In this Minnesota Orchestra concert, 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. Then, Chopin Competition winner Bruce Liu performs Sergei Prokofiev’s dazzling Piano Concerto No. 3. The season concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s rhythmic Symphonic Dances. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 8 p.m. Friday, June 13, on YourClassical MPR.
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
‘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
Fei Xie plays Jolivet with the Minnesota Orchestra and Cristian Macelaru
A message from Minnesota Orchestra: “This week’s performances are dedicated to our wonderful colleague, Arek Tesarczyk. Arek passed away last month after a long illness he faced with great dignity. Originally from Poland, Arek spent 11 years as Principal Cello of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra before joining us in 2004. He was humble, kind, ‘devastatingly funny,’ (according to Principal Cello Tony Ross) and was a rock in our cello section. Our thoughts and condolences go to Arek’s wife Claudia Chen and his children Viktor and Katia.”
On last week’s Minnesota Orchestra broadcast, Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony takes the 12-bar blues and explodes it into a lyrical, kaleidoscopic history of American music. A frequent Marsalis collaborator, special guest Cristian Măcelaru has conducted the symphony in performances and a recording. Also on the program, listeners enjoyed what many consider to be the most difficult concerto in the bassoon repertoire, played by the orchestra’s beloved principal bassoon Fei Xie. Listen to the concert now!
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
Fei Xie, bassoon *
WYNTON MARSALIS Selections from Blues Symphony
ANDRÉ JOLIVET Bassoon Concerto *
GEORGE ENESCU Symphony No. 1
James Ehnes joins the Minnesota Orchestra for music by Dvorak
The Czech influence is deeply felt in this program by the Minnesota Orchestra. For Leoš Janáček, the ensemble pulled out all the stops with his Sinfonietta. In Bedřich Smetana, the orchestra goes 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, returned to play Antonín Dvořák. Listen to the concert now!
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
Upcoming concerts
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.
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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment‘s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.