The season begins with our most epic and joyful journey yet, in a single performance of Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony. Christian Reif conducts the Orchestra in collaboration with a chorus of singers from the Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota, Brainerd High School, and the acclaimed Minneapolis-based choral ensemble, VocalEssence singing the powerful “Ode to Joy”.
Scroll down to explore the music and discover ways to enhance your experience.
Featured Artists
Explore the Music
JIMMY LÓPEZ BELLIDO: Rise. (11 minutes) READ
- In 2022 LAMF performed the world premiere of a piece by López titled “Tribute to the Earth”. He returns to the Lakes Area this season not just for the performance of his work “Rise”, but also to be the mentor composer for LAMF's composer fellowship program.
- López wrote this piece for the Berkeley Symphony's 50th anniversary where it also accompanied Beethoven's 9th symphony, utilizing the same size orchestra and instruments that Beethoven used.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9. (70 minutes) READ – WATCH
- Beethoven's 9th (and final) Symphony is one of the most celebrated and frequently performed symphonies ever. In the final section of the piece, vocal soloists and chorus join the orchestra for the famous “Ode to Joy”, promoting joy, brotherhood, and peace. It has been performed at numerous monumental occasions, including the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
- Our performance will be a celebration of community, with Brainerd High School students and members of the Legacy Chorale joining VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and our orchestra– over 150 musicians in total.
- This symphony was so popular that when CDs were invented, the standard length of 74 minutes was determined in order to accommodate this symphony in full.
Enhance Your Experience
Enjoy these opportunities to connect with the music and LAMF musicians featured on this concert. No charge and no tickets required. More information coming this summer.
- Wednesday, July 24, beg. 2:15 p.m.: Attend an Open Rehearsal. Meet a musician and go behind the scenes of the first rehearsal.
- Thursday, July 25, 7-9 p.m.: Musicians Night Out. Socialize with musicians at Roundhouse Brewery
- Sunday, July 28, 2 p.m.: Pre-Concert Talk with Christian Reif in the Gichi-ziibi Concert Hall
This performance is sponsored in part by Hubbard Radio. All LAMF activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Five Wings Arts Council, thank to a legislative appropriation from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
