BARBER Music for a Scene from Shelley, Opus 7
SHOSTAKOVICH Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat major for Cello & Orchestra, opus 107
BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4 in E-flate major, Romantic
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
BERG Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus 125, Choral
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Helena Juntunen, soprano
Charlotte Hellekant, mezzo
Eric Cutler, tenor
Neal Davies, bass
BBC Chorus
On Sunday, the Orchestra said a fond farewell to London and traveled to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh International Festival. Touring involves a myriad of detail – all ably managed by tour staff lead by Operations Manager Beth Kellar-Long. Orchestra members are divided up into color-coded groups, given coordinating luggage tags, and a schedule of staggered [...]
Enjoy this photo gallery of the Minnesota Orchestra’s final BBC Proms Concert at Royal Albert Hall Saturday, August 28, 2010.
The soggy London weather lifted on Saturday and many musicians took advantage of the welcome sunshine by walking the few short blocks to Royal Albert Hall for the second, and last, rehearsal for the Proms. Rehearsal began with the BBC Chorus, soloists and Orchestra on Beethoven 9, followed by Gil Shaham with Berg’s Violin Concerto. [...]
The Minnesota Orchestra returned to the BBC Proms Friday night where its performance of Barber, Shostakovich and Bruckner was met with enthusiastic applause and the rhythmic stomping that is the hallmark of an audience still hoping for more. Maestro Vänskä and the musicians were joined by Alisa Weilerstein whose solo turn on the Shostakovich cello [...]
The Orchestra took the stage at Royal Albert Hall for its first Proms rehearsal at 11 am on Friday. Osmo and the musicians spent the next 90 minutes acclimating to the acoustics and fine-tuning the evening’s program, including reuniting with Alisa Weilerstein for the Shostakovich cello concerto. Prior to rehearsal, musicians could be found warming [...]
2010 marks the 116th anniversary of the London BBC Proms Festival. Founded in 1895, by London impresario Robert Newman, the goal of the Proms Festival was to “present the widest possible range of music, performed at the highest standards, to a large audience.” With over 70 main Proms concerts this season, featuring the best of [...]
Thursday evening brought the only opportunity for Osmo Vänskä to rehearse the 114 voice BBC Symphony Chorus before they join forces with the Minnesota Orchestra and soloists. They made the most of their time in the Maida Vale Studios, home of the BBC Orchestra, working to be certain everyone is on the same page before [...]
The members of the Minnesota Orchestra arrived in London at noon local time, after an all-night flight from Minneapolis. The crack tour staff didn’t miss a beat upon arrival to the hotel and had everyone’s room key into their hand immediately. A welcome effort for those who wanted nothing more than a hot shower and [...]
The Minnesota Orchestra had a busy week of pre-tour rehearsals at Orchestra Hall. Preparing three symphonies, four concertos and assorted other works in one week is no easy feat. But the musicians, Osmo and soloists were more than up to the challenge.
Both Alisa Weilerstein and Gil Shaham rehearsed with the orchestra at Orchestra Hall. The [...]
The Minnesota Orchestra will collaborate with two accomplished concerto soloists on this tour – violinist Gil Shaham and cellist, Alisa Weilerstein. In addition, the Orchestra will be joined for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the BBC Proms by soprano Helena Juntunen, mezzo Charlotte Hellekant, tenor Eric Cutler, bass-baritone Neal Davies and the BBC Symphony Chorus.
Mr. [...]