MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2016-17
LIVE AT ORCHESTRA HALL, HOLIDAY AND JAZZ SERIES
“Live at Orchestra Hall” and Holiday seasons feature popular singers and instrumentalists, film music, jazz, Broadway, Bollywood and more;
Sarah Hicks returns as principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall
Headliners include Twin Cities rap artist Dessa; Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth; Ray Charles’ protégé Ellis Hall; and a line-up of Grammy-winners including trumpeter-bandleader Chris Botti, R&B band Boyz II Men,
trumpeter Doc Severinsen, pianist George Winston, and soprano Dawn Upshaw
Four major motion pictures are shown at Orchestra Hall while the Orchestra plays the score live onstage; Films include E.T., Ratatouille, Star Trek and It’s a Wonderful Life
Jazz in the Target Atrium’s third season, led by Jeremy Walker, showcases
the music of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
The Minnesota Orchestra today announced plans for the 2016-17 seasons of three widely varied series: Live at Orchestra Hall, Holiday Concerts, and Jazz in the Target Atrium. Live at Orchestra Hall, a series of popular music, jazz, Broadway classics, movie scores, world music and other genres, is led by Sarah Hicks, principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall. She conducts many of the series’ concerts, including the Minnesota Orchestra debut of Twin Cities rapper-vocalist Dessa, R&B group Boyz II Men, and screenings of the films Ratatouille and Star Trek (2009), with scores performed live. Assistant Conductor Roderick Cox conducts several programs during the 2016-17 season, including two specially-designed matinee family concerts for audience members of all ages.
The Holiday season includes concerts between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day that range from the Orchestra’s ever-popular performances of Handel’s Messiah and “Jingle Bell Doc” to the return of “Merry and Bright,” a program starring Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter Charles Lazarus, which was first performed at Orchestra Hall in December 2015 to great acclaim. The grand finale of the Holiday season is a pair of concerts, on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, with Music Director Osmo Vänskä conducting the Orchestra, as legendary American soprano Dawn Upshaw sings music from Broadway and the American songbook.
Jazz in the Target Atrium returns for its third season under the direction of composer and local jazz impresario Jeremy Walker. The three-concert series features musicians of the Atrium Jazz Ensemble who, over the course of the season, celebrate the musical genius of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane.
2016-17 LIVE AT ORCHESTRA HALL AND HOLIDAY CONCERTS
The Minnesota Orchestra’s 2016-17 Live at Orchestra Hall series presents a variety of exhilarating collaborations between the Orchestra and world-renowned artists—and each of these programs marks the artist’s debut performance with Minnesota Orchestra. Notably, a unique new program will feature the Twin Cities’ own rapper-vocalist Dessa (April 2017), internationally recognized for her beautiful alto voice and poetic style of communication, in a concert that will blur the boundaries between classical music and the hip-hop and rap genres. “Designing this show is one of the most exciting challenges of my career,” said Dessa. “It’s a chance to be bold, to buck expectations, and to work with players who have mastered their crafts. I am definitely buying new combat boots for this show!”
Also making appearances onstage with the Orchestra are Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth (March 2017);and the members of the Grammy-winning ’90s R&B band Boyz II Men (February 2017);vocalist Hilary Kole and pianist-vocalist Tony DeSare (February 2017) with masterful interpretations of classics from the Great American Songbook in a concert titled “With A Song in Our Heart”; and multi-instrumentalist and dynamic singer-songwriter Ellis Hall (October 2016), who brings the music of “Ray Charles, Motown and Beyond” to life. All of these programs are conducted by Sarah Hicks, principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall, with the exception of the Kristin Chenoweth concert, which is conducted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.
Other guests appearing onstage at Orchestra Hall in the 2016-17 season include Chris Botti (November 2016), a Grammy-winning trumpeter and bandleader who covers many genres in a dazzling program; organist Cameron Carpenter (February 2017), a culture-defying master of the International Touring Organ, who performs a live soundtrack for classic silent films as they are projected above the stage on a large screen; and the touring production of Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue (March 2017), which brings the electricity of traditional and modern Indian culture to Orchestra Hall through dance, live music and film for two dazzling evening programs. (Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on these programs.)
Turning the concert hall into a cinema with live musical performances is one of the fastest-growing trends in orchestral concert experiences. Sarah Hicks is a master of these programs, conducting the Orchestra in perfect synchronization while the films play on the large screen. The 2016-17 Live at Orchestra Hall series features four different films, with Hicks on the podium for two of them: Disney-Pixar’s Ratatouille (November 2017), a modern animated masterpiece that is a treat for all ages, and the 2009 Star Trek (July 2017) movie; the scores to both of these films were composed by Michael Giacchino. Also presented in cinematic style next season at Orchestra Hall is E.T The Extra-Terrestrial (October 2016), conducted by Steven Reineke, with music by John Williams; and led by conductor Justin Freer during the holiday series, the classic film It’s A Wonderful Life (December 2016), featuring music by Dimitri Tiomkin.
