Minnesota Orchestra invited to play Proms, two other major festivals

Osmo Vanska in a formal portrait
Osmo Vanska in a formal portrait.
Photo: Ann Marsden

The Minnesota Orchestra will play three major festivals during a European tour in August this year, including two nights at the Proms in London.

The Orchestra will also appear at the Edinburgh International Festival and the summer concert festival at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Minnesota Orchestra Music Director Osmo Vanska says getting invitations to each of the festivals is an honor, yet one sticks out.

"The Proms is something very, very special, and also we are going to do two nights," Vanska said.

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Vanska said the tour will be a challenge.

"It helps us to know that we are going to play in some of the most important concert halls in the whole world," he said. "Then we know why we are there and why we have to keep our playing on the highest possible quality."

Only the worlds top orchestras are invited to play two nights at the Proms. Organizers have asked the Minnesota Orchestra to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which is one of the festival's anthems.

Minnesota audiences will be able to hear the concerts broadcast on Classical Minnesota Public Radio, and follow the tour on-line.