year.

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EHNES PLAYS THE VIOLIN CONCERTO


Saturday, January 9, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


James Ehnes, violin

DVOŘÁK Serenade in E major for String Orchestra

Violin Concerto

Symphony No. 7

The second program of the Dvořák Festival features the Minnesota Orchestra’s longtime friend, violinist

James Ehnes, who performs the Violin Concerto. The program opens with the song-filled Serenade for

Strings and concludes with the fiery, dance-inspired Seventh Symphony.


DISCOVERING DVOŘÁK

Sunday, January 10, 2020, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


As part of the Minnesota Orchestra’s January Dvořák Festival, this one-hour Relaxed Family Concert

explores the music of Dvořák through the eyes of a young boy and Dvořák’s student Harry Burleigh. The

concert is conducted by Music Director Osmo Vänskä and will include many examples of Dvořák’s music,

performed by the full Orchestra. The Minnesota Orchestra's Relaxed Family Concerts are inclusive

experiences for audiences of all abilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum and those with

sensory sensitivities.


VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY

Thursday, January 14, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall


Minnesota Orchestra


Sunwook Kim, piano

DVOŘÁK Serenade in D minor for Wind Instruments

Piano Concerto

Symphony No. 9, From the New World

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One of the most beloved hymn melodies in the world of classical music, which draws inspiration from

African American spirituals, is found in the slow movement of Dvořák’s dramatic Ninth Symphony. Osmo

Vänskä leads the Minnesota Orchestra in this famous work and two other Dvořák gems: the Wind Serenade

and the Piano Concerto, performed by Sunwook Kim.


SYMPHONY IN 60: DVOŘÁK’S SYMPHONY NO. 9


Minnesota Orchestra


DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World

One of the most beloved hymn melodies in the world of classical music, which was inspired by the melodies

of African American spirituals, is found in the slow movement of Dvořák’s dramatic Ninth Symphony.

Osmo Vänskä leads the Minnesota Orchestra in the complete symphony within a 60-minute concert

experience. Symphony in 60 performances include a $5 happy hour, special food vendors and a chance to

meet the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra.


CLOUD CULT

Monday, January 18, 2021, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall (Rescheduled from 2019-20 season)

Tuesday, January 19, 2021, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall (Rescheduled from 2019-20 season)

Minnesota Orchestra


Cloud Cult

Following their sold-out performances at Orchestra Hall in April 2018, Cloud Cult is back onstage

with the Minnesota Orchestra. Working with the Orchestra’s musicians, Sarah Hicks and arranger

Andy Thompson, Cloud Cult will re-imagine songs from their extensive catalog to deliver an

inspiring and immersive evening of visual art and sound.

Please note that these concerts were originally planned for March 20 and 21, 2020. Ticket availability for the

rescheduled performances will be limited.


HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX™ IN CONCERT




Minnesota Orchestra


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Thestrals and prophecies and Umbridge, oh my! CineConcerts presents Harry Potter and the Order of the

Phoenix™ like it’s never been seen before. Let the wizarding world enchant you all over again as the film is

projected onto a giant screen and a live symphonic orchestra performs the score. Laugh, cry, and cheer at

your favorite scenes in this once-in-a-lifetime event.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Music & Mindfulness

MEDITATION AND MUSIC ONSTAGE AT ORCHESTRA HALL

Monday, January 25, 2021, 12 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Mariann Johnson, instructor

In collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing, each

Meditation and Music session will feature a musician or small ensemble from the Minnesota Orchestra with

guided meditation led by Mariann Johnson from the University of Minnesota.


INGRID FLITER PLAYS MOZART



Minnesota Orchestra

Thomas Søndergard, conductor

Ingrid Fliter, piano

SØRENSEN Evening Land

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23

RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 1

Thomas Søndergard, music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducts Rachmaninoff’s First

Symphony in his Minnesota Orchestra debut. Pianist Ingrid Fliter takes the solo spotlight in Mozart’s

beloved Piano Concerto No. 23, and the Orchestra also performs Bent Sørensen’s Evening Land, an

emotional work that receives its first Minnesota Orchestra performances in these concerts.


