As seen from the street, Cantus performed recently at Westminster Hall. (photo by Tom Northenscold)
When Westminster Presbyterian Church opened a luxurious expansion to its downtown Minneapolis campus in January, few could have guessed how quickly it would become a go-to venue for classical music.
The vocal group Cantus first performed there in March, with plans to return regularly during the 2018-19 season. "The acoustics are nicely suited for a chamber group like ours," executive director Joseph Heitz said of the 400-seat Westminster Hall. "We also appreciate the size, which creates a sense of closeness between audience and singers."
Another group switching to Westminster for the 2018-19 season is Accordo, a chamber ensemble comprised of soloists from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra. The venue has "a wonderful focused sound that is rich and resonant but not boomy," said Accordo violinist (and SPCO concertmaster) Steven Copes.
Westminster Presbyterian senior pastor Tim Hart-Andersen is delighted by the hall's success. "We asked the architect, James Dayton, to design a worship, recital and performance space that would be acoustically superior and highly flexible," Hart-Andersen recalled. "It has more than exceeded our expectations as a venue for music."
Next up for Westminster Hall is the Source Song Festival (Aug. 5-11) for a week of concerts and masterclasses devoted to the classical art song. "The space is visually stunning and acoustically excellent, ideal for song recitals," said Source artistic director Mark Bilyeu.
