St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Dec. 21
-- Vickie Lee-Her
This winter, don’t miss your chance to see the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra perform when the Asian Student Organization (ASO) hosts a special concert on Dec. 21. This is the second annual concert that the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra will play on the Metropolitan State University campus.
“Last year was [the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s] first year performing at Metropolitan State, and after that experience, [they] wanted to continue coming each year,” says ASO President Mary Xiong. “So this December they will be coming back to perform another concert.”
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is the only full-time professional chamber orchestra in the US, and this year marks the orchestra’s 50th anniversary season. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra performs over 150 concerts and educational programs each year around the world. CONNECT is the orchestra’s education program which touches 6,000 students a year in 16 Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. With 67 recordings released, 114 new works commissioned, and 53 additional compositions debuts, it is truly a treat to see the orchestra perform live.
The concert will take place on Dec. 21 from 2–4 p.m. in the Founder’s Hall Auditorium. This year’s performance is extra special as ASO community partner, Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT), will also demonstrate the traditional Hmong instrument, the qeej. Tickets are required to attend this event. RSVP by contacting Mary Xiong at xiongm07@go.metrostate.edu.
The Metropolitan State student organization, ASO, provides academic, social and cultural support to Asian American students to help them succeed in their academic ventures. The organization is open to all students at Metropolitan State. Interested students can contact ASO President Mary Xiong.
“Students can benefit by getting to know other students at Metropolitan State and get the experience of learning new opportunities,” says Xiong. “Students can also gain useful information, valuable experience and great friendships.”
ASO also hosts I.C.E. Open Mic, in collaboration with CHAT, the third Friday of each month in the Educated Palate on campus. Students interested in performing at the open mic event can sign up at the event. The event is open to everyone.