CELEBRATING BROADWAY’S LEADING LADIES


Minnesota Orchestra


Soloists to be announced

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This first-of-its-kind concert is conducted by Sarah Hicks, the Orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at

Orchestra Hall, and features selections from Wonderful Town, Chicago, Evita, Rent, Wicked, Hairspray and

Mean Girls, among other popular Broadway shows.


SOUNDS OF SPRING: DELIUS, DEBUSSY AND MENDELSSOHN

Thursday, February 4, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, February 5, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, February 6, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Juanjo Mena, conductor

Erin Keefe, violin

Juho Pohjonen, piano

MENDELSSOHN Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra

L. BOULANGER On a Spring Morning

DELIUS Spring Idyll

DEBUSSY Spring

Conductor Juanjo Mena’s most recent concert with the Minnesota Orchestra was on March 13, 2020,

performed as a live Minnesota Public Radio broadcast to an empty hall shortly after COVID-19 was declared

a global pandemic. His return to the Orchestra Hall podium brings the sounds and colors of spring, featuring

Lili Boulanger’s On A Spring Morning, Walter Delius’ Spring Idyll and Debussy’s Spring. In addition,

Concertmaster Erin Keefe is joined by Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen for Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto.


CHAMBER MUSIC: ARCHITECTURE

Sunday, February 7, 2021, 4:30 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Rui Du, violin


Felicity James, violin

Céline Leathead, violin

Peter McGuire, violin

Susie Park, violin

Rebecca Albers, viola

Sifei Cheng, viola

Richard Marshall, viola

Sabina Thatcher, viola

Jenni Seo, viola

Silver Ainomӓe, cello


Beth Rapier, cello

Anthony Ross, cello

MENDELSSOHN String Quintet in A major

BRITTEN String Quartet No. 1

BRAHMS String Sextet in G major

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A sparkling string quintet that came from the pen of 19-year-old Felix Mendelssohn sets the foundation for a

winter concert highlighting brilliant musical architecture. This concert, programmed by Orchestra musicians

and performed in the Target Atrium, also features Benjamin Britten’s ethereal String Quartet No. 1 and

Johannes Brahms’ rhapsodic Sextet in G major.

Young People’s Concert

PHILHARMONIA FANTASTIQUE

Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Thursday, February 11, 2021, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Catherine Carson, violin

COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Danse Négre, from African Suite

SIBELIUS Allegro, ma non tanto, from Violin Concerto

BATES Philharmonia Fantastique



time. This special program features Philharmonia Fantastique, an animated short film that uses new

technology to explore the instruments of an orchestra, with the music of Mason Bates performed as live

accompaniment. It also features a solo performance by Catherine Carson, the talented winner of YPSCA’s

Concerto Competition.



Minnesota Orchestra Special Concert

LUNAR NEW YEAR


Minnesota Orchestra


The Minnesota Orchestra presents a special concert dedicated to the Lunar New Year, a holiday centered

around new beginnings, good health, fortune and unity that has been celebrated in China for more than three

thousand years. Artists and program details will be announced at a later date.


LOVEJOY WITH CHARLES LAZARUS



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Tommy Barbarella, piano

Jeff Bailey, bass

David Schmalenberger, drums

Minnesota Orchestra trumpet player Charles Lazarus and his jazz combo offer fresh takes on classic love

songs and share feel-good originals on the Orchestra Hall stage in this Valentine-themed program.

Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.

Music & Mindfulness


Sunday, February 14, 2021, 10 a.m. / Orchestra Hall Lobby

A Minnesota Orchestra musician or duo plays musical selections while a local yoga instructor leads an all-

levels yoga class that will inspire and center body and soul.


BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN

in concert with the Minnesota Orchestra


Minnesota Orchestra


In 1925, film director Sergei Eisenstein created a remarkable and impactful silent film, Battleship Potemkin,

in the former Soviet Union. Eisenstein envisioned music for the film to be rewritten approximately every 20

years to retain relevance for future generations. In this special concert, Sarah Hicks conducts the Minnesota

Orchestra in a vibrant new score produced by Nate Farrington and Sebastian Chang, featuring some of the

most beloved orchestral works while the complete film is shown on a large screen above the stage.


ALL TOGETHER NOW WITH THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA


Minnesota Orchestra

Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

Minnesota Youth Symphonies


This special program begins with Philharmonia Fantastique, an animated short film that uses new

technology to explore the instruments of an orchestra, with the music of Mason Bates performed as live

accompaniment. We celebrate our community’s young classical musicians on the program’s second half as

students from the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies and Minnesota Youth Symphonies take the stage

in side-by-side performances with the Minnesota Orchestra.

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PHILHARMONIA FANTASTIQUE

Sunday, February 21, 2021, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Catherine Carson, violin

This special program features Philharmonia Fantastique, an animated short film that uses new technology to

explore the instruments of an orchestra, with the music of Mason Bates performed as live accompaniment.

The Minnesota Orchestra's Relaxed Family Concerts are inclusive experiences for audiences of all abilities,

including individuals on the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities.

Music & Mindfulness


Monday, February 22, 2021, 12 p.m. / Orchestra Hall




guided meditation led Mariann Johnson from the University of Minnesota.


TCHAIKOVSKY’S PATHÉTIQUE SYMPHONY

Thursday, February 25, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall


Minnesota Orchestra

Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor

Tobias Feldmann, violin

MAZZOLI Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)

PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 2

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, Pathétique

A regular guest of the Minnesota Orchestra, Nathalie Stutzmann returns to conduct performances of

Tchaikovsky’s stunning Sixth Symphony, Pathétique. 29-year old German violinist Tobias Feldmann gives

his Minnesota Orchestra debut in Prokofiev’s athletic Second Violin Concerto. The concerts open with the

Orchestra’s first-ever performances of Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres).


SYMPHONY IN 60: TCHAIKOVSKY’S SYMPHONY NO. 6, PATHÉTIQUE


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Minnesota Orchestra

Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, Pathétique

Nathalie Stutzmann leads the Minnesota Orchestra in a 60-minute concert experience featuring

Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, the Pathétique. Symphony in 60 concerts also feature $5 happy hours, local

food vendors and a chance to meet the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra.


VALČUHA CONDUCTS BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE

Friday, March 5, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, March 6, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Michelle DeYoung, mezzo

Gábor Bretz, bass-baritone

JANÁČEK Taras Bulba, Rhapsody for Orchestra

BARTÓK Bluebeard’s Castle

Juraj Valčuha conducts his second week of concerts in the Minnesota Orchestra’s 2020-21 season, leading

the Orchestra in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, a two-character, one-act operatic masterpiece. Bass-baritone

Gábor Bretz and mezzo Michelle DeYoung sing the two roles. On the front half of the program, the

Orchestra performs Janáček’s Taras Bulba, a rhapsody based on the writings of Russian novelist and

playwright Nikolai Gogol.


TAKING A STAND THROUGH MUSIC

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Thursday, March 11, 2021, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


BEETHOVEN Overture to Fidelio

SIBELIUS Finlandia

DAME ETHYL SMYTH March of the Women, from Overture to The Boatswain’s Mate

WILLIAM GRANT STILL In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy

MICHAEL ABELS Dance for Martin’s Dream

STRAVINSKY Finale, from Firebird

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time. Students will learn in this concert how Sibelius’ Finlandia was written to protest press censorship, and

how composers have reflected on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and stood up for women’s voting

rights. During a performance of the Finale from Stravinsky’s Firebird, images of community action from

local Minnesota classrooms will be projected on a large screen above the stage.




RICK STEVES’ EUROPE – A SYMPHONIC JOURNEY




Minnesota Orchestra


Rick Steves, host

Travel writer and television host Rick Steves pairs personal photos and breathtaking video with beloved

classical music selections by Wagner, Smetana, Verdi, Elgar, Grieg, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven on this

historical and musical tour of Europe. Principal Conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall Sarah Hicks leads the

Orchestra in this multimedia concert.


