About Us
Established in 1952, the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis has maintained a tradition of excellence with awe-inspiring concerts and moments of tender beauty. As we move forward, we look to continue this through the showcasing of music old and new performed by talented musicians from our own community. Join us, as the generations before you have, in performances that have been a highlight in the rich cultural tapestry of the Twin Cities, always free and open to the public.
Read on to discover who we are!
Leadership Transition: Announcing Music Director Finalists
During its 2024-25 concert season, the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis will be led by five guest conductors, one of whom will become our next music director. Thumbnail sketches of our finalists with links to full bios are below. They are listed in order of appearance on the season.
Kornel Thomas will conduct the October concert. An award winning composer and conductor, he has been on the conducting staff of the Savaria Symphony Orchestra and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. With the Hungarian State Opera and Ballet he debuted by conducting Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and has since become a regular guest conductor. He also has guest conducted the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, among many others. His many composition awards include first prize awards from the Solent Music Festival and the International Clarinet Association. Full Bio >>>
Photo Credit: Raffay Zsofia
Timothy Lovelace will conduct the December concert. He heads the collaborative piano program at the University of Minnesota and has appeared internationally as a recitalist. He has collaborated with artists as varied as Paquito D'Rivera, Dawn Upshaw, and Yo-Yo Ma. Lovelace has performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra. He has guest conducted the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as well as several university and community orchestras across the United States. Lovelace has premiered new pieces by John Harbison and Libby Larsen, among others, and is himself a published composer. He has recorded for the Albany, Arabesque, Blue Griffin, Boston Records, MSR, and Naxos labels. Full Bio >>>
Photo Credit: Leslie Shank
Photo Credit: Travis Anderson Photo
Kenneth Freed will conduct the February concert. He is a member of the viola section of the Minnesota Orchestra. He led the Mankato Symphony Orchestra for twelve seasons, and raised significantly the artistic profile of that Orchestra, winning grants and awards for innovative programming. He also advocates for the use of music as a teaching tool to improve student learning outcomes; this includes work as a founder of the Learning Through Music Consulting Group that led collaborations with the Minneapolis Public Schools and the University of Minnesota with public and private support. He is currently engaged in a similar collaboration with schools in Vietnam. Full Bio >>>
Photo Credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash
William Schrickel will conduct the April concert. He led the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra for twenty-three seasons, premiering music of Dominick Argento, Osmo Vänskä, Jocelyn Hagen, Polina Nazaykinskaya, Carol Barnett, and others. He also served as music director of the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra for six years, receiving the League of American Orchestras/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. He is the assistant principal bass of the Minnesota Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, he was a founding member of the Minneapolis Artists Ensemble. He has recorded thirteen works featuring the double bass on six different labels. Schrickel has guest conducted widely, both in Minnesota and nationally. Full Bio >>>
Photo Credit: Mark Brown
Matthew George will conduct the May concert. He is the John Ireland Distinguished Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras and Bands at the University of St. Thomas and is the artistic director of Grand Symphonic Winds. He has commissioned and premiered over 100 new works from composers around the world, many of which appear on recordings distributed by Naxos. As a guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician, George has traveled to twenty-seven countries where he has regularly worked on stage and in the recording studio with professional and honor ensembles. He also serves on the boards of several national and international professional organizations. Full Bio >>>
Carol Margolis, Concertmaster
Carol Margolis graduated from Grinnell College with a degree in American Studies and a minor in Violin Performance. At Grinnell, she studied performance with Delmar Pettys of the Lenox String Quartet and ensemble playing with Bonnie Hampton and Nathan Swartz of the Francesco Trio. She went on to the University of Minnesota to study performance and pedagogy with Shirley Santoro and Mary West. Carol is a long-time member of the Lake String Quartet and has played a variety of professional venues including the Minnesota Opera, the State Fair Orchestra, Ruppert’s Night Club, Touring Broadway shows, and the Viennese Strings. She is Concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis and an Artist member of Thursday Musical. In addition to her musical life, Carol holds a master's degree in teaching English as a Second Language and has taught adult refugees and immigrants English for over a decade.
Cary John Franklin, Music Director Emeritus
Cary John Franklin is a conductor of broad experience, having worked extensively in the fields of orchestral music and opera. Mr. Franklin served as Music Director of the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis for thirty years, retiring in May of 2024. He has taught at Minnesota State University at Macalester College where he conducted the Macalester Orchestra. He is a former Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He has guest conducted the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony and the Washington National Opera. Cary John Franklin is also a nationally recognized composer with commissions and performances from the Minnesota Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Cedar Rapids Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Washington National Opera, VocalEssence, Chanticleer and the Dale Warland Singers.