For almost 20 years, FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra has offered members and guests the opportunity to go “inside” and spend an evening with some of the most talented and influential people in the Orchestral world. This is ACCENT, one of the best values in our community for music, performance, education and social fun.
ACCENT is a result of a brainstorming session in 2007 with then President-elect, Dorothy Halverson, and then-Executive Director Eloise Breikjern. The goal was to create a new adult music education program. Their session produced a compelling concept, people mingling in a social setting prior to hearing a guest musician talk about their journey, their career, and possibly a solo performance. Future FRIENDS President Nancy Jameson was tapped to lead this new initiative, which debuted on February 2, 2008, featuring Kathy Kienzle, then Minnesota Orchestra principal harp. It was very well-received and ACCENT evenings continue to resonate with members and guests as our best adult music education offering.
While the series’ name evolved over time, originally called “ACCENT—Music Education for Adults”, then “ACCENT—Music Appreciation for Adults”, and then “Meet a Musician/ACCENT”, the structure of ACCENT evenings stays true to the original concept—a fun and intimate way to learn a musician’s story and hear their mastery.
Due to the popularity of the series among the audience and the musicians, ACCENT programming has expanded to include prominent visiting soloists; composers and conductors, as well as our own Minnesota Orchestra musicians. The current venues include the Schmitt Music auditorium in Bloomington and Orchestra Hall.
Classical MPR’s host, Melissa Ousley, became the ACCENT host in 2020 soon after she joined the FRIENDS board. Melissa’s tremendous knowledge and approachable interview style has definitely enhanced the quality of the evening.
We are honored to list a few of the artists that have participated in ACCENT:
Manny Laureano, trumpet; Tim Zavadil, clarinet; Roger Frisch, former Minnesota Orchestra associate concertmaster, with Dr. Kendell Lee of Mayo Clinic; Osmo Vänskä, now Minnesota Orchestra conductor laureate, and Erin Keefe, concertmaster; Kristin Bruya and Kathryn Nettleman, principal bass and associate principal bass, respectively; James Ehnes, violin, two-time Grammy award winner, and 1992 winner of the Young Artist Competition; Charles Lazarus, trumpet; Sarah Hicks, principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall; Karen Gomyo, violin, solo artist with the Orchestra; Libby Larson, composer; Tony Ross, principal cello and Beth Rapier, cello; a Lunar New Year concert in partnership with the China Center at the U of MN; Dessa, rapper, singer, and collaborator with the Minnesota Orchestra; Grace Roepke, harp, 2019 grand prize winner of the final FRIENDS Young Artist Competition and soloist with the Orchestra; Erich Rieppel, timpani; and Thomas Søndergård, Minnesota Orchestra music director.
Thriving and growing, ACCENT will deliver many more years of exceptional educational programing. The next ACCENT is Wednesday, May 6 at Orchestra Hall and features Thomas Søndergård and Sliver Ainomäe. Tickets are available in March.