MAHLER’S THIRD SYMPHONY

Thursday, March 18, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall



Minnesota Orchestra


Sasha Cooke, mezzo

Women of the Minnesota Chorale

Minnesota Boychoir

MAHLER Symphony No. 3

Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra are joined by mezzo soloist Sasha Cooke—who

performed with the Orchestra for Mahler’s Second Symphony in 2018—and the Minnesota Boychoir and

women of the Minnesota Chorale for this epic Mahler masterpiece, which was voted one of the greatest

symphonies of all time in BBC Music Magazine.

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The Orchestra will record Mahler’s Third Symphony in the week following these performances for a future

release as part of the Mahler symphonies recording project.

Music & Mindfulness


Monday, April 5, 2021, 12 p.m. / Orchestra Hall




guided meditation led Mariann Johnson from the University of Minnesota.


VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO. 3

Thursday, April 8, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, April 9, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Grace Roepke, harp

HILLBORG Through Lost Landscapes

GINASTERA Harp Concerto

WALKER Lyric for Strings

BRAHMS Symphony No. 3

Minneapolis’ Grace Roepke is the first harpist ever to win the Grand Prize of the national Young Artist

Competition presented by Friends of the Minnesota Orchestra. Alongside her exciting debut is the U.S.

premiere of Through Lost Landscapes, an evocative new work from Sweden’s Anders Hillborg, and George

Walker’s tranquil Lyric for Strings. Brahms’ Third Symphony, his most noble and deeply personal work,

concludes this concert conducted by Osmo Vänskä.


SYMPHONY IN 60: BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO. 3

Saturday, April 10, 2021, 6 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


BRAHMS Symphony No. 3

In a compact Symphony in 60 setting, Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra perform

one of Brahms’ greatest works, his Third Symphony. Symphony in 60 performances include a $5 happy

hour, local food vendors and a chance to meet the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra.

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Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 11 a.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Lyndie Walker, host


Atrium. This inclusive and interactive concert is designed for patrons of all abilities, including individuals on

the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities.



MOZART, PROKOFIEV AND STRAUSS



Sunday, April 18, 2021, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Marc Albrecht, conductor

Simon Trpčeski, piano

MOZART Overture to The Marriage of Figaro

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3

R. STRAUSS Sinfonia domestica

Pianist Simon Trpčeski returns to our stage to perform Prokofiev’s brilliant Third Concerto in concerts led by

German conductor Marc Albrecht in his Minnesota Orchestra debut. The concert also includes Mozart’s

Marriage of Figaro Overture and Strauss’ Sinfonia domestica, which the composer described as a “partly

lyrical, partly humorous” day-in-the-life depiction of his household.


MUSICAL BUILDING BLOCKS

Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Thursday, April 22, 2021, 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Christopher Dragon, conductor

ROSSINI Overture to The Barber of Seville

SCHUBERT Selections from Symphony in B minor, Unfinished

SHOSTAKOVICH Allegro, from Symphony No. 10

CHÁVEZ Sinfonia India

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time. How do composers put together musical building blocks—tonal and rhythmic patterns, combinations of

harmonies, melodies, textures and more—to communicate with others? Students will find answers in this

concert featuring music of Rossini, Schubert, Shostakovich and Chávez.




WORDS AND MUSIC BY DAN WILSON




Minnesota Orchestra


Dan Wilson, vocals and guitar

Dan Wilson’s time with iconic Minnesota bands Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic has made him a household

name in the Twin Cities. But his work as a prolific songwriter for artists such as Adele and the Dixie Chicks

has made him a legend in the music industry. Wilson joins the Minnesota Orchestra to share his insights into

writing and to tell the stories behind the songs, including some of his most successful collaborations.

Music & Mindfulness


Sunday, April 25, 2021, 10 a.m. / Orchestra Hall Lobby

A Minnesota Orchestra musician or duo plays musical selections while a local yoga instructor leads an all-

levels yoga class that will inspire and center body and soul.


