Minnesota Public Radio to Rebroadcast Historic Minnesota Orchestra Cuba Concerts June 11 & 12
May 20, 2015
Classical Minnesota Public Radio will rebroadcast the Minnesota Orchestra's historic performances from the Teatro Nacional in Havana, Cuba on Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12 at 8 p.m. Archival broadcasts of the concerts are also available on demand now at classicalmpr.org.
Music Director Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra performed two programs as part of the opening weekend of the 19th annual International Cubadisco Festival, becoming the first U.S. orchestra to perform in Cuba since President Obama took steps to normalize relations between the countries in December.
Audiences can hear the encore broadcasts on Classical MPR statewide or stream via classicalmpr.org. Classical MPR can be heard in the Twin Cities on KSJN 99.5 FM. A complete list of Classical MPR stations can be accessed at classicalmpr.org. Photos and behind-the-scenes coverage of the momentous trip are posted at classicalmpr.org/cuba.
The Minnesota Orchestra historic Cuba broadcasts will also air nationally on the various programs and services offered by American Public Media (APM). SymphonyCast® will air the concerts in their entirety during the weeks of July 6 and 13. Performance Today® and Classical 24-- the APM-produced 24-hour service heard on nearly 250 stations across the U.S.--will broadcast highlights of the tour beginning this week.
Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) operates a 45-station radio network serving nearly all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states. Reaching 900,000 listeners each week, MPR and its three regional services--MPR News, Classical MPR and The Current--produce programming for radio, online and face-to-face audiences. Programs produced by MPR's parent company, American Public Media, reach nearly 19 million listeners on nearly 1,000 radio stations nationwide each week. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at minnesotapublicradio.org. MPR meets all 27 of the Charities Review Council (CRC) Accountability Standards. Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.
American Public Media (APM) is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio reaching nearly 19 million listeners on nearly 1,000 radio stations nationwide each week. Programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, BBC World Service, Marketplace®, Performance Today®, The Splendid Table®, On Being, The Dinner Party Download®, Wits, American RadioWorks® and many others. American Public Media's 220,000 participant-strong Public Insight Network promotes deep connections between journalists across the country and the communities they serve. American Public Media is the parent organization for Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and Classical South Florida. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at americanpublicmedia.org.
The Minnesota Orchestra has long ranked among the United States' top symphonic ensembles, with a history of acclaimed performances at home and around the world. Founded in 1903 as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, the ensemble began touring in 1907 and soon became known as "the orchestra on wheels" for its cross-country tours. It has been heard nationally and internationally in award-winning broadcasts produced by Minnesota Public Radio, and it has received acclaim for its vast collection of recordings, dating back to the 1920s, including a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance for a recording of Sibelius' First and Fourth Symphonies. The ensemble's ten music directors have included Eugene Ormandy, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Antal Dorati, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Neville Marriner and, currently, Osmo Vanska, who presides over a season typically encompassing 175 concerts that are heard live by 350,000 individuals. The Minnesota Orchestra makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
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