


Pianist Jon Kimura Parker, vocalist Joyce DiDonato and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are among the guests to join the Minnesota Orchestra in its newly announced summer and 2025-2026 seasons, which include a pair of “Harry Potter” screenings.
Tickets are available now in packages of three or more concerts and can be purchased at minnesotaorchestra.org or by calling 612-371-5642. Individual tickets for summer concerts go on sale April 8, while the 2025-2026 season single tickets go on sale July 29.
Concerts take place at Orchestra Hall unless otherwise noted.
Summer at Orchestra Hall
The Summer at Orchestra Hall festival runs from June 30 to Aug. 1. Creative partner and pianist Parker curated the series, which centers around large scale Romantic-era music and will feature Parker as soloist in piano concertos by Robert Schumann and Edvard Grieg.
“We’re diving into highly expressive, lyrical pieces from the Romantic era,” Parker said in a news release. “I’ll perform standout piano concertos of the era by Schumann and Grieg that share wonderfully emotional and melodic qualities while also being utterly unique. We’ll also share a film concert, family performance, chamber music and the wild fun of our Grand Piano Spectacular — all against the beautiful backdrop of Orchestra Hall in the summer. I can’t wait to return to Minneapolis.”
Summer highlights include:
• Symphony for the Cities, a series of free concerts featuring a mix of patriotic music, film scores and other orchestral music; 7:30 p.m. June 30, Lakefront Park Bandshell, Hudson; 7:30 p.m. July 1, Excelsior Commons Pavilion, Excelsior; 8:30 p.m. July 2, Hilde Center for the Performing Arts, Plymouth; and 7:30 p.m. July 5, Winona Lake Park Bandshell, Winona.
• Beethoven and Brahms; 11 a.m. July 10, 8 p.m. July 11 and 7 p.m. July 12.
• “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. July 17-19 and 2 p.m. July 20.
• Rhythm in Motion family concert, conducted by Samuel Lee, winner of the 2024 Malko Competition for Young Conductors and the associate conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony; 2 p.m. July 26.
• Grand Piano Spectacular, featuring Parker, Chelsea de Souza, Artem Kuznetsov and Ayane Nakajima; 7 p.m. July 31.
Minnesota Orchestra 2025-2026 season
As for the 2025-2026 season, music director Thomas Søndergård said the orchestra is delving into the concept of what it means to be American-made: “Audiences will hear works by American-born composers, for certain, but also by composers who resettled in America or sought inspiration here. We’re also exploring works that were premiered or commissioned in the U.S. and were inspired by American history, literature and art. By painting with a very broad brush, we hope to bring to light the interwoven tapestry of American influences, artists and composers who have contributed to orchestral music today.”
Season highlights include:
• Orchestra Hall open house; 1 p.m. Sept. 13.
• Søndergård, DiDonato and Strauss, featuring DiDonato; 11 a.m. Sept. 18 and 8 p.m. Sept. 19.
• “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. Sept. 30 and Oct. 3-4 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5.
• “The Goonies” with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. Oct. 24-25.
• Local hip-hop star Dessa with the Minnesota Orchestra; 8 p.m. Nov. 7-8.
• Magnificent Musical Creatures family concert; 2 p.m. Nov. 9.
• Søndergård conducts Brahms Requiem; 8 p.m. Nov. 21 and 7 p.m. Nov. 22.
• “The Princess Bride” with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. Nov. 9 and 2 p.m. Nov. 30.
• “The Muppet Christmas Carol” with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. Dec. 12 and 2 p.m. Dec. 13.
• Merry and Bright, holiday show led by trumpet player Charles Lazarus; 2 p.m. Dec. 14.
• A New Year’s Celebration with the Minnesota Orchestra; 2 p.m. Jan. 1.
• Gabel, Debussy and Dukas, led by French conductor Fabien Gabel; 8 p.m. Jan. 30 and 7 p.m. Jan. 31.
• The Music of Pink Floyd with the Minnesota Orchestra; 8 p.m. Feb. 6 and 7 p.m. Feb. 7.
• Lunar New Year with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. Feb. 26.
• Ben Rector: Songs for America; 8 p.m. Feb. 27 and 7 p.m. Feb. 28.
• Yo-Yo Ma with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. March 3.
• Symphonic Storytelling family concert; 2 p.m. March 15.
• Barnatan Plays Rachmaninoff, featuring pianist Inon Barnatan; 8 p.m. March 27 and 7 p.m. March 28.
• More to Hear: The Listening Project, featuring performances of music by underrepresented composers; 8 p.m. May 1.
• “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” with the Minnesota Orchestra; 7 p.m. May 15-16 and 2 p.m. May 17.
• Juneteenth with the Minnesota Orchestra, a celebration and exploration of Black ritual and spirituality through the music of the African diaspora; 7 p.m. June 18.
• Disney Pride in Concert with the Minnesota Orchestra and Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus; 7 p.m. June 20 and 2 p.m. June 21.
For the full schedule, see minnesotaorchestra.org.