8 classical music events across Minnesota to check out this summer

If you think of the classical music season as running from September to May, you’re missing out on some fine opportunities to enjoy spectacular sounds in the more casual settings that summer affords. Here are eight great summer offerings around Minnesota, each featuring some marvelous musicians.

A product of the St. Croix River city Stillwater, tenor Jack Swanson has been a rising star in opera for a few years now. And this month marks a big milestone for him, as he makes his Metropolitan Opera debut as the romantic lead, Count Almaviva, in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.” It will be streamed live from New York to movie theaters, including eight around the Twin Cities and four more outside of the metro area. (May 31 and June 4, fathomentertainment.com)

What with all the choirs hereabouts, it’s understandable if Exultate has escaped your notice. But this group devoted to large-scale works for choir and chamber orchestra has gained an international reputation for its way with the music of J.S. Bach, thanks to its ample catalog of recordings. So much so that it’s been invited to Bachfest Leipzig in Germany. Check out what European audiences will hear at concerts in Edina and south Minneapolis. (June 7 and 8, exultate.org)

After 25 years of leading Minnesota’s foremost period-instrument orchestra, Lyra Baroque, Netherlands-born harpsichordist and conductor Jacques Ogg is retiring. It says something about the group’s increasing international profile that the four finalists vying to replace him come from four countries. Ogg and the orchestra will unite one last time for a concert of “Les Favorites” in Rochester and St. Paul. (June 13 and 14, lyrabaroque.org)

Lyric Opera of the North celebrates its 20th anniversary with a delectably fun operetta from the pen of Viennese waltz master Johann Strauss Jr., “Die Fledermaus.” Directed by the always imaginative Bob Neu and conducted by Dirk Meyer, LOON’s production boasts an impressive cast. (June 13 and 15, loonopera.org)

Whenever the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s artistic partner, Hungarian conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy, comes to town, great things happen. His interpretations of Beethoven symphonies to close recent SPCO seasons have been some of the most awe-inspiring performances of those works you’ll ever encounter. Now they turn to Mozart for his “Prague” Symphony, along with some Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók and new works by Geoffrey Gordon. (June 13-15, thespco.org)

Ever since its inception earlier this century, the Minnesota Beethoven Festival has been a favorite summer stop for one of the world’s greatest violinists, Joshua Bell. He’ll return to open the festival, as pianist Peter Dugan joins him for a sold-out recital of sonatas by Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and Gabriel Fauré. There’s a terrific lineup in Winona this summer that also features clarinetist Anthony McGill and some brilliant pianists in Daniil Trifonov, George Li and the duo of Anderson & Roe. (June 29-July 20, mnbeethovenfestival.org)

Speaking of outstanding pianists, the Minnesota Orchestra has been spending a good chunk of its summers with one, Jon Kimura Parker. Its creative partner for Summer at Orchestra Hall is not only an effervescent host for the concerts, but frequently shows off the depth of his interpretive skills at the ivories. He’ll perform Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto (July 25), helm the eight-handed Grand Piano Spectacular (July 31) and solo on Edvard Grieg’s flamboyant concerto (Aug. 1). (minnesotaorchestra.org)

Poor Hansel and Gretel can’t find their way out of the forest, but at least they’d have some nice lakes to laze by if their odyssey in the woods were in Northern Minnesota. The Lakes Area Music Festival will offer the most family-friendly of operas, Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hänsel and Gretel,” with a fine cast of singers converging upon Brainerd. If you prefer your opera without words, there’s some big, booming Richard Wagner to close the festival. (July 25-Aug. 17, lakesareamusic.org)

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.