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29-765: The eighth major orchestra established in the United States, the Minnesota Orchestra was founded by Emil Oberhoffer as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903. It gave its first performance on November 5, 1903, in Minneapolis's Exposition Building . In 1911, it began a series of children's concerts under the sponsorship of the Young People's Symphony Concert Association (YPSCA), which continues to this day. Early in

58-475: A cycle of the Mahler symphonies. In November 2017, that recording was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance. Begun in 1980 with Leonard Slatkin at the helm, the orchestra's summer festival has been known by several names, beginning with "Viennese Sommerfest," changing to "MusicFest" in 2001, and eventually reverting to "Sommerfest" in 2003. Sommerfest concerts are held at Orchestra Hall over

87-410: A four-week period in midsummer. The orchestra also offers free live music on the plaza before and after each show, in genres varying from folk to jazz to polka. Slatkin was Artistic Director of Sommerfest from 1980 to 1989. Andrew Litton was the festival's Artistic Director from 2003 to 2017. The orchestra's "creative partner for summer programming" is Jon Kimura Parker , whom the orchestra named to

116-558: A nearly $ 14 million loss". During 2009 and 2010, the orchestra's board reported a balanced budget and drew on its endowment to cover operational deficits. At the time, it was trying to secure $ 16 million in state bonding for renovations of Orchestra Hall and Peavey Plaza . The orchestra posted operational deficits of $ 2.9 million in 2011 and $ 6 million in 2012. On October 1, 2012, the Minnesota Orchestral Association (the orchestra's governing body) locked out

145-755: A teacher, lecturer, concert performer and conductor. He conducted the Apollo Club of Minneapolis , a notable choral society. He also organised the Schubert Choral Association and the Schubert Orchestra in St. Paul, and he was director of the Minneapolis Philharmonic Club, a choral group. He became frustrated at the quality of the scratch ensembles used for accompaniments for these groups, and this became

174-823: Is a Danish conductor and percussionist. Søndergård studied percussion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1989 to 1992, where his teachers included Gert Mortensen. In the same years, he was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra . Søndergård joined the Royal Danish Orchestra as a percussionist in 1992. He served on the faculty of the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 2001 to 2002. Søndergård devoted greater attention to conducting from age 27. After his debut at The Royal Danish Opera with

203-770: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 1999. In August 2018, it became the first professional U.S. orchestra to perform in South Africa. In January 2022, the orchestra, Vänskä, and Elina Vähälä gave the North American premiere of the original 1904 version of Jean Sibelius 's Violin Concerto . In December 2021, Thomas Søndergård first guest-conducted the orchestra. He returned for another guest-conducting engagement in April 2022. In July 2022,

232-651: The University of Minnesota 's Minneapolis campus. In 2007 the Minnesota Orchestra's assets began declining, a trend exacerbated by the financial crisis of 2007–2008 . In August 2008, the Minnesota Orchestra Association's invested assets totaled $ 168.5 million, 13% less than the $ 192.4 million the Association had projected in its 2007 Strategic Plan. In fiscal year 2009, the Minnesota Orchestra's board "sold $ 28.7 million in securities at

261-432: The 1920s, the orchestra was one of the first to be heard on recordings and on the radio, playing a nationally broadcast concert with guest conductor Bruno Walter in 1923. In 1968, the orchestra changed its name to the Minnesota Orchestra. It makes its home in downtown Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall , which was built for the ensemble in 1974. The orchestra's previous hall, starting in 1929, was Northrop Memorial Auditorium on

290-665: The 1990s and 2000s, the orchestra recorded for the Reference Recordings label under the direction of music director Eiji Oue , winning a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2003 with Casa Guidi . More recently, Osmo Vänskä conducted a cycle of the Beethoven symphonies and a cycle of the Sibelius symphonies, both for the Swedish label BIS . Their recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with

319-685: The Minneapolis Symphony was not equalled until Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1960–79). He moved to California, and became guest conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic , San Francisco Symphony , St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra . On 8 July 1926, he conducted the first performance by the LA Philharmonic of Maurice Ravel 's Alborada del gracioso . His compositions, now forgotten, include: Hora Novissima (a vocal scene about

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348-554: The Minnesota Chorale, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance in 2007, as was their recording of Sibelius's Second and Fifth Symphonies in 2012. On January 26, 2014, the Minnesota Orchestra and Vänskä won the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance for their recording of Sibelius's 1st and 4th symphonies. In August 2017, the orchestra released a recording of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, starting

377-595: The RSNO announced a one-year extension of his contract as music director through the 2024–2025 season. In December 2021, Søndergård first guest-conducted the Minnesota Orchestra . He returned for another guest-conducting engagement in April 2022. In July 2022, the orchestra announced Søndergård's appointment as its music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season, with an initial contract of five seasons. Søndergård has made several recordings for

406-429: The RSNO named him its principal guest conductor, effective with the 2012–2013 season, with an initial contract of three years for three programmes per year. In May 2017, the RSNO announced Søndergård's appointment as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. In February 2021, the RSNO announced the extension of Søndergård's contract as music director through autumn 2024. In April 2023,

435-556: The audience withhold its applause afterward. On January 14, 2014, the Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra announced that they had reached a collective bargaining agreement with the Minnesota Orchestra Association to end the lockout on February 1, 2014. Concerts resumed at Orchestra Hall in February. On April 24, 2014, the orchestra announced Vänskä's return as music director effective with the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons. In July 2017,

