Jon Kimura Parker with Minnesota Orchestra, Beethoven, and more

Minnesota Orchestra (founded 1903 as Minneapolis Symphony) is a Minneapolis-based classical orchestra known for new music, education, 175 yearly concerts, a Grammy, and tours to Cuba, South Africa & Europe.

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer and pianist from Bonn, bridged the Classical and Romantic eras with his innovative, emotionally intense music. Renowned for works like the "Moonlight Sonata," Fifth Symphony, and Ninth Symphony, he revolutionized instrumental music, elevating it to high art. He continued composing despite profound deafness.

Felix Mendelssohn was a celebrated German composer, pianist, musical conductor, and teacher of the early Romantic period. Born into a prominent family in Hamburg in 1809, he was recognized as an extraordinary musical prodigy from childhood, composing masterpieces like the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream by age seventeen. He played a central role in reviving interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, famously conducting the St. Matthew Passion in 1829, and went on to serve as the Music Director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig and founder of the Leipzig Conservatory. His acclaimed compositions, including the Italian and Scottish Symphonies, the Violin Concerto, and the oratorio Elijah, famously blend Classical structure with Romantic expression.