Jessica Mallow Gulley hasn’t moved to the Twin Cities yet, but she is looking forward to making it her new home. “This has long felt like it could be a second home for me, and now it'll just be my full-time home,” the Iowa-born Mallow Gulley says.

Mallow Gulley will begin her new role as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s President and Managing Director on Oct. 13, 2025. Before then, however, Mallow Gulley visited YourClassical MPR to be Tom Crann’s guest DJ. In addition to selecting three of her favorite pieces of music, Mallow Gulley spoke highly about the SPCO and what makes it a special and unique organization. Use the audio player above to listen to the interview and music, and find a full transcript below.

Selections Played

Gabriela Lena Frank — Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
New Worlds
The Knightss
Eric Jacobsen, conductor

Richard Strauss — Duet-Concertino: 3rd movement
R. Strauss: Metamorphosen
New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Paul Meyer, clarinet
Knut Sönestevold, bassoon

Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
Pinchas Zukerman: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon and Philips
English Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Pinchas Zukerman, violin

Interview Transcript

Tom Crann: I'm Tom Crann, and my guest DJ this afternoon has just been appointed the next president and Managing Director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Jessica Mallow Gulley. Jessica, thanks for coming in to the studio. You haven't even officially taken over, and here you are being put to work.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Well, hi Tom, I'm so honored to be here and truly excited to begin learning about this amazing organization. And while I don't start until October 13, really just so happy to start spending time in the Twin Cities and making this my new home.

Tom Crann: So let's talk about this new job of yours and this new orchestra for you. But it's not brand new, you say, because of family connections. You've been in the Twin Cities a fair bit, and have heard the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in concert. What were your impressions?

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. Well, I grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the Twin Cities was, I would say, our nearest, best big city to drive to for many a fun weekend, as a young family, or even growing up as an adult, visited so many times, and now with family here in the city, I think I look forward to seeing this orchestra every time I've seen it in my life, and every time I am floored by the artistic brilliance, the incredible uniqueness of this amazing group of musicians and how they lift up one another in these, incredible artistic projects, presentations, artistic world class nature. So every time I see it, it gets better. And this new music hall that I'm so excited to see in person again this weekend.

Tom Crann: Yeah, the Ordway. It was built back, well, it's open 10 years now, and I can't believe it. I was there for the first concert. I can't believe that was 10 years ago, but that's the way life goes, and you can't believe it's a wonderful concert hall. So as a professional in this you come from the Kalamazoo symphony in Michigan. What attracted you to this position with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra? Tell us more about its either reputation or what drew you to it.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. Well, it truly is some of those things I mentioned, the artistic brilliance of this group and the world-renowned reputation working in the field of orchestras for nearly 15 years at this point and growing up coming to this wonderful institution. People know about this orchestra and how amazing it is, and it is a bit of a unicorn in the field of orchestras in the United States. And it is special for all the reasons that it is, but especially the innovation with which the season is programmed and the way that the collaboration is lifted up between the musicians and the organization and the community at the center of a lot of this. And in Kalamazoo, we really focus on a lot of those same areas of accessibility and welcome and the world-class nature of what we can do, and to be drawn here, to the Twin Cities, to many of those elements in a world-class light, it is just the ultimate dream for me to be joining this wonderful institution.

Tom Crann: Tell us about the nature of the SPCO as a unicorn. I like the way you said that. But in that what it does, I mean a chamber orchestra has a different role, a different function. And so how does that unicorn fit into the arts world here in the Twin Cities, as you see it?

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. You know, so many of the things that make it special are very unique to this institution. For example, the way that the season is programmed, is led by the musicians themselves, and they are able to wear, through their experience, those hats of being programmers, as well as colleagues to one another and programming repertoire that features the individual talents of all of the members of the orchestra, and you hear repertoire being played at this wonderful organization that you're not hearing in other places. It's uniquely classical. There are some brand-new commissions. There are kinds of innovations happening here within the classical repertoire that you just don't see anywhere else in the country or sometimes even in the world. And it's happening here in the Twin Cities and uniquely here.

Tom Crann: Well, you brought some music with us as we talked this afternoon, and tell us first here about An Andean Walkabout. This is music by Gabriela Lena Frank.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. So one of my very favorite modern composers, you know, living now, writing with the voice of today. And I was inspired to choose this particular piece, actually by another work that's on the SPCO season this year, coming to us in late January, on the 30th through February 1, a new world premiere of a brand-new commission that she's done really inspired, actually, by the Audubon Society and experience and lifting up some issues of now, including climate change and certain collaborations and influences she's brought into this brand-new world premiere. But this Andean Walkabout, I believe the SPCO played in the COVID time, and it just so happens that this is one of my all-time favorite pieces that she has written, and it brings in so many elements of movement and rhythm and versatility that I think, I hope, in the recording you play, everyone will hear the unique way that the musicians at the SPCO highlight the language of this rhythmic premiere.

Tom Crann: We're going to hear, because the SPCO hasn't recorded it commercially, The Knights. And this is the Andean Walkabout by Gabriela Lena Frank, my guest this hour is Jessica Mallow Gulley here on YourClassical Minnesota Public Radio, she's the incoming president and Managing Director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

[MUSIC]
Gabriela Lena Frank — Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
New Worlds
The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, conductor

Tom Crann: Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout by Gabriela Lena Frank. We heard The Knights and Eric Jacobson, but Gabriela Lena Frank's music is also familiar to the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and attendees of concerts over the years. She has been programmed pretty consistently over the last couple of decades, I understand, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra will do a world premiere of hers coming up in January as a Sandbox Concert.

I'm Tom Crann, it's your classical Minnesota Public Radio, and with me this afternoon, our guest DJ who's picked the music, Jessica Mallow Gulley, the incoming president of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. And tell me about the Sandbox Concert and Series where the next new work by Gabriela Lena Frank will be played.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. I mean, we spoke a little bit earlier about the nature of innovation at the SPCO. And I think the Sandbox Series is one of the most unique ways that I'm seeing that we can have a long-term partnership with someone who can return and know the institution and know the inspirations of the world that they would like to bring to the Twin Cities, to our organization, and be able to create something new from their own inspiration. And so, you know, the piece that we'll be playing in January is amazing, you know, looking for, you know, the inspiration of the Audubon, you know, John James Audubon, in context of the ongoing ecological crisis, in this case, all painted through the musical imagery of birds and the story that will be told, much as that amazing piece that we just heard blended different cultures and rhythms and legendary figures that she drew inspiration from. I think we can expect in this world premiere and in this particular concert, all of the colors of the rainbow and all the tools for writing new music to come to life in the Sandbox premiere, but it's one of my favorite things that I see the SPCO doing that you don't see like this in a lot of other places.

Tom Crann: I have some questions for you that I'm sure came up in in your job interview to get this job as a head of the SPCO. But we have to talk about them, and that is this era we are in is not the best time for the arts when it comes to finances and prominence. There are challenges out there. There are headwinds financially and otherwise. So how is that affecting the SPCO? What do you see as the big challenges as you take over?

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. This is a very fair question, because I feel like in the arts, we are talking about this a lot, because we have to. But what differentiates the SPCO is this brilliant team and alignment across the organization in taking a long-range view of stability and planning for, quite frankly, the expected and the unexpected. And I've been so impressed to see that there are active conversations about how to keep this institution in strong financial health for the long-range future as well as the short term one. And I know that there's a really important history of stability within this organization financially, but it doesn't negate the climate that we're in in terms of support is changing.