During the holiday season, the Orchestra welcomes back legendary trumpeter and conductor Doc Severinsen for his annual performances of “Jingle Bell Doc” with the Minnesota Orchestra. Also returning to celebrate the holidays this year is Orchestra trumpet player Charles Lazarus, with a reprise of last season’s brilliant performance of “Merry and Bright: A Big Brassy Christmas,” which features members of the Lazarus Brass, guest vocalists and Lazarus’ own rhythm section. Grammy-winning pianist George Winston will also return to the stage for a solo performance of his signature folk music, stride piano favorites and seasonal selections. The holiday season closes with Osmo Vänskä on the podium and American soprano Dawn Upshaw singing favorites from Broadway and beyond to ring in 2017 at New Year’s Celebration concerts.
Assistant Conductor Roderick Cox leads the Orchestra in two matinee Family Concerts in the 2016-17 season. The first features the tale of Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev (December 2016), while the second brings the return of Minnesota favorites and bluegrass masters The Okee Dokee Brothers (March 2017). Both programs are designed for audience members of all ages.
2016-17 JAZZ IN THE TARGET ATRIUM
Orchestra Hall’s popular Jazz in the Target Atrium series returns in 2016-17 with three concerts inspired by the music of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. The concerts feature the Atrium Jazz Ensemble, a collective of local and regional jazz musicians, with the complement of musicians shifting to fit the varying themes and instrumentations of each program. Directed for the third season by jazz impresario, pianist and composer Jeremy Walker, the series begins on October 21, 2016, with “Ballads,” a program drawing inspiration from two of John Coltrane’s greatest albums and featuring Walker on piano and Rodolfo Nieto as vocalist. On February 17, 2017, in “Money Jungle (Revisited)”the Atrium Jazz Ensemble and pianist Bryan Nichols take on a legendary recording of jazz icons Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. In the season finale on April 28, 2017, Walker and saxophone player Chris Thomson lead the Atrium Jazz Ensemble to tie the season together with “When Duke Met Coltrane”—a program which presents the foundations of jazz and is motivated by the bold creativity of Ellington and Coltrane. Thanks to the Orchestra’s continued partnership with JAZZ88, a one-hour version of each Jazz in the Target Atrium concert will be broadcast on KBEM (88.5 FM) in the weeks following the concert.
ADDITIONAL 2016-17 CONCERT SERIES
The Live at Orchestra Hall, Holiday and Jazz in the Target Atrium series are part of a larger 2016-17 concert season that also includes separately-announced Classical, Inside the Classics, Symphony in 60 and Chamber Music in the Target Atrium series, as well as Young People’s Concerts for school groups and homeschool students.
TICKET PURCHASING INFORMATION
Subscription packages for 2016-17 Classical, Inside the Classics, Symphony in 60 and Chamber Music in the Target Atrium series are available to the general public starting on Monday, April 4. Current Minnesota Orchestra subscribers will be contacted in phases (between March and June) with an invitation to renew their specific seats and series. Classical subscription packages include three to 24 concerts featuring the same seat location for every concert. Create Your Own packages go on sale beginning Monday, June 13. Flexible packages are available with an Easy Pass Package (six flexible vouchers) available for use now for the rest of the current 2015-16 Minnesota Orchestra season and 2016 Sommerfest, and redeemable for next season’s concerts beginning on July 20, 2016. Individual tickets for the 2016-17 season go on sale to the general public on July 29, 2016.
Packages and tickets can be purchased at minnesotaorchestra.org; by calling 612-371-5656 (612-371-5642 for subscriptions) or 800-292-4141 (open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and performance Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.); in person at the Orchestra Hall Box Office, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis (open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and beginning two hours before all ticketed performances); and in person at the Minnesota Orchestra Administrative Office, International Centre, 5th floor, 920 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis (open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For more information, call 612-371-5656, or visit minnesotaorchestra.org. For packages, call 612-371-5642 or visit minnesotaorchestra.org/subscribe. For groups of 10 or more, call 612-371-5662.
Included in the 2016-17 season are three mini-series offerings: the Saturdays at Six Series, which includes selected concerts with an earlier start time of 6 p.m. rather than 8 p.m; the Inside the Classics Series, which includes all three casual programs; and Symphony in 60 Series, which includes two Thursday evening 60-minute concerts.
