Minnesota

Review: Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony is the standout in Minnesota Orchestra's Pride concert

Published

2 years ago

June 20, 2024

Review: Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony is the standout in Minnesota Orchestra's Pride concert

Orchestra Hall is decked out for Pride.

At the Minnesota Orchestra’s home hall, they’re handing out buttons to assist others with your pronouns, presenting an exhibit on local LGBTQ musical groups, screening a documentary on local gay rights history, even offering a reading room full of literature in the upstairs lobby. Clearly, Minnesota’s largest arts organization is moving well beyond lip service to the cause of equality.

And music director Thomas Søndergård has chosen to conclude his first season on the job with the music of gay and lesbian composers. It proved a very satisfying program midday Thursday, introducing most of the audience to the evocative voice of early 20th-century Englishwoman Dame Ethel Smyth, delighting with the playfulness of Francis Poulenc and concluding with a very exciting interpretation of a Tchaikovsky symphony.

The entry point to the program was the windswept sea Smyth created for her 1906 opera, “The Wreckers.” The strings were lush and emotive as they sailed across surging waves of lithe celebration and discomfiting menace. Sounding something like Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from “Peter Grimes” 39 years before that work was written, it made me curious to experience Smyth’s opera in its entirety.

Pianist Francesco Piemontesi was slated to solo on Karol Szymanowski’s Fourth Symphony, but a Berlin bicycle accident last week left him with a broken collarbone. So Søndergård and the orchestra shifted gears and replaced their soloist with a duo, twin pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton, and brought another gay composer onto the program in Poulenc.

His Concerto for Two Pianos proved quite a brisk, lively conversation before morphing into a mesmerizing minor-key interlude, Michelle flamboyantly flowing up and down the keyboard before the two combined to create a peaceful dreamscape. The slow movement was full of rich orchestral colors, and the finale captured the composer at his most exuberant and the sisters’ chemistry at its more finely honed. Christina opened with a lightning-quick outburst of staccato notes, Michelle interjecting echoes of encouragement before her sister took flight on a jazz-flavored solo.

But the concert’s standout experience was Peter Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, delivered with nary a hint of the sentimentality and schmaltz that can too often afflict interpretations of the composer’s work. From the first notes of its gripping opening fanfare, there was a particularly admirable blend in the brass, a fascinating mix of forcefulness and subtlety. It introduced the idea that this would be a Fourth of drama, but without histrionics. Søndergård emphasized broadly ranging contrasts in mood and volume, the first movement’s lilting waltz remarkably quiet before the tumultuous strings almost drowned out the recurring fanfare with their full sound.

Each ensuing movement felt like further steps away from fate’s dark shadow, the sweeping main melody of the slow movement like a longed-for destination, the whispering plucked strings of the Scherzo a dance on tiptoes before the bright blast of the finale’s opening chords. But comforting quiet emerged even in that scintillating sprint of a movement.

If Søndergård is looking toward making Tchaikovsky a specialty of the house — this was the sixth of the composer’s works to find its way onto a program this season, including three of his symphonies — then this performance makes that a promising prospect.

Minnesota Orchestra

With: Conductor Thomas Søndergård and pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton

What: Works by Dame Ethel Smyth, Francis Poulenc and Peter Tchaikovsky

When: 8 p.m. Fri. and 7 p.m. Sat.

Where: Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls.

Tickets: $25-$106, available at 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org

Rob Hubbard is a Twin Cities classical music writer. Reach him at wordhub@yahoo.com.

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Minnesota

Lawmakers demand Keith Ellison resign as Minnesota fraud grilling turns brutal

Published

3 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Lawmakers demand Keith Ellison resign as Minnesota fraud grilling turns brutal

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) called on Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to resign during the House Oversight Committee’s hearing on the widespread fraud in Minnesota.

Higgins began his line of questioning by referring to Ellison’s open statement.

“Under Minnesota law, my Office has limited jurisdiction over criminal matters. The only kind of criminal case we can prosecute on our own is Medicaid fraud; any other criminal case must be specifically referred to us by county attorneys or the Governor,” Ellison said in his opening statement.

Higgins stated Ellison said that his office only had the authority to investigate Medicaid fraud, to which Ellison nodded his head in response.

But, Higgins pointed out that was incorrect.

“Under your own law, you have authority if the county district attorney asks you to get involved, or if the governor asks you to get involved, then your office can take the lead on any criminal investigation,” Ellison said.

Ellison remained speechless after Higgins asked him if that his statement was correct.

“So you have the authority to lead your state’s effort to respond to this massive fraud at the state level, from within the health care realm, where government money has been stolen at very, very high levels, unprecedented levels, in your state,” Higgins said.

“Are you leading that effort for the state of Minnesota?”

Ellison replied but his response was not picked up by the microphone.

“You’re addressing it,” Higgins asked. “Are you leading it?”

Ellison responded, “we are leading the effort to prosecute Medicaid fraud.”

