Itasca Symphony Orchestra

Celebrating 30 years with conductor Keith Swanson!

May 21st , 7 PM | Wilcox
Reif Arts Center

The concert will be a celebration and a showcase of Keith Swanson’s career. Swanson will be retiring after 30 years conducting the Itasca Symphony Orchestra. For his final concert he chosen pieces are particularly beloved to him and reflective of the best performances of our community orchestra. The concert will present soloists Bill Bastian and Alexander Sandor who have a long history of performing with Keith, in addition to cellist Magdalena Sas.

This concert program includes audience favorites and highlights of the past 30 years, both as reminiscence and nostalgia as well as hope for the future. The concert will feature:

Les Préludes by Franz Liszt

O Sole Mio by Eduardo di Capua with soloist tenor Bill Bastian

“La Fleur” (The Flower Song) by Georges Bizet with Bill Bastian

Piano Concerto #9 (movement III) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with piano soloist Alexander Sandor

Light Cavalry Overture by Franz Von Suppe’

Cowboys Overture by John Williams

Soundtrack Highlights by John Williams

Carnival of the Animals (The Swan) by Camille Saint-Saens with cello soloist Magdalena Sas along with Alexander Sandor

See our full concert program notes written by board member Tom Nelson.

Concert Program

Following the concert there will be a reception in Keith’s honor to allow our loyal orchestra audience members to celebrate our beloved conductor. A slideshow with highlights going back to the early 90’s will be shown, with hors d’oeuvres created by friends of the orchestra.

Tickets available through the Reif Center box office and at the door.

Reif Performing Arts Center
$20 Adult | $17 Seniors | $5 Youth

If the concert price is a hardship or if you are coming with a large group, please contact our staff to inquire about discounted tickets.

Thank you to our Sponsor:

Keith Swanson Honored

Keith Swanson has been named the 2022 recipient of the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s George Morrison award for his lifetime achievements. Please join us in watching Swanson receive this honor at a celebration hosted by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council in Cloquet.

Join us on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Encore Performing Arts Center, 2035 Frontage Rd, Cloquet, MN. In addition to Swanson, Anne Dugan will receive the 2022 Maddie Simons Advocate Award and Dr. Karissa Isaacs will be receive the Award for Transformative Art posthumously.

The event will begin with a social time and hors d’oeuvres with music, followed by the presentation of the awards to the recipients.