Minnesota Orchestra and YourClassical MPR's broadcast partnership continues for the 2025-26 season. This page features a schedule of the upcoming concerts that you can hear on YourClassical MPR, and when possible, on-demand audio of the performance available for 30 days after the broadcast. Bookmark this page for updates throughout the season!
The last time the affable Andrew Manze led the Minnesota Orchestra, he turned to the audience and said, “There are three kinds of conductors. Those who can count, and those who can’t.” (Yes, three—that’s his joke!) It’s clear that he belongs in the first category, so on Friday, Oct. 17, the orchestra asked him back to conduct Beethoven’s seminal Symphony No. 5 and a multi-faceted piano concerto by Anna Clyne. Listen to the concert now!
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Andrew Manze, conductor
Elisabeth Brauss, piano *
BENJAMIN BRITTEN Sinfonia da Requiem
ANNA CLYNE Atlas (Piano Concerto) *
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
Previous Concerts
Leonidas Kavakos joins the Minnesota Orchestra for Mozart and Shostakovich
Leonidas Kavakos is quick to point out that most of the violin concertos you hear today were composed long after violin maker Antonio Stradivari died. For him, it proves that Stradivari had a remarkable ability to understand the potential of a well-crafted instrument. That stands front and center in this Minnesota Orchestra program during which Kavakos played Mozart on his prized “Willemotte” Stradivarius of 1734. Listen to the concert now!
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Leonidas Kavakos, conductor and violin
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Violin Concerto No. 3
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 15
Sondergard and Ross perform Heitzeg, Tower and Bartok
Béla Bartók was being treated for leukemia in a New York hospital and was all but bankrupt when contemporary music champion Serge Koussevitzky persuaded him to write his Concerto for Orchestra. The reluctant Bartók composed an orchestral showpiece that many would say was the highlight of his career, and last week it was at the center of the Minnesota Orchestra’s program. Also on the program, Principal Cellist Anthony Ross performs the world premiere of Steve Heitzeg’s EcoSaga, a Concerto in Three Landscapes. Listen to the concert now!
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Anthony Ross, cello *
JOAN TOWER Made in America
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Three Meditations from Mass for Cello and Orchestra*
STEVE HEITZEG EcoSaga (Concerto in Three Landscapes) [World Premiere]*
BÉLA BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
Upcoming Broadcasts
Friday, Oct. 31 — David Afkham Returns
On this upcoming Minnesota Orchestra program, Venture beyond Kurt Weill’s irresistible ballad Mack the Knife and you’ll find there’s lots to explore. That includes his Symphony No. 2, commissioned by Winnaretta Singer, an heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune and generous patron of the arts. Bookending that are contrasting voices of three extraordinary French composers.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Janice Carissa, piano *
LILI BOULANGER Made in America
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 *
KURT WEILL Symphony No. 2
MAURICE RAVEL La Valse
Friday, Nov. 14 — Søndergård Conducts Symphonie fantastique
Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique was rooted in his passion for an actress who, for years, paid him no attention. His unanswered obsession led him to compose an autobiographical symphony that tracks the highs and lows of his emotional state, and one that redefined the parameters of what an orchestra could do. Listen to that and more on this exciting Minnesota Orchestra concert, which also features music by Takemitsu and Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 1 performed by guest violinist Benjamin Beilman.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Benjamin Beilman, violin *
TŌRU TAKEMITSU Night Signal
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI Violin Concerto No. 1 *
HECTOR BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Friday, Nov. 21 — Søndergård Conducts Brahms Requiem
Music is a powerful tool for getting in touch with our deepest emotions. This Minnesota Orchestra program presents three perspectives on processing grief. From the present time, Henry Dorn and Anna Clyne pay tribute to their mothers, while Johannes Brahms’ Requiem is not so much a Mass for the dead, but music meant to comfort those left behind.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Siobhan Stagg, soprano
Blake Denson, baritone
Minnesota Chorale
HENRY DORN Transitions
ANNA CLYNE Within Her Arms
JOHANNES BRAHMS A German Requiem
Friday, Dec. 5 — Dvořák New World Symphony
Ever wonder what makes the Minnesota Orchestra sound so great? This concert provides four reasons with Joseph Haydn’s Sinfonia concertante, which allows a quartet of players to shine. To set the scene, Caroline Shaw riffs on one of Haydn’s quartets, and we close with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, partially inspired by his time in the Upper Midwest.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Delyana Lazarova, conductor
Yi Zhao, violin
Erik Wheeler, cello
Kate Wegener, oboe
J. Christopher Marshall, bassoon
CAROLINE SHAW Entr'acte
JOSEPH HAYDN Sinfonia concertante
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)
Thursday, Jan. 1 — A New Year’s Celebration with the Minnesota Orchestra
Minnesota Orchestra rings in 2026 with a pianist who’s well-admired in both jazz and classical circles. For this all-American program, Aaron Diehl plays a concerto that was written just for him, and Brooklyn-born Aaron Copland quotes cowboy songs to paint a picture of outlaw Billy the Kid. And to end the program, enjoy Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Teddy Abrams, conductor
Aaron Diehl, cello *
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS Agnegram
TIMO ANDRES Made of Tunes (Piano Concerto) *
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
AARON COPLAND Suite from Billy the Kid
Friday, Jan. 9 — Søndergård and Ehnes
James Ehnes was a teenager when he made his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra at Symphony Ball in 1993. He’s been back many times since, and the orchestra is thrilled to have him play Sibelius during this year’s Nordic Soundscapes festival. And the ensemble’s favorite Dane, Thomas Søndergård, invites you to embrace the Symphony No. 5 by Carl Nielsen, one of Denmark’s heroes.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
James Ehnes, violin *
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN Nyx
JEAN SIBELIUS Violin Concerto *
CARL NIELSEN Symphony No. 1
Friday, Jan. 16 — Søndergård Conducts Sibelius
Week two of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Nordic Soundscapes festival takes audiences back to Jean Sibelius, this time with his maiden voyage as a composer of symphonies. Turns out, he was more than ready to take the plunge. The orchestra also returns to Denmark, with a deeply moving song cycle by Hans Abrahamsen that tells the story of Hamlet’s Ophelia from her perspective.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Lauren Snouffer, soprano *
WILHELM STENHAMMAR Excelsior!