All programs, artists, dates, times and prices subject to change.
The Star Tribune is the Minnesota Orchestra’s media partner for the 2016-17 season.
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.
# # #
2016-17 Season Calendar
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
SEASON OPENING: OSMO VÄNSKÄ AND JOSHUA BELL
Thursday, September 22, 2016, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, September 23, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
LEVIN Blur
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra begin the 2016-17 season with a performance of Todd Levin’s Blur, a virtuosic display for the musicians, featuring synthesizer and an immense percussion section. Then the Orchestra performs with one of today’s most exciting violinists, Joshua Bell, in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The program concludes with Brahms’ rich and inviting Second Symphony.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS PAULUS MASS
Thursday, September 29, 2016, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, September 30, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, October 1, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Michael Gast, horn
Brian Jensen, horn
Kathy Kienzle, harp
Minnesota Chorale, chorus
BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
GINASTERA Harp Concerto
PAULUS Mass for a Sacred Place
The spotlight is on the Orchestra’s Principal Harp Kathy Kienzle in these concerts, as she performs Ginastera’s Harp Concerto, a piece that has never been performed at Orchestra Hall. Opening the program is Bach’s First Brandenburg Concerto, which features the leaders of the ensemble’s string section and horn players Michael Gast and Brian Jensen; after intermission the Minnesota Chorale joins the Orchestra onstage to perform a poignant massby Stephen Paulus, the beloved Minnesota composer who passed away in 2014.
Live at Orchestra Hall
ELLIS HALL PLAYS RAY CHARLES, MOTOWN AND BEYOND
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Saturday, October 8, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Ellis Hall, piano and vocals
Dynamic multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and arranger Ellis Hall performs onstage with the Minnesota Orchestra in an evening filled with Ray Charles’ greatest hits as well as the music of Motown and a few of Hall’s own compositions.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
CELEBRATING SKROWACZEWSKI: BRUCKNER SYMPHONY NO. 8
Friday, October 14, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, October 15, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, conductor
BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8
There is no conductor in the world more recognized for his interpretations of Bruckner’s music than Minnesota Orchestra’s own Conductor Laureate Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. He leads the Orchestra in these performances of the Eighth Symphony, one of Bruckner’s most powerful and beautiful compositions.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
JOSEFOWICZ PERFORMS JOHN ADAMS
Thursday, October 20, 2016, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, October 21, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Edward Gardner, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin
BERLIOZ Overture to Benvenuto Cellini
RAVEL Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe
ADAMS Scheherazade.2
British conductor Edward Gardner makes his Minnesota Orchestra debut in performances featuring the fiery, virtuoso violinist Leila Josefowicz. The first half of the concerts include a brilliant overture by Berlioz and the lush music of Ravel in his Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe. Josefowicz takes the stage after intermission in Adams’ dramatic new symphony for violin and orchestra, a work that was written especially for her.
Jazz in the Target Atrium
BALLADS
Friday, October 21, 2016, 8 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall
Jeremy Walker,piano
Rodolfo Nieto, vocals
Atrium Jazz Ensemble
In Jazz in the Target Atrium’s season opening meditation on the ballad, the Atrium Jazz Ensemble draws inspiration from two of John Coltrane’s greatest albums: John Coltrane and Johnny Harman and his simply-titled Ballads.
Chamber Music in the Target Atrium
RAVEL AND BRAHMS
Sunday, October 23, 2016, 4 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall
David Brubaker, violin
Susie Park, violin
Helen Chang Haertzen, violin
Kenneth Freed, violin
Megan Tam, viola
Thomas Turner, viola
Pitnarry Shin, cello
Arek Tesarczyk, cello
William Schrickel, bass
Jason Arkis, drums
Timothy Lovelace, piano
BOLLING Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio
RAVEL Sonata for Violin and Cello
BRAHMS String Quintet No. 2
The extraordinary talent of Minnesota Orchestra musicians shines in this rich and diverse chamber music concert programmed and performed by members of the Minnesota Orchestra.
Live at Orchestra Hall
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Friday, October 28, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall Saturday, October 29, 2016, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Steven Reineke, conductor
Steven Reineke, principal conductor of the New York Pops, leads the Orchestra as they perform John Williams’ complete soundtrack to the all-time classic film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, while the movie is shown on the large screen.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
GUARANTORS’ CELEBRATION: VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
Thursday, November 3, 2016, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall*
Friday, November 4, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, November 5, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Esther Yoo, violin
Alan C. Page, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice (retired), narrator
COPLAND Lincoln Portrait
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World
Young American violinist Esther Yoo makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut in Bruch’s First Violin Concerto. The program opens with Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, featuring special guest Alan C. Page, retired justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, serving as narrator. Music Director Osmo Vänskä also conducts the Orchestra in Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony.
