In Friday’s (1/20) Star Tribune (Minneapolis), Graydon Royce writes, “The Minnesota Orchestra will bring bratwurst, Beethoven and the Beatles to the Mississippi riverfront this summer as the Sommerfest musical festival moves to Ted Mann Concert Hall on the University of Minnesota campus. This is the first time since Sommerfest originated in 1980 that the event has not been held downtown at Orchestra Hall and Peavey Plaza. A reconstruction project at Orchestra Hall necessitates the shift. The orchestra will play its 2012-13 season, beginning next fall, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Ted Mann is known for great acoustics and a glass-walled lobby that overlooks the river. With 1,126 seats, it has roughly half the capacity of Orchestra Hall. An outside terrace that is decidedly smaller than Peavey Plaza will be available to ticket holders for pre-concert activities, food and drink. … Highlights of the Sommerfest program include Osmo Vänskä conducting two all-Beethoven concerts, including the Third Symphony, Sommerfest artistic director Andrew Litton conducting Dvorak’s ‘New World Symphony’ and Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ and the return of the popular Beatles tribute band ‘1964.’ ”
Posted January 20, 2012