This is a difficult environment to be fundraising in, and it can be a difficult environment for donors to choose what is the most important thing to them when they're making those decisions about what to support right now as the world around us is shifting so quickly, you know, what will help someone choose the arts? And I think that's a question we're all asking as institutions: Why us? And it's not always the case that someone will wake up every day and just decide to give a gift to the orchestra. We have to fight for relevancy in the time of now, and that means being a welcoming institution where people feel that we can be a regular part of their lives in a way that matters. We're talking about that human experience. There are a few things now outside of the arts that can bring communities together, that can change the way people feel about where they work, where they live, and how they choose to spend their waking hours, than gathering together to hear live music, and the SPCO takes our own spin on that with things like Sandbox, with the unique nature of the way our musicians work together to bring world-class art here. And you just, when you feel that live, you feel a connection to something much bigger than any one moment, right?

And so as we look at the financial future, we're leaning into accessibility. We'll be leaning into some of the models that have differentiated this organization across the country, in terms of broad audiences being welcome here, going to other communities to make homes in those places as well, and just trying to ingratiate the organization into daily life in as many ways as possible. You can be a world class organization without standing apart in an elitist way. And I'm so impressed that this organization has been able to be welcoming to all, really.

Tom Crann: So in this age of streaming and a million things on demand right on our couch, and then also on our laptops, right, and on our phones, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, a very great collection of performances that are available for streaming. Make the case for getting in the car or on the bus and coming to Downtown St. Paul or out to St. Andrews in Mahtomedi and actually sitting there and hearing it live.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. Well, if you haven't done it before, it's worth the trip to feel the live human experience, because we know, even through science now, the way that music can resonate in your body, in your soul, in your connection to the energy of people in the lobby of the place that you are and the musicians on the stage, what you get from that experience is more than just what your ears take in. You're being part of a community that says that music belongs in humanity, and you're voting with your time and your dollars that it's worth having in the place that you live and that for your own wellbeing. There's something more there, tangible or intangible, that while I love the digital options, and we all need these as well, even however many times in a year or a season, you can make that trek, whether it's five minutes or 25 minutes to come and see it. It's worth it, and music can lift up a community or even your own being in a way that we're just starting to discover scientifically, is true, right?

Tom Crann: The incoming president, Managing Director, Jessica Mallow Gulley, is here with us this afternoon, and we are putting her to work before her even official start date, but she's here for, we should say, the first weekend of concerts, opening weekend by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Zehetmair and Mozart's Jupiter on the program and the Brahms Double Concerto with principals from the SPCO. Steven Copes, right?

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Yes, absolutely. Oh, I'm so excited that I could be here for this weekend, of all the weekends, to join the community in welcoming a brand-new season. My first season here with SPCO, we have Steven Copes, of course, on violin, and Julie Albers on cello in that Brahms double. So we're in for a treat. I heard a little bit of it this morning, and I can say, if you don't already have your tickets, there may not be many left, but you get three chances to come by and check it out.

Tom Crann: Right. It's tonight, tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon, right?

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Yes, all at the Ordway here in downtown.

Tom Crann: All right, what's next musically? What did you bring and why? Because this one I personally love, but it's a curiosity.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Sure! Well, the Richard Strauss, the Duet Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon with String Orchestra. So I chose this piece for a couple of reasons. One, I personally love it. I love the music of Strauss. It's so musically complex. It's it's dense in all the right directions. You know you hear the dance between the instruments of the orchestra, and I love that you hear it not just in this piece between the clarinet and the bassoon, but in a duet-type fashion, with the strings that are not merely just an accompaniment behind this incredible duo. You do not hear this piece live very often — a sign of the brilliance of those who come together to do the unique programming of the organization at Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, but also featuring two of the principals. You know, here we have Sang Yoon Kim on clarinet and Andrew Brady on bassoon. And for me, coming into this organization now, I mentioned how special it is that so often we feature the talents of the musicians of the SPCO from every seat in the orchestra, and this, for me, really highlights how unique and special that can be — two words I've said a lot in this interview, but I hope you can feel my energy for just how incredible it is that we can play a piece like this here live for our audiences.

Tom Crann: We're going to hear a recording made in Stockholm, the chamber orchestra there with Paul Meyer clarinet And Knut Sönstevold playing bassoon. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts.

[MUSIC]
Richard Strauss — Duet-Concertino: 3rd movement
R. Strauss: Metamorphosen
New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Paul Meyer, clarinet
Knut Sönestevold, bassoon

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Well, one of my favorite pieces, and again, you don't get to hear it live very often. So when you asked me to pick some inspiration today, the beauty and the uniqueness and the dancing lightness of that, combined with the two wonderful principals from Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, who will bring that to stage this April, 10 and 11, I believe. I hope others will come and join us.

Tom Crann: Well, let's talk about this model that the SPCO has had. It is not like other orchestras. It does not have the maestro, the music director, the one person who is the public face of the orchestra and chooses the music in the season. But it's done in conjunction with the musicians and artistic partners. The newest one, I'm looking forward to hearing Richard Goode this season. But that model, do you see that working in the future? And how do you see — how does it work?

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Absolutely. Well, just welcoming myself into this model for the first time, I think it's beautiful and brilliant that the organization has this unique model where the musicians can pull from their experience and their artistic inspirations and lift up one another through programming that highlights their talents in these unique ways with pieces that you're not otherwise going to hear. You know, in a traditional model, of course, as you mentioned, a music director will often make most or all of the classical programming and a lot of the personnel decisions around guest artists and collaborators in that way. But at SPCO, musicians are making these decisions in collaboration with the organization and the staff. And of course, the board is involved in the conversation to some degree as well, and it really brings alignment to a lot of what gets lifted up in live performance in that really, that unique way. So, you know, you don't see it a lot of places, but I think the size and the flexibility and the innovative culture of this organization allows it to work and thrive. And I look forward to getting acquainted with all the ways it's working now, and as we talked about the future for the organization, being really a partner for the organization in those conversations as it continues and evolves into the future. So really excited to get to know people and these inspirations and this model a little bit better.

Tom Crann: Well, Jessica, I can tell from talking to you, you're excited to take over as the head of this orchestra, and also in joining the community here in the Twin Cities and moving here. So I wish you the best of luck with that.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Oh, thank you so much. This has long felt like it could be a second home for me, and now it'll just be my full-time home, coming back to the Midwest after being afield on the East Coast for nearly 15 years with different orchestras. But I think there is so much excitement and ease of living in this amazing place that it feels like it could be today. I know I'm working on it a couple of weeks from now.

Tom Crann: Well, welcome to it. Good luck with all of that, and good luck with this season. And tell us about the last piece of music you picked, because I have a wonderful memory from many years ago of hearing the past concertmaster. This is now — we looked it up — 28 years ago. His name was Romuald Tecco, and he played this as his last concert with the SPCO. And it was moving and wonderful. And I've heard it many times since. It's Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Yes, well, Vaughan Williams, just a personal favorite composer of mine. There are so many directions I could choose, but for me, as a musician, as also a vocalist, the treatment of melody with Vaughan Williams and the inspirations from folk culture in his writing really draw me to his work. And this piece is a special favorite, and I love that you have that memory. Hopefully, we can make a new one with you on March 13, I think it is, coming up this early this year. But to have Nina Fan playing, violinist with the SPCO, this work, I think all of the beauty of the treatment of the way the pastoral nature and the bird and the ascension of the lark quite literally portrayed through melody in his writing, an all-time favorite for me, and I hope you'll make a new memory when you hear it again.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: And this is Pinchas Zuckerman once upon a time with the English Chamber Orchestra. Jessica, thanks so much.

Jessica Mallow Gulley: Thanks Tom.

[MUSIC]
Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
Pinchas Zukerman: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon and Philips
English Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Pinchas Zukerman, violin

Comedy and tragedy intertwine in this St. Paul Chamber Orchestra program of theatrical music including Ludwig van Beethoven’s dramatic Coriolan Overture and Felix Mendelssohn’s lighthearted music for William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Also on the program, Haydn’s Il Distratto Symphony repurposes music from a comedic play about a gentleman so absent-minded he nearly forgets his own wedding! Listen to the concert now.

Program

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Andrew Brady, creative lead
Cassie Pilgrim, English horn *

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Coriolan Overture
FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Nocturne and Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream
JEAN SIBELIUS (ARR. JONATHAN POSTHUMA): “The Swan of Tuonela” No. 2 from Legends *
JOSEPH HAYDN: Symphony No. 60 (Il Distratto)

For more information regarding this concert, please visit the official website.

Join Steve Seel for an Easter celebration with the complete performance of George Frideric Handel's sacred oratorio Messiah, with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Led by conductor Patrick Dupré Quigley, an all-star roster of vocal soloists and the renowned vocal ensemble the Singers, led by Matthew Culloton, the concert was recorded live in December at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Listen now!

Credits

Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor

Lauren Snouffer, soprano

Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano

John Matthew Myers, tenor

John Moore, baritone

The Singers — Minnesota Choral Artists, chorus

Matthew Culloton, artistic director

Find out more about the performance through the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s digital program book.

On Saturday, June 8, conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy joined the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for a stunning season finale. Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto, performed by concertmaster Steven Copes, invited the listeners to feel love, loss and hope, being dedicated “to the memory of an angel.” Then, audience members were drawn in by the power and vivacity of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony — an epic close to the orchestra’s 65th season. Listen to the concert now!

Program

Gábor Takács-Nagy, conductor
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Steven Copes, violin *

ALBAN BERG: Violin Concerto *
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Artist Interviews

Host Steve Seel speaks to McGill about the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert and upcoming projects in his career. Listen below!

For more information regarding St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts, visit their official website.

Join Steve Seel for an Easter celebration with the complete performance of George Frideric Handel's sacred oratorio Messiah, with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Led by conductor and countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky, an all-star roster of vocal soloists and the renowned vocal ensemble the Singers, led by Matthew Culloton, the concert was recorded live in December at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Listen now!

Credits

Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor and countertenor
Nola Richardson, soprano
David Portillo, tenor
Dashon Burton, baritone
The Singers — Minnesota Choral Artists, chorus
Matthew Culloton, artistic director

Find out more about the performance through the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s digital program book.

The 64th season finale of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra featured Ludwig van Beethoven’s timeless Pastoral Symphony, a masterwork inspired by the natural world and performed under the baton of conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy, making his SPCO debut. Enjoy on-demand audio of the concert now!

Program

Gábor Takács-Nagy, conductor
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Sang Yoon Kim, clarinet

CLAUDE DEBUSSY (ARR. GEOFFREY GORDON): Première Rhapsodie (First Rhapsody) **
EDVARD GRIEG: Quartet for String Orchestra in G Minor
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

** World Premiere, SPCO Commission

Previous Concert

March 18, 2023 - Listen: Violist Tabea Zimmermann and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra perform Mendelssohn

Conductor and violist Tabea Zimmermann returns to lead the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in performing Mendelssohn’s ‘Scottish’ Symphony. The program also included pieces by Mendelssohn-Hensel and Hummel. Listen to the concert now!

Program

Tabea Zimmermann, conductor/viola
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel: Overture in C
Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Potpourri (mit Fantasie) for Viola and Orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (Scottish)

For more information regarding St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts, visit their official website.

On Easter, YourClassical MPR broadcasted the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s performance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. Guest conductor Paul McCreesh and the orchestra were joined by an all-star roster of vocal soloists and renowned vocal ensemble the Singers to create a wonderful musical experience. Listen to the on-demand audio now!

Program

Paul McCreesh, conductor
Hera Hyesang Park, soprano
Avery Amereau, contralto
Thomas Cooley, tenor
John Moore, baritone
The Singers — Minnesota Choral Artists, chorus
Matthew Culloton, artistic director
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

George Frideric Handel: Messiah

For more information about St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts, visit the official website.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, violinist Joshua Bell returned as a special guest with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he performed Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. He also directed the orchestra from the concertmaster chair for two contrasting symphonies: W.A. Mozart's Symphony No. 25 and George Bizet’s Symphony No. 1. Listen to the concert now!

Program

Joshua Bell, conductor/violin
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Symphony No. 25
MAX BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1
GEORGES BIZET: Symphony No. 1

Previous Concerts

On Saturday, Oct. 1, pianist and composer Conrad Tao made his St. Paul Chamber Orchestra debut in a program built around Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s monumental Piano Concerto No. 24.

The concert opened with Ruth Crawford-Seeger’s Music for Small Orchestra, which framed a program containing a Renaissance madrigal by Carlo Gesualdo, a sunny keyboard concerto by C.P.E. Bach and a cryptic work for viola and piano by Morton Feldman. Listen now!

Conrad Tao, conductor/piano
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Hyobi Sim, viola *

RUTH CRAWFORD SEEGER: Music for Small Orchestra
CARLO GESUALDO: Resta di darmi noia from Madrigals, Book 6
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH: Piano Concerto in D
MORTON FELDMAN: The Viola in My Life 3 *
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24

Upcoming concert broadcasts

SANG YOON KIM PLAYS CRUSELL’S SECOND CLARINET CONCERTO
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 8 p.m.

Sang Yoon Kim, clarinet
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

JOSEF SUK: Meditation on the Old Bohemian Chorale
BERNHARD CRUSELL: Clarinet Concerto No. 2
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Symphony No. 40

SEASON FINALE: BEETHOVEN’S PASTORAL SYMPHONY WITH GÁBOR TAKÁCS-NAGY
Saturday, June 10, 2023, 8 p.m.

Gábor Takács-Nagy, conductor
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Sang Yoon Kim, clarinet

CLAUDE DEBUSSY, ARR. GEOFFREY GORDON: Première Rhapsodie (First Rhapsody) **
EDVARD GRIEG: Quartet for String Orchestra in G Minor
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

** World Premiere, SPCO Commission

For more information regarding St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts, visit their official website.

Pekka Kuusisto is one of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's most beloved artistic partners. On May 21, 2022, the violinist, conductor and composer returned to the stage for a varied and colorful program. The world premiere of a new piece by American composer Cindy Cox opened a concert that also featured a symphony by the 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc. The centerpiece of the program was Ralph Vaughan Williams' transcendent and magical The Lark Ascending, which provided a showcase for Kuusisto's exquisite violin playing. Listen to the concert now!

Program

Pekka Kuusisto, conductor/violin*
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

CINDY COX: Dreaming a World’s Edge
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: The Lark Ascending *
LOUISE FARRENC: Symphony No. 3

Richard Egarr returns to lead the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in a delightful program of works from London. Wonderful and surprising harmonies emerge from the strings in works by Henry Purcell and William Lawes. The program also includes Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 101 (The Clock), which earned its nickname for the steady tick-tock accompaniment of the slow movement. Join host Steve Seel for YourClassical MPR’s live broadcast of the concert at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Program

Richard Egarr, conductor
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

HANDEL: Concerto Grosso in B-flat, Op. 3, No. 1
HANDEL: Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon
PURCELL: Fantasias No. 11 and 13
LAWES: Royal Consort Sett No. 9
HAYDN: Symphony No. 101 (The Clock)

Composer and bassist Xavier Foley made his SPCO debut with two works that showcased his dynamism and virtuosity on the double bass, as well as his musical friendship with SPCO violinist Eunice Kim, with whom he has toured throughout the country. Foley’s composition, a double concerto for violin and bass, was written in 2019 to mark 400 years since the arrival of the White Lion, the first ship that brought enslaved Africans to Jamestown, Virginia.

