The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra. Until 1968 it was known as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Another orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, is also based in the Twin Cities.

The orchestra plays seasons of concerts in Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota, as well as widely touring.

The orchestra was founded under its old name in 1903 by Emil Oberhoffer and gave its first concert on November 5 of that year. Oberhoffer was also its principal conductor until 1922. He has been followed by Henry Verbrugghen (1923-31); Eugene Ormandy (1931-36); Dimitri Mitropoulos (1937-49); Antal Doráti (1949-60); Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1960-80) and Neville Marriner (1979-86); Edo de Waart (1986-95); and Eiji Oue (1995-2002). In 2002, Osmo Vänskä was appointed to be the next principal conductor, starting in September 2003.

In 1954, the group made the first recording of the 1812 Overture to include actual cannon fire. The first recording was in monophonic sound, so the performance was repeated in 1958 for a stereo production.

External links

• Minnesota Orchestra
• Minnesota Orchestra Archives home page