Southwest Foundation Partners with Minnesota Orchestra for Mentorship Program

This school year, Minnesota Orchestra musicians have been mentoring Southwest High School students, thanks to a partnership between the orchestra and the Southwest Foundation. According to Southwest Foundation Executive Director Anna Stier, the foundation proposed a partnership with the Minnesota Orchestra, so students could benefit from the expertise of professional musicians and be further inspired to pursue their love of music.

The partnership is part of the Orchestra Hall Plus (OH+) program, through which the Orchestra partners with organizations and individuals to deepen its connections to the community. As part of the OH+ program, Southwest students had an opportunity to perform in the Target Atrium at Orchestra Hall on Saturday, March 2.

Reid Wixson, Director of Instrumental Music at Southwest High School, is thrilled about the partnership. “Bringing students to perform at Orchestra Hall is a wonderful opportunity, and having musicians from the Orchestra come to work with our students has been spectacular,” Wixson said.