Name: Winter Chamber Music Concert
Start: 2026-12-08T19:00:00
Location: Bloomington Covenant Church

Manny Laureano

Bloomington Symphony Orchestra

For its 64th concert season, your Bloomington Symphony Orchestra continues the nation’s semi-quincentennial celebration by featuring the music of three composers who are synonymous with American music. After opening with William Schuman’s take on the old Colonial-era hymn “Chester,” we’ll visit with William Grant Still as he accompanies us on a symphonic visit via the musical stylings of his time and life experiences as expressed in his Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American.” After intermission, Maestro Laureano will lead the audience through a close look at An American in Paris, showing you what makes it such a memorable and special work.

American Journey

St. Michael’s Lutheran Church

For this concert, the BSO is pleased to present a new work by one of its own musicians, cellist Matthew Maxam, as we play the world premiere of Colors of Midnight to open the concert. Concertmaster Michael Sutton will offer his interpretation of the deeply thoughtful Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Minor by Jean Sibelius. After intermission, the BSO will proceed with an examination of American film composers such as John Williams, Ernest Gold, and Elmer Bernstein. Could there be a surprise encore? Come and find out!

Midnight, Finland, and the Movies

After many requests from audience members and musicians, BSO Music Director Manny Laureano will curate a concert featuring chamber performances by Bloomington Symphony Orchestra musicians and guests. The program will include music that reflects the winter season. Join us at Bloomington Covenant Church for this intimate performance.

Winter Chamber Music Concert

Bloomington Covenant Church

With deep affection, the BSO will present the Overture to The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadè Mozart. It is with equal pleasure that the overture will be followed by the Grand Prize Winner of the MNSOTA Mary West Solo Competition. In the second half of the concert, the BSO will present the Symphony No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, in which we see a long-suffering Rachmaninoff burst out of his shell after the unsuccessful premiere of his first symphony, to write an immortal crowd favorite.

Magically Romantic

Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center

Without a doubt, the music of Gustav Mahler leaves the listener with many feelings and questions. What tragedies did he suffer? Would he try to dance himself into oblivion? Was “oblivion” really as beautiful as he seemed to believe it was? Are there greater musical climaxes than those of Gustav Mahler? Am I going to need someone to mop me down after this performance? There’s only one way to find out! Maestro Laureano will, once again, take to the podium and make sense of the amazing sound experience you will have as you take in Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor.