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Minnesota Orchestra

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Black and white photograph of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra on stage, c.1912.

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra on stage, c.1912.

The Minnesota Orchestra, originally known as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, was created in 1903. It was co-founded by Emil Oberhoffer, the group’s first conductor, and Elbert L. Carpenter, the first president. The group brought a new level of culture and sophistication to Minneapolis, the eighth American city to establish a major orchestra.

Choral societies were popular in Minneapolis in the late 1800s, but the musicians were not reliable. This led the “Filharmonix” Choral Society, later renamed the Philharmonic Club, to organize a permanent orchestra with committed musicians.

Their conductor, Emil Oberhoffer, understood the importance of community support and funding. He gained the backing of Elbert L. Carpenter, who, through his own wealth and the donations of local businesses, secured a guarantee fund of $10,000 annually for three years. The orchestra’s first concert was held on November 5, 1903, at the Exposition Building in Minneapolis. There were six different concerts (programs) in the initial season, each performed only once.

The orchestra began to tour regionally in 1907 in order to broaden its reach and attract new supporters. Oberhoffer took the orchestra to Moorhead, Duluth, and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Because of these tours, the orchestra was praised in the media; in 1910, the Minneapolis Tribune reported it had a reputation as “the greatest body of musicians in the West.”

The frequency of their tours earned the players the nickname “orchestra on wheels.” Within a few years, they had performed in several major U.S. cities, including Chicago in 1911 and New York City at Carnegie Hall in March 1912.

In March 1923, the orchestra performed its first live radio broadcast; in April 1924, it made its first recording while on tour, in New York. Radio broadcasts and recordings helped to broaden the exposure of the orchestra. The group won a Grammy in 2014 for best orchestral performance for a disc of Sibelius’s Symphonies nos. 1 and 4.

Volunteers have supported the orchestra since the beginning. The initial administrators were a committee of volunteers, and since then, volunteers have served on the board, helped raise funds, and organized outreach programs. The Woman’s Association of the Minneapolis Symphony began in 1949; by 1954, it had 1,500 members. Later renamed the Women’s Association of the Minnesota Orchestra, the group has been a major fundraising partner.

Young People’s Concerts began as matinee performances during the orchestra’s early tours. The first such concert in Minneapolis was held on November 24, 1911. Because school principals purchased blocks of tickets for this concert, two thousand seats sold out in thirty minutes. A second, identical concert was offered so more students could attend. A group of community women known as the Young People’s Symphony Concert Association organized and funded these concerts.

As early as the 1920s, Elbert L. Carpenter considered summer concerts. Because of a lack of funding, musical directors did not begin experimenting with summer options until the 1960s, when the orchestra performed several different types of summer concerts, including Music 60 and Summer Pops Jubilee. The festival, known as Sommerfest, debuted in July of 1980 and has become an annual event.

In 1968, the administrative board (the Minnesota Orchestral Association, MOA) changed the group’s name from the Minneapolis Symphony to the Minnesota Orchestra. Although the board sought the change in order to reflect the expanding regional character of the Orchestra, the musicians objected. They were concerned that concertgoers would assume the two entities were distinct organizations instead of the same institution with a new name. The musicians made three attempts (in 1968, 1974, and 1991) to reinstate the former name. None succeeded.

The orchestra’s early history includes several short strikes or lockouts. The length of the 2012–2014 lockout, however, was unprecedented, and caused the cancellation of the 2012–2013 season. The MOA and musicians reached an agreement in early 2014, more than a year after the lockout began.

The orchestra has been directed by Emil Oberhoffer (1903–1922), Henri Verbrugghen (1923–1931), Eugene Ormandy (1931–1936), Dimitri Mitropoulos (1937–1949), Antal Dorati (1949–1960), Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (1960–1979), Neville Marriner (1979–1986), Edo de Waart (1986–1995), Eiji Oue (1995–2002) and Osmo Vänskä (2003–current).

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© Minnesota Historical Society
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  • Related Resources

Ayer, Julie. More than Meets the Ear: How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History. Minneapolis: Syren Book Company, 2005.

Flanagan, Barbara. Ovation: A Partnership Between a Great Orchestra and a Great Audience. Minneapolis: Minnesota Orchestra, 1977.

P1189-3
History of the Minneapolis Symphony and Associated Organizations, [1956–1958]
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: An unbound volume containing a brief history of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra from its founding in 1903 through 1958.

Holbert, Allan. “Petition Fails; Symphony Changes Name.” Minneapolis Tribune, September 26, 1968.

Hyslop, Sandra, ed. Minnesota Orchestra at One Hundred: A Collection of Essays and Images. Minneapolis: Minnesota Orchestral Association, 2002.

