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St. Olaf Orchestra to perform First Symphony by Gustav Mahler during spring concert April 8

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April 5, 2001

NORTHFIELD, Minn. ? The St. Olaf Orchestra will perform all four movements of Gustav Mahler?s First Symphony at its annual spring concert Sunday, April 8.

The concert, free and open to the public, will be at 7:30 p.m. in Skoglund Center Auditorium.

The St. Olaf Orchestra, conducted by St. Olaf College music faculty member Steven Amundson, will perform Symphony No. 1 in D Major by Mahler. The first movement begins with a nature theme; the second is a scherzo. Mahler?s famous funeral march comes in the third movement, and the last movement takes the piece from discord to a heroic climax.

Led by Amundson since 1981, the 90-member St. Olaf Orchestra has become a highly respected ensemble, considered one of the finest collegiate orchestras in the nation. The orchestra has toured the United States since 1949, and has toured Europe several times, consistently performing to sellout crowds and receiving standing ovations. In 1998 the orchestra earned widespread acclaim and rave reviews during performances in the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. In 2000 it received standing ovations in Chicago and Minneapolis for stellar performances during special 125th Anniversary "Showcase" concerts with the St. Olaf Choir and the St. Olaf Band.

The St. Olaf Orchestra has appeared with conductors Robert Shaw and Sir David Willcocks as well as pianists Leon Fleisher and Victor Borge in performances that are among the highlights of its 94-year history.

The orchestra?s national reputation for excellence has been enhanced by its frequent appearances on National Public Television, as a major contributor to the acclaimed St. Olaf Christmas Festival concert. Amundson teaches conducting, music theory and instrumentation at St. Olaf College. He is also an active composer.

St. Olaf College prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world, fostering development of mind, body and spirit. A four-year, coeducational liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. Olaf has a student enrollment of 2,950 and a full-time faculty complement of approximately 300. It is one of Money Guide?s top 100 "elite values in college education today," and it leads the nation?s colleges in percentage of students who study abroad.

Contact Michael Cooper at 507-786-3315 or cooperm@stolaf.edu.