FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OSMO VÄNSKÄ AND MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA TO TOUR CUBA IN MAY WITH ALL CONCERTS AND TRAVEL ARRANGED BY CLASSICAL MOVEMENTS
Orchestra receives an invitation from Cuban Ministry of Culture to perform two concerts this spring as part of the Cubadisco Festival
Tour revisits historic connection: Minnesota Orchestra embarked on
successive tours to Cuba in 1929 and 1930
First program features as Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony and Choral Fantasy performed with Cuban National Choir at Teatro Nacional
Alexandria, VA, USA – Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Kevin Smith announced today that the Minnesota Orchestra will offer two concerts in Cuba May 15-16, becoming the first U.S. orchestra to perform in Cuba since President Obama took steps to normalize relations between the countries in December. The Minnesota Orchestra is working closely with Classical Movements who have handled the discussions with Cuba on behalf of the Orchestra and secured the invitation. All arrangements for the Cuba Tour will be managed by Classical Movements, the leading concert touring company to Cuba, which has arranged musical tours to the island nation for more than 18 years.
This marks the first professional U.S. orchestra to travel to Cuba since President Obama announced steps to normalize diplomatic relations between the two nations. At the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Orchestra will perform as part of Havana’s International Cubadisco Festival, (The equivalent of their Grammy Awards) offering two performances, one of which will feature Beethoven’s Third Symphony from their 1929 tour and the Choral Fantasy with the Cuban National Choir as well as Cuban pianist Frank Fernandez.
Classical Movements has had meetings with key personnel within Cuban musical institutions and organizations, including the cultural ministry, about the possibility of bringing major orchestras and choirs to Cuba. Classical Movements discussed several names and the Minnesota Orchestra’s history of past visits to Cuba was of particular interest.
The Minnesota Orchestra first appeared in Cuba in 1929, when they traveled by steam liner and performed a number of concerts in Havana. That tour marked the first time the orchestra left the country. The orchestra was met with enthusiastic audiences and a deep appreciation from Cuban audiences in every concert. They returned to Cuba in 1930. Now, 85 years later, they will return in a new era between the two countries that have had over 50 years of extremely strained relations.
The Minnesota Orchestra, now in its second century, has been long ranked among America’s top symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished history of acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning recordings, radio broadcasts and educational outreach programs; and a visionary commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of tomorrow. Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä accepted reappointment as the Orchestra’s music director in May 2014, after earlier holding that position for ten seasons.
The Minnesota Orchestra has engaged Classical Movements to make arrangements for this tour. This includes securing the invitation, all concerts, cargo, hotels, flights, exchanges, master classes, and musical collaborations. Classical Movements has been the orchestra’s long standing travel company for over a decade. The orchestra will plan several exchanges, master classes, jazz jamming sessions, and joint classical concerts with Cuban musicians. The orchestra and their instruments will fly by charter aircraft.
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