Minnesota Orchestra.
http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/

Mueller, John H. The American Symphony Orchestra: A Social History of Musical Taste. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1951.

“Orchestra Ticket Sales Quadruple Under New Plan.” Minneapolis Star, October 8, 1968.

Risjold, Norman K. A Popular History of Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2005.

“Symphony Orchestra Returns From Tour.” Minneapolis Tribune, June 6, 1910.

Related Images

Black and white photograph of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra on stage, c.1912.
Black and white photograph of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra on stage, c.1912.
Black and white photograph of Oberhoffer at behind a podium, c.1903.
Black and white photograph of Oberhoffer at behind a podium, c.1903.
Black and white scan of the initial concert program of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra at Exhibition Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 5, 1903.
Black and white scan of the initial concert program of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra at Exhibition Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 5, 1903.
Young people outside concert hall, 1911.
Young people outside concert hall, 1911.
Black and white photograph of young people leaving concert, 1943.
Black and white photograph of young people leaving concert, 1943.
Black and white photograph of Vice-President Hubert Humphrey dancing with WAMSO President Dorothy Gauther at the 1966 Symphony Ball.
Black and white photograph of Vice-President Hubert Humphrey dancing with WAMSO President Dorothy Gauther at the 1966 Symphony Ball.
Color scan of an admission ticket for a Sunday 4pm concert at Northrup Auditorium, February 18, 1968.
Color scan of an admission ticket for a Sunday 4pm concert at Northrup Auditorium, February 18, 1968.
Scan of a Minnesota Orchestra program cover 1968–1969 season showing the organization's new name.
Scan of a Minnesota Orchestra program cover 1968–1969 season showing the organization's new name.
Colorized postcard of the Orchestra Hall exterior, c.1975.
Colorized postcard of the Orchestra Hall exterior, c.1975.
Black and white photograph of Leonard Slatkin at Sommerfest, c.1983.
Black and white photograph of Leonard Slatkin at Sommerfest, c.1983.
Black and white photograph of Sommerfest, c.1980s.
Black and white photograph of Sommerfest, c.1980s.
Black and white photograph of Sommerfest at Peavey Plaza, c.1980s.
Black and white photograph of Sommerfest at Peavey Plaza, c.1980s.
Color image of the Minnesota Orchestra performing the Cuban National Anthem at the Teatro Nacional in Havana. 2015.
Color image of the Minnesota Orchestra performing the Cuban National Anthem at the Teatro Nacional in Havana. 2015.
Color image of First Associate Concertmaster Susie Park playing next to a young Cuban violinist in a Side by Side rehearsal. 2015.
Color image of First Associate Concertmaster Susie Park playing next to a young Cuban violinist in a Side by Side rehearsal. 2015.
Color image of the Minnesota Orchestra upon landing in Cuba, 2015.
Color image of the Minnesota Orchestra upon landing in Cuba, 2015.
Color image of the Minnesota Orchestra on stage performing a Beethoven Marathon, 2016.
Color image of the Minnesota Orchestra on stage performing a Beethoven Marathon, 2016.

Turning Point

In November 1968, the administrative board changes the group’s name from the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra to the Minnesota Orchestra in order to recognize its expanding regional character.

Chronology

1903

The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra is founded, with Emil Oberhoffer as its conductor.

1903

The orchestra gives its first concert on November 5, at the Exposition Building in Minneapolis.

1903

The orchestra hires harpist Loretta Dellone, its first female musician.

1907

The first regional tour includes performances in Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Duluth.

1911

The first Young People’s Concert is held in Minneapolis on November 24.

1923

Guest conductor Bruno Walter conducts the orchestra’s first radio broadcast in March.

1923

Jenny Cullin, a violinist, becomes the second female musician to join the orchestra.

1924

The orchestra, conducted by Henri Verbrugghen, makes its first recording, while on tour in New York City in April.

1957

At the invitation of the U.S. State Department, the orchestra embarks on a tour of the Middle East.

1963

In October, the orchestra adds a refusal to perform for racially segregated audiences to its list of official policies.

1968

The group’s name changes from the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra to the Minnesota Orchestra.

1974

Orchestra Hall opens in October. Designed specifically for the orchestra, it is the group’s first permanent home.

1980

The first Sommerfest, an annual summer festival, is held in July.

2012

On October 1, a contract dispute between musicians and the Minnesota Orchestral Association leads to a lockout that ends after 484 days.

2014

The orchestra receives its first Grammy Award: Best Orchestral Performance for a disc of Sibelius’ Symphonies No. 1 and 4.