Celebrate the Artistry!

Join us as we begin our concerts in 2026 and celebrate the artistry of our Young Artist Competition winner Toko Nakajima! A Duluth-based cellist, Toko our featured soloist and she will perform the 2nd movement from Dvorák’s iconic Cello Concerto. This will be a performance not to be missed. Toko’s performance will be passionate as she performs this intensely romantic music.

Featured on the program will be Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs & Dances Suite No. 2. Respighi was a master artist at turning the orchestra into a vibrant palette of colors and sounds. Respighi went back to the Renaissance era to find inspiration for this suite of music. The second of three suites with the same title, Respighi took music originally written for lute and other Renaissance instruments and orchestrated them for the modern orchestra. The music is nothing short of kaleidoscopic!

Rounding out the program will be Sibelius’ Overture to Karelia and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture.