The Minnesota Orchestra’s new “Inside the Classics” series, which features a guided tour and performance of one major work per program, launches on November 14 and 15 with an exploration of Stravinsky’s revolutionary ballet score The Firebird.
Orchestra violist Sam Bergman hosts the concerts, which open with a comparison of The Firebird to other music of its time, newly choreographed dance by James Sewell Ballet members Penelope Freeh and Justin Leaf, an examination of Stravisky’s rise to fame and an up-close look at the Orchestra itself. After an intermission, Assistant Conductor Sarah Hatsuko Hicks leads Stravinsky’s 1919 version of Suite from The Firebird.
The concerts, held at Orchestra Hall, will take place on Wednesday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m., and Thursday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $20 to $45.
Inside the Classics features vibrant personalities from the Orchestra
Inside the Classics, which succeeds the Orchestra’s Casual Classics series, gives audiences in-depth looks at musical masterworks and glances at the Orchestra’s colorful personalities. At the center are Bergman, a good-humored violist with sharp musical insight, and Hatsuko Hicks, a young conductor on the rise whose musical tastes range from Bach to Beyoncé. The series’ flexible format also allows Bergman and Hatsuko Hicks to spotlight any of the Orchestra’s 98 members for asides on life as a musician.
“The point of the series, above all else, is to have a lot of fun,” says Bergman. “We have some great characters in this ensemble, and audiences will meet many of them during these concerts.”
“The audience will also get to hear a serious, straight-through performance during the second half of each concert,” Hatsuko Hicks adds. “The series has a really interesting dual balance.”
Inside the Classics blog, podcast launch in conjunction with concerts
In addition to their roles as host and conductor of Inside the Classics, Bergman and Hatsuko Hicks will contribute to a new section of the Orchestra’s website, accessible at insidetheclassics.org. The new site will feature a regularly-updated blog written by Bergman and Hatsuko Hicks, behind-the-scenes audio podcasts, an interactive “Ask an Expert” feature and a compilation of classical music headlines from around the world.
“The idea is to create a community of people who not only use the site but talk back to it,” says Bergman. “We want to reach out to new audiences in a way that is interactive and engaging.”
Upcoming Inside the Classics concerts
The inaugural season of Inside the Classics resumes January 30 and 31 with programs that feature performances of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, with Orchestra violinist Peter McGuire as soloist. The season concludes April 30-May 1 with a look at Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. -- www.minnesotaorchestra.org
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