Honorable mention: Jorja Fleezanis

Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

Jorja Fleezanis

The concertmaster's passion and precision have brought the Minnesota Orchestra to a higher pitch.

By LARRY FUCHSBERG, Special to the Star Tribune

Last update: December 27, 2008 - 11:28 PM

From the concertmaster of an international-caliber orchestra, much is expected: superb violin playing, deep knowledge of the repertoire, a preternatural attunement to conductors' wishes, the people skills of a therapist and a CEO.

But Jorja Fleezanis, concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra since 1989, hasn't been content just to meet expectations. A rare mix of rigor and passion, she's largely responsible for the disciplined mien and esprit de corps of the band she calls to order at the start of each concert. She's a staunch friend to the new (John Adams wrote a terrific concerto for her) and the neglected (she gave a heart-stopping performance of Elgar's Violin Concerto in April). And unlike so many otherwise wonderful musicians, she's contagiously, luminously articulate.

Fleezanis leaves her post in the spring to take up a new professorship at Indiana University next fall. She'll do it, as she does everything, at full throttle. But her generous spirit will linger in the Twin Cities for many a season.

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