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The St. Olaf Orchestra, conducted by Steven Amundson, will present a concert at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Sunday, April 10, at 3 p.m. The concert is a celebration of Amundson’s 40-year career at St. Olaf College before he retires at the end of the spring semester. Tickets range from $24 to $50, are free for all students, and are on sale now!

Guest soloist Micah Wilkinson ‘06, principal trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, will join the St. Olaf Orchestra for the concert. In the years since he left the Hill, Wilkinson has been highly praised as a soloist, noted for his “virtue of taming the brilliance he employs so well in many massive orchestrations to that gentle, liquid line.” He will perform Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto as well as Anthony Plog’s “Scherzo for Trumpet and Orchestra.”

The concert program will also include some of Amundson’s favorite pieces, like Ottorino Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” and highlights from the St. Olaf Orchestra’s winter tour program. The tour was canceled due to this winter’s surge in COVID-19 cases and the college’s health and safety protocols, but the members of the orchestra will present their “home concert,” including a new symphony by alumnus Matthew Peterson ’06, on February 27. The concert will be streamed and archived online.

Orchestra Hall, which is home to the Minnesota Orchestra, is one of the finest concert halls in the region, and is familiar territory for St. Olaf ensembles. In 2018 the St. Olaf Orchestra, St. Olaf Choir, and St. Olaf Chapel Choir presented the world premiere of Professor of Music Justin Merritt’s “The Path“ in the hall.

The St. Olaf Orchestra is a full symphony orchestra rich in international artistry and tradition and is known for its enthusiastic and passionate performances, especially under Amundson’s baton. Founded in 1906, the ensemble has been heralded as one of the finest collegiate orchestras in the country, and won the 2013 and 2019 American Prize in Orchestral Performances among colleges and universities.