Contact: Sara Kleinsasser Tan, Executive Director
Voicemail: 952 563 8573
Email: sara@bloomingtonsymphony.org
Website: www.bloomingtonsymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2025
BLOOMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OPENS SEASON ON OCTOBER 5
Season starts with “Sutton Plays Mendelssohn!”
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA – The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (BSO) with Music Director and Conductor Manny Laureano, will open the 63rd concert season with a concert called Sutton Plays Mendelssohn!, at the Gideon Ives Auditorium at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on Sunday, October 5, at 2 p.m.
Sutton Plays Mendelssohn! will feature the world premiere of Minnesota-native Russell Holsapple’s “Neptunian Shores,” followed by BSO Concertmaster Michael Sutton’s performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto in E Minor. Closing out the concert is Maurice Ravel’s stunning Suite No. 2 from the ballet, Daphnis et Chloé.
Tickets for Sutton Plays Mendelssohn! are now on sale. Purchase reserved seat concert tickets at www.bloomingtonsymphony.org/tickets. Advance tickets are $19 for adults and $16 for seniors (62+). Tickets are available at the door on a space-available basis, for $21 for adults and $18 for seniors. Student tickets are free with ID. Advance purchase is strongly recommended.
Michael Sutton was appointed Concertmaster of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in May 2014. Sutton has been a proud member of the Minnesota Orchestra since 1997. Sutton grew up in Minneapolis, studying at MacPhail Center for Music. He left for Manhattan School of Music where he earned two degrees.
Russell Holsapple grew up in north-central Minnesota, where his fascination with movie music started at an early age. No matter the activity, there was always an accompanying soundtrack playing in his head. Piano studies started in middle school, and he went on to study trombone and euphonium, including performing with Minnesota Youth Symphonies under Manny Laureano. Russell studied composition at the University of Minnesota where he studied composition and continued his studies at the USC Film Scoring Graduate program. He frequently collaborates with writer/director Patrick Coyle and has a scoring credit in the Emmy-winning docuseries, America’s Wall for KPBS in San Diego. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife.
Manny Laureano been the Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra since 2013. In the past ten years, Laureano has increased the musicianship of the orchestra though creative programming and recruiting talented musicians. He has deepened audience engagement through his delightful program notes, and educational commentary onstage. Manny has worked with a variety of ensembles in Minnesota from community bands to Minnesota All-State Orchestras, to the Minnesota Orchestra. He is also in demand as a guest conductor of community orchestras and clinician for school ensembles all over the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra’s mission is to bring music lovers and accomplished musicians together to experience inspirational performances of orchestral music, with community as our cornerstone. Founded in 1963, the 75-member volunteer musicians of the BSO perform four season concerts and one to two summer concerts, in addition to a side-by-side educational concert with Bloomington Public School students, under the leadership of Manny Laureano, Music Director and Conductor, and Michael Sutton, Concertmaster.
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