Also on the program, principal violin Kyu-Young Kim soloed with the SPCO strings in a grand work from Ludwig van Beethoven’s middle period.

Program

Xavier Foley, bass *
Eunice Kim, violin *
Kyu-Young Kim, violin **
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

BOTTASINI: Gran Duo Concertante *
FOLEY: For Justice and Peace *
BEETHOVEN: Sonata for Violin and Strings, Kreutzer **

Listen to YourClassical MPR’s broadcast of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Oct. 30 concerto, where pianist Jeremy Denk returned to the Ordway Center stage for two works by Mozart.

The first work on the program was Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, which the composer considered one of his best works. Then the SPCO performed a fiendishly difficult and zany string quartet by Sky Macklay, followed by Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 14.

Program

Jeremy Denk, piano *

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

MOZART: Quintet for Piano and Winds *
SKY MACKLAY: ‘Many, Many Cadences’
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 14 *

"Programming is always a very sensitive topic, but we've certainly had a wake-up call, and it's been for the good," says Kyu-Young Kim, artistic director and principal violin of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

He is referring to the aftershock that events such as the Harvey Weinstein trial, the killing of George Floyd and the storming of the U.S. Capitol have created, far beyond their immediate implications for gender equity, policing and national security.

Kim plays a central role in deciding which pieces the SPCO plays at its concerts.

"There are so many choices, and you reveal a lot about yourself as an organization by what you play," he says.

"You're always reacting to what's going on in the world, and when the murder of George Floyd happened, it definitely spurred us to include more underrepresented composers and composers of color."

One of these is the extravagantly monikered Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, born in 1745 in Guadeloupe to a plantation-owning father and an African slave mother.

Bologne was a flamboyantly picaresque character, a composer, violinist, soldier (he fought for the Republic in the French Revolution), dancer and champion fencer.

His Second Symphony features in the SCPO's concerts at the Ordway Concert Hall on Friday and Saturday — the latter being broadcast live at 8 p.m. by YourClassical MPR — and Kim believes that it is something of a discovery.

"The Second Symphony is a really delightful, energetic and fun work to play," he says. "We played Bologne's First Symphony four or five years ago, and this one is an even better piece."

But maybe not as good as the acknowledged masterpieces of Bologne's more famous contemporary, Mozart?

Kim is not keen on making such direct comparisons.

"I think that when you get into the business of comparing the greatness of different pieces, you can get yourself in trouble," he says. "If you simply say that this Brahms or Beethoven symphony is just a better piece, so that's what we should play, then that cuts off a lot of possibilities.

"Rediscovering a piece like Bologne's Second Symphony is extremely valuable. He had so much talent and overcame a lot of adversity, and we need to ask why for so long we didn't know it."

Minnesota Opera is asking the same question about L'Amant Anonyme (The Anonymous Lover), a virtually unknown opera by Bologne that the company is staging in February.

Bologne was at one point a leading candidate to lead the illustrious Paris Opéra, until three of its female singers objected "that their honor and delicate conscience could never allow them to submit to the orders of a mulatto" — someone of mixed race.

Important as it is to highlight stories such as this, Kim concedes that the business of building interesting classical music programs for SPCO audiences today cannot rely solely on historical excavations from the past.

He is, though, buoyant about the thriving state of classical music in the present.

"We have an incredible diversity of living composers, and we are looking to draw on that," he says.

One of these contemporary voices is that of American composer Valerie Coleman, whose Umoja: The First Day of Kwanzaa will feature in this weekend's SPCO concerts.

"Umoja" is the Swahili word for “unity,” and Coleman says that "now more than ever" her piece "has to ring as a strong and beautiful anthem for the world we live in today."

"Our woodwind players really like this piece," Kim says. "We've played a little bit of Valerie's music in the past, and now we're going to play more."

Handel is, by contrast, a composer the SPCO has played a lot, with annual performances of his choral masterpiece Messiah and regular outings for the instrumental Concerti Grossi.

Handel's Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No. 2, opens this weekend's SPCO program. It would seem an innocuous enough choice were it not for the controversy stirred in recent years by the revelation that Handel once invested in a company that profited from the African slave trade.

Kim is aware of the controversy and points out that the SPCO addressed it in a preconcert discussion in December, before an online broadcast of Messiah.

Should composers guilty of what we now view as serious moral aberrations have their music summarily "canceled" on the basis that it is irretrievably tainted?

Or is the good that people do in their professional lives — Handel was, for instance, a generous supporter of a hospital for orphans and unquestionably wrote wonderful music — not necessarily invalidated by personal failings?

Kim leans more to the latter view.

"We were troubled by Handel's connection with the slave trade and felt we needed to explore that question with our audience," he says. "But that doesn't necessarily lead to canceling Messiah. We're all human, we all make mistakes, and I think most of our audience will be grateful that we will continue playing Handel's music."

Such delicately poised judgments will undoubtedly continue to be necessary, as artists and administrators grapple with the ongoing impact of seismic social upheavals on the entertainment industry.

Kim, though, is generally positive about the future.

"What we have to be careful about as we get back to fuller halls after the pandemic is that we don't lose sight of the good things happening in classical programming at the minute," he says. "Because where diversity, equity and inclusion are concerned, there is so much work still to be done."

On Saturday night, join Classical MPR for a live broadcast from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra from the Ordway's Concert Hall, with music by Shaw, Assad, Beethoven, Wiancko, and Mendelssohn. Come back for a post-concert discussion with ensemble musicians using the chatroom below!

Saturday, June 12 at 8 p.m.

Season Finale
Led by SPCO musicians
Sang Yoon Kim, clarinet
Zachary Cohen, bass

SHAW: Entr'acte for String Orchestra
ASSAD: New Work for Clarinet and Bass (world premiere, SPCO commission)
BEETHOVEN: Sextet for Two Horns and Strings, Op 81b
WIANCKO: New Work for Solo Clarinet (world premiere, SPCO commission)
MENDELSSOHN: String Quintet No. 2 in B-flat Major

Celebrate the season with a rebroadcast of Handel's Messiah, performed by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Singers in 2018. Listen on-demand using the audio players above.

Program Details

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: Handel's Messiah
Original air date: Dec 23, 2018 at the Ordway Concert Hall in Saint Paul
Host: Andrea Blain
Vocal Ensemble: The Singers led by Matthew Culloton
Conductor: Jeannette Sorrell

With many arts organizations and concert halls closing their doors due to concerns from the coronavirus, there has been a surge in performances offered for free online during the closures. Here is our updated list of great free and paid performances, recurring events and concert libraries that you can enjoy from home.

If you enjoy the free performances below, please consider making a donation to the organization as if you had bought a concert ticket to the event. Many organizations rely on ticket sales and individual giving and could use the support in a time where ticket sales are nonexistent due to the spread of COVID-19.

Are you a performer or a member of classical ensemble that is planning on livestreaming a concert? Let us know! Email Brooke Knoll at bknoll@mpr.org to add your event to the list.

Concert Calendar

Updated March 26, noon central

March 27

6:30 p.m. central — Tesla Quartet: Livestream performance of Bartok's String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 & Romanian Folk Dances (arr. Ross Snyder)

March 28

4:00 p.m. central — VocalEssence: Call of the North concert

March 29

7:00 a.m. central — Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Lunchtime Music Online: RBC Saxophone Department

March 31

4:00 p.m. central — American Composers Forum: Composer-to-Composer Talks: Meredith Monk and Missy Mazzoli

April 2

6:30 p.m. central — World Premiere: Broadcast at the Crossroads by Lisa Bielawa

April 3

11:00 a.m. central — Jupiter String Quartet: Streamed Concert presented by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music

April 11

4:30 p.m. central — Shriver Hall Concert Series presents violinist Jennifer Koh

5:00 p.m. central — New West Symphony presents a tour of Iran

April 15

12:30 p.m. central — Scottish Chamber Orchestra Presents the World Premiere of Associate Composer Anna Clyne's Overflow

Concert libraries are listed in alphabetical order by ensemble.

