Calendar of events

Willmar, Minnesota
May 21-26, 2012

Monday, May 21

City Council meeting
7PM
The Mayor and City Council will proclaim it “Minnesota Orchestra Week” in Willmar.

Tuesday, May 22

Brass Quintet live on KWLM 1340AM
10-11AM
The Orchestra’s brass quintet can be heard on KWLM radio performing several selections and talking about their lives as professional musicians.

Introducing the Minnesota Orchestra Brass Quintet
Rice Hospital Garden Court
11:30-12:30PM  FREE Public Event
Join five members of the Minnesota Orchestra’s outstanding brass section in this informal chamber concert featuring music and conversation. More: (320) 235-4543

7th & 8th grade orchestra sessions
12:55-1:40PM, 1:45-2:30PM
Conductor Sarah Hicks and the Orchestra’s string quartet will meet with the student musicians of the 7th and 8th grade orchestras.  Students will perform for the group and work on their repertoire with Ms. Hicks.  Minnesota Orchestra string players will also perform for and work with the students on their repertoire.

Side by side rehearsal
7-9PM
Minnesota Orchestra musicians will join the Willmar Area Symphony Orchestra for a side by side rehearsal with conductor Sarah Hicks, working on Dvořák’s Symphony 4, and sharing tips on practicing, rehearsing and performance.

Wednesday, May 23

High school orchestra and band
8-11AM
Minnesota Orchestra brass and string players, and conductor Sarah Hicks, will spend the morning performing for and working with musicians in the High School Cardinal and Varsity Orchestras and Bands.

Sarah Hicks on KWLM 1340AM
10-11AM
Conductor Sarah Hicks will be the featured guest on KWLM’s morning show sharing some of her favorite music and experiences from an eclectic and busy conducting career.

Kinder Konzert
10:45-11:30AM
An eight-member ensemble of Minnesota Orchestra musicians, joined by a narrator, will perform a Kinder Konzert for pre-school children at Redeemer Luther Church Pre-school.  The children will be introduced to each instrument and learn how it is played and then hear the story of Max Found Two Sticks set to music and performed by the ensemble.

Art of Conducting
12-1:30PM
Conductor Sarah Hicks presents the Art of Conducting at a luncheon for members of nine of Willmar’s professional service organizations.  With the help of a quartet of Orchestra string players, Ms. Hicks will illustrate the parallels between effective, dynamic leadership in a business context and in music.

A Little Brass at the VFW
VFW, Post 1639 1108 Hwy 12 E.
7-8PM  FREE Public Event
Our Brass Quintet visits the VFW for a one-of-a-kind performance. A dinner will follow the concert. More: (320) 235-9811

Thursday, May 24

School Visits
10AM-2:30PM
Minnesota Orchestra members will spend the entire school day visiting, listening to and performing for orchestra and band students in the 4th through 8th grades.

Strings at the Market
Becker Farmers Market, Becker Avenue between 4th and 5th Street
5:30-6:15PM  FREE Public Event
The Minnesota Orchestra String Quartet offers an outdoor performance to celebrate the new season’s launch of the Becker Farmers Market. Food and beverages will be available at the market. Note: In the event of inclement weather, the Strings at the Market event will be held at Christianson & Associates on the corner of Litchfield Avenue and 5th Street.

Minnesota Orchestra Musicians at the Jazz Cafe
Jazz ‘N Java, 913 Hwy 71 N. (inside Whitney Music)
6-6:45PM  FREE Public Event
Join jazz-influenced musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra as they jam at the Jazz Cafe. Immediately following this session, the house band will lead a community sing-along. More: (320) 262-3999 or whitneymusic.com

Kinder Konzert
Willmar Public Library, 410 5th Street SW
6:15-7PM  FREE Public Event
Perfect for preschoolers: a performance that introduces youngsters to the instruments of the orchestra and features a special musical story – delightfully delivered in both English and Spanish. More: (320) 235-3162

Friday, May 25

Young People’s Concert
1-2PM
The full Minnesota Orchestra takes the stage at WEAC to perform a Young People’s Concert for elementary and middle school students.  The program features student soloist Austin Frohmader on piano and an imaginative rendition of Peter & the Wolf staged by Theatre de la Jeune Lune and narrated by Vern Sutton.

Inside the Classics: Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe
WEAC
7:30PM  $5 general admission
It’s a new approach to sharing classical music! The first half of this concert features lively discussion and illuminating musical stories and examples, shared by conductor Sarah Hicks and host Sam Bergman. After intermission, the Orchestra performs ravel’s evocative Daphnis and Chloe Suites and the swirling La Valse.
Tickets: Cashwise, Whitney Music, Willmardesigncenter.com, Willmar Community Education & Recreation and Willmar Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Saturday, May 26

3 or 4 Amigos
WEAC
6:30-7:15PM  FREE Public Event
The lively ensemble 3 or 4 Amigos performs in the WEAC gallery prior to and during intermission of the Minnesota Orchestra evening performance.

Classical Concert: Copland and Brahms
WEAC
7:30PM  $5 general admission
Sarah Hicks leads the Minnesota Orchestra in a fascinating variety of orchestral music, including Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal, the lively Final Dance from Ginastera’s Estancia and Brahms’ sunny, luxuriant Symphony No. 2. A special treat: Willmar native Andrew Wilkowske will join the Orchestra to sing six of Copland’s beloved Old American Songs.
Tickets: Cashwise, Whitney Music, Willmardesigncenter.com, Willmar Community Education & Recreation and Willmar Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.