In this Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 photo, Minnesota Orchestra musical director Osmo Vanska leads a conducting master class at the University of Pretoria, in Pretoria, Minn. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP)
December 06, 2018 - 9:29 AM
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Orchestra Music Director Osmo Vanska plans to step down when his contract ends in 2022.
Vanska made the announcement at the orchestra board's annual meeting Wednesday. He says he wanted to give the organization plenty of time to find his replacement.
Under Vanska, the orchestra has been recognized worldwide and has taken multiple European tours.
Minnesota Public Radio News says in 2015, the Minnesota Orchestra performed in Cuba after the island nation and the U.S. took steps to normalize relations. Then last August, Vanska led a tour of South Africa as part of the celebration of the centennial of Nelson Mandela's birth.
The group also won a Grammy award in 2014 for best orchestral performance in a recording of Sibelius Symphonies 1 and 4.
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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org
News from © The Associated Press, 2018