“I’m not talking about Medicaid fraud,” Higgins yelled.

“Don’t hide behind that. You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asked you to. And this thing is big.”

“I’m giving you an opportunity, sir. Are you leading the criminal investigative effort into this massive fraud across the board in the healthcare spectrum, in the state of Minnesota or not,” Higgins continued.

Ellison replied, saying his office was “following the law,” prompting Higgins to interject.

“You are not leading,” Higgins responded. “You’re not leading. I must say, Mr. Chairman, that the Attorney General of Minnesota should resign.”

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Minnesota

Maddy Kimbrel Named Minnesota’s 2026 Ms. Hockey Winner

Published

15 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Maddy Kimbrel Named Minnesota’s 2026 Ms. Hockey Winner

Maddy Kimbrel joined an illustrious group of players as Minnesota’s 2026 Ms. Hockey winner. The award is annually given to the best high school women’s hockey player in the state of Minnesota.

The Holy Family forward scored 37 goals and 57 points this season in only 26 games for her school.

She was also an assistant captain for Team USA at the 2026 U-18 World Championships winning gold. It was her second time representing USA at the event.

Kimbrel spent four seasons playing for Orono High before moving to Holy Family this season.

The 17-year-old Mound, Minnesota product is headed to the University of Wisconsin next season.

The other four finalists for the award were Alaina Gentz (Centennial/SLP), Jasmine Hovda (Roseau), Lorelai Nelson (Edina), and Mia Miller (Northfield).

Past winners of the award include current PWHL players such as Taylor Heise (2018), Peyton Hemp (2021), Olivia Mobley (2020), Grace Zumwinkle (2017), and Hannah Brandt (2012), and 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Krissy Wendell-Pohl.

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Bemidji declares March as Minnesota Food Share Month; hears Project Graduate report

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Bemidji declares March as Minnesota Food Share Month; hears Project Graduate report

BEMIDJI — The city of Bemidji declared March as Minnesota Food Share Month in partnership with the

Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign

during a

city council

meeting on Monday. This campaign is the largest grassroots food and fund drive in Minnesota.

“Food insecurity affects thousands of Minnesotans, including residents of Bemidji and the greater Beltrami County area, and access to nutritious food is fundamental to the health and dignity, and well-being of every community member,” the proclamation reads. “Local food shelves depend on the generosity of community donations to meet the growing needs of our neighbors, and every contribution — whether food, funds or time — makes a direct difference in the lives of Bemidji residents.

“The city of Bemidji proudly recognizes the extraordinary contributions of the volunteers, donors and partner organizations whose compassion and dedication ensure that no neighbor goes without, and the city of Bemidji is committed to fostering a compassionate and caring community where all residents are supported and encouraged to look out for one another in times of need.”

Ward 2 Councilor Josh Peterson read the proclamation as Mayor Jorge Prince attended the meeting virtually. Peterson attempted to award the proclamation to a Bemidji Community Food Shelf representative, but no one was available to receive it.

John Eggers,

a former educator, gave a presentation to the council regarding his Project Graduate initiative, which promotes 100% graduation rates within Beltrami County during Monday’s meeting.

“It’s not an easy task to do, but we can do it,” Eggers remarked.

Eggers shared personal efforts to promote a 100% graduation rate within Beltrami County, such as promoting graduation as a teacher at Red Lake High School recently. He hopes to do more work in Red Lake in the future.

Eggers also formed an alliance of local Bemidji businesses to promote Project Graduate. Each business will find a unique way to promote higher graduation rates while working with the alliance. Additionally, Eggers has spent the last several years forming an advocacy program that has now spread to 12 states and five countries worldwide.

He then shared ideas for the council to follow to promote the initiative. This included joining the alliance, displaying posters, “relentlessly” promoting high graduation rates, starting a PSA campaign, adding the initiative to the city’s website or newsletter and signing a proclamation.

He noted that in 2025, the city signed a proclamation and other Beltrami County cities followed suit, meaning Bemidji could once again set the trend to promote higher graduation rates.

Ward 1 Councilor Gwenia Fiskevold Gould asked how the initiative addresses underlying issues that affect

declining graduation rates

within Beltrami County, such as housing instability and food insecurity.

Eggers did not have a direct answer, but noted that graduation often helps young people climb out of bad situations. He believes that all people deal with adversity and that graduation is an important tool to help improve their quality of life.

He also pointed out that graduation rates among white students have remained steady when compared to statewide trends, but that students of color and Indigenous students’ graduation rates are lower than the state average, something that needs to be addressed to help these communities.

Finally, Eggers noted that the initiative’s drop-out prevention hotline was recently discontinued, but that students or parents can reach out to Eggers directly to receive the help needed to stay in school.

Overall, council members thanked Eggers for his Project Graduate presentation. His contact information can be found on his website,

johnrogereggers.com.

The council will next meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 16, at City Hall for a regular meeting. Meetings can be viewed on

the city’s website.

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