American Composers Orchestra

The American Composers Orchestra pairs composers and performers to create new solo works, aiming to support artists financially, to create new works that will live beyond this crisis, and to provide virtual, interactive performances to ACO's supporters and the general public. You can view these premieres on their YouTube channel.

Art Tower Mito in Japan

The Mito Chamber Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa is uploading videos of past performances that you can watch on-demand.

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Stream performances from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra from the past year, including works by Brahms, Mahler and Beethoven.

Berlin Philharmonic

The Berlin Philharmonic is offers a trial for free access to its Digital Concert Hall before asking for a subcription.

Budapest Festival Orchestra

The Budapest Festival Orchestra is putting on a series of Quarantine Soirées daily.

Chamber Music Northwest Virtual Festival

Chamber Music Northwest is offering their 2020-2021 season as virtual concerts.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Watch hundreds of archived videos and livestreams in their Watch & Listen library.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Watch past performances and videos from musician's homes on their CSO at Home portal.

City Music Foundation

Starting June 17, the City Music Foundation will present weekly YouTube live broadcasts at noon central.

Colorado Symphony Orchestra

The ensemble launched their #PlayOn videos on their YouTube channel.

Columbia University Miller Theatre

Watch a performance of Bach Collection and stay tuned for more videos.

Concert Roulette

Concert Roulette provides you with a random concert (out of over 200 videos we have handpicked from around the world) starting at the moment of the upbeat.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Watch videos from the DSO's extensive video library, which they have made free for the next month.

Discovery Orchestra

Discovery Orchestra's chat videos features Maestro Maull leading listeners to personally encounter "Aha!" moments in music.

Doori Na, violinist

Violinist Doori Na hosts weekly Laid Bach Concerts on their Facebook page at noon central.

From the Top's Daily Joy

Watch young musicians from around the country perform daily LIVE on From The Top's Facebook page.

Google Arts & Culture Virtual Tours

Immerse yourself in amazing venues and performances with Google's Virtual Tours. Highlights include the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall and the Royal College of Music.

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Watch select concerts and videos from the the orchestra's musicians as they social distance.

Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra

The musicians of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra are virtually creating videos together while social distancing.

Living Room Live

Canada's classical house concert network is livestreaming concerts every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. central.

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Watch videos from the orchestra's concert archive, as well as videos created by musicians while social distancing.

London Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Orchestra's YouTube channel has over 500 videos of performances and informational lessons.

Matinee Musicale

The Duluth-based music series has switched gears for this year, presenting a new free virtual concert each month, highlighting renowned and up-and-coming musicians alike.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has full concerts on their YouTube channel.

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Musicians

The musicians of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra have been sharing videos from their homes.

Metropolitan Opera Student Streams

The Metropolitan Opera introduced new Free Student Streams! Each week, they'll be offering one opera specially selected for young audience members around the globe, along with opportunities to learn more about the production and hear from some of the amazing artists who helped make it happen.

Minnesota Orchestra

The Minnesota Orchestra launched their Minnesota Orchestra at Home series, and ongoing project of small concerts created for everyone directly from the musicians' homes. You can also watch stream previous livestreamed concerts from their current concert series.

Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra

Watch performances from the ensemble's watch at home portal.

New York Philharmonic

The ensemble launched NY Phil Plays On, a collection of video broadcasts of past performances.

Orli Shaham's MidWeek Mozart

Each Wednesday, pianist Orli Shaham brings you an exclusive: music from her forthcoming recording of Mozart sonatas

Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra

The Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra has been posting archived concerts on their Curtain Call video library.

Philharmonie de Paris

Stream archived videos from the Philharmonie de Paris.

The Recital Stream

The Recital Stream is a project bringing recitals from classical musician's living rooms to your home. Check out their website for upcoming performances and links.

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

View archived performances on the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra's Vimeo Channel.

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has a free online concert library, with audio recorded by Classical MPR. Browse past performances and watch with a free account.

Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera is offering a free 30 day trial for their video library.

Würth Philharmonic

The Würth Philharmonic is offering a concert livestream every second Saturday at 10 a.m. central on their YouTube channel, starting on May 23.

Are you a performer or a member of classical ensemble that is planning on livestreaming a concert? Let us know! Email Brooke Knoll at bknoll@mpr.org to add your event to the list.

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and its musicians have agreed to extend their contract, which was set to expire in 18 months, by two years.

SPCO President Jon Limbacher said the agreement comes as players and management continue to face the challenges of the pandemic but look to the post-COVID future.

Like many other orchestras, the SPCO had to turn to livestreaming concerts in a hall without an audience. And even that ran into problems last year when the inability to ensure timely testing of performers for each week's performance led to the temporary suspension of live shows.

The agreement shows the organization is moving forward in solidarity, said Limbacher.

"And by having a 100 percent focus on the recovery, we're confident that we can get to the other side of all this and be stronger and more unified and really poised to pursue our vision of being a great orchestra for everyone in the community," he said.

Musicians unanimously approved the agreement, said trumpet player Lynn Erickson, who chairs the Orchestra Committee.

It's a sign of how the organization pulled together to face the challenges of making music in the time of COVID-19 and is looking to the future, Erickson said.

"I feel optimistic about how our management and our board is handling the organization through this pandemic, and I think we will come out stronger at the end," Erickson said. "I think we will be OK. And I look forward to the end of this."

While there is a 2 percent wage increase next year under the current contract, there are no increases in the extension. Limbacher said he is grateful to the musicians for that, as it helps balance the budget.

Both Limbacher and Erickson raised the possibility of live performances in front of audiences at the beginning of the 2021-22 season in the fall.

Limbacher cautioned, however, that he believes it's going to take much longer to get over the full impact of the pandemic on the performing arts.

The SPCO has five more livestreamed concerts scheduled, but hopes to round out the current season with some outdoor concerts in June. Like Erickson, Limbacher said he can't wait for a return to performing with an audience in the hall.

"I think it's going to be so very special and sweet," he said. "I think there is so much pent-up desire to hear live music, to share with others in the audience. Maybe we all took it a little bit for granted. And I think it's going to be special when we get back to live performances and just living our lives the way we are supposed to live them."

Nikolai Gogol has been described as "the most musical of all Russian prose writers," and his stories have inspired Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Shostakovich's opera The Nose.

Now, Twin Cities storyteller Kevin Kling and Guthrie-veteran composer Victor Zupanc have teamed up for a new radio/audio play of Gogol's Diary of a Madman, with original music played by cellist Joe Enlgund. Stream it free from Open Eye Theatre. The Schubert Club goes all-out Schubert with two web streamed concerts — "Schubert Revealed" — featuring two of the world's great chamber players, pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel. These two run the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and have friends in exalted places to invite for collaboration. This time it's Schubert's Piano Trio No. 2 (with its second-movement guaranteed earworm), and the died-and-gone-to-heaven serenity of the String Quintet. Enjoy them even more with pre-concert talks as well.

And the SPCO was ahead of the game, with a nod to Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla's centennial this Thursday, at last Saturday's Musician Appreciation concert. Look for the next SPCO virtual concert, Lamentations, later this month.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra announced Tuesday that it's canceling the remainder of its regular concert season through June. The decision arises from health and safety concerns for musicians, staff and audiences as a result of the pandemic.

