English conductor leads Minnesota Orchestra tradition

by Steve Staruch, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Since Orchestra Hall opened in 1974, the Minnesota Orchestra has celebrated each Christmas with Handel's "Messiah." This year the orchestra invited English conductor Christopher Warren-Green back to the podium to lead performances of the work. He was last here in 2002.

Warren-Green started out as a violinist and was still a teenager when he joined the renowned Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Today he's the music director of the London Chamber Orchestra and principal conductor of the Athens Camerata.

In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio's Steve Staruch he talks about Handel's enduring oratorio and trading the violin for the baton.