CHAMBER MUSIC: REFLECTIONS

Sunday, April 25, 2021, 4:30 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Cecilia Belcher, violin

David Brubaker, violin

Rebecca Corruccini, violin


Hanna Landrum, violin

Susie Park, violin

Emily Switzer, violin


Sam Bergman, viola

Megan Tam, viola

Silver Ainomӓe, cello

Beth Rapier, cello

Kristen Bruya, bass

Fei Xie, bassoon

Bruce Hudson, horn

Susan Billmeyer, piano

Mary Jo Gothmann, piano

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YUN Tattooed in Snow

SHOSTAKOVICH Quintet for Piano and Strings

FRANÇAIX Divertissement for Bassoon and String Quintet

BRAHMS Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano

This Sunday afternoon Chamber Concert features many of the Orchestra’s musicians in the intimate setting

of the Target Atrium. This program showcases the music of 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winner Du Yun in a

performance of her string quartet, Tattooed in Snow. Also featured are a String Quintet by Dmitri

Shostakovich, Jean Françaix’s cheerful Divertissement for Bassoon and String Quintet, and an unlikely trio

by Johannes Brahms.


BARTÓK AND DEBUSSY

Thursday, April 29, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall


Saturday, May 1, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Fabien Gabel, conductor

Isabelle Faust, violin

BARTÓK Violin Concerto No. 2

DEBUSSY Suite from Pelléas and Mélisande

RAVEL La Valse

Presented for the first time at Orchestra Hall, Debussy’s early 20th-century operatic masterwork Pelléas and

Mélisande is rendered in this sensuous concert suite. In his Orchestra Hall conducting debut, Fabien Gabel

leads the Orchestra in Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto, featuring Isabelle Faust, as well as Ravel’s whirling,

swirling La Valse.

MUSICMAKERS WITH OSMO VÄNSKÄ

and the Minnesota Orchestra

Friday, May 14, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Kevin Puts, Composer Institute director

Composers and works to be announced.

The culmination of the Orchestra’s 18th annual Composer Institute, this performance features the music of

seven of the country’s most gifted young orchestral composers, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of

music-making through onstage interviews with each composer. The experience includes a $5 happy hour,

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decadent local eats, and a chance to meet and chat with Minnesota Orchestra musicians and featured

composers.


KÖNIG, GRIEG AND SCHUMANN


Saturday, May 22, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Christoph König, conductor

Olga Kern, piano

GRIEG Piano Concerto

SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3, Rhenish

In his first Orchestra Hall concert, Christoph König conducts Schumann’s Third Symphony, inspired by the

Rhine River. Russian-American pianist Olga Kern also makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut, performing

Grieg’s Piano Concerto.


Saturday, May 22, 2021, 11 a.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall

Lyndie Walker, host






MANZE, GOMYO AND TCHAIKOVSKY

Thursday, May 27, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall


Minnesota Orchestra

Andrew Manze, conductor

Karen Gomyo, violin

BACEWICZ Concerto for String Orchestra

TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

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Violinist-turned-conductor Andrew Manze leads a celebration of strings in his Minnesota Orchestra debut,

beginning with the buoyant Concerto for String Orchestra by Grażyna Bacewicz—receiving its first

Minnesota Orchestra performances. Virtuoso violinist Karen Gomyo makes a highly-anticipated return to

Orchestra Hall to play one the most beloved of all 19th-century concertos, and the concert concludes with

Shostakovich’s famous, triumphant Fifth Symphony.


NORDIC FIRE: OSMO VÄNSKÄ AND TRULS MØRK

Thursday, June 10, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, June 11, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, June 12, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Truls Mørk, cello

FAGERLUND Ignite

PROKOFIEV Sinfonia concertante for Cello and Orchestra

NIELSEN Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable

Osmo Vänskä conducts a Nordic-inspired program, featuring Karl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4, The

Inextinguishable, and Finnish composer Sebastian Fagerlund’s Ignite—played for the first time by the

Minnesota Orchestra in these concerts. Acclaimed cellist Truls Mørk returns after two decades to take center

stage for the challenging and inspiring Sinfonia concertante by Prokofiev.

