“Osmo Vänskä, who resigned as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra Tuesday, will conduct the locked-out musicians in three concerts this weekend at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota,” reports Kristin Tillotson in Thursday’s (10/3) Star Tribune (Minneapolis). “The musicians, who have been locked out for a year, are self-producing the concerts featuring pianist Emanuel Ax. The two evening concerts sold out quickly after the Vänskä announcement. A 2 p.m. Saturday matinee has been added. Ax reportedly was to have played with the orchestra at the newly remodeled Orchestra Hall to open the subscription season this weekend, but those dates were canceled due to the protracted labor dispute that has left management and musicians unable to agree on pay and other issues. The concerts are Vänskä’s way of saying thank you and farewell to the Twin Cities community that has supported classical music, said musician spokesman Blois Olson…. Michael Henson, Minnesota Orchestra president, said that while management remains ‘deeply disappointed’ by the circumstances that led to Vänskä’s resignation, ‘we are very glad that audiences will have an opportunity to see Osmo Vänskä conduct in this community this weekend. Our audiences deserve this concert.’ ”
Posted October 4, 2013
