The Minot Symphony Orchestra will present “Simple is Better” for a limited live audience on Thursday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 6. The performance will also be available in a virtual concert format on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 3 p.m.

With the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in Ward County the Minot Symphony Orchestra will welcome a limited live audience to attend the annual family concert, 200 max per performance. The performances will be held at Minot State University’s Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on Thursday Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. Doors will open 30 minutes prior to the performance. Tickets for the in-person performance must be purchased in advance by calling 701-858-4228.

Tickets for the virtual concert can be purchased online through Eventgroove at https://events.eventgroove.com/ event/Simple-Is-Better-46839.

Following the MSU Beavers Restart guidelines, musicians and patrons will be required to wear a mask at all times.

The annual family concert will feature the winner of the annual high school soloist competition, Kevin Vandal. Vandal is a home-educated senior from rural Rolette County. He first received piano instruction from his dad and began formal lessons at age 8. Since 2017 he has been studying with Minot Symphony Orchestra principal pianist Dianna Anderson. Vandal will perform the first movement from “Concerto No. 2 in G minor” by Saint-Saens with the reduced orchestra.

“Kevin has worked very hard for several years with the goal of performing with the Minot Symphony Orchestra. I am so pleased that his efforts are paying off, and especially proud of the musical growth he has shown in the process,” said Anderson, assistant professor, piano, at MSU.

“Simple is Better” will also include “Capriol Suite for String Orchestra,” by Peter Warlock, “Opus Number Zoo,” by Luciano Berio (pre-recorded), “Brass Quintet,” by Efrain Amaya, and “Simple Symphony,” by Benjamin Britten.

The family friendly program highlights the different families of instruments in the symphony. Although there will be a reduced number of musicians on stage to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the program is well rounded and will feature pieces for strings only, a brass ensemble, the SubZero Winds woodwind quintet, and a reduced number of woodwinds, brass, and timpani with strings for the Saint-Saens piece.

A pre-concert talk featuring the soloist and engaging overview of the works being performed will be held via Zoom on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. The talk will be shared to the Minot Symphony Orchestra Facebook and YouTube pages. Ticketholders will receive an email with the Zoom link to join in the conversation. The concert talk will be hosted by Tim Baumann, director of the International Music Camp, and oboist in the symphony.