The Minnesota Orchestra's season opens with a Paulus and Paulus premiere

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Osmo Vänskä And Minnesota Orchestra Launch 2011-12 Season With Premiere Of Jazz-Themed Work By Father-Son Team Of Stephen And Greg Paulus

The Minnesota Orchestra launches its 109th season—its ninth under Music Director Osmo Vänskä—with the world premiere of a major new work titled TimePiece, a cutting-edge composition for jazz soloists and orchestra co-written by acclaimed Minnesota-based composer Stephen Paulus and his son, 27-year-old professional trumpet player Greg Paulus. Greg Paulus himself performs as trumpet soloist in the four-movement TimePiece, which melds jazz and classical styles along with electronic elements. He is joined by pianist Bryan Nichols and three members of the improvisational ensemble Fat Kid Wednesdays: saxophonist Mike Lewis, bass player Adam Linz and drummer J.T. Bates. The program includes two additional American works rooted in jazz, George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony and John Adams’ Fearful Symmetries, and concludes with Ravel’s colorful fantasia on a mesmerizing theme, Boléro.

The concert is performed three times at Orchestra Hall: on Thursday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, September 30, at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, October 1, at 8 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $26 to $84. For tickets, call (612) 371-5656 or visit the Orchestra’s website, minnesotaorchestra.org.

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