HANS ABRAHAMSEN let me tell you *
JEAN SIBELIUS Symphony No. 1
Friday, Jan. 30 — Gabel, Debussy and Dukas
If you could create a morning soundtrack for when you enter the world of consciousness, it might be Claude Debussy’s groundbreaking Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun—where the lines between what’s real and what’s imagined are exquisitely blurred. To ease you into that state of mind, the Minnesota Orchestra performs a Sorcerer’s Apprentice that may summon memories of Disney’s Fantasia.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Rebecca Albers, viola *
PAUL DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
DONGHOON SHIN Threadsuns
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
PAUL DUKAS Prelude to Act III from Ariadne and Bluebeard
ALBERT ROUSSEL Suite No. 2 from Bacchus and Ariadne
Friday, Feb. 13 — Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
Bernard Herrmann wrote the music for seven Hitchcock films, with a focus on the psychological state of the characters. In Vertigo, the word “obsession” comes to mind. On this Minnesota Orchestra program, listen to music by Herrmann and then hear how Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky captures the essence of Romeo and Juliet’s tragic love story without using a single word. Finally, Rachmaninoff’s cinematic Symphony No. 3 closes the program.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
BERNARD HERRMANN Prelude, Nightmare and Love Scene from Vertigo
PYOTR ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy-Overture
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 3
Friday, Feb. 20 — Vänskä, Keefe and Stravinsky
How would music sound if it were in the shape of a solar system? Hear how one of the most successful classical composers on the planet lets her imagination run free with that idea on this upcoming Minnesota Orchestra concert. Then it’s your turn to imagine Carnival time in St. Petersburg as the puppet Petrushka comes to life.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Erin Keefe, cello *
MISSY MAZZOLI Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 2
IGOR STRAVINSKY Petrushka
Thursday, Feb. 26 — Lunar New Year
The Minnesota Orchestra and a stunning array of guest artists celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Horse. The concert explores themes of family, tradition and unity through vibrant orchestral music and some extra special guests.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Chia-Hsuan Lin, conductor
Yazhi Guo, suona
Rui Du, violin
Fei Xie, artistic consultant
Roz Tsai, host
TBD
Friday, March 6 — Søndergård Conducts Bruckner
After devoting three years to his Symphony No. 8, Anton Bruckner was beyond devastated when it was rejected by the conductor he described as his “artistic father.” But instead of giving up, he made many cuts and revisions. Five years later, when it finally had its premiere in Vienna, it was a triumph.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
ANTON BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8
Friday, March 13 — Søndergård, Gerstein and Bernstein
Kirill Gerstein has become such a favorite of Minnesota Orchestra audiences that we’ve asked him to play two concertos rather than one. The Adès was composed for Gerstein in 2018. Ravel’s is for left hand alone, and you must see it to believe it!
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Kirill Gerstein, piano *
OLLY WILSON Shango Memory
THOMAS ADÈS Piano Concerto
MAURICE RAVEL Piano Concerto for Left Hand
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Friday, March 20 — Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Pachamama is the word for Mother Earth in the Inca-Quechua language. The ode that Pachamama meets is from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Along with it is a connection to the Industrial Revolution of Beethoven’s time. Composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s message is that “Gifts from the past—especially odes—must be looked at with new and searching eyes.”
