Minot Symphony Orchestra presents “A Dance with Destiny” as part of its Centennial Season

Minot, ND – October 21, 2025 — The Minot Symphony Orchestra (MSO) continues its milestone 100th season with A Dance with Destiny on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 7 p.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of Minot State University. This evening of powerful and emotional music features works by Robert Jager, Sergei Prokofiev, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, celebrating both Minot’s proud past and the orchestra’s vibrant future.

The concert opens with Magic City Jubilee, a dynamic and celebratory work by American composer Robert Jager, commissioned by the Minot Symphony Orchestra and premiered in 1986 to honor the City of Minot’s 100th anniversary.

In Magic City Jubilee, Jager captures the essence of Minot’s growth and character through bold rhythms, expansive melodies, and a spirited western flavor. The work opens with a powerful horn call evoking the vast North Dakota prairies, followed by a hymn-like passage in the strings and a lively dance section that bursts into a joyous, energetic finale — a musical “Ya-hoo!” that celebrates the vitality of the Magic City.

Following Jager’s jubilant work, the orchestra will perform excerpts from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, one of the most dramatic and beloved ballet scores of the 20th century. From the fierce “Montagues and Capulets” to the tender and tragic “Romeo at the Grave of Juliet,” Prokofiev’s music vividly conveys Shakespeare’s timeless story of love and fate.

The concert concludes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, a sweeping masterpiece that explores destiny, struggle, and triumph. The symphony’s emotional depth and grandeur have made it a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire — and a fitting centerpiece for the MSO’s centennial season.

Musicology, the study of music, will begin one hour before the concert starts. Concertgoers are encouraged to attend this 30-minute engaging overview of the works being performed, the story behind the music, the composer, and historical context. The talk is free with your concert ticket.

Single and multi-ticket packages are available at www.minotsymphony.com or through the box office at 701-858-4228. Advanced tickets are encouraged.

The Minot Symphony Orchestra is a unique blend of student, community, and professional musicians from the Minot area. The symphony is directed by Maestro Efraín Amaya, Associate Professor of Performing Arts at Minot State University.

This project is supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.