The Orchestra is Set to Perform at Weekend of Events Marking the 25th Anniversary of Restore Diplomatic Relations Between the U.S. and Vietnam 

The Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Michelle Miller Burns announced in early October that the Minnesota Orchestra, held by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, will proudly embark on a tour in South Korea and Vietnam in 2020. 

The announcement of the tour not only continues the orchestra’s legacy of musical diplomacy but also mounts one of the signature events Vänskä’s final three years left as the orchestra’s music director. 

The tour, which begins on June 21, 2020, and will continue through July 3, 2020, will include performances, musical engagements with music students, and serve as a reminder of diplomacy. 

At the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, Vänskä and the orchestra will perform in Hanoi at a weekend of events marking the 25th anniversary of restored diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. Additionally, the orchestra is set to perform in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) and plan to participate in engagement activities with music students in both cities. 

The tour will kick off with a June 24 performance in South Korea at Seoul’s Lotte Concert Hall, which creates a chance to foster connections with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra—where Vänskä was recently appointed music director. The tour is a testament to Vänskä’s tenure, which is marked with cultural exchange as a hallmark—the orchestra recently traveled to South Africa and Cuba. 

“We are thrilled at the prospect of performing in Vietnam to help represent musically the coming together of our nations over the last 25 years,” said CEO Burns.

“Bringing people together through music, sometimes across unexpected borders, is mission-driven work that our Orchestra is deeply committed to, and we feel privileged to celebrate both a diplomatic milestone in Vietnam and a newfound musical connection in South Korea due to Osmo’s recent appointment.”

The tour of South Korea and Vietnam was generously made possible by a gift from Kathy and Charlie Cunningham with additional support from other board members. The orchestra’s long-time international tour partner, Classical Movements, will serve as Creative Advisor for the Vietnam tour—a role it played in the Orchestra’s previous tours to South Africa and Cuba. 

“I believe that music has the extraordinary capacity to bring cultures together and to create understanding between people,” said Vänskä.

“Our tours to Cuba and South Africa have been a very meaningful part of my tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra—and now once more we have the opportunity to help build goodwill between countries through music. It will be an honor to represent the U.S. and perform in Vietnam, and I’m personally so gratified I’ll have the opportunity to introduce the Minnesota Orchestra to South Korean audiences.” The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra announced last May that Vänskä would become its new music director—a role he’ll hold concurrently with his Minnesota post—beginning in January 2020.

In collaboration with the Orchestra, Classical Minnesota Public Radio is now exploring ways to share the Orchestra’s South Korea and Vietnam performances with as many listeners as possible.