Thomas Søndergård leads the Minnesota Orchestra in Mozart’s 'Requiem'

Olivier Messiaen once said, “My faith is the grand drama of my life.” In Les Offrandes Oubliées (The Forgotten Offerings), he compares the last section to a faraway stained-glass window. It is a fitting segue to Mozart’s Requiem, the Austrian composer’s epic last work. This contemplative Minnesota Orchestra program offers the chance to dive into memories that require extra time and space. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, on YourClassical MPR.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Andrea Carroll, soprano *
Taylor Raven, mezzo-soprano *
Evan LeRoy Johnson, tenor *
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone *
Minnesota Chorale *

OLIVIER MESSIAEN Les Offrandes Oubliées (The Forgotten Offerings)
GABRIELA ORTIZ Tzam
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Requiem *

‘Thomas Søndergård: Taken by the Sound’

Melissa Ousley joined Minnesota Orchestra music director Thomas Søndergård in his native Denmark last year to explore some of the most important places in his life. Join them as they walk through his memories, musical and otherwise, in this documentary short.

Previous concerts

Goosby and Søndergård perform Mendelssohn with the Minnesota Orchestra

To paraphrase violinist Randall Goosby’s mentor, Itzhak Perlman, “If you want to capture the attention of the audience, you have to be moved by the music yourself.” Taking those words to heart, this rising artist played with absolute conviction as he joined the Minnesota Orchestra for Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto on Friday, Nov. 15. Also on the program was Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of a piano quartet by Johannes Brahms. Listen to the concert now!

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin *

UNSUK CHIN Frontispiece
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto *
JOHANNES BRAHMS/ARNOLD SCHOENBERG Piano Quartet No. 1 (orchestration)

Vänskä and Ross join the Minnesota Orchestra for Prokofiev, Shin and Walton

While reading W.B. Yeats during the pandemic, Donghoon Shin felt an immediate connection between the poetry’s sense of despair and what was happening around him. Discover where that led him and hear the music of two composers writing near the mid-20th century as the Minnesota Orchestra, featuring principal cellist Anthony Ross, performs William Walton’s Cello Concerto, followed by Sergei Prokofiev’s wartime Symphony No. 5, conceived as “glorifying the grandeur of the human spirit.” Listen to the concert now!

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Anthony Ross, cello *

DONGHOON SHIN Upon His Ghostly Solitude
WILLIAM WALTON Cello Concerto *
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5

Upcoming concerts

Friday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. — The Best of Bach

Mandolin superstar Avi Avital says that “there’s something about the music of Bach that is so absolute, so universal, that the instrument you play doesn’t really matter.” He drives that point home when he borrows concertos Bach wrote for harpsichord and violin. The plot thickens with a series of Bach pieces reimagined for the modern symphony orchestra.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Jordan de Souza, conductor
Avi Avital, mandolin *

GUSTAV MAHLER Bach Suite
ARVO PÄRT If Bach Had Been a Beekeeper
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056 (trans. for mandolin)
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 (trans. for mandolin)
BETSY JOLAS Letters from Bachville
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH/EDWARD ELGAR Fantasia and Fugue in C minor
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH/LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH/LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI Ein feste Burg
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH/STANISŁAW SKROWACZEWSKI Toccata and Fugue in D minor*
PAUL HINDEMITH Ragtime on a Theme of J.S. Bach

*Performed during the Minnesota Orchestra's 1974–75 inaugural season at Orchestra Hall.

Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. — Jon Kimura Parker Plays Gershwin

100 years ago, George Gershwin struck gold with Rhapsody in Blue. It was part of a trend to blend jazz and classical music in the concert hall — and although George Antheil predicted that his own jazz symphony would “put Gershwin in the shade,” that didn’t exactly pan out. Still, it’s a hoot to hear the two works side by side.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin *

DUKE ELLINGTON Three Black Kings
TRADITIONAL/MARGARET BONDS He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
GEORGE GERSHWIN Songs to be announced
GEORGE ANTHEIL A Jazz Symphony
GEORGE GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue

Friday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. — Nordic Landscapes and Portraits

If you like exploring new musical terrain, you’ll love this evocative program that explores Nordic landscapes and portraits. Hear the fresh voices of Iceland’s Daníel Bjarnason and Denmark’s Bent Sørensen, alongside an overture from the last century by Sweden’s Elfrida Andrée and Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. The playing of principal clarinet Gabriel Campos Zamora in Carl Nielsen’s stormy and dramatic Clarinet Concerto will remind you why he’s a local treasure.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Gabriel Campos Zamora, clarinet *

ELFRIDA ANDRÉE Concert Overture
CARL NIELSEN Clarinet Concerto *
DANÍEL BJARNASON Air to Breath from Bow to String
BENT SØRENSEN Evening Land
OUTI TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations
JEAN SIBELIUS Finlandia

Friday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. — Nordic Tales and Folklore

Our Nordic adventures continue, this time anchored by selections from Grieg’s beloved Peer Gynt. You’ll also hear how Norway’s Ørjan Matre takes a collection of Grieg piano pieces and creates an otherworldly and welcoming soundscape. Fun Fact: Denmark’s Carl Nielsen was at the summer home of Grieg’s widow when he began to compose his Violin Concerto.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Johan Dalene, violin *

ØRJAN MATRE Lyric Pieces
CARL NIELSEN Violin Concerto *
HUGO ALFVÉN The Mountain King Suite
EDWARD GRIEG Selections from Peer Gynt

Friday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. — Liszt and Dvořák

Piano works by Franz Liszt exude drama and virtuosity, fitting pianist George Li perfectly. Li’s focus on English literature changed his approach to music — and is exemplified in his Tchaikovsky Competition Silver Medal. Du Yun’s Kracken addresses in-betweenness, and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6 gets some well-deserved attention.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Nuno Coelho, conductor
George Li, piano *

DU YUN Kraken
FRANZ LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1
ANTONIN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 6

Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. — Lunar New Year Celebration

Celebrate the Year of the Snake as we gather together with family and friends to share music that honors family traditions and themes of unity and health.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Norman Huynh, conductor
Ying Li, piano *
Gao Hong, pipa **
Fei Xie, artistic consultant

LI HUANZHI Spring Festival Overture
DAI WEI Awakening Lion
UNSUK CHIN subito con forza
YIN CHENGZONG/CHU WANGHUA Yellow River Piano Concerto *
HUANG RUO Saibei Dance from Saibei Suite No.2
MAURICE RAVEL Empress of the Pagodas from Mother Goose Suite
VIET CUONG New Work [World Premiere]
GAO HONG Musical Journey for Pipa and Orchestra **

Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. — Susie Park Plays Ortiz

Whipping winds, bombastic percussion and shimmering strings — this captivating program is pulsing with new energy and features not one, but three pieces performed by the Minnesota Orchestra for the first time. First, Chilean-born conductor Paolo Bortolameolli introduces audiences to Miguel Farías’ evocative Retratos Australes. Then our own First Associate Concertmaster Susie Park performs Gabriela Ortiz’s blazing violin concerto. Finally, you might be reminded of Igor Stravinsky when you hear Silvestre Revueltas’ La Noche de los Mayas, a 1930s film score drawn from Mayan folklore.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Paolo Bortolameolli, conductor
Susie Park, violin *

MIGUEL FARÍAS Retratos Australes
GABRIELA ORTIZ Altar de Cuerda for Violin and Orchestra *
SILVESTRE REVULETAS La Noche de los Mayas

Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. — Søndergård, Mozart and Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky was hesitant to compose a violin concerto, but once he got on board he didn’t hold back. Experience two sides of this multifaceted composer with his virtuosic concerto and his Bach-inspired Dumbarton Oaks. Plus, a Mozart symphony that asks the orchestra to play the last movement “as fast as possible.”

