Minnesota Orchestra Introduces Music on Demand with Free Symphonic Downloads

Led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, Stravinsky’s Petrushka will be available for free download beginning Friday, May 28, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 will be available June 4

The Minnesota Orchestra will conclude its 107th concert season by offering its first-ever free symphonic downloads. As part of the organization’s new Minnesota Orchestra Music on Demand project, concert performances of Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 will be available for free download exclusively at minnesotaorchestra.org/musicondemand, on May 28 and June 4, respectively. Next fall, the free downloads will be followed by five additional major works which will be offered as paid downloads—with the first movement available for free. All download material will be drawn from live Minnesota Orchestra performances led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, and recorded and produced for distribution by Minnesota Public Radio.

“The Minnesota Orchestra enjoys a distinguished recording and broadcasting history that goes back to the early 1920s,” says President and CEO Michael Henson. “Our Music on Demand project takes advantage of the latest music distribution tools to share Minnesota Orchestra performances, and we are especially pleased to launch the program with two free downloads—available to anyone in the world who would like to hear the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä perform this music.”

The first of the free downloads, Stravinsky’s Petrushka, will be recorded live by MPR on May 27 and available for digital download on Friday, May 28. The second, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, will be recorded live on Thursday, June 3 and available for download on Friday, June 4. Both downloads will be available for free to any registered user at minnesotaorchestra.org/musicondemand through October 2010.

Beginning in November 2010, further downloads will become available, highlighting major works from the 2010-11 classical season. Each selection will be conducted by Osmo Vänskä, recorded live and available for download just days after each original Orchestra Hall performance. The repertoire will include Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique (November), Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, Jupiter (January), Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 (February), Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 (April), and Orff’s Carmina burana (June). Downloads of the first movement of each work will be free, with additional movements or parts available at standard download fees.

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