*This concert is part of the Orchestra’s Guarantors’ Celebration which honors the Orchestra’s many donors.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
GUARANTORS’ CELEBRATION: VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS MAHLER’S SIXTH
Friday, November 11, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall*
Saturday, November 12, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall*
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Claudio Puntin, clarinet
PUNTIN Clarinet Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 6
Claudio Puntin, a Swiss clarinetist-composer-producer, was asked by Osmo Vänskä to create the Clarinet Concerto that Puntin himself performs on these concerts. The concerto is paired with Mahler’s sweeping Sixth Symphony, which Vänskä and the Orchestra will record during this season. *These concerts are part of the Orchestra’s Guarantors’ Celebration which honors the Orchestra’s many donors.
Live at Orchestra Hall
CHRIS BOTTI
Friday, November 18, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Chris Botti, trumpet
Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and bandleader Chris Botti plays a dazzling concert featuring musical styles from jazz to pop to rock. Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.
Live at Orchestra Hall
DISNEY•PIXAR RATATOUILLE IN CONCERT
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Saturday, November 26, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Sunday, November 27, 2016, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Sarah Hicks takes the podium to lead the Orchestra in a performance of the music of the 2007 Disney-Pixar movie Ratatouille, as the complete film is shown on a large screen above the Orchestra. This event will captivate music and food lovers alike!
Holiday Concert
MERRY AND BRIGHT – A BIG, BRASSY CHRISTMAS WITH CHARLES LAZARUS
Friday, December 2, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Charles Lazarus, trumpet and flugelhorn
Tonia Hughes, vocals
Bruce A. Henry, vocals
Tommy Barbarella, keyboard
Jeff Bailey, guitar
David Schmalenberger, drums and percussion
The Lazarus Brass
Reprising last year’s holiday favorite, Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter Charles Lazarus brings his program of holiday hits back to Orchestra Hall, including gems 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 Minnesota Orchestra brass players. Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.
Family Concerts
PETER AND THE WOLF
Saturday, December 3, 2016, 1 p.m. & 3 p. m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Roderick Cox, conductor
Theatre de la Jeune Lune alumni, actors
PROKOFIEV Peter and the Wolf
Assistant Conductor Roderick Cox leads the Orchestra in two afternoon Family Concerts of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Brought to life by actors who are alumni of Theatre de la Jeune Lune, this program is the perfect introduction to the Orchestra for audience members of all ages.
Holiday Concerts|
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Friday, December 9, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, December 10, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Douglas Boyd, conductor
Minnesota Chorale, chorus
HANDEL Messiah
Conductor Douglas Boyd, one of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s first Artistic Partners, returns to the Twin Cities to perform Handel’s timeless classic with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Chorale.
Holiday Concerts
JINGLE BELL DOC
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Friday, December 16, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, December 17, 2016, 1 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Doc Severinsen, conductor and trumpet
Conductor-trumpeter Doc Severinsen, the Minnesota Orchestra’s beloved pops conductor laureate, performs his ever-popular “Jingle Bell Doc” concerts of holiday favorites and new arrangements. He leads the Orchestra, the Minnesota Chorale and additional performers to be announced.
Holiday Concerts
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE – LIVE
omplete Film with Live Orchestra
Saturday, December 17, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Sunday, December18, 2016, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Justin Freer, conductor
Conductor Justin Freer leads the Minnesota Orchestra in live performances of Dimitri Tiomkin’s timeless score for It’s A Wonderful Life. This classic movie is projected on the big screen as the Orchestra provides a live soundtrack in what will certainly be an inspirational holiday event.
Holiday Concert
GEORGE WINSTON
Friday, December 23, 2016, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
George Winston, piano
Grammy-winning pianist George Winston, returning to Orchestra Hall after a well-received program last season, delivers a solo performance of his signature melodic folk, New Orleans R&B and stride piano music. Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION CONCERTS
Saturday, December 31, 2016, 8:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Sunday, January 1, 2017, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Dawn Upshaw, soprano
Music Director Osmo Vänskä takes the podium for the third consecutive New Year’s Celebration, this time next to legendary American soprano Dawn Upshaw. She sings music from the great American songbook, Broadway and other favorites to ring in 2017 at Orchestra Hall. Saturday evening’s performance includes a post-concert party and countdown to the New Year.
MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA ON TOUR: FLORIDA
Sunday, January 8, 2017 / Artis—Naples / Naples, Fla.
