Oratorio Society of MN Announces April 17 Concert, An American Trilogy
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 5:04PM
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the Oratorio Society of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota School of Music will present An American Trilogy, a sweeping concert of choral and orchestral masterworks inspired by the American landscape, spirit and poetry.
Bringing together the 150-voice Oratorio Society and University Singers, orchestra and a distinguished quartet of soloists - soprano Maddie Holtze, mezzo-soprano Kristina Rodel Sorum, tenor Scott Brunscheen and baritone Philip Zawisza - the program explores the cultural imagination that shaped America through music by Aaron Copland, John Corigliano and Lukas Foss. The concert is led by Artistic Director Matthew Mehaffey along with conductors Brandon Berger and Paolo Debuque.
At the heart of the evening is Lukas Foss’s The Prairie, a powerful choral work based on Carl Sandburg’s expansive poem. With bold orchestral writing and sweeping choral textures, Foss evokes the scale, force and generosity of the prairie landscape - land that has long sustained life, community and memory. In presenting this work, the program invites audiences to reflect not only on the prairie’s beauty and abundance, but also on our responsibility to honor the land and the histories carried within it.
Also featured is John Corigliano’s Fern Hill, a luminous musical setting of Dylan Thomas’s beloved poem about childhood and the passage of time, alongside Aaron Copland’s Quiet City, whose haunting trumpet and English horn lines evoke the introspective stillness of the American night.
“Together, these works offer a musical reflection on landscape, memory and the many stories carried through this place. The prairie is not simply a symbol of expansion or possibility - it symbolizes the courage and imagination of those and built communities there. It is a living landscape that has given deeply to those who have depended on it across generations. As we approach America’s semiquincentennial, this program creates space to experience that beauty while also reflecting on the complex histories tied to it - including loss, displacement and the enduring presence of Indigenous peoples. In that way, performance can become not only an act of interpretation, but also an act of acknowledgment and respect.” Matthew Mehaffey, artistic director of the Oratorio Society of Minnesota
To further explore these themes, the concert will feature a pre-concert lecture by Andrew Clark of Harvard University at 7:10pm. Professor Clark will place The Prairie into a modern context, examining its unique history and the evolving ways we understand the American landscape today.
Tickets are available at Oratorio.org or at the door. Prices include General Seating – $25, Premier Seating – $35, and Student / Livestream – $10.
The Oratorio Society of Minnesota is a 100-plus voice, auditioned choral group based in the Twin Cities dedicated to presenting compelling performances of major works for chorus and orchestra. Founded in 1980, the nonprofit organization brings together accomplished volunteer singers, professional soloists and instrumentalists to perform dynamic and diverse choral repertoire. The Oratorio Society presents an annual concert season and engages the community through educational and participatory programs such as a Summer Chorus and international music tours fostering lifelong engagement with choral music throughout the area.
Matthew Mehaffey is Artistic Director of the Oratorio Society of Minnesota and Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota. An internationally recognized conductor, he previously led the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and earned a GRAMMY nomination for a recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