Chamber Music

CHAMBER MUSIC: CHARACTER

Sunday, June 13, 2021, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall Auditorium

Rui Du, violin


Felicity James, violin

Natsuki Kumagai, violin

Hanna Landrum, violin

Sophia Mockler, violin

Ben Odhner, violin

Susie Park, violin

Milana Elise Reiche, violin

Emily Switzer, violin


Kenneth Freed, viola

Gareth Zehngut, viola


Pitnarry Shin, cello

Kristen Bruya, bass

Roma Duncan, flute and piccolo

Adam Kuenzel, flute

Greg Milliren, flute

Julie Gramolini Williams, oboe

Gabriel Campos Zamora, clarinet

Gregory T. Williams, clarinet

Timothy Zavadil, clarinet and bass clarinet

James Romain, alto saxophone

J. Christopher Marshall, bassoon

Fei Xie, bassoon

Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, horn

Douglas C. Carlsen, trumpet

Kevin Watkins, percussion

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FRANÇAIX Woodwind Quartet

NORMAN Gran Turismo for Eight Virtuoso Violinists

WALTON Suite from Façade

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Phantasy Quintet

SPOHR Nonet for Strings and Winds in F major

The final concert of the 2020-21 Chamber Music series teems with character, from the race-car-inspired

drive behind Andrew Norman’s Gran Turismo to the abstract personalities in William Walton’s Suite from

Façade. The season concludes with Louis Spohr’s Nonet, especially written to showcase the individual

characters of its nine featured instruments.


BEETHOVEN MISSA SOLEMNIS

Thursday, June 17, 2021, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall

Friday, June 18, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, June 19, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra


Carolyn Sampson, soprano

Carolyn Sproule, mezzo

Barry Banks, tenor

James Rutherford, bass-baritone

Minnesota Chorale

FRANK Pachamama Meets an Ode

BEETHOVEN Missa Solemnis

Though Beethoven called this his Solemn Mass, it bursts with moments of ecstatic joy. Music Director Osmo

Vänskä conducts the Orchestra, with guests soprano Carolyn Sampson, mezzo Carolyn Sproule, tenor Barry

Banks, bass-baritone James Rutherford and the Minnesota Chorale. As a prelude and pairing, one of today’s

most acclaimed contemporary composers Gabriela Lena Frank has created Pachamama Meets an Ode, co-

commissioned by Classical Movements as part of a consortium that includes the Minnesota Orchestra.


VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 9

Saturday, June 26, 2021, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall (Rescheduled from the 2019-20 season)

Sunday, June 27, 2021, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall (Rescheduled from the 2019-20 season)

Minnesota Orchestra


The Minnesota Orchestra’s performances of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony and recording sessions in the week to

follow, originally scheduled for June 2020, were postponed due the COVID-19 pandemic.

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TICKET PURCHASING INFORMATION

All Minnesota Orchestra Subscription packages for the 2020-21 season are available to the general public online starting on

Friday, April 17, 2020. Classical subscription packages include three to 24 concerts featuring the same seat location for every

concert. Classical, Live at Orchestra Hall, Holiday, Chamber Music and Family performances as well as Music and Mindfulness

sessions are all available as part of a Minnesota Orchestra Create Your Own package available to the general public beginning

April 17, 2020. Current Minnesota Orchestra subscribers will be contacted with an invitation to renew their specific seats and series.

Flexible packages are available with an Easy Pass Package (six flexible vouchers) and can be used for most concerts, for one full year

from purchase date, including the 2021 Summer at Orchestra Hall season. Easy Passes are also redeemable for 2020-21 season

concerts beginning in August 2020. Individual tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, August 12, 2020.

Packages and tickets can be purchased at minnesotaorchestra.org.

Please note that our phones and offices are closed for the safety of our employees through May 8. Inquires made to our ticket sales

department at 612-371-5656 will be responded to as soon as possible. For packages, visit minnesotaorchestra.org/subscribe. For

groups of 10 or more, call 612-371-5662.

All programs, artists, dates, times and prices subject to change.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks

to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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