The program begins by spotlighting Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin, who performs Haydn’s intricate and graceful D-major Concerto, a piece that has not been performed on an Orchestra subscription concert since 1986. After intermission, Vänskä conducts Mahler’s grand Second Symphony, Resurrection, featuring soprano Ruby Hughes and mezzo Sasha Cooke—both giving their Minnesota Orchestra debuts—and the Minnesota Chorale. In sessions following these concerts, Vänskä and the Orchestra will record Mahler’s Second Symphony for a future CD release on BIS Records as part of an ongoing Mahler recording project. The first disc of this project, featuring Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, is scheduled to be released this summer.

The concerts are performed at the Orchestra’s home venue in downtown Minneapolis, Orchestra Hall, on Friday, June 16, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 17, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 18, at 2 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $29 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.

Marc-André Hamelin, piano

Marc-André Hamelin ranks among world’s elite pianists for his extraordinary blend of musicianship and virtuosity in the great works of the established repertoire, and for his intrepid exploration of the rarities of the 19th and 20th centuries. He records exclusively for Hyperion Records, and his most recent releases are Medtner’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Vladimir Jurowski, and Franck’s Piano Quintet with the Takács Quartet. He is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the German Record Critic’s Association. This season, he performs in prestigious concert halls including Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Wigmore Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie and Chicago’s Symphony Center, among many other venues. More: marcandrehamelin.com.

Ruby Hughes, soprano

Soprano Ruby Hughes has won a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, was shortlisted for a 2014 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award, and was the winner of the first prize and audience prize at the 2009 London Handel competition. Her festival appearances have included performances at the BBC Proms with both the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as well as major roles at the Edinburgh International Festival, English National Opera and Scottish Opera, and in Jonathan Miller’s acclaimed production of St. Matthew Passion at London’s National Theatre. She recently released her debut recital disc, Nocturnal Variations, which was named BBC Music Magazine’s recording of the month in June 2016. More: maxinerobertson.com, rubyhughes.com.

Sasha Cooke, mezzo

Grammy Award-winning mezzo Sasha Cooke is sought after by the world’s leading orchestras, opera companies and chamber music ensembles for her versatile repertoire and commitment to new music. During the 2016-17 season, she performs Hansel and Gretel at Seattle Opera and the world premiere of Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at the Santa Fe Opera. Her orchestral engagements this season have included performances with the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and many other ensembles, plus a staged version of Verdi’s Requiem with Houston Grand Opera. More: imgartists.com, sashacooke.com.

Osmo Vänskä, conductor

Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, the Minnesota Orchestra’s tenth music director, is renowned internationally for his compelling interpretations of the standard, contemporary and Nordic repertoires. In addition to the Orchestra’s May 2015 tour to Cuba, he has led the Orchestra on five major European tours, the most recent of which took place in August 2016, as well as regular tours to communities across Minnesota. His recording projects with the Minnesota Orchestra have also met with great success, including the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance for their recording of Sibelius’ First and Fourth Symphonies on the BIS Records label. The final disc in the series was released in the U.S. in September 2016. Earlier this year, BIS released the newest Vänskä-Orchestra album, which features in-concert recordings of Sibelius’ Kullervo and Finlandia, and Kortekangas’ Migrations. As a guest conductor Vänskä has led all the major American and European orchestras. More: minnesotaorchestra.org.

Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto and Mahler’s Second Symphony

Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto in D major demonstrates the composer’s appreciation for both the harpsichord and the modern piano, an instrument that was becoming increasingly popular at the height of his career. Touches of tradition and early Classical character are uniquely balanced with the elegance possible only on the newest pianos of that time.

Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, equally notable for its quiet moments and its drama, begins with the funeral march of a hero and a parade of memories that range from nostalgic to grotesque. The sound of a human voice in the fourth movement begins the process of resolution, leading the way to judgement, redemption and—in an awe-inspiring clamor of fanfares and pealing bells—resurrection, as the chorus sings “I shall die so as to live!”

Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concerts
SEASON FINALE: VÄNSKÄ CONDUCTS MAHLER’S SECOND

Friday, June 16, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Saturday, June 17, 2017, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Sunday, June 18, 2017, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra

Osmo Vänskä, conductor

Marc-André Hamelin, piano

Ruby Hughes, soprano

Sasha Cooke, mezzo
Minnesota Chorale, chorus

HAYDN Piano Concerto in D major

MAHLER Symphony No. 2, Resurrection

Tickets: $29 to $96

OH+ Events
Free Concert Preview with Phillip Gainsley and BIS records producer Robert Suff in the Target Atrium on Friday, June 16, at 7:15 p.m., and Saturday, June 17, at 7:15 p.m.; and in the N. Bud Grossman Mezzanine on Sunday, June 18, at 1:15 p.m.

For more information on this and other OH+ Events: minnesotaorchestra.org/ohplus.

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.