MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA PERFORMS THE MUSIC OF MOZART, MENDELSSOHN AND BEETHOVEN,

Mar. 16 to 18

Conductor Han-Na Chang leads the Orchestra in symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven

Violinist Simone Porter performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto

Minnesota Orchestra concerts on March 16, 17 and 18 bring two rising-star talents to Orchestra Hall. Han-Na Chang, who performed as a cello soloist in Minnesota Orchestra concerts in 1997 and 2001, is now earning renown as a conductor. Chang makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut on the podium in these concerts, which feature Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, Linz, and Beethoven’s Second Symphony. At the center of the program is violin virtuoso Simone Porter, who makes her Orchestra Hall debut in a performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

The concerts are performed at the Orchestra’s home venue in downtown Minneapolis, Orchestra Hall, on Thursday, March 16, at 11 a.m.; Friday, March 17, at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $25 to $96. Tickets are available online at minnesotaorchestra.org and by phone at 612-371-5656. For further purchasing details, refer to the section at the conclusion of this press release.

Han-Na Chang, conductor

Korean-American conductor Han-Na Chang will take the post of artistic leader and chief conductor of Norway’s Trondheim Symfoniorkester in August 2017. As a guest conductor, she has worked with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Gothenburg Symphony, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Bamberg Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cincinnati, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Seattle symphonies, among other ensembles. In 2014 she made an acclaimed conducting debut at the BBC Proms. She started her music career as a cellist when, at age 11, she won the Rostropovich International Cello Competition; she subsequently performed as a soloist with orchestras worldwide including the Minnesota Orchestra. More: harrisonparrott.com.

Simone Porter, violin

Violinist Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, musical integrity and vibrant sound. At only 20 years of age, she has already appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and with many renowned conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, David Robertson and Donald Runnicles. Her engagements for the 2016-17 season include her solo debuts with the San Diego Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and New York Youth Symphony. She made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and made her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at age 13. In 2015 she received an Avery Fisher Career Grant. More: opus3artists.com, simoneporterviolin.com.

Three dazzling masterpieces

Mozart’s Linz Symphony begins slowly with a thunderous introduction, then zips ahead with a spirited Allegro en route to a Presto finale of dazzling energy. Also of note is the graceful Andante, unusual for a slow movement in its deployment of trumpets and timpani.

Mendelssohn’s exquisite Violin Concerto maintains the transparent textures of a Mozart-Haydn orchestra, but it rings out with a splendor the earlier composers never dreamed possible. The solo violinist’s soaring lines, both graceful and impassioned, conclude in an exultant three-octave leap.

Beethoven’s Second Symphony maintains a lyrical, playful tone throughout. The opening Adagio looks to the past, with a structure modeled after Mozart’s Prague Symphony; subsequent movements foreshadow the energy of Beethoven’s Third and Fifth Symphonies. A lengthy coda forestalls the close of the finale.

Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
MOZART AND BEETHOVEN

Thursday, March 16, 2017, 11 a.m. / Orchestra Hall
Friday, March 17, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, March 18, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra
Han-Na Chang, conductor
Simone Porter, violin

MOZART Symphony No. 36, Linz
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2

Tickets: $25 to $96

TICKET PURCHASING INFORMATION

Subscription packages and individual tickets can be purchased online at minnesotaorchestra.org, or by calling 612-371-5656 (612-371-5642 for subscriptions) or 800-292-4141. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Orchestra Hall Box Office, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis (open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and beginning two hours before all ticketed performances); and at the Minnesota Orchestra Administrative Office, International Center, 5th floor, 920 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis (open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For more information, call 612-371-5656, or visit minnesotaorchestra.org. For subscriptions, call 612-371-5642 or visit minnesotaorchestra.org/subscribe. For groups of 10 or more, call 612-371-5662.

All programs, artists, dates, times and prices subject to change.

The Star Tribune is the Minnesota Orchestra’s media partner for the 2016-17 season.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.