MN Orchestra Booked For Two Gigs in Cuba

HAVANA (AP) — Minnesota Orchestra CEO Kevin Smith says the group will perform two concerts in Cuba in May.

It's believed to be the first major cultural exchange between the two countries since their leaders announced a move toward warmer relations.

A Thursday release from the orchestra says the group led by music director Osmo Vanska will play at Havana's International Cubadisco Festival at the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture on May 15 and 16.

It will be the first visit by a major U.S. orchestra to Cuba in 16 years. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra played in Cuba in December 1999.

The trip will also include community activities on the island by the Minnesota orchestra, which played in Havana in 1929 and 1930.