For the past 36 years, the Minnesota Sinfonia has served our community with great music and exceptional educational opportunities. With its bring the kids/ free admission policies and its universally acclaimed performances, the Sinfonia continues to be a pillar in the region’s arts community, and a favorite for young and old alike.
Sunday, June 29 | 7:30 p.m.
Details
Where: Caponi Art Park
Cost: Free
Parking: Main parking lot may be limited. Overflow parking at the Lexington-Diffley Skate Park
Additional Information: It is Minnesota so don’t forget to bring some bug spray just in case!
About This Event
About MN Sinfonia
The Minnesota Sinfonia is a community-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to serve the musical and educational needs of Minnesotans with a special emphasis on families with young children, inner-city youth, seniors, and those with limited financial means. Envisioned by Artistic Director Jay Fishman, the Minnesota Sinfonia was created in 1989 under the guiding values of being high-quality, easily-accessible, and uniquely educational.
Music for All: A Conversation with Jay Fishman
MN Sinfonia founder and director Jay Fishman’s first love was music. Compelled by this love, Jay has dedicated his career to bringing music to not only the privileged few, but to the masses. “It’s extremely gratifying for me, and the musicians I conduct, to play for people who have such an appreciation for the music and performances but who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to see them,” he tells Caponi Art Park.
The MN Sinfonia professional chamber orchestra was established in 1989 with the mission to bring free, accessible, and high quality classical performances to underserved and low income communities in Minnesota. After over 35 years of operations, in October 2024 MN Sinfonia announced they would cease public performances due to corporate and government arts funding cuts. But with enough reserves to continue partial operations this year, the orchestra is embarking on a 6-show children’s summer concert series. Carrying on a 20 year long tradition of yearly performances at Caponi Art Park, MN Sinfonia will play the Theater in the Woods for a final time on June 29th.
One of the most profound achievements of MN Sinfonia was the Music in the School’s program, which brought orchestra-based academic curriculums into 22 inner city public schools and about 10,000 kids per year. “After our Magical Mysteries of Math and Music program I had a kid come up to me, probably in sixth grade, I’m not sure, but he said, “You know, Mr. Fishman, I play the drums. But I never realized the connection between math and music, and now I’m going to study my math.” That brought tears to my eyes,” Jay recalls. In addition to “Magical Mysteries,” other Music in the Schools curriculums have included “Music Tells a Story” and “Water, Our Most Precious Resource,” which are available in video format for anyone to access. You can find them on the MN Sinfonia website here.
This month, Jay and the orchestra are bringing a taste of the Music in the Schools programming to CAP, with “Introducing the Orchestra: Science Behind the Sound.” The performance tells the story of a group of kids living in the year 4000, who take a time-traveling field trip back centuries to discover the instruments of our time that have long since been lost. “I’m quite certain that the parents are going to enjoy this one too,” Jay assures. He adds that concert audiences can anticipate excerpts from Beethoven and Dvořák pieces.
Reflecting on two decades of performances at the park, Jay says, “Sinfonia always has a lot of fun out at Caponi.” MN Sinfonia held some of the very first performances at the Theater in the Woods. Long time friends with the Caponis, Jay reminisces, “Tony took me under the bridge to the other side of the park where it was all shrub, and he said, “Jay, I’m going to build you an amphitheater here.” And we’ve played there every year since.”
Bring the whole family and join us for a free night of music, storytelling, education, and celebration of the remarkable legacy of MN Sinfonia!
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