2003 Osmo Vänskä becomes Minnesota Orchestra's 10th music director.

2004 Vänskä leads the orchestra on a European tour with stops in Vienna, Berlin and London. He is named Conductor of the Year by Musical America.

2005 The orchestra's first of five recordings of the complete Beethoven symphonies is released to excellent reviews.

2006 The orchestra goes on a European festival tour, including its first invitation to perform at the BBC Proms in London.

2009 Another European tour under Vänskä.

2010 Critics rave over a Carnegie concert at which the orchestra performs Sibelius' epic work "Kullervo." New Yorker magazine critic Alex Ross writes that on that evening, it sounded to his ear like the best orchestra in the world. The orchestra plays the BBC Proms. Vänskä is named Star Tribune's Artist of the Year.

2012 The orchestra is nominated for a Grammy for its recording of Sibelius's Symphonies No. 2 and 5.

October 2012 Musicians are locked out of Orchestra Hall after failing to reach a contract agreement with management.

October 1, 2013 Vänskä resigns after scheduled concerts at Carnegie Hall and the BBC Proms had to be canceled due to the ongoing lockout. His renewed contract had run through 2015.

January 14, 2014 The lockout ends with a three-year contract deal that cut salaries and benefits roughly 15 percent.

January 26, 2014 The orchestra wins a Grammy for its 2013 recording of Sibelius Symphonies No. 1 and 4.

Feb. 7, 2014 Vänskä says that orchestra president and CEO Michael Henson should depart.

March 26,2014 Vänskä reveals he is in negotiations with the orchestra board to get his old job back.

March 27, 2014 Vänskä conducts the orchestra in music of Sibelius at Orchestra Hall, to noisy ovations.