Minnesota Orchestra debuts 'Symphony in 60' abridged concerts

Thursday-Saturday: The Minnesota Orchestra introduces its new "Symphony in 60" program Thursday night as part of a monthlong "Shakespeare Winterfest." Conducted by Osmo Vänskä, it's the equivalent of a speed date: a one-hour concert bookended by an optional happy hour at 7 p.m. (drinks are half-price), then a post-show gathering with musicians onstage. The music is drawn from this weekend's program, "Star-Crossed Lovers" — three musical expressions of the world's most famous love story. All three nights will feature selections from Sergei Prokofiev's dark and richly melodic ballet "Romeo and Juliet" and the Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story," a suite drawn from Leonard Bernstein's 1957 musical. Friday and Saturday performances will add Tchaikovsky's lushly romantic Fantasy-Overture "Romeo and Juliet." (8 p.m. Thu., $29. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $34-$96. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-371-5656, minnesotaorchestra.org)

Thursday-Saturday: Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony is the featured work on this week's St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert, but the highlight is the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, as it features SPCO principal second violinist Kyu-Young Kim and principal viola Maiya Papach as soloists. The program also includes John Corigliano's "Snapshot, Circa 1909," inspired by a family photograph of his father and uncle as children, posing with violin and guitar. An SPCO commission from the 1980s, George Perle's Sinfonietta No. 1, opens the program. Spanish conductor Jaime Martin makes his SPCO debut. (7:30 p.m. Thu., Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley; 10:30 a.m. Fri., Wooddale Church, 6630 Shady Oak Rd., Eden Prairie; 8 p.m. Sat., St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 900 Summit Av., St. Paul. $12-$42, 651-291-1144, www.thespco.org) WILLIAM RANDALL BEARD