464-473: The baton of Antal Doráti . In 1954, they also made the first recording of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture to include actual cannon fire, again under Doráti's direction. These recordings were made for Mercury Records as part of the Living Presence series. In the 1970s, the renamed Minnesota Orchestra made a series of recordings for Vox Records under the direction of Stanisław Skrowaczewski . In

493-526: The catalyst for the establishment a permanent orchestra in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra gave its first performance, under Oberhoffer's direction, on 5 November 1903. He was also organist and director of music at the Church of the Redeemer, and he founded the chair of music at the University of Minnesota . He was personally very active and energetic, and instigated a practice of touring

522-420: The future of the orchestra. The entire 2012–13 concert season was canceled. During the lockout, the musicians periodically presented concerts on their own, In December 2012, Musical Director Osmo Vänskä sent a letter to the board of directors and the musicians warning that the lockout was causing severe damage to the orchestra's reputation at home and abroad. On April 30, 2013, Vänskä stated he would resign if

551-889: The last hours of a dying child at whose side his mother waits while a bell tolls), and Mélodie élégiaque , dedicated to the French violinist Camilla Urso . Emil Oberhoffer died in San Diego , California on 22 May 1933, aged 65. He is buried in the Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, where the Oberhoffer Obelisk stands in his memory. The Emil J. Oberhoffer House overlooks Orchard Lake in Lakeville, Minnesota . Thomas S%C3%B8nderg%C3%A5rd Thomas Søndergård (born 4 October 1969 in Holstebro , Denmark )

580-492: The lockout continued: After the orchestra management cancelled the concerts in question, Vänskä resigned as music director on 1 October 2013 with immediate effect. On October 4 and 5, Vänskä conducted three final concerts with the locked-out orchestra at the University of Minnesota's Ted Mann Concert Hall, with Emanuel Ax as the guest pianist. As an encore, Vänskä conducted Sibelius's Valse Triste , where he requested that

609-471: The orchestra announced Søndergård's appointment as its next music director, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of five seasons. The orchestra first began recording (by the acoustical process) under Henri Verbrugghen in 1924 for Brunswick , and in the following years produced some landmark records. Among these was the first electrical recording of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony with Eugene Ormandy , who recorded extensively with

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638-618: The orchestra announced the extension of Vänskä's contract as music director through the 2021–22 season. In December 2018, the orchestra announced that Vänskä would conclude his tenure as music director at the close of the 2021-2022 season. He is to take the title of conductor laureate. In May 2015, the Minnesota Orchestra performed in Havana, Cuba , as a result of the Cuban Thaw , becoming the first professional U.S. orchestra to play in Cuba since

667-462: The orchestra for RCA Victor in the 1930s. In the 1940s, the Minneapolis Symphony was contracted to Columbia Records and made a series of records with Ormandy's successor, Dimitri Mitropoulos . These included the premiere recording of Mahler's First Symphony . Beginning in 1954 and continuing on through 1955, the group made the first complete recordings of Tchaikovsky 's three ballets : Swan Lake , Sleeping Beauty , and The Nutcracker under

696-481: The orchestra widely, making it better known than most of its metropolis-bound counterparts. The orchestra made its Carnegie Hall debut in 1912. A large number of internationally famous soloists appeared with the orchestra during Oberhoffer's tenure. Oberhoffer left Minneapolis in 1922 after increasing friction with the orchestra's management. His place was taken by Bruno Walter as guest conductor for 1922–23, then by Henri Verbrugghen . His tenure of 19 years with

725-443: The orchestra's musicians and canceled concerts through November 18 after failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement . The MOA stated that spending on musician salaries and benefits was depleting the organization's endowment, and that labor costs needed to be reduced by $ 5 million per year. The musicians and their union took the position that the proposed cuts were so deep and draconian as to represent an existential threat to

754-459: The post in 2019. In July 2022, the orchestra announced an extension to Parker's summer programming contract through August 2024. Emil Oberhoffer Emil Oberhoffer (10 August 1867 – 22 May 1933) was a German-born American conductor and minor composer. He founded the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (now known as the Minnesota Orchestra ), and was its conductor for the first 19 years of its existence. Emil Johann Oberhoffer

783-623: The premiere of Poul Ruders 's Kafka's Trial in 2005, he joined Askonas Holt management. In 2009, Søndergård became principal conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK). He concluded his KORK tenure after the 2011–2012 season. Søndergård first conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) in December 2009, as an emergency substitute for Thierry Fischer . In July 2011, Søndergård

812-607: Was born near Munich , Kingdom of Bavaria on 10 August 1867, to a musical family, his father being a well known organist, composer and provincial conductor, and his mother and siblings also making their marks. He showed early promise on the organ and violin, and was sent for training with the Josef Rheinberger disciple Cyrill Kistler , and later to Paris for intensive piano study with Isidor Philipp . He emigrated to New York City in 1885, became an American citizen in 1893, and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1897 as

841-711: Was named the 14th principal conductor of the BBC NOW, effective with the 2012–2013 season, for an initial contract of four years. In February 2016, the BBC NOW announced the further extension of his contract as principal conductor through "at least 2018". Søndergård formally concluded his tenure as principal conductor of the BBC NOW in July 2018. Søndergård first guest-conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) in 2009, as an emergency substitute for Yakov Kreizberg . In October 2011,

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