A retired St. Paul Chamber Orchestra keyboardist will play the harpsichord with the Dakota Valley Symphony during two performances focusing on Baroque music next Sunday, March 16, at the Black Box Theater at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center.

The shows will include two major works by Johann Sebastian Bach — Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 — as well as Pachelbel's Canon and Gigue.

Keyboardist Layton "Skip" James will be the guest harpsichord soloist. The concerts will also feature concertmaster Angela Hanson and principal flutist Laurie Senechal.

"The opportunity to hear Skip James and his harpsichord in the intimate environs of the Black Box is not to be missed," Dakota Valley Symphony Director Stephen J. Ramsey said. "Music directors all over the world have called on him to bring their performances of Baroque music to life."

The shows are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $5 to $16. See www.dakotavalleysymphony.org for more information or call the arts center at 952-895-4680 or Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787. The arts center is at 12600 Nicollet Av.

HASTINGS

String trio to play at LeDuc Estate

The Mill City String Trio will perform a Beethoven trio and three tangos during a special show at the LeDuc Historic Estate in Hastings on March 23.

Members of the trio — Erika Hoogeveen (violin), Valerie Little (viola) and Jeffrey Erbland (cello) — perform regularly with the Dakota Valley Symphony, Kantorei Chamber Choir, Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota Opera Company. They're also part of the Mill City String Quartet, founded in 2007.

The show begins at 3 p.m., and a suggested donation of $7 per person will be collected. Reservations are required; call 651-437-7055.

The LeDuc Historic Estate is owned by the city of Hastings and managed by the Dakota County Historical Society (www.dakotahistory.org).

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