Classical MPR Presents Harmony in the Park® Choral Concerts in Minneapolis and Duluth

May 7, 2015

Classical Minnesota Public Radio returns to Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis and Leif Erickson Park in Duluth for Harmony in the Park® this summer.

Several ensembles that represent Minnesota's mighty choral tradition will fill the summer air with song on June 4 and 28 in Minneapolis and Duluth, respectively. Twin Cities-based ensembles Calliope Women's Chorus, Twin Cities Youth Chorale, and members of the National Lutheran Choir will perform in Minneapolis; in Duluth, performances by Twin Ports Choral Project, Lake Superior Youth Chorus, and Echoes of Peace Choir. Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, manager of Classical MPR's Choral Works Initiative, will host the Minneapolis event. Classical MPR's Alison Young will host the Duluth event.

These free concerts give Minnesotans and visitors the chance to hear choral music, a treasured part of our state's culture, in beautiful city-park settings. Seating is available at each venue, but folding lawn chairs or a blanket are recommended. In Minneapolis, Sea Salt Eatery is nearby for full-service dining with fresh seafood, wine, beer and ice cream for purchase. At the Duluth event, Midi Restaurant will serve food and beverages for purchase, including a selection of beers from local brewers Castle Danger, South Shore Nut Brown, Bent Paddle and Lake Superior Brewing Company.

Harmony in the Park is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

NEW THIS YEAR! Drop off gently used instruments to help kids in need

Classical MPR wants to keep music education strong in Minnesota and will be collecting instruments at both events for Play It Forward™, a statewide musical instrument drive in partnership with the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA). Donate clean, gently used and playable instruments. The donations will be given to school music programs in need of instruments, especially as a help for kids who can't otherwise afford them. Play It Forward operates year-round through a partnership with Instruments in the Cloud. More information at classicalmpr.org/playitforward

WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 7-8:30 p.m., Minneapolis; Sunday, June 28, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Duluth

NOTE: These events will happen rain or shine, except in the case of severe weather.

TICKETS: Admission is free. Seating at the parks will be first come, first served.

WHERE: Minnehaha Park is located at the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway, on the banks of the Mississippi in Minneapolis, not far from the beloved Minnehaha Falls. The park is just across the river from the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul.
Parking is limited to parking meters or designated parking lots, and a parking fee applies. The Hiawatha Light Rail Line trains stop at 50th Street/Minnehaha Park, a short walk from the park.
Leif Erikson Park, at 12th Ave E. & London Road in Duluth, is located next to the Rose Garden across from First Lutheran Church and along the Lake Walk. There are several parking lots as well as street parking on Superior Street.

About the performers
Classical MPR is proud to present these six Minnesota-based choral ensembles.

Twin Cities Youth Chorale was founded in 2008 for 7- to 14-year-old girls and boys with unchanged voices. Ann Wingert-Williams leads the Elite Chorus for experienced singers, and the junior ensemble, the Debut Choir, is led by Ann Bordonaro. Pursuing choral excellence in a wide variety of concert locations, members gain musicianship and vocal technique while learning service to community and appreciation of world cultures.

Calliope Women's Chorus, organized in 1976 and dedicated to promoting social change through song, is the nation's second-oldest feminist chorus. This season's concerts have included Universal Dream, an evening of song on themes of immigration, dignity, home and hope, and Revolutionary Women--Celebrating Women Who Change the World. Artistic Director Richard Carrick has led Calliope Women's Chorus since 2012.

National Lutheran Choir, under the direction of Dr. David Cherwien, seeks to strengthen, renew and preserve the heritage of sacred choral music through the highest standards of performance. Its varied repertoire ranges from early chant to new works and from folk songs to complex orchestral masterworks. Based in the Twin Cities, the 62-voice ensemble performs nationally, commissions new choral compositions, and broadcasts and records extensively.

Twin Ports Choral Project is a Duluth-Superior-based a capella vocal chamber ensemble directed by Brett Amundson, associate professor of music and Director of Choral Activities at the College of St. Scholastica. Recent programs include "Heaven and Earth", sacred and secular works from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and "Cathedral Classics", masterworks by Allegri, Tavener, and Lotti.

Lake Superior Youth Chorus, also led by Artistic Director Bret Amundson, consists of three choirs of young singers in grades 3 through 10. The Concert Choir, 7th through 10th grade singers, is its main touring and performing ensemble. LSYC brings a holistic approach to its music education, emphasizing the growth and personal development of young choral artists.

Echoes of Peace Choir got its start 13 years ago when Founding and Artistic Director Sara Thomsen organized it for the Art of Peace event in Duluth, a local response to the event and aftermath of 9/11. It has grown to 75 members. Beyond celebrating the joy of singing, the ensemble's mission is to inspire awareness, action and reflection on critical social issues through music and the arts.

Classical MPR is heard on stations statewide, including KSJN 99.5 FM in the Twin Cities and WSCD 92.9 FM in Duluth and online at classicalmpr.org