The SPCO will continue its program of livestreamed concerts from the Ordway performed without a live audience. There will be eight concerts between January and June, available through the SPCO online Concert Library.

Details of the concerts are available on the SPCO website, as well as refund details for ticketholders to the canceled events.

Every Friday in the 9 a.m. hour with host John Birge, we present our SPCO Spotlight, showcasing performances by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra at various venues as recorded by Classical MPR.

We also carry occasional live broadcasts of the SPCO, with expertly presented audio from Classical MPR, at 8 p.m. Saturday (as scheduled).

Here are the amazing performances you'll hear in this season's SPCO Spotlight:

Oct. 2, 2020

Haydn: Oboe Concerto in C
Led by Francois Leleux
Francois Leleux, oboe soloist

(rec. Nov. 22, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Oct. 9, 2020

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 2
Led by Jeremy Denk

(rec. Sept. 15, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Oct. 16, 2020

Ferenc Farkas: Serenade for Wind Quintet
Led by SPCO musicians
Soloists: Alicia McQuerrey, flute; Barbara Bishop, oboe; Rena Kraut, clarinet; Carole Mason Smith, bassoon; James Ferree, horn

(rec. Jan. 18, 2020, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, St. Paul)

Oct. 23, 2020

Franz Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto in C
Led by SPCO musicians
Soloist: Julie Albers, cello

(rec. Dec. 7, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Oct. 30, 2020

John Corigliano: Voyage for Flute and Strings
Led by Chia-Hsuan Lin
Soloist: Alicia McQuerrey, flute

(rec. Dec. 1, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Nov. 6, 2020

Franz Schubert: Overture in the Italian Style
Led by Francois Leleux

(rec. Nov. 22, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Nov. 13, 2020

JS Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
Led by SPCO musicians
Soloists: Lynn Erickson, trumpet; Alicia McQuerrey, flute; Cassie Pilgrim, oboe; Eunice Kim, violin

(rec. Dec. 14, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Nov. 20, 2020

Anatol Liadov: Eight Russian Folk Songs for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon, Op 58
Led by SPCO musicians
Soloists: Alicia McQuerrey, flute; Barbara Bishop, oboe; Rena Kraut, clarinet; Carole Mason Smith, bassoon; James Ferree, horn

(rec. Jan. 18, 2020, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Saint Paul)

Nov. 27, 2020

Stephen Prutsman: Color Preludes for String Orchestra
Led by Chia-Hsuan Lin, conductor

(rec. Dec. 1, 2019, Ordway Concert Hall)

Dec. 4, 2020

Georg Muffat: Sonata No. 5 from Armonico tributo
Led by Richard Egarr, conductor

(rec. Feb. 1, 2020, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Saint Paul)

Dec. 11, 2020

Bela Bartok: Romanian Folk Dances
Led by SPCO musicians

(rec. Feb. 15, 2020, Ordway Concert Hall)

Dec. 18, 2020

Antonio Vivaldi: Four Seasons: Winter
Led by Richard Egarr, conductor
Soloist: Steven Copes, violin

(rec. Feb. 1, 2020, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Saint Paul)

Jan. 1, 2021

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 29
Led by SPCO musicians

(rec. Feb. 15, 2020, Ordway Concert Hall)

Jan. 8, 2021

Dobrinka Tabakova: Such Different Paths
Led by SPCO musicians
Soloists: Kyu-Young Kim, violin; Eunice Kim, violin; Hyobi Sim, viola; Deanna Badizadegan, viola; Richard Belcher, cello; Sarah Lewis, cello; Zachary Cohen, double bass

(rec. Feb. 28, 2020, Ordway Concert Hall)

Jan. 15, 2021

Georges Enesco: Octet
Led by SPCO musicians

(rec. Feb. 15, 2020, Ordway Concert Hall)

Jan. 22, 2021

Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin and Three Violins in Echo, RV 552
Led by SPCO musicians
Soloists: Nina Tso-Ning Fan, violin; Maureen Nelson, violin; Daria T. Adams, violin; Rolf Haas, violin

(rec. Feb. 28, 2020, Ordway Concert Hall)

Jan. 29, 2021

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 80
Led by SPCO musicians

(rec. Feb. 28, 2020, Ordway Concert Hall)

Many ensembles are announcing changes to their upcoming seasons, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is no exception.

Listen to host Steve Seel talk with Kyu-Young Kim, artistic director and principal violin with the orchestra, about the plans for the virtual fall season, and what audiences can expect to hear and see.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has just announced a series of live performances to be streamed from the Ordway Concert Hall this fall. SPCO musicians will perform from the Ordway Concert Hall with no audience on site. The performances will be streamed through the organization's free online Concert Library via the SPCO's multicamera, high-definition video system, with audio provided by Classical Minnesota Public Radio.

This announcement follows the recent cancellation of previously scheduled concerts through December due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the scheduled live performance streams, the SPCO will continue to release encore streams (rebroadcasts of past performances) throughout the fall. The existing on-demand library, which includes recordings of 62 concerts and 122 compositions, will continue to be available.

As always, all SPCO digital concerts will continue to be provided free, which aligns with the organization's mission and ongoing commitment to sharing the orchestra and the music with as many people as possible in the community.

Pianist Denis Evstuhin was born in Russia, and he has a special feeling in his heart for Peter Tchaikovsky, whom he calls "the most iconic of all Russian composers."

So when he saw the 180th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth approaching a year ago, Evstuhin wanted to mark it.

Exciting plans were hatched for a special recital at the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, where Evstuhin curates the music program.

Joining him on stage would be Minnesota Orchestra concertmaster Erin Keefe and her husband, Osmo Vänskä — the orchestra's music director, but also an outstanding clarinetist.

It should have been a grand, celebratory occasion in the beautiful main gallery of the museum, but the coronavirus abruptly stopped it.

"We had to cancel all events at the museum," Evstuhin says.

"A few months later, when it became clear that we would not be able to host the Tchaikovsky recital this year, I started thinking about an alternative open-air event."

Eventually Evstuhin hit upon the Bandshell at Town Green Park in Maple Grove as an ideal venue — a wonderful space, he calls it.

There, on Saturday, Aug. 22, Evstuhin finally gets to host the birthday tribute that he wanted — a program mixing music from Tchaikovsky's beloved ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker with a selection of songs, opera arias, piano works and chamber music.

Putting the event together has been considerably more time-consuming than it would have been a year ago, before the coronavirus started.

"Protocols require more volunteers to help our guests with registration, pre-concert screening, entering and exiting the amphitheater safely," Evstuhin explains.

"We also have to provide extra cleaning at common areas and high-touch points, and hand sanitizer and face masks if needed. And our program will not have the usual intermission."

All these additional measures are needed to comply with public health guidance on the coronavirus, which limits the total number of people attending the concert to 250, including the performers.

But the extra work is worth it, Evstuhin insists.

"I know that many of my friends and colleagues really miss classical musical concerts. Our goal was to minimize the risk of being exposed to COVID, and in my opinion a well-organized outdoor classical music event seems much safer than any other public event."

But do Evstuhin's musical associates think the same? Was it difficult to sign up the performers for his "Tchaikovsky 180" evening?

"Not at all," Evstuhin says. "We have several hundred talented musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and other organizations who currently have no performance opportunities, and most of them miss their job."

Among the soloists showcased on the evening are Minnesota Orchestra cellist Silver Ainomäe, and his violist wife, Anne. Russian soprano Mlada Khudoley and Evstuhin's fellow pianist Anton Melnichenko also feature, as do dancers from the Minnesota Ballet Theatre and School.