Monday, January 9, 2017 / Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall / Sarasota, Fla.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 / Adrienne Arscht Center / Miami, Fla.
Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra will present three concerts on tour in Florida. Information about the programs for these concerts will be announced in a future press release.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
OSMO VÄNSKÄ AND ALISA WEILERSTEIN
Friday, January 13, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, January 14, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
AHO Geija, Chinese Images for Orchestra
DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5
January continues with the music of Finnish composer Kalevi Aho—he wrote Geija after being inspired by the indigenous people of western China. Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is then performed by the highly-esteemed cellist Alisa Weilerstein; the Orchestra closes the program with a signature work, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
RACHMANINOFF’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2
Thursday, January 19, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, January 20, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, January 21, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Roderick Cox, conductor
Joyce Yang, piano
DEBUSSY Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4
Assistant Conductor Roderick Cox, makes his subscription debut in a program of poetry and power, featuring Debussy’s beloved Prelude and the rich textures and colorful melodies created by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Making her Minnesota Orchestra debut in Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto is award-winning pianist Joyce Yang.
Chamber Music in the Target Atrium
MENDELSSOHN AND BACH
Sunday, January 22, 2017, 4 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Cecilia Belcher, violin
Rebecca Corruccini, violin
Sam Bergman, viola
Megan Tam, viola
Beth Rapier, cello
Roma Duncan, flute
Adam Kuenzel, flute
Gregory Milliren, flute
Wendy Williams, flute
MENDELSSOHN String Quintet No. 2
BACH Four Flute Sonatas
The extraordinary talent of Minnesota Orchestra musicians shines in this rich and diverse chamber music concert programmed and performed by members of the Minnesota Orchestra.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
SIR NEVILLE MARRINER RETURNS
Thursday, January 26, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, January 27, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sir Neville Marriner, conductor
MENDELSSOHN The Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave)
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8
The Minnesota Orchestra’s music director from 1979 to 1986, Sir Neville Marriner returns to the podium for the first time in a decade to conduct a Mendelssohn overture and Beethoven’s First Symphony. Then—echoing one of his major accomplishments with the Orchestra: an acclaimed recording of the final three Dvořák symphonies—he leads the ensemble in a performance of Dvořák’s delectable Eighth Symphony.
Minnesota Orchestra Casual Concerts
INSIDE THE CLASSICS LOVE IN A TIME OF WAR: Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet
Saturday, January 28, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Sam Bergman, host and violist
PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet
Inside the Classics, the Minnesota Orchestra’s casual series that explores great classical works through performances and enlightening conversation, opens its eighth season with a study on music inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concert
FUTURE CLASSICS: EMERGING COMPOSERS SPOTLIGHT
Friday, February 3, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Kevin Puts, Composer Institute director
The Minnesota Orchestra performs new works by some of today’s brightest up-and-coming composers. Osmo Vänskä conducts the concert—the culmination of the 2017 Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute, a program directed by composer Kevin Puts and co-presented with the American Composers Forum. The concert program and composers will be announced in summer 2016.
Live at Orchestra Hall
CAMERON CARPENTER
An evening of silent film and organ
Saturday, February 4, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Cameron Carpenter, organ
Cameron Carpenter, an organist who the Los Angeles Times called “a smasher of cultural and classical music taboos,” takes the stage at Orchestra Hall to perform solo improvisations and to provide a live soundtrack for classic silent films. Carpenter will perform on his own International Touring Organ, a thundering and magnificent instrument he helped to design. Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.
Live at Orchestra Hall
WITH A SONG IN OUR HEART
Music from the Great American Songbook
Friday, February 10, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Hilary Kole, vocals
Tony DeSare, vocals and piano
Favorite standards from the Great American Songbook are performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, vocalist Hilary Kole, vocalist-pianist Tony DeSare, and Sarah Hicks, principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall. The program includes selections from musical greats such as Irving Berlin, the Beatles, Cole Porter and Joni Mitchell.
