St. Anthony Brass Quintet plan trip to Harbin, Minneapolis's sister city in China

The St. Anthony Brass Quintet are heading to China next summer through connections forged by Minneapolis's Sister City exchange with Harbin, located in Northeast China; as well as with Minnesota's Sister Province, Shaanxi.

Working with the U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association - Minnesota Chapter (USCPFA-MN) and Meet Minneapolis, the quintet hope to raise $50,000 for the project. The trip will include travel to Beijing and to various places in and around Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi; and will end up in Harbin for the prestigious biannual Harbin Summer Music Festival.

The Harbin Shaanxi Music Exchange came about after a fortuitous coincidence, said Rich Frevert, the quintet's manager. Just as the group were searching for an opportunity to travel to China and had made contact with USCPFA-MN for support, USCPFA-MN had received a request to find a brass quintet that could perform at the Harbin Summer Music Festival.

"We had a goal for this year to explore the market in China," Frevert said. "I had heard from other artists and agents that American music is particularly in demand now in China, and it was probably a market we should pursue."

Mary Warpeha, one of the co-presidents of USCPFA-MN and chief organizer of the China music exchange, said members of the association had recently travelled to Harbin's famous Snow and Ice Festival. "We asked if there was anything they'd like from Minnesota," she said. "They introduced us to their International Summer Music Festival and said they would like a Minneapolis brass quintet." About two weeks later, Warpeha received a cold call from Frevert.

According to Warpeha, the legacy of Western classical music in Harbin goes back to the immigration of Russian Jews escaping pogroms in the 1800s. The Siberian Railway ended in Harbin, and there the refugees built hospitals, an opera house, and other cultural institutions. The city became famous for having music. The Russian immigrants left when the Japanese invaded, but "the Chinese still like the music," Warpeha said.

While Harbin has a rich history of traditional Chinese music, there's also an interest in what the west has to offer. "I would imagine as a more capitalist approach to things opens up, there seems to be a curiosity about anything American," said Frevert. "That's expanding to the arts."

Dan Massoth, who plays the trumpet in the 20-year-old quintet, said the trip is really a continuation of the work that the group members are already doing. "We do really high-quality professional performances, but the educational component is just as important," he said. The group are looking forward to having the opportunity to participate in clinics and master classes in China, and to meet musicians from all over the world, including the host country.

The quintet plan to leave Minnesota on July 26, first traveling to Beijing. They'll then travel around Shaanxi, where they'll give performances, teach master classes, and conduct music educators' exchanges through the help and coordination of the Shaanxi Translators' Organization. Then, on August 4, the group will travel to Harbin for the festival.

Bill Deef, vice president of international relations at Meet Minneapolis, said Minneapolis has ten international relationships total with cities around the world, with the Harbin relationship being one of the most active — as well as one of the oldest, having been formed in 1992. According to Deef, some of the goals for the program include sharing best practices, strengthening economic ties between the business communities in each city, having educational and cultural exchanges — and just getting to know one another.

Sheila Regan is a Minneapolis-based writer. She writes frequently for the Twin Cities Daily Planet and City Pages, among other publications.