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Eun Sun Kim, conductor
Mei Gui Zhang, soprano
Taylor Raven, mezzo
Jack Swanson, tenor
Jarrett Ott, baritone
Minnesota Chorale
GABRIELA LENA FRANK Pachamama Meets an Ode
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Ah! Perfido
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 (Choral)
Friday, March 27 — Barnatan Plays Rachmaninoff
If you love a lush melody, this program is for you. After a lean and powerful showpiece for strings, you’ll hear how Sergei Rachmaninoff looks at a violin caprice by Niccolò Paganini from 24 different angles as he reimagines it for piano and orchestra. Then, Minnesota Orchestra will send you home with epic storytelling from the well-read and clever Scheherazade.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, conductor
Inon Barnatan, piano *
GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ Concerto for String Orchestra
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade
Friday, April 10 — Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
Although Leila Josefowicz cut her teeth on standard repertoire, the biggest transformation of her professional life has been the chance to collaborate with living composers. Near the top of that impressive list is John Adams, who she says “changed my life totally.” This Minnesota Orchestra program begins with a treat for American history buffs and ends with Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky’s emotions riding high.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
John Storgårds, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin *
GEORGE ANTHEIL McKonkey’s Ferry Overture
JOHN ADAMS Violin Concerto
PYOTR ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)
Friday, April 24 — Brahms Symphony No. 4
You know when you’re asked to do something and your gut reaction is, “Absolutely not!” and then you can’t get the idea out of your head? That’s exactly what happened to 80-year-old Richard Strauss when a young American oboist suggested he write a concerto. Thank goodness he gave it more thought.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Anthony Ross, cello *
JULIA ADOLPHE Underneath the Sheen
RICHARD STRAUSS Oboe Concerto
JOHANNES BRAHMS Symphony No. 4
Friday, May 8 — Søndergård Conducts Wagner and Bartók
Opera love stories tend to unfold quickly, leaving the composer with the task of supporting a plot with music that speaks volumes. The chord progression at the beginning of Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde is a textbook example of musical foreshadowing. In Béla Bartók's psychological thriller Bluebeard's Castle, two extraordinary artists portray a doomed couple.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Anthony Ross, cello *
RICHARD WAGNER Prelude to Lohengrin
RICHARD WAGNER Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
BÉLA BARTÓK Bluebeard’s Castle
Friday, May 29 — Hindoyan and Rieppel
As principal timpani of the Minnesota Orchestra, Erich Rieppel can usually be found near the back of the stage. Sometimes he sits quietly, waiting to make a subtle mark or a grand entrance, and sometimes there’s a lot happening. He’ll take center stage in this concert to play a brand-new concerto by a composer who’s also a virtuoso percussionist.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Domingo Hindoyan, conductor
Erich Rieppel, timpani *
ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK An American Port of Call
ANDY AKIHO Timpani Concerto *
CÉSAR FRANCK Symphony in D minor
Friday, June 5 — Søndergård, Barton and Prokofiev
Jamie Barton was raised on her family’s farm in Georgia, where “pickin’ and grinnin’s” happened all the time. Friends showed up with their instruments, a potluck dish and a desire to make music. Although she began her musical journey with Bluegrass, Barton has become a musical omnivore. She’ll bring the Neruda Songs to life in her Minnesota Orchestra debut.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Jamie Barton, mezzo *
SAMUEL BARBER Adagio for Strings
PETER LIEBERSON Neruda Songs *
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 7
Friday, June 12 — Søndergård and Tchaikovsky
When Jennifer Higdon began to compose blue cathedral, she imagined a journey through a glass cathedral in the sky. Her creativity leaves the door wide open for you to explore “humanity’s perennial question of existence” with Charles Ives, and be drawn into Alexander Scriabin’s own brand of musical mysticism.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano *
JENIFER HIGDON blue cathedral
PYOTR ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 *
CHARLES IVES The Unanswered Question
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN The Poem of Ecstasy
Friday, June 19 — Juneteenth with the Minnesota Orchestra
This can’t-miss concert is a celebration and exploration of Black ritual and spirituality through the music of the African diaspora. A wide array of instruments, traditions and guests take center stage in this powerful program.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Kedrick Armstrong, conductor
Melody Betts, vocals
Brian Raphael Nabors, Hammond Organ
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR The Bamboula
BRITTANY J. GREEN Testify!
NKEIRU OKOYE Voices Shouting Out
BRIAN RAPHAEL NABORS Concerto for Hammond Organ
Friday, July 17 — Beethoven Triple Concerto
Archduke Rudolph of Austria was the pianist for the premiere of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Triple Concerto—and he also happened to be one of the composer’s most important patrons. To make him shine, Beethoven brought in two of the best players of the day. We’ve got our own trio of all-stars on tap for this program, which includes Robert Schumann’s reflection of life in the Rhineland.
Program
Minnesota Orchestra
Stephanie Childress, conductor
Sarah Grimes, violin
Silver Ainomäe, cello
Alessio Bax, piano
BENJAMIN BRITTEN Sinfonia da Requiem
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Atlas (Piano Concerto) *
ROBERT SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)
Minnesota Orchestra - Listening Project will be recorded to be post produced on another date.
When the Minnesota Orchestra launched its Listening Project in 2021, our goal was to present and record top-notch performances of music by underrepresented composers—in other words, to share music that many of us were not hearing. The project continues this season with Music Director Thomas Søndergård and soprano Janai Brugger.
‘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.
‘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.
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment‘s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
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