Acclaimed classical pianist surprises with Elton John

Swing into 2025 with William Eddins and the Minnesota Orchestra, as they perform Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and Antheil’s ‘Jazz Symphony,’ along with pianist Jon Kimura Parker. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, on YourClassical MPR.

When legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz gave the local premiere of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1933, he had already been playing the work for 10 years. And the Ukrainian teacher who taught it to him ended up in Duluth. Find out more!

Conductor Lina González-Granados made her Minnesota Orchestra debut in a concert featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker and music from the Roaring '20s. Listen to the concert now!

Minnesota Orchestra music director Thomas Sondergard shares a tongue-in-cheek secret of conducting during a chat with YourClassical MPR host Melissa Ousley at an MPR event.

Minnesota Orchestra music director Thomas Søndergård explains how he and his husband, baritone Andreas Landin, share their love of music during a chat with YourClassical MPR host Melissa Ousley at an MPR event.

Monday, April 15, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Neville Marriner, the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1979 to 1986. To mark the occasion, we're going back to a concert from April 2008, when he served as guest conductor. Melissa Ousley and Brian Newhouse host this special encore. Listen now!

While it has been unseasonably mild in the Twin Cities lately, it was bone-chillingly cold just a few weeks ago. That’s when a Minnesota Orchestra concert, anchored by an unforgettable performance by cellist Anthony Ross, warmed the heart and ears of classical host Ward Jacobson.

On Jan. 1, Thomas Søndergård and the Minnesota Orchestra, along with pianist Stephen Hough, welcomed 2024 with a sparkling concert featuring music by Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Listen to the concert now!

When pianist Stephen Hough returns to Minneapolis to perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s ‘Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’ with the Minnesota Orchestra on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, he will be following in the footsteps of the great Russian composer, who gave the Minnesota premiere of his work in 1935, with conductor Eugene Ormandy and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Find out more!

On Jan. 1, 2023, conductor Mei-Ann Chen and the Minnesota Orchestra rang in the new year with a program featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and a piece by Jessie Montgomery performed by special guest Awadagin Pratt. Listen to the concert now as we prepare for 2024!