Ramsey County History – Summer 1996: “From ‘Part-Time Pick-up’ to Renowned Ensemble: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Its First Ten Years—1959 to 1970”

From ‘Part-Time Pick-up’ to Renowned Ensemble: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Its First Ten Years—1959 to 1970

Author: Glenn Perachio

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) gave its first performance 18 November 1959 at St. Paul Central High School. The musicians were mostly moonlighters from the Minneapolis Symphony. Ten years later the SPCO made the daring and costly move to a full-time resident ensemble—a move that nearly brought bankruptcy. This piece recounts the orchestra’s first decade in organization, performance, personnel, labor issues, and finances.

PDF of Perachio article