Osmo Vänskä, Music Director
March 10, 2012 AT 8 P.M.
Midori celebrates the 30th anniversary of her professional debut performing with the Minnesota Orchestra as guest soloist in Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor. The violinist is recognized not only for the evolution and scope of her meteoric career — which took off when the legendary conductor Zubin Mehta invited her at the age of 11 to be a surprise guest soloist for the New York Philharmonic’s New Year’s Eve concert — but also as one of the most dazzlingly gifted performers before the public. Midori continues to enthrall audiences worldwide with her impressive technique and increasingly mature interpretations of violin masterworks. In addition, she is increasingly recognized for her innovative community engagement initiatives worldwide.
The Minnesota Orchestra, currently led by esteemed Music Director Osmo Vänskä, is widely considered one of America’s most treasured symphonic ensembles. Renowned for its extraordinary music making, the orchestra boasts a distinguished history of riveting performances in the greatest concert halls of the world. In response to a recent Carnegie Hall engagement, The New Yorker music critic Alex Ross wrote “…the Minnesota Orchestra sounded, to my ears, like the greatest orchestra in the world.” Since being named the orchestra’s 10th music director in 2003, Finnish Maestro Vänskä and the orchestra have forged an outstanding partnership garnering significant artistic success and critical praise for performances both at home and abroad. Together they have also completed several notable recording projects, including a two-CD set of Tchaikovsky’s piano and orchestra works with Stephen Hough and a five-disc cycle of the complete Beethoven symphonies. The orchestra’s recording of the Ninth Symphony was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008 in the “Best Orchestral Performance” category. For its Adrienne Arsht Center debut, the orchestra will play one of Beethoven’s most profound works, the Fifth Symphony.
Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information for details and schedules.