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| Minnesota Orchestra | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin |  Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |
| Genre(s) | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Symphony Orchestra |
| Years active | 1903-present |
| Associated acts | Minnesota Chorale |
| Website | http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/ |
| Members | |
| Music Director Osmo Vänskä Sommerfest Artistic Director Andrew Litton Composer Laureate Dominick Argento Conductor Laureate Stanislaw Skrowaczewski Pops Conductor Laureate Doc Severinsen |
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The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Emil Oberhoffer founded the orchestra in 1903 as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, which gave its first performance on November 5 of that year. The name was changed in 1968, and in 1974, the organization moved from its regular performance venue of Northrop Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus to Orchestra Hall in the city's downtown district.
The orchestra's current music director is Osmo Vänskä, since the 2003-2004 season.
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Oberhoffer was the Minnesota Orchestra's principal conductor until 1922. He has been followed by Henri Verbrugghen (1923–31); Eugene Ormandy (1931–36); Dimitri Mitropoulos (1937–49); Antal Doráti (1949-60); Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1960–79); Neville Marriner (1979–86); Edo de Waart (1986–95); and Eiji Oue (1995–2002). In 2002, Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä was appointed the ensemble's 10th music director and assumed the post in September 2003. In 2005, Vänskä extended his tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra through 2011.
Jorja Fleezanis serves as concertmaster for the Orchestra. Section Leaders include Manny Laureano (Trumpet), Doug Wright (Trombone), Adam Kuenzel (Flute), Vali Phillips (Second Violin), Thomas Turner (Viola), Richard Marshall (Viola), Anthony Ross (Cello), Basil Reeve (Oboe), Burt Hara (Clarinet), John Miller, Jr. (Bassoon), Michael Gast (Horn), and Brian Mount (Percussion).
The principal bass position is currently vacant following the departure of longtime principal Peter Lloyd. Associate principal bass Fora Baltacigil is serving as acting principal until the position is filled.
The orchestra first began recording in 1924, and produced some landmark records including the first electrical recording of Mahler's Second Symphony with Eugene Ormandy. In the 1940s, the Minnesota Orchestra was contracted to Columbia and made a series of fine records with Ormandy's successor, Dimitri Mitropoulos. In 1954, the group made the first complete recordings of Tchaikovsky's three ballets: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker under the baton of Antal Dorati. That same year, they also made the first recording of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture to include actual cannon fire, again under the direction of Antal Dorati. These recordings were made for Mercury Records as part of the Living Presence series. In the 1970s, the orchestra made a series of distinguished recordings for the Vox Records label under the direction of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. In the 1990s, the orchestra recorded for the Reference Recordings label under the direction of their then music director, Eiji Oue. Since 2006, the orchestra under their current music director, Osmo Vänskä, has been recording a new cycle of the Beethoven symphonies for the Swedish BIS label. Their recording of the ninth symphony, with the Minnesota Chorale, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007.
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 over a four-week period in midsummer at Orchestra Hall. The orchestra also offers free live music on the plaza before and after each show, with genres varying from folk to jazz to polka band. Slatkin was Music Director of Sommerfest from 1980 to 1989. Since 2003, Andrew Litton has been Music Director of Sommerfest, and in June 2008, his contract in this post was extended to 2011.[1]
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