Classical Minnesota Stories

The 65-member Apollo Club of Minneapolis is gearing up for its 125th anniversary in 2020. And, just as it was in 1895, the chorus still is an all-guy thing.

The 113 Composers Collective, formed in 2012, is providing an opportunity for experimental composers to publish and perform their works. This weekend, they'll be premiering new works with the TAK ensemble.

The Bloomington choir group the Treble Singers of Angelica Cantanti have been invited to sing at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Kansas City, Mo. Led by Phillip Brown, the group will be one of more than 50 choirs performing at the four-day gathering.

'Why can't we offer music here for everyone?' That's the driving force behind an initiative by Bondo Nyembwe, executive director of Academia Cesar Chavez, to provide instruments and music education for all 500 pupils at the St. Paul school.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's new Tapestry initiative aims to use "the language of music to explore issues faced by our community." For St. Paul singer and artist PaviElle French, it is the opportunity of a lifetime. She ended up composing her first symphony for an orchestra.

Are you a composer looking for a filmmaker or a filmmaker looking for a composer? If so, Minnesota's Film Score Fest is something you should know about.

Last year Twin Cities soprano Carrie Henneman Shaw and Minnesota Orchestra violist Sam Bergman cofounded a new concert series. They called it Outpost, bringing to mind a remote place where travelers might find unexpected refreshment, including nonmusical performers. Their second outing takes place Friday in Minneapolis.

In its eighth year, the Cedar Commissions is continuing strong as a leading program for emerging Twin Cities musicians. This year will feature a work by composer Yigitcan Eryaman, whose piece will tackle the experience of Minnesota's seasons through the senses of a Turkish man.

The Minnesota Orchestra's American Expressions Festival is featuring works by well-known men such as Barber, Bernstein and Gershwin. But the festival also includes a symphony by an African-American woman named Florence Price.

Lorie Line began her musical career playing piano in Dayton's department stores 30 years ago. Today, she tours the Midwest and beyond with her own ensemble, now doing holiday concerts. But her success did not always come easy.