Meet A
Musician/
ACCENT
2019-20 Season
November 14, 2019 6pm Orchestra Hall (Past)
Music Director Osmo Vänskä (Clarinet) and Concertmaster Erin Keefe (Violin) talk about the upcoming season, then perform.
February 6, 2020 6pm HGA/Ford Building (Past)
Bass players Kristen Bruya and Kathryn Nettleman join us to share their stories, their music, and their experiences as women in the more-typically male Bass section.
March 12, 2020 6pm HGA/Ford Building (Past)
Retired violinist Roger Frisch with Mayo neurosurgeon Dr. Kendall Lee talk about Frisch’s career and his remarkable recovery from essential tremor (ET). We will also show footage of the surgery from the Ken Burns documentary. Roger will be joined by pianist Hanna HyunJung Kim in a performance of Edvard Grieg’s Sonata #3, Op. 45, followed by Pablo de Sarasate’s Navarra Op. 33 for Two Violins with Minnesota Orchestra’s Rui Du. Dinner by Chef Rikki Giambruno of Hyacinth Restaurant.
Please click HERE for directions and parking information at HGA/Ford.
April 9, 2020 6pm HGA/Ford Building (CANCELLED)
Cellist Silver Ainomae and Violinist Susie Park return to ACCENT as they get ready to perform Brahm’s Double Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in May 2020.
Please click HERE for directions and parking information at HGA/Ford.
May 7, 2020 6pm HGA/Ford Building (CANCELLED)
Principal Bassoonist Fei Xie will share his journey to America from China and talk about his preparation for soloing with the Orchestra in June 2020 with Mozart’s demanding Bassoon Concerto.
Please click HERE for directions and parking information at HGA/Ford.
June 4, 2020 Orchestra Hall (CANCELLED)
Minnesota Orchestra Band (MOB) featuring Brian Mount (percussion) and Matt Frischman (Bass).
About Us
Our events combine the company of other Twin Cities classical music lovers, wine and beer, and an enticing buffet with the opportunity to get to know musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra on a more individual, informal basis.
Throughout the season we are pleased to host members of the Orchestra for each ACCENT event and showcase their talent while getting to know them on a personal level.
We deliberately limit attendance to 125 people to keep ACCENT events intimate: come be one of the few to experience this opportunity unique to FRIENDS!

PROGRAM
We leave it up to our guests to decide on their musical programs, but typically they demonstrate their instruments, provide historical insights, discuss details of their approach and training, and of course share personal stories and anecdotes of their careers and travels with the Orchestra. Programs end with performances of pieces they’ve prepared for us – sometimes classical, sometimes modern, sometimes with other musicians joining them, but always special.
2019 ARTISTS
This year’s ACCENT series was created to coordinate with the themes and programming of the Minnesota Orchestra and based on suggestions from the many FRIENDS members who graciously responded to our Future of ACCENT online survey in Spring 2019. We are delighted that ACCENT received a 2019 Roundtable Award from the League of American Orchestras as “an outstanding volunteer project based on originality, volunteer involvement, adaptability, and overall success.” Come see why ACCENT won gold!
LOCATIONS
This year we are hosting ACCENT events at either Orchestra Hall (Target Atrium or Veranda) or at HGA/Ford Building. Both are lovely spaces for intimate social and musical gatherings
INCLUDED WITH YOUR
TICKET
Tickets usually include a wine or beer voucher, an elegant catered buffet dinner, the musical presentation, and delightful conversation about music