"None of us suffer because of lack of food," Evstuhin adds. "But we all starve for opportunities to share our talents and inspiration with others."

With ticket sales so limited, Evstuhin is frank about the difficulties of making this special concert work financially.

"The Rubinstein Music Academy covered rental costs and provided a Yamaha concert grand piano for the evening," he says. "I would also like to thank all of the musicians for their willingness to perform for a reduced honorarium fee."

To cut costs further, a prerecorded soundtrack will be used for the ballet and concerto excerpts. A live orchestra would be logistically difficult and prohibitively expensive.

But the distinguished roster of soloists for "Tchaikovsky 180" will mean a high quality of musicmaking on the evening, Evstuhin promises.

And their involvement in the choice of music for the concert has led to an unusually varied and interesting program.

"I've asked all of our musicians to perform only their favorite compositions, based on their musical backgrounds and tastes," Evstuhin says.

So alongside well-known music from Tchaikovsky's ballets, there will be less familiar items, too — movements from his piano works The Seasons and Children's Album, for example, and from the passionate but underappreciated Piano Trio.

"Tchaikovsky's most popular and familiar music does not always correspond with his best quality," Evstuhin says.

As evidence, he cites the hyper-popular 1812 Overture, whose deafening cannonades even Tchaikovsky found "very loud and noisy, but without artistic merit."

But the best of Tchaikovsky, "goes directly into people's hearts," Evstuhin adds, "and I can guarantee that every composition in our program is a true masterpiece."

Evstuhin's career as a pianist has been put on hold by the coronavirus, with all his scheduled concerts postponed for the foreseeable future.

But he is taking heart from the enthusiastic response he has already had to his "Tchaikovsky 180" initiative and the hunger that is still there among Twin Cities audiences for live performance.

"Following Governor Walz's recommendations, we offered only 200 tickets for the concert, and almost half of them sold in just a few days," he says.

"This event celebrates the art of one of the greatest composers in music history, and gives people hope that our cultural life goes on despite all the challenges of our time."

Event details

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22
Where: Maple Grove Bandshell (Town Green Park, 7991 Main St.)
Tickets: $10-$20

Joel Revzen, a staff conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for the past 20 years, died Monday due to complications from COVID-19. He was 74.

Although he had an accomplished career at the Met, many Classical MPR listeners remember Revzen from his 10 years leading the Minnesota Chorale. He also spent 12 years leading the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, five years as assistant conductor at the Saint Paul Chamcber Orchestra and 10 years at Arizona Opera.

When he was diagnosed with COVID-19 a month ago, Kathy Romey, director of the Minnesota Chorale, posted an appreciation of Revzen on Facebook.

"I am extremely grateful to Joel for his generous mentorship and friendship during the early years of my career and also for his modeling of what it means to be a consummate professional and servant leader in the arts," she wrote.

Romey later added a tribute on the Minnesota Chorale's website.

Classical music industry observer Norman Lebrecht has an obituary on his website, Slipped Disc.

One of our favorite recordings by Revzen is of Haydn's The Seasons with the Minnesota Chorale and SPCO.

Here's an interview that Revzen did a few years ago to talk about another one of his musical pursuits, Classical Tahoe.

Condolences to his many Minnesota friends.

These are times that try musicians' souls. They also foster creativity.

Many, if not most, Minnesota musicians are turning lockdown obstacles into opportunities, pursuing projects that an unanticipated plethora of free time has afforded them.

The most obvious and conspicuous activities have been doing what comes naturally: performing in front of an online audience rather than a live one. But others have charted entirely new courses, boldly exploring new enterprises to enrich the lives of themselves and others.

Bill Schrickel, assistant principal bass with the Minnesota Orchestra, speaks for his peers with a common goal of "trying to get something positive out of this … to use this forced isolation time to get a little bit closer to wrapping my mind around this creative energy."

While these endeavors most often have a musical component, Anna Lee Roberts and Mia Athey are the proverbial exceptions that prove the rule.

Roberts has two vocations in which she is sidelined: as a cellist who performs with Wellespring, Christopher Lynch and the Dust of Suns Ensemble and Natalie Lovejoy and the Ex-Lovers, and as a hospice music therapist with Allina Health. She has turned to a sidelight of the latter, starting work on a thesis for St. Catherine University titled "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Hospice Industry in Minnesota."

Athey, a mezzo-soprano with Minnesota Opera, also is at work on the written word: editing a psychological thriller she has been writing for the past couple of years. This task is arguably more challenging than the actual writing.

"It's not as easy as I thought," she said. "As you read your own work, some of it is impressive and sometimes it's very hard to read; you go, 'it would sound better if I did this.' I know there are some things I want to take out, some sections that are extraneous."

It has been quite a contrast to her stage work.

"Sometimes we perform roles written hundreds of years ago," she said. "I might have opinions, but I keep them to myself. As a writer, I have more autonomy. I can portray characters the way I want."

That's true, at least, until the ongoing editing process, although the results have proved as rewarding as the work has proven laborious.

"Now," she said, "I'm thinking a lot about a sequel."

Mostly Mahler

Other musicians have been immersed within their fields.

Schrickel, who lost a chance to conduct Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra when a late-March concert was postponed, took a deep dive into that composer's life and works.

Along the way, he has uncovered quite a few misperceptions about his favorite composer.

"In his later symphonies, the Ninth and the unfinished 10th, he has been depicted as saying farewell to the world," Schrickel said, "that he was weary and exhausted and ready to wave goodbye to the world.

"But the fact is he was very excited. He was not going gently into that good night. He was not frail and sickly; he was vibrant really almost to the very end. That makes me hear those later symphonies differently."

By contrast, "his most tragic piece, the Sixth Symphony, was written one summer when he was as happy as he ever was. And some of his most positive and assertive music was written when he was sad."

As he studied more, Schrickel also discovered fallacies in the conventional wisdom about Mahler's youth.

"The picture writers would paint of his childhood was that he grew up extremely poor, living on a military base in Bohemia. It ended up he was in a little Bohemian town, but his father had a store and bakery and the house was not in military barracks but in the town center."

The musical influences of that upbringing stuck, though.

"You hear the military notes, the trumpet calls, and klezmer notes in his music."

While it has been personally enlightening and enriching to learn so much about Mahler, there will be professional benefits, as well, whenever the concert is rescheduled.

"Hopefully," he said, "I can bring some of this newly acquired knowledge to my players and also hopefully translate it to audiences, the gods willing."

Mining Goldberg

Jay Ferree has taken on a different type of task, but one that should have a similar result: engaging and inspiring his fellow musicians in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

The SPCO's principal horn has immersed himself in Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations, a work written for harpsichord and even today usually performed on solo piano (most famously by Glenn Gould). Ferree credits an orchestra mate, violinist Daria Adams, who he said "saw the potential for it to feature every musician."

In concocting arrangements that the SPCO can perform, Ferree was "thinking of instruments but also about people, putting faces on what I'm doing," he said. "There are so many … I'm given the black-and-white frames, and I'm coloring them in."

The process has been organic.

"I want to be true to Bach's intent but also make it sound appropriate to the orchestra. I do love doing this now, because of the time it does take, knowing that I can work on a variation and maybe when I get stuck conceptually, I can leave and let it ferment for a while, maybe even start over."

This wouldn't have been possible in normal times.

"The horn is a great way to bring home a paycheck, but there's always been that repressed part of me," Ferree said with a laugh, "that says, 'When am I going to get to compose?' I've always imagined it being part of my life in certain proportions, and now it's getting a healthy proportion."

Beyond classical

These explorations aren't limited to the classical world. Josh Misner, leader of the classical-pop crossover ensemble Laurels String Quartet, decided to steep himself in a different kind of composing.