Live at Orchestra Hall
BOYZ II MEN
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Saturday, February 11, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Boyz II Men, vocals
One of America’s favorite ’90s bands, Boyz II Men comes to the Twin Cities to perform a concert in collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra. Four-time Grammy winners, this top-selling R&B ensemble brings back their greatest hits such as End of the Road and On Bended Knee.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
RUSSIAN NIGHTS
Thursday, February 16, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, February 17, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, February 18, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor
Behzod Abduraimov, piano
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy-Overture
RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 6
Handpicked by Osmo Vänskä to conduct this program, young Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali debuts with the Minnesota Orchestra in the music of three great Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich. Also making his Orchestra debut is the young Uzbekistani pianist Behzod Abduraimov, who takes center stage for Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Jazz in the Target Atrium
MONEY JUNGLE (REVISITED)
Friday, February 17, 2017, 8 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hal
Bryan Nichols,piano
Atrium Jazz Ensemble
Bryan Nichols and the Atrium Jazz Ensemble explore the music of Money Jungle, a 1962 legendary jazz recording by Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
HUGH WOLFF CONDUCTS MENDELSSOHN
Thursday, February 23, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, February 24, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, February 25, 2017, 6 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Hugh Wolff, conductor
Karen Gomyo, violin
ADÈS Dances from Powder Her Face
BARTÓK Violin Concerto No. 2
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3, Scottish
Hugh Wolff conducts the Minnesota Orchestra for the first time since 1993, bringing with him the outstanding young violinist Karen Gomyo for performances of Bartók’s Concerto No. 2. Also on the program are graceful and bracing compositions by Adès and Mendelssohn.
Minnesota Orchestra Casual Concert
INSIDE THE CLASSICS BARTÓK’S FAREWELL: Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra
Friday, March 3, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Sam Bergman, host and violist
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
Inside the Classics, the Minnesota Orchestra’s casual series that explores great classical works through performances and enlightening conversation, continues its season with an in-depth look at Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, a witty work that features every section in the ensemble, followed by a full performance of the piece.
Live at Orchestra Hall
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Saturday, March 4, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, conductor and piano
Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut in a program that showcases her many talents as a singer, stage and screen star, and comedian. Conducted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, the Minnesota Orchestra joins Chenoweth onstage for this one-night only performance.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
MOZART AND BEETHOVEN
Thursday, March 16, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, March 17, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, March 18, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Han-Na Chang, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
MOZART Symphony No. 36, Linz
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2
Han-Na Chang is no stranger to the Minnesota Orchestra, having performed as a cello soloist in several concerts here. However, now on the rise as a brilliant conductor, she makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut on the podium for these performances of symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven. And in a season of many introductions, 20-year-old violin prodigy Simone Porter also takes the stage for her own Orchestra Hall debut, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.
Family Concerts
THE OKEE DOKEE BROTHERS
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Sunday, March 19, 2017, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Roderick Cox, conductor
The Okee Dokee Brothers
Minnesota’s own Okee Dokee Brothers share their bluegrass musical skills with Orchestra lovers of all ages in a family concert conducted by Assistant Conductor Roderick Cox.
Live at Orchestra Hall
TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL REVUE
Friday, March 24, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, March 25, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Through a fusion of film, dance and live music, this dazzling international sensation will take audiences on a journey through modern Indian culture and society. Please note: the Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.
Symphony in 60
STRAVINSKY’S RITE OF SPRING
Thursday, March 30, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring
Symphony in 60, a series of classical performances in a one-hour format, launches its third season with a program that features Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Optional activities are offered before and after each Symphony in 60 concert, including a pre-concert happy hour at Orchestra Hall and an onstage gathering with Orchestra musicians following the performance.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
STRAVINSKY’S RITE OF SPRING
Friday, March 31, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, April 1, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Rafał Blechacz, piano
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1
STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring
Polish classical pianist Rafał Blechacz stars in Brahms’ First Piano Concerto, one of the most challenging pieces in the solo repertoire. Music Director Osmo Vänskä conducts the Orchestra in this program that also features Stravinsky’s revolutionary rule-breaking musical work, The Rite of Spring.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS SCHUBERT
Thursday, April 6, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, April 7, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Sunday, April 9, 2017, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello
Susie Park, violin
Adam Kuenzel, flute
Wendy Williams, flute
BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
ELGAR Cello Concerto
SCHUBERT Symphony in C major, The Great
The Minnesota Orchestra, Music Director Osmo Vänskä, featured Orchestra musicians and German cellist Alban Gerhardt join forces for a program of some of the finest music by Bach, Elgar and Schubert. A small group of the Orchestra’s musicians bring Bach’s Fourth Brandenburg Concerto to life. This is followed by the full Orchestra and Gerhardt in a performance of one of classical music’s great cello concertos—and after intermission, Vänskä’s interpretation of Schubert’s Great Symphony in C major.
