Welcome to our 68th Season The Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis continues its tradition of playing the orchestral standards along with rarely performed. The orchestra wast the first organized community orchestra in Minneapolis and has served as a model for the dozens of orchestras that have followed. The season opens with an important tribute to Pulitzer Prize winning Minnesota composer Dominick Argento who passed away this year. In 1965, when Dr. Argento began his teaching career at the University of Minnesota, The Civic was the first organization to commission a work from the composer, Variations for Orchestra. In our continuing outreach to artists in our community, Minnesota Opera Resident Artist, Lisa Marie Rogali, will be the featured soloist on this concert. And everyone’s favorite, Rachmaninoff’s Symphony no. 2, will also be on the program. We continue our artist outreach to our community by collaborating again with the Normandale Lutheran Choir with Christmas Carols for orchestra and chorus that have been arrange by noted St. Olaf Professor John Ferguson. Our February concert will feature University of Minnesota Professor and international soloist, Preston Duncan, in Glazunov’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone. Also on the program will be the Minnesota Premiere of Stephen Paulus’ Concertante for Orchestra and Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz. In May, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoen’s birth with his majestic Sytmphony no 3. And we will once again collaborate with the MacPhail Center for Music in performing with the winner of their student concerto competition. And there will be fun with compositions by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera and Mexican composer Arturo Marquez. Please join us for a wonderful season! Cary John Franklin, Music Director
