Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra to perform on campus
St. Olaf College students not only have the opportunity to perform in renowned music ensembles, they also have the opportunity to attend performances by professional ensembles right here on campus.
This Saturday, January 19, students can attend just such a performance by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble, widely regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world, has been performing at St. Olaf regularly for at least 45 years, and will return Saturday for an 8 p.m. concert in Boe Memorial Chapel. It is free and open to the public.
Renowned for its artistic excellence, remarkable versatility of musical styles, and adventurous programming, the SPCO is now in its 60th season. The ensemble performs a broad range of repertoire from Baroque to new music and works in close collaboration with a diverse series of artistic partners, including British Baroque specialist Jonathan Cohen, American pianist Jeremy Denk, Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst, Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto.
Works by Beethoven frame this weekend’s program that features Missy Mazzoli’s quartet, You Know Me From Here, in a new arrangement for full strings by Artistic Partner Pekka Kuusisto and the SPCO. Mazzoli described the work as a “musical journey homeward, a trek through chaos and loneliness to a place of security and companionship.” The program also includes Guardian of the Horizon by Peruvian-born, Finnish-trained, American-based composer Jimmy López, a concerto grosso written in loving memory of his father.
The SPCO is regularly heard on public radio programs that reach more than 2 million listeners each week on over 300 stations. The ensemble has released 67 recordings, including the 2017 Grammy Award-winning recording of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden with violinist and artistic partner Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The SPCO has commissioned 150 new works and tours nationally and internationally, including recent engagements in Europe and New York City, and a prestigious residency with Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley.
The SPCO is nationally recognized for its commitment to broad community accessibility, its innovative audience outreach efforts, and its educational and family programming. Regular subscription series are performed in a variety of different venues across the Twin Cities metropolitan area each season, a unique commitment to geographic accessibility for a major orchestra. Learn more on the ensemble’s website.