Live at Orchestra Hall
DESSA
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Friday, April 15, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Dessa, rapper, vocalist and essayist
The Twin Cities’ own multi-talented artist Dessa, a member of the indie hip-hop collective Doomtree, performs a new program of her music in collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra. Sarah Hicks conducts this concert which crosses genres and boundaries and brings together the unique musical forces of Dessa and the Orchestra.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
EDO DE WAART RETURNS
Friday, April 21, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, April 22, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Edo de Waart, conductor
Michelle Breedt, mezzo
Peter Auty, tenor
Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone
Minnesota Chorale, chorus
ELGAR The Dream of Gerontius
Music director of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1986 to 95, Edo de Waart makes a return to the podium to lead our musicians in Elgar’s glorious oratorio, which hasn’t been performed by the Orchestra for more than a century. The Minnesota Chorale joins the Orchestra onstage, along with three vocal soloists: mezzo Michelle Breedt, tenor Peter Auty and bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams.
Chamber Music in the Target Atrium
RAVEL AND PROKOFIEV
Sunday, April 23, 2017, 4 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall
Cecilia Belcher, violin
Rebecca Corruccini, violin
Jonathan Magness, violin
Joanne Opgenorth, violin
Megan Tam, viola
Beth Rapier, cello
Julie Gramolini Williams, oboe
Gregory T. Williams, clarinet
Timothy Zavadil, clarinet
J. Christopher Marshall, bassoon
Timothy Lovelace, piano
SCHOENFIELD Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano
RAVEL Sonata in G major for Violin and Piano
VILLA-LOBOS Trio for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon PROKOFIEV String Quartet No. 1
The extraordinary talent of Minnesota Orchestra musicians shines in this rich and diverse chamber music concert programmed and performed by members of the Minnesota Orchestra.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
LISE DE LA SALLE PLAYS RAVEL
Thursday, April 27, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, April 28, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, April 29, 2017, 6 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Lise de la Salle, piano
DUTILLEUX Sounds, Space, Movement (The Starry Night)
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5
The first half of this program will take the audience on a trip across the ocean, as the Orchestra performs the music of French composers Dutilleux and Ravel, with French conductor Ludovic Morlot in his Minnesota Orchestra debut and French piano star Lise de la Salle. Morlot conducts the Orchestra in Prokofiev’s thrilling Fifth Symphony for the second half of the concert.
Jazz in the Target Atrium
WHEN DUKE MET COLTRANE
Friday, April 28, 2017, 8 p.m. / Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall
Jeremy Walker, piano
Chris Thomson, saxophone
Atrium Jazz Ensemble
Jazz in the Target Atrium’s season closes with a concert presenting the foundations of jazz: swing, blues and deep commitment to shared musical inspiration. In a season centered around the music of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, Jeremy Walker and the Atrium Jazz Ensemble, featuring Chris Thomson on saxophone, continue the journey of musical discovery inspired by these two jazz legends.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts HAYDN AND MOZART
Thursday, May 4, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, May 5, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
Michael Gast, horn
HAYDN Symphony No. 85, La Reine
MOZART Horn Concerto No. 3
BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
RAVEL La Valse
Following his brilliant Minnesota Orchestra debut in 2015, Slovakian conductor Juraj Valčuha returns this season to lead the ensemble in performances featuring the music of Haydn, Britten and Ravel—and for a special treat, Michael Gast, the Orchestra’s principal horn, moves to the front of the stage to perform Mozart’s joyous Concerto No. 3.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
ERIN KEEFE PLAYS MOZART
Thursday, May 11, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, May 12, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, May 13, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Erin Keefe, violin
Matthew Lipman, viola
LUTOSŁAWSKI Little Suite
MOZART Sinfonia concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra
HINDEMITH Mathis der Male Symphony
Concertmaster Erin Keefe and Violist Matthew Lipman—Grand Prize winner of the Friends of the Minnesota Orchestra’s 2012 Young Artists Competition—join together with the Orchestra for a performance of Mozart’s extraordinary Sinfonia concertante. Bookending this treasured piece is Lutosławski’s Little Suite for orchestra and a very big symphony from Hindemith.
MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA—MINNESOTA TOUR Monday, May 15, 2017, to Sunday, May 21, 2017
In a one week tour led by assistant conductor Roderick Cox, the Minnesota Orchestra performs concerts across Greater Minnesota in cities that have served as the Orchestra’s previous Common Chords partners, including Bemidji and Grand Rapids, among others. More information about this tour will be announced in a future press release.
Symphony in 60
DAVID ZINMAN RETURNS: ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA
Thursday, June 1, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
David Zinman, conductor
Program to include: STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
Symphony in 60, a series of classical performances in a one-hour format, launches its third season with a program that features Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and other works to be announced. Optional activities are offered before and after each Symphony in 60 concert, including a pre-concert happy hour and an onstage gathering with Orchestra musicians following the performance.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
DAVID ZINMAN RETURNS: ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA
Friday, June 2, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, June 3, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
David Zinman, conductor
Anthony Ross, cello
WAGNER Overture to Tannhäuser
BLOCH Schelomo (Solomon), Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
Minnesota Orchestra welcomes back David Zinman, former artistic director of Sommerfest and a University of Minnesota alumnus, to lead his longtime friend Principal Cello Anthony Ross and the Minnesota Orchestra in an elegant rhapsody by Ernst Bloch. The program also features sweeping orchestral classics: Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser and Strauss’ epic tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra.
