Bakken Ensemble is Celebrating 30 Years! 

Our 2025–26 season, “Classical Dialects: Composers from Around the World” showcases Bakken Ensemble’s adventuresome and eclectic spirit, featuring music by composers from across the globe. Each composer brings a distinct voice shaped by their own experiences and cultural background. From Moscow to Melbourne and Louisville to Leipzig, these works reveal the unique musical dialects of their time and place.

April 12, 2026

Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music 501 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis

Bohuslav Martinu
String Sextet H. 224

TJ Cole
Playtime: 10 Miniatures for String Sextet

Anton Arenski
String Quartet No. 7 op. 35

Guest Artists:
Matt Haimovitz, cello
Lydia Grimes, viola
Kyu-Young Kim, violin

Lisa Sung, viola

Save the date: Bakken Ensemble's annual fundraiser will follow the April 12 concert.

Season 2025-2026

November 2, 2025

Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music
501 S 2nd St, Minneapolis

Grażyna Bacewicz
Violin Duets on Folk Themes

Robert Schuman
Fantasy Pieces Op. 73 for Cello and Piano

Caroline Shaw
Plan and Elevation for String Quartet

Sergey Taneyev
Piano Quintet in g minor, Op. 30

Guest Artists:
Rui Du, violin

Kyu-Young Kim, viola
Hanna Hyunjung Kim, piano


March 1, 2026

Westminster Hall, 1200 Marquette Ave. S., Minneapolis

Sebastian Currier
Night Time Suite for Violin and Harp

Brett Dean
Epitaphs for String Quintet

Giacomo Puccini
Crisantemi for String Quartet

Andre Caplet
Conte Fantastique for Harp and String Quartet

Guest Artists:
Cheryl Losey Feder, harp

Yi Zhao, violin
Grace Takeda, viola
Daniel Orsen, viola

​​François Couperin

Treizième Concert for Two Cellos

​​Jessie Montgomery

Musings for 2 violins

Terry Riley

Good Medicine–String Quartet No. 10 (1986)

Sergey Taneyev

String Quintet No. 1, op. 14

​​Franz Joseph Haydn

Piano Trio No. 32 in A major, Hob. XV:18

​​Johannes Brahms

Clarinet Trio in A minor, op. 114

Igor Stravinsky

L'Histoire du Soldat for violin, clarinet and piano

These videos are available due in part to the generous support of David Miller, in honor of Mary Dew. 

Contributions in any amount will help us to continue to offer these spectacular musical moments from Minnesota musicians. 

Bakken Ensemble remains committed to supporting artists and artistic programming of the highest quality. We are also committed to keeping our ticket prices affordable, and to presenting high-quality recordings of our concerts in order to serve our patrons who cannot join us in person.

The challenges of the last three years have changed the landscape of funding for non-profit arts organizations like ours. The pandemic has caused many to be cautious about venturing back to the concert hall, resulting in a decrease of our ticket sales. With your support, Bakken Ensemble will remain a welcoming home for innovative chamber music performed by world-class artists. that are living and working right here in the Twin Cities.

Help us support work by Minnesota artists by donating today, in any amount, knowing that there has never been a more important time to partner with us. 

Past events 2023-2024

October 22, 2023

Jean Françaix
String Trio in C major

Wynton Marsalis
Meeelaan for Bassoon and String Quartet

Sergei Prokofiev
String Quartet No. 2 in F major, op. 92

Jean Françaix
Divertissement for Bassoon and String Quintet

Guest Artists:
Fei Xie, bassoon
Sophia Mockler, violin
Marlea Simpson, viola
Zachary Cohen, bass


February 25, 2024

Sarah Miller
Remembering
(Dedicated to Mary Dew)

Ludwig van Beethoven
"Heiliger Dankgesang" from String Quartet in A minor, op. 132

Billy Childs
String Quartet No. 2 “Awakening”

Johannes Brahms
String Quintet No. 2 in G major, op. 111


Guest Artists:
Natsuki Kumagai, violin
Marlea Simpson, viola
Sabina Thatcher, viola
Sarah Miller, piano


April 7, 2024

Kaija Saariaho
Nocturne for solo violin

Max Vinetz
Stars on the Ground for string quartet

Ludwig van Beethoven
Molto adagio from String Quartet in E minor, "Rasumovsky", op. 59 no. 2

Stephen Hartke
The King of the Sun: Tableaux for violin, viola, cello and piano

Franz Joseph Haydn
Allegro con spirito from String Quartet in B-flat major, "Sunrise", op. 76 no. 4

Guest Artists:
Emily Switzer, violin
Daniel Orsen, viola
Timothy Lovelace, piano

Past events 2022-2023

Nov 6, 2022

Leonard Bernstein
Piano Trio

Jessie Montgomery
Duo for Violin and Cello

Erich Wolfgang Korngold
String Quartet No. 2, op. 26

Guest Artists
Sarah Grimes, violin
Hyobi Sim, viola
Hanna Hyun-Jung Kim, piano


Jan 22, 2023

John Corigliano
The Red Violin Caprices for Solo Violin

Billy Childs
String Quartet “Unrequited”

Zhao Lin, Zhao Jiping
Red Lantern for Pipa and String Quartet

Guest Artists:
Cece Belcher, violin
Dan Orsen, viola
Gao Hong, pipa


Apr 16, 2023

George Crumb
Sonata for Solo Cello

Gabriela Lena Frank
Leyandas: An Andean Walkabout for String Quartet

Bernard Herrmann
Souvenir du Voyage for Clarinet and String Quartet

Guest Artists:
Kyu-Young Kim, violin
Jenni Seo, viola
Sangyoon Kim, clarinet