Program

Florence Price: Colonial Dance

Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride

Libby Larsen: Six or Seven Dances

with local high school strings

— Intermission —

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 “Winter Dreams”

I. Daydreams of a Winter Journey: Allegro tranquillo

II. Land of Gloom, Land of Mist: Adagio cantabile, ma non tanto

III. Scherzo: Allegro scherzando giocoso

IV. Finale: Andante lugubre, Allegro moderato

Bring your dancing shoes — let MVO whisk you away in a whirlwind of winter cheer in our second concert of the season! With distinctly American melodies and rhythms, Colonial Dance by Florence Price — the orchestral version of which was rediscovered in Price’s Chicago summer home in 2009 — is a lively celebration of African American heritage blended with western European form. Next, buckle up for our annual romp with Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride which annually features a surprise guest conductor every year (it could be you!). Before intermission, we’re joined by high school strings for Grammy-award-winning (and Minnesota Composers Forum co-founder) Libby Larsen’s Six or Seven Dances, which features a collection of various dance and musical styles that are sure to intrigue and delight. Finally, let your imagination run wild in wonderland with all the zest and folksy charm of Tchaikovsky’s Winter Dreams.

Tickets

FREE. ALWAYS. This has been and remains our motto! Starting this year, we're introducing advance registration for our free concerts (you can also register at the door, but reserving ahead of time is easier!). We'll be tracking attendance through this new registration process so we can better understand and serve our audience — and it will help us make the case for grants that keep these concerts free. Just click thislink to reserve your free "ticket(s)”.