Chamber Music in the Target Atrium
BRAHMS AND BRASS
Sunday, June 4, 2017, 4 p.m. / Orchestra Hall, Target Atrium
Rui Du, violin
Celine Leathead, violin
Sam Bergman, viola
Kenneth Freed, viola
Beth Rapier, cello
Julie Gramolini Williams, oboe
Douglas C. Carlsen, trumpet
Charles Lazarus, trumpet
Michael Gast, horn
R. Douglas Wright, trombone
Steven Campbell, tuba
Susan Billmeyer, piano
LOEFFLER Two Rhapsodies for Oboe, Viola and Piano
SAMPSON Chesapeake
BRAHMS String Quartet No. 1
The extraordinary talent of Minnesota Orchestra musicians shines in this rich and diverse chamber music concert programmed and performed by members of the Minnesota Orchestra.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
MOZART AND DEBUSSY
Thursday, June 8, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, June 9, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, June 10, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Juanjo Mena, conductor
Ingrid Fliter, piano
FALLA Interlude and Dance from La Vida Breve
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23
DEBUSSY Images
Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena is quickly becoming a major symphony favorite around the world. He debuts with the Orchestra as they perform the music of Falla—Mena’s specialty—and Debussy and Mozart. Pianist Ingrid Fliter returns as soloist to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
SEASON FINALE: VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS MAHLER’S SECOND
Friday, June 16, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, June 17, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Sunday, June 18, 2017, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Camilla Tilling, soprano
Sasha Cooke, mezzo
Minnesota Chorale, chorus
HAYDN Piano Concerto in D major
MAHLER Symphony No. 2, Resurrection
Pianist Marc-André Hamelin solos with the Orchestra for Haydn’s intricate and graceful Concerto, a breath of calm before Mahler’s Second Symphony closes out another classical season. Osmo Vänskä conducts the Orchestra, soloists Camilla Tilling and Sasha Cooke and the Minnesota Chorale in this concert that contains a powerful message of hope. Vänskä and the Orchestra will record Mahler’s Second Symphony this season.
Live at Orchestra Hall
STAR TREK
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Thursday, July 13, 2017, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, July 14, 2017, 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
The Minnesota Orchestra, led by Sarah Hicks, performs the music from Michael Giacchino’s epic score for the 2009 blockbuster movie Star Trek as the complete film is shown on the large screen.
Minnesota Orchestra Casual Concerts
INSIDE THE CLASSICS
BECOMING LEGEND: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7
Saturday, July 15, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Sam Bergman, host
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7
Inside the Classics, the Minnesota Orchestra’s casual series that explores great classical works through performances and enlightening conversation, finishes its season with discussion and a performance of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7.
TICKET PURCHASING INFORMATION
Subscription packages for 2016-17 Classical, Inside the Classics, Symphony in 60 and Chamber Music in the Target Atrium series are available to the general public starting on Monday, April 4. Live at Orchestra Hall, Holiday, Family and Jazz in the Target Atrium performances are all available as part of a Minnesota Orchestra Create Your Own package available to the general public beginning June 13, 2016. Current Minnesota Orchestra subscribers will be contacted in phases (between March and June) with an invitation to renew their specific seats and series. Flexible packages are available with an Easy Pass Package (six flexible vouchers) available for use now for the rest of the current 2015-16 Minnesota Orchestra season and 2016 Sommerfest, and redeemable for next season’s concerts beginning on July 20, 2016. Individual tickets for the 2016-17 season go on sale to the general public on July 29, 2016.
Packages and tickets can be purchased at minnesotaorchestra.org; by calling 612-371-5656 (612-371-5642 for subscriptions) or 800-292-4141 (open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and performance Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.); in person at the Orchestra Hall Box Office, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis (open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and beginning two hours before all ticketed performances); and in person at the Minnesota Orchestra Administrative Office, International Centre, 5th floor, 920 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis (open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For more information, call 612-371-5656, or visit minnesotaorchestra.org. For packages, call 612-371-5642 or visit minnesotaorchestra.org/subscribe. For groups of 10 or more, call 612-371-5662.
All programs, artists, dates, times and prices subject to change.
The Star Tribune is the Minnesota Orchestra’s media partner for the 2016-17 season.
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.
# # #
