In a tight economy that has forced at least one major orchestra to cancel a trip to Europe, the Minnesota Orchestra announced Tuesday that an unnamed donor has funded a tour next February and March with stops in Berlin, London and Vienna.
The two-week tour, featuring violin star Joshua Bell, is a priority for establishing the organization's international profile, orchestra president Michael Henson said.
"We are proud to again serve as ambassadors for the state of Minnesota throughout Europe," he said.
Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Orchestra canceled a trip to Europe next summer because of rising travel costs -- including higher fuel prices and the weakened dollar -- and a lack of corporate sponsors to help pay for the trip.
The Minnesota Orchestra's trip -- budgeted at $2 million -- is being fully funded by the unnamed donor, Henson said. He declined to say how much of that figure will be offset through appearance fees.
"It is the biggest and most-complicated program in our budget next year," he said.
The orchestra anticipates a tight budget year, so private funding was crucial. It recently canceled its annual free concert at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, but the Sept. 14 event was revived after Target stepped in as sponsor.
The tour -- the orchestra's third to Europe since Osmo Vänskä became music director in 2003 -- will also visit Luxembourg and Cologne, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and Frankfurt, Germany as part of a four-country foray that opens Feb. 24 at London's Barbican Centre and moves to Berlin the next day.
