VOCAL ESSENCE WITH THE MSO
Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.
Ted Mann Concert Hall, University of Minnesota
Presented in collaboration with VocalEssence
Gustav Holst – Indra (Steven Amundson, conductor)
Shruthi Rajasekar – Sarojini (American premiere, Philip Brunelle, conductor)
Presenting an early, rarely performed work by Gustav Holst, the MSO opens the concert with Indra, based on the Hindu god of the sky and storms. Next, the MSO joins Philip Brunelle and VocalEssence for the U.S. premiere performance of composer Shruthi Rajesekar’s Sarojini, a brilliant work for orchestra, choir, and Indian instruments. Named by The Guardian as a composer “who will enrich your life,” Shruthi Rajasekar is an Indian-American musician examining identity, community, and joy. Sarojini is a multi-movement work that explores the Indian Independence movement and the impact of Indian activist and poet, Sarojini Naidu. This is a ticketed event through VocalEssence: (https://www.vocalessence.org/event/concert-sarojini/