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Isabelle Faust, violin *
Minnesota Chorale

JOSEPH HAYDN Te Deum
IGOR STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms
IGOR STRAVINSKY Violin Concerto *
JOSEPH HAYDN Symphony No. 92 (Oxford)

Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m. — Søndergård Conducts Mahler Symphony No. 1

Dorothy Howell was 21 when her symphonic poem, Lamia, was first performed at the Proms. Just over 100 years later, it gets a long-awaited first performance by the Minnesota Orchestra. While Keats inspired Howell, Benjamin Britten turned to the poetry of Rimbaud for Les illuminations. American soprano Julia Bullock finds meaning and relevance in every word she sings in Britten’s captivating song cycle. To conclude, Thomas Søndergård leads a journey through the remarkable sound world of Gustav Mahler’s powerful Symphony No. 1.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Julia Bullock, soprano *

DOROTHY HOWELL Lamia
BENJAMIN BRITTEN Les Illuminations *
GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 1 (Titan)

Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m. — Erin Keefe Plays Beethoven

Dobrinka Tabakova’s relationship with Schubert began when she was a child and was drawn to the purity of his music. Her homage not only creates a universe where Schubert’s presence is felt, it’s also a cosmic portal to his Symphony No. 8. Plus, concertmaster Erin Keefe is in the spotlight with Beethoven’s beloved Violin Concerto.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Tabita Berglund, conductor
Erin Keefe, violin *

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto *
DOBRINKA TABAKOVA Fantasy Homage to Schubert
FRANZ SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished)

Friday, March 28 at 8 p.m. — Sir James MacMillan with the Minnesota Orchestra

Composer-conductor James MacMillan’s religious faith is at the core of his music. In his Minnesota Orchestra conducting debut, you’ll hear two powerful examples. He’ll also conduct one of the most popular hits by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who, despite not being religious, wrote the Russian Easter Overture that concludes with what he called “the unbridled pagan religious merry-making of Easter Sunday.”

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Sir James MacMillan, conductor
Sonia Mantell, cello *

RICHARD WAGNER Good Friday Spell from Parsifal
JAMES MACMILLAN Kiss on Wood for Cello and String Orchestra *
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Russian Easter Overture
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Isle of the Dead
JAMES MACMILLAN Woman of the Apocalypse

Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. — Beethoven Symphony No. 6

Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz felt a tiny invisible motor inside of her. “Thanks to this I run, not walk,” she said. That rings true in her compact Overture. Then hear how two boundless stars, Poland’s Marta Gardolińska and pianist Behzod Abduraimov, team up beautifully to uncover the soul of Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Marta Gardolińska, conductor
Behzod Abduraimov, piano *

GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ Overture
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 *
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

Friday, April 25 at 8 p.m. — Søndergård Conducts Future Classics

If you believe classical music has a vibrant future, you know it’s important to nurture the next generation of creators. The Composer Institute, a residency for emerging composers, culminates in this concert of exciting new music played with rigor, conviction and heart by the Minnesota Orchestra.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Kevin Puts, host and Composer Institute director *

Program TBA

Friday, May 2 at 8 p.m. — Søndergård Conducts Puccini’s Turandot

Although Puccini felt his creative powers were on the decline when he composed his last opera, he doesn’t appear to have run out of ideas. Thomas Søndergård, known for his skill in leading opera, now brings to the Twin Cities the high drama of Puccini’s Turandot, which features the emotionally riveting aria “Nessun Dorma.” The cast is headlined by star soprano Christine Goerke in the title role.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Christine Goerke, soprano
Adolfo Corrado, bass
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, soprano
Minnesota Chorale
Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs

GIACOMO PUCCINI Turandot

Friday, May 9 at 8 p.m. — Søndergård, Fliter and Mozart

Karim Al-Zand’s Luctus Profugis: Elegy for the Displaced is a lament for orchestra and percussion that reflects on the European refugee crisis of 2015-2019. Listen for the simple three-note motif that repeats for the duration, signifying refugees’ tenacity and resilience. Then listen to pianist Ingrid Fliter take on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17. The concert ends with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905), which references the Russian Revolution of that year.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Ingrid Fliter, piano *

KARIM AL-ZAND Luctus Profugis: Elegy for the Displaced
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Piano Concerto No. 17
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905)

Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m. — James Ehnes Plays Dvořák

The Czech influence is deeply felt in this program. For Janáček, we pull out all the stops with his Sinfonietta. In Smetana, we go beyond The Moldau for another treasure from his collection, Má Vlast. And James Ehnes, who was a teenager the first time he performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, returns to play Dvořák.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Edward Gardner, conductor
James Ehnes, violin *

GEORGE WALKER Folksongs
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Violin Concerto *
BEDŘICH SMETANA Tabor from Má Vlast
LEOŠ JANÁČEK Sinfonietta

Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m. — Heyward, Beethoven and Schumann

Two debut artists on this program you won’t want to miss: a pianist known for performing barefoot and a conductor who wears Chuck Taylors on the podium. Alice Sara Ott believes music has no timestamp, and Jonathon Heyward wants to break down musical barriers. Their collaboration is sure to be memorable.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Alice Sara Ott, piano *

HANNAH KENDALL He Stretches Out the North Over the Void and Hangs the Earth on Nothing 
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 *
ROBERT SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

Friday, June 6 at 8 p.m. — Fei Xie Plays Jolivet

Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony takes the 12-bar blues and explodes it into a lyrical, kaleidoscopic history of American music. A frequent Marsalis collaborator, Cristian Măcelaru has conducted the symphony in performances and a recording. Then listen to what many consider the most difficult concerto in the bassoon repertoire, played by our beloved principal bassoon Fei Xie. Don’t miss this trifecta of Minnesota Orchestra firsts!

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
Fei Xie, bassoon *

WYNTON MARSALIS Selections from Blues Symphony
ANDRÉ JOLIVET Bassoon Concerto *
GEORGE ENESCU Symphony No. 1

Friday, June 13 at 8 p.m. — Søndergård Conducts Rachmaninoff

Carlos Simon’s music challenges us to explore our past to mourn, celebrate and take ownership. This time, the gateway is dance — with ties to American slavery, Reconstruction and Jim Crow. Chopin Competition winner Bruce Liu says “Do not find yourself in the music, but find the music in yourself.” He’ll play Sergei Prokofiev’s dazzling Piano Concerto No. 3. The season concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s rhythmic Symphonic Dances.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Bruce Liu, piano *

CARLOS SIMON Four Black American Dances
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 *
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances

Thursday, June 19 at 7 p.m. — Juneteenth

In celebration and remembrance of Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans, the Minnesota Orchestra, alongside guests and members of the Twin Cities community, will perform a program featuring music by African-American composers.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Bruce Liu, piano *

JAMES P. JOHNSON Victory Stride
MARY D. WATKINS Soul of Remembrance from Five Movements in Color
MICHAEL ABELS Delights and Dances
JAMES LEE III Freedom’s Genuine Dawn
VALERIE COLEMAN Umoja
CARLOS SIMON “Ring Shout” from Four Black American Dances

‘Celebrating a Century on the Airwaves’

On most Friday nights, no matter where you are in the state — or in the world, for that matter — you can look forward to tuning into YourClassical Minnesota Public Radio to hear a live concert. From a radio debut in 1923 under Bruno Walter to television transmissions in the 1950s and the ensemble’s unprecedented international broadcast from Havana in 2015, the orchestra has always been on the forefront of finding new ways to connect audiences with music.

Reflecting on 100 years of radio broadcast history, MPR host Melissa Ousley sat down with historian John Michel, technical director Michael Osborne and former broadcast host and current orchestra staffer Brian Newhouse for a spirited retelling of this vital history.