"For years, I've wanted to sequester myself in the studio and take a mad-scientist approach," the violinist said. "A composer writes something down on paper and hands it off to a conductor, and then it goes to the musicians. I decided to take the opposite approach. It's probably closer to what popular musicians do, which is push 'record' and just play whatever comes out."

The process, Misner said, has been "exploratory and improvisational, and that's been freeing."

He added, "I've also taken more of a textural approach, inserting weird sounds and scratches. I wanted to go with the initial expression and follow it, trying really hard not to polish it. With digital recording you can do as many passes as you want, hundreds. I really wanted to avoid that."

At a certain point, he said, "if I tinkered with it any longer it might suck the life and excitement out of it." So he ended up with a 5- to 6-minute song that he likened to Philip Glass "in terms of the rhythmic aspect, with a lot of repetition, kind of harmonic and melodic at the same time."

Misner is pleased with the result, and so is a housemate — at least to an extent: "My 9-year-old's reaction was she liked it, but part of it made her brain crazy."

Trying to more directly appeal to the younger set are rocker Chris Osgood and saxophonist Christopher Rochester. They are teaming with MacPhail Center for Music (where Rochester is an instructor) and Walker West Academy to offer free jazz lessons to families affected by COVID-19.

The lessons, Osgood said, are for kids in families affected "either by coming down with the virus or losing their jobs or being furloughed." It's an offshoot of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, another sponsor, because the June event, which includes a Youth Stage, has been canceled.

Other music students have new undertakings as a result of the stay-at-home scenario. Local music teacher Rachel Bearinger, also an associate digital producer for Performance Today, has seen a strong trend, as many of her students have decided to learn a certain stringed instrument.

The whys and wherefores, in Bearinger's words: "The ukulele is a very accessible instrument that's been surging in popularity in the past 10 years or so. Artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Grace VanderWaal, Dodie Clark and Never Shout Never have released original songs that are fun to listen to and to play and sing.

"Ukuleles are inexpensive, and their strings are softer and more manageable than those of a steel-string guitar or bass."

For these and musicians of every other stripe, this "down time" can be spent in rich and rewarding ways.

"It probably goes without saying," Misner said, "that due to the tragic nature of this pandemic, I'm not looking at this time as an opportunity so much as an obligation to do something positive and meaningful with the situation."

Mission accomplished.

Join Steve Seel for a complete performance of George Frideric Handel's sacred oratorio Messiah, with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Conducted by Jory Vinikour, and an all-star roster of vocal soloists and the renowned vocal ensemble The Singers, led by Matthew Culloton, the concert was recorded live in December at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

Credits

Jory Vinikour, conductor
Yulia Van Doren, soprano
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor
Ben Bliss, tenor
Theo Hoffman, baritone
The Singers - Minnesota Choral Artists, chorus
Matthew Culloton, artistic director

Playing Eliza Doolittle was a career peak for Laura Benanti, and likewise for Lauren Ambrose ("Six Feet Under") in the brilliant My Fair Lady Broadway revival. The tour of Bart Sher's genius production landed in Minneapolis this week, with Lincoln Center understudy Shereen Ahmed leading the cast. Catch it now through March 8!

Wagner called it "the apotheosis of the dance." Arthur Miller cited its taught climaxes as an inspiration for Death of a Salesman. It's Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra teams up with NPR's Rob Kapilow to demonstrate "What Makes it So Great?" You can find performances of the program around the metro area through March 15.

And one of the greatest violinists, Christian Tetzlaff, teams up with the Minnesota Orchestra for a Russian evening of Shostakovich (Violin Concert No. 2) and Prokofiev (Symphony No. 5). TWO concerts only, Thursday and Friday, so run — don't — walk. Or stay home Friday night and hear the live broadcast on Classical MPR!

Pity the Berlin Philharmonic.

When Leif Ove Andsnes performed with them two weeks ago, he played only one Mozart piano concerto. This weekend with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, he plays two Mozart concertos: No. 22 (which he performed in Berlin), and the timeless No. 21. And you don't even need to travel to hear him; Classical MPR will broadcast the Saturday night concert live.

Beethoven's 250th is still more than 10 months away, but let the party begin:

The Artaria Quartet launches its complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle this weekend in St. Paul. All sixteen quartets, starting with three concerts this Saturday through Monday, then three more April 18-20.

And if one complete cycle is good, isn't another complete cycle twice as good? In May, the Danish String Quartet performs its complete cycle in the Twin Cities.

After all, when it comes to Beethoven, More is More (or, as William F. Buckley, Jr. put it: "Life can't be all bad when for ten dollars you can buy all the Beethoven sonatas and listen to them for ten years.")

As our society changes, so does the way we consume music. In the age of instant music streaming and curated playlists, artists continually rely on touring and merchandise sales to make a living.

How does this shifting dynamic affect our world?

A recent op-ed in the Guardian showcases the way in which classical musicians touring can impact climate change.

Classical concerts consume energy in several ways: patrons traveling to the venue, the concert hall's lighting and heating costs, and the artist traveling via plane, car or bus to venues across the country or even the globe.

Some classical artists are already changing their routine to become more environmentally conscious. Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, former artistic partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, organizes her schedule in a way to allow for train travel as much as possible in order to avoid taking flights.

She also partnered with the Orchester des Wandels (the Orchestra of Change) to perform works inspired by climate change, donating proceeds to environmental organizations.

Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi emphasized how important it is to bring awareness to environmental change in an interview with Limelight Magazine.

"Nobody can stay silent in front of those situations," he said. "We are already experiencing the consequences of climate change."

In 2016, he partnered with Greenpeace to perform on the Arctic Ocean, showing melting icebergs in the background.

Other musicians and composers inject environmental issues into the music they write. Composer Lei Lang won the 2020 Grawmeyer Award for his work A Thousand Mountains, a Million Streams, which meditates on the loss of landscapes of cultural and spiritual dimensions due to climate change, and how we must work to preserve them for future generations.

While environmental activism and support is shown by performers and composers, there are ways in which music appreciators and concertgoers also can positively change their habits. First, support arts and music organizations that make sustainability a part of their mission. By supporting these groups and not others, you are choosing to engage with classical music in a sustainable way.

Look at your favorite orchestra's website to see if it is LEED certified or supports environmental causes, or contact your local orchestra to encourage it to become more sustainable.

Second, change the way you get to a music venue. Carpool with friends, or take the bus or train. Many concert halls have bike racks outside as well.

Third, don't print your ticket. Show it to an usher on your phone, and be sure to turn it off when you get inside — it saves battery life (and prevents the dreaded text tone during a Mozart symphony).

Classical music is one of the greatest joys on our planet. We need to make changes in order to keep it that way.

Hometown: Edina, Minn.

Piece: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major, K. 495, I. Allegro moderato

What are your goals as a musician/performer/group?

I want to make sure classical music stays apart of my life no matter what happens. I don't care if I am in the SPCO or just going to their concerts when I am older I just want to enjoy classical music for the rest of my life wether it be performing or listening, or both.

Choral music that glows with divine light; that's what VocalEssence explores this Sunday in its Divine Light concert, examining the relationship between the human and the divine.

John Birge talked with VocalEssence director Philip Brunelle and guest violinist Ruggero Allifranchini from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, to share a preview of Psalm 151, by John Hoybye.

The concert also includes a new piece by Jake Runestad, A Silence Haunts Me, inspired by Beethoven's life and spirit.

Listen by using the player above.

Concert details: VocalEssence's Divine Light, 4 & 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at Summit Center for Arts & Innovation (1524 Summit Ave., St. Paul)