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The St. Anthony Civic Orchestra, conducted by Carol Jensen, performed July 3, 2008, at Salo Park in St. Anthony, Minnesota. |
| Carol Jensen conducted the orchestra's performance at the St. Anthony Community Center, March 15, 2009. |  |
The St. Anthony Civic Orchestra is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide continued musical education and performing opportunities for area musicians and to enhance, enrich, and expand the musical experiences available to citizens in the area. It plays a variety of music each season, including classical concerts in fall and spring, Christmas concerts, and summer pops concerts. The orchestra performs at many locations, including the St. Anthony Community Center, St. Anthony High School, retirement and nursing homes, churches, shopping centers, and parks.
St Anthony Civic Orchestra 2015-2016 Concert Season
Concerts at the St. Anthony Community Center, 3301 Silver Lake Rd NE, St Anthony, Minnesota 55421
Fall Concert Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, 3:00 pm
Christmas Concert Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, 7:30 pm
Spring Concert Sunday, March 6, 2016, 3:00 pm
Benefit Concert Saturday, May 7, 2016, 7:30 pm
2016 Summer Pops Concerts
Thursday, June 23, 7:00 pm, Chandler Place, 3701 Chandler Dr NE, Saint Anthony, Minnesota 55421
Sunday, June 26, 7:00 pm, Como Park Pavilion, 1360 N Lexington Pkwy, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103
Thursday, June 30, 7:00 pm, Salo Park Amphitheater, 2698 39th Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55421
History
In 2015, the St. Anthony Civic Orchestra is in its 40th season. By the end of the 2011 season it had performed 352 concerts. Members of the orchestra are adults from all walks of life, including consultant, engineers, teachers, nurses, dentist, psychologist, accountant, lawyer, computer programmer, and homemakers. Their interests are many: music, hiking, languages, photography, sewing, gardening, theater, sports, computers, needlework, cooking, birds, cars, and antiques. They all have the common interest of making music.
A major highlight in the orchestra's history was its 1991 tour to St. Anthony's sister city, Salo, Finland. The program the orchestra performed in Salo included Glen Newton's composition, "Passacaglia"; the orchestra had given the work its premiere performance at St. Anthony High School, March 4, 1979. The orchestra has also performed Newton's "Barely Bossa Nova," numerous compositions and arrangements by conductor Carol Jensen, and works by other contemporary composers living in and near St. Anthony.
The orchestra's first rehearsal was August 12, 1975, and its first concert was a Christmas program played by the 34-piece orchestra at Apache Plaza Shopping Center, December 4, 1975. By November, 2000, when it gave its 25th Anniversary Concert, the orchestra had played 265 concerts. As of the 25th Anniversary Concert, conductor Carol Jensen and seven other charter members continued to perform with the orchestra.
One highlight of the orchestra's early years was the set of concerts and clinics in 1979 and 1980 with Rhadames Angelucci, oboe, and Julia Diner, violin, funded by a grant from the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities.
For more information about the St. Anthony Civic Orchestra, visit the orchestra on Facebook or send E-mail to Carol Jensen at cmj01a@msn.com.