SING DEMOCRACY 250 BRINGS LANDMARK CHORAL CONCERT TO MINNEAPOLIS ON APRIL 12

National Initiative Marks Nation's 250th Anniversary at Orchestra Hall with Minnesota and World Premieres

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, UNITED STATES, March 31, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sing Democracy 250 (SD250), the nationwide nonpartisan choral initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, will present its Minneapolis Signature Concert on April 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM at Orchestra Hall (1111 Nicollet Mall). The event is the second in a series of four signature concerts across the country, following a world premiere performance in Philadelphia in fall 2025, with additional concerts planned for New York City (May 24, 2026) and Washington, D.C. (June 13, 2026).

The Minneapolis concert will feature Minnesota-based ensembles — the Together In Hope Choir, St. Scholastica Chamber Choir (Duluth), Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragon Choir, Choral Arts Ensemble (Rochester), Honors Choirs of SE Minnesota, and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra — all conducted by Minneapolis-based G. Phillip Shoultz, III.

The program will include the Minnesota premiere of two newly commissioned choral works and the world premiere of a new fanfare:

Redeem the Dream (Minnesota Premiere), composed by Dr. Brandon A. Boyd, sets Langston Hughes’ 1935 poem “Let America Be America Again” — a reflection on the gap between America’s founding ideals and lived experience, ending in hope that the nation can fulfill its promise of freedom and equality for all. Dr. Boyd holds the Marie M. and Harry L. Smith Endowed Chair at the University of Missouri.

US (Minnesota Premiere), composed by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm, is inspired by Richard Haass' The Bill of Obligations and presents ten habits of good citizenship through quotations from Americans across history, concluding with a call to renew democratic participation. Bussewitz-Quarm is the 2021 winner of The American Prize in Choral Composition.

Fanfare: Democracy 250 (World Premiere), composed by Steven Amundson, conductor of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and former director of the St. Olaf Orchestra, is a brass-forward fanfare dedicated to the MSO that weaves themes from “America the Beautiful” into an arc of tension, optimism, and unity.

“Bringing Sing Democracy 250 to Minneapolis feels especially meaningful right now,” said co-founders Gary Aamodt and Celia Ellingson. “This is a city where voices matter—where people show up, speak honestly, and wrestle with what it means to live together in community. It is also the city where Sing Democracy 250 was born, and the place we call home. This concert is an invitation to gather through music, to reflect on the fundamental values expressed in the Declaration of Independence—that all are equal before the law, that all share the same rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Hearing this message through voices coming together in harmony provides a powerful opening for people to work together toward that ‘more perfect union’.”

CONCERT DETAILS
Date/Time: Sunday, April 12, 2026 | 4:00 PM
Venue: Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Tickets: www.minnesotaorchestra.org/singdemocracy250
More Info: www.singdemocracy250.org

About Sing Democracy 250
Sing Democracy 250 is a nonpartisan musical initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through choral concerts, newly commissioned works, and community programming. It is a project of Players Philanthropy Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178). Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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Kristen Turner
Bucklesweet
kristen@bucklesweet.com

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