Concert first performed on June 5, 2016.
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Works Performed
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 1 in g minor, Op. 13 “Winter Daydreams”, Finale
Dates Performed
- June 5, 2016
Concert first performed on June 5, 2016.
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Concert first performed on May 14, 2016.
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Concert first performed on March 19, 2016.
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Concert first performed on November 7, 2015.
This concert explores forms of water music, starting with one of the most famous by Handel. Water Music was scored for a larger orchestra to be performed on a barge floating down the Thames River at the behest of King George I. You can almost imagine the baroque sounds wafting in the wind over the waves. Inspired by the same river, Elizabeth Maconchy’s Proud Thames Overture evokes the grandeur of a river once used as the main transportation route for British monarchs. Finally, with a nod to Handel, Libby Larsen puts her own spin on “Water Music” in her Symphony No. 1. Larsen ‘s “quartet of water studies,” allows us to experience many facets of the water through “Fresh Breeze,” “Hot, Still,” “Wafting,” and “Gale.”
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Concert first performed on June 21, 2015.
Conducted by Douglas Diamond
Concert first performed on May 16, 2015.
Our final concert of the season is a new beginning for the MPO as we welcome to the podium our new Music Director and Conductor, Alexander Platt. We will celebrate new beginnings in the form of budding romances and legendary tales of powerful women. Schubert’s Overture to The Magic Harp introduces us to the story of Rosamunde, who fights to reclaim the throne that is rightfully hers. Mendelssohn’s The Fair Melusina evokes the story of a beautiful water sprite who marries a mortal man. We also honor Louise Farrenc, a 19th century female composer who passed into obscurity by the 20th century, with her Symphony No. 1. Finally, we feature one of the most famous romances of all time with Tchaikovsky’sRomeo and Juliet.
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Concert first performed on March 14, 2015.
This concert rips the orchestra asunder, dividing the group into sections performing as separate ensembles. The strings are featured in A Downland Suite and Symphonies of Wind Instruments highlights the winds and brass. The “healing” begins when the orchestra rejoins for a concerto featuring an instrument not usually in the spotlight, the noble tuba. We’re pleased that the MPO’s very own Dean Shea will be the soloist for Vaughan Williams’ concerto. To make sure the orchestra has fully healed as one, we’ll conclude with Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, a piece that memorably unifies the whole orchestra through Spanish folk melodies.
Conducted by Derick Rehurek
Concert first performed on November 16, 2014.
Become an expert on all things Orchestra! Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a fun instructional for music lovers who are young—or just young at heart. To initiate orchestra novices in the stories an orchestra can tell, we’ll present selections from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and Stravinsky’s The Firebird, which were both inspired by classic folk tales. And since all orchestral experts need to be familiar with symphonies, we’ll finish the evening with one of the greats, Beethoven’s 8th.
Kids will get an up-close lesson on what an orchestra is all about at our third annual Children & Families concert which includes pre-concert activities. The Sunday concert and activities are free thanks to grant funding from the Xcel Energy Foundation.
Conducted by Douglas Diamond
Concert first performed on November 15, 2014.
Become an expert on all things Orchestra! Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a fun instructional for music lovers who are young—or just young at heart. To initiate orchestra novices in the stories an orchestra can tell, we’ll present selections from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and Stravinsky’s The Firebird, which were both inspired by classic folk tales. And since all orchestral experts need to be familiar with symphonies, we’ll finish the evening with one of the greats, Beethoven’s 8th.
Kids will get an up-close lesson on what an orchestra is all about at our third annual Children & Families concert which includes pre-concert activities. The Sunday concert and activities are free thanks to grant funding from the Xcel Energy Foundation.
Conducted by Douglas Diamond
Concert first performed on June 22, 2014.
Conducted by Douglas Diamond