The concert will culminate with Ludwig van Beethoven’s monumental “Symphony No. 9,” featuring more than 200 area choir members. The concert will showcase a powerful collaboration with area choirs, including the Minot Chamber Chorale, and choirs from Minot State University, Minot High School and Minot North High School, bringing together voices from across the community.

The program opens with the Minot State University Honors Competition winner, Brook Jenks, performing the Gordon Jacobs Trombone Concerto.

“Preparing for the competition and this performance pushed me to grow on my instrument faster than I might have otherwise,” Jenks said. “When I began music school, I played almost exclusively bass trombone, so transitioning to tenor trombone was a significant challenge. Winning the competition has helped give me confidence that I can successfully ‘hold my own’ on the tenor trombone.”

A highlight of the evening will be the premiere of the new Minot anthem, “Open Prairies, Open Arms, Open Hearts,” composed by Emerson Eads. The lyrics are based on the poem “Why Not?” by “The Fab Five”: MSU alumni Kaylee Capp, Megan Klebe, Hannah Pederson, Arnikka Schreier and Rachel Voth. The poem was chosen as the anthem through a public contest held last year. Featured soloists for the premiere include Klebe, Gabrielle Razafinjatovo, Royce Brown and Chad Armstrong.

Chad Armstrong

Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” features returning soloist Bethany Jelinek, soprano; Razafinjatovo, mezzo-soprano; Nathan Bowles, tenor; and Armstrong, baritone. Beethoven’s triumphant “Ode to Joy” stands as one of the most powerful and enduring works in the orchestral repertoire, a fitting capstone to this milestone season, according to the Minot Symphony Orchestra.

Musicology, the study of music, will begin at 6 p.m. The pre-concert talk will offer audience members insight into the evening’s repertoire. Concert-goers are encouraged to attend the engaging, 30-minute overview of the works being performed, the story behind the music, the composer and historical context. The talk is free with a concert ticket.

Advance tickets are encouraged and are available on the symphony orchestra’s website or through the box office at 858-4228.

The Minot Symphony Orchestra is a blend of student, community and professional musicians from the Minot area. The symphony is directed by Maestro Efraín Amaya, associate professor of Performing Arts at MSU.

This project is supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Nathan Bowles

Gabrielle Razafinjatovo

Bethany Jelinek