Sounds of the Season: Relaxed Matinee With Organist Greg Zelek

Welcome from the Executive Director

Welcome to another extraordinary season of dance and music at Northrop—a season we are proud to offer, inspired by your curiosity, energy, and commitment to making the arts a central part of life.

Rooted in the belief that the arts are essential to the human experience, Northrop is committed to cultivating intersections between performing arts and education—for all participants, now and for generations to come. This season, those intersections will be more vibrant than ever. We have curated performances that stretch boundaries, inspire reflection, and celebrate both innovation and tradition in equal measure.

You’ll see in this season’s lineup a range of world-class artists and ensembles—some of whom we know well, others who bring voices and perspectives new to our stage. Each program is selected not only for its artistic excellence, but also for its ability to provoke thought, open dialogue, and offer learning opportunities beyond the stage: workshops, pre-show discussions, community gatherings, and more. These elements are meant to deepen your experience, helping to illuminate context, process, and the living, breathing nature of creative work.

As part of the University’s teaching, research, and service mission, Northrop strives to be a catalyst—igniting transformation in each individual, inspiring positive change in our world. Through the rhythm of dance, the textures of music, and the shared moments among us in the audience, we hope you will find something that moves you, surprises you, and invites you to see the world just a little differently.

I invite you to join us not just as spectators, but as participants. Ask questions. Bring friends. Explore more. Share what you experience. We are honored to present this season, and even more honored to share it with a community that values what the arts offer—beauty, challenge, joy, connection.

Thank you for being here and supporting Northrop. Together, let us make Northrop’s 97th season remarkable.

With gratitude,
Kari Schloner
Executive Director

Welcome from the Advisory Board Chair

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Northrop Advisory Board, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Northrop, the University of Minnesota’s historic home for the performing arts. For almost a century, Northrop has been a place where artistry, learning, and community converge—a stage not only for extraordinary performances but also for dialogue, discovery, and inspiration.

Each season, Northrop presents world-class dance, music, and other performances, and serves as a gathering place for students, faculty, and community members alike. These experiences enrich our campus and our state, fostering the creativity, curiosity, and cultural understanding that are so vital in today’s world.

Your presence here affirms the importance of the arts in higher education and in civic life. We invite you to be more than an audience member—become an advocate for the arts. Share your experiences, bring new friends to Northrop, and help us amplify the voices of artists and thinkers who inspire us to see the world anew.

We also ask you to consider a gift to Northrop. Your financial support ensures that future generations can access the transformative power of the arts, that students can encounter artists in their classrooms as well as on our stage, and that our community can continue to gather here for moments that move and unite us.

Thank you for being part of Northrop’s story. Together, we can sustain this remarkable institution and secure its role as a cultural cornerstone for decades to come.

With gratitude,
Kelly McQueen, Chair, Northrop Advisory Board

The Artists
 

Praised as “extraordinary in the classical music world” (Jon Hornbacher, PBS Wisconsin Life) and a “musical star” (Bill Wineke, Channel 3000), Greg Zelek was appointed Northrop Organist in Aug 2024. For the 2025–26 Northrop Music Series, Zelek arranged three unconventional organ pairings for a joyful trilogy of concerts featuring Northrop’s historic pipe organ, the next being An Evening of Organ & Choir: Featuring University Singers and Northrop Organist Greg Zelek. 

Additionally, Zelek is the principal organist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and curator of the Overture Concert Organ. In this role, Zelek performs and oversees all of the MSO’s organ programming. The MSO Organ Series regularly attracts more than 1,000 ticketed audience members for each of his creatively curated and performed concerts. Since Sep 2017, he has proudly held the Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curatorship. In addition to his unique position in Madison, WI, Zelek is the curator of the Organ Series for the Jacksonville Symphony. 

Zelek performs frequently as a soloist throughout the United States. Always playing his solo programs from memory, he has played and premiered many of the large works of the organ canon, as well as new works that showcase the versatility of the instrument. Select performances for the 2024–25 MSO season included concerts at Spreckels Organ Pavilion in San Diego, CA, and Jacoby Symphony Hall in Jacksonville, FL, and performances and masterclasses at the Oregon Bach Festival. 

Alongside various orchestras, Zelek has performed the organ concertos of Barber, Poulenc, and Rheinberger. In Sep 2024, he performed Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Zelek has also been the organist for works such as Mahler’s 8th Symphony, Janáček’sGlagolitic Mass, Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony, Strauss’s Alpine Symphony, Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Foss’s Phorion, and Gounod’s Faust.

Zelek is known for his inventive programming and collaborations. He has performed a classical and gospel concert with counter-tenor Reginald Mobley; arranged and commissioned works for cello and organ with cellist Thomas Mesa; performed in a Latin-American concert with a Cuban band from Miami, FL; and collaborated with electronic trombonist Mark Hetzler in a concert featuring new music for organ, trombone, and percussion. He has also performed with the Canadian Brass in his role as visiting guest artist at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN. The 2024–25 MSO season programming included a concert of arias and spirituals with tenor Limmie Pulliam, a performance with the new Lyyra Ensemble, and an Empire Brass Celebration concert featuring former Empire Brass players that incorporated a newly commissioned work for the Overture Concert Organ and the ensemble. 

In 2016, Zelek was chosen by The Diapason magazine as one of the top “20 Under 30” organists, and has won prizes in numerous organ competitions. He released a recording on the Overture Concert Organ in the fall of 2022. A recipient of the inaugural Kovner Fellowship, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as an artist diploma, from the Juilliard School as a student of Paul Jacobs. Zelek, who is Cuban-American and a native Spanish speaker, grew up in Miami, FL.

Accomplished percussionist Steve Kimball has performed with a variety of artists including Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, Ray Charles, The Who, Bernadette Peters, Hugh Jackman, Elvis Costello, Johnny Mathis, Ben Folds, Sigur Ros, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Idina Menzel, Don Rickles, YES, The Moody Blues, The Three Tenors, Marie Osmond, Luciano Pavarotti, and Yo Yo Ma, among others.

Kimball is a frequent performer with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. With the Minnesota Orchestra he has performed on numerous recordings and toured to Europe and South Africa.

Kimball was the former Principal Timpanist of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra (SBSO) in Shanghai, China from 2001–2002 and the former principal timpanist and section percussionist of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) in Duluth, MN from 1995–2001 and 2002–2005.

Kimball has recorded national TV commercials at Asche & Spencer Recording Studios as well as production soundtracks for the Children’s Theater Company (CTC), Wild Sound Recording Studio, Creation Audio, and has presented clinics and master classes for the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) and the Minnesota Band Directors Association (MBDA).

Kimball holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin. His primary teachers include Peter Kogan, Earl Yowell, Marv Dahlgren, Elliot Fine, David Hagedorn, and Fernando Meza.

Kimball is a Freer Percussion Artist Endorser.

Choristers: Joshua O’Neill and Rowan Duncomb

The Minnesota Boychoir, now in its 64th season, is the oldest continually operating boys choir in the Twin Cities. Their reputation for excellence has brought invitations from local and national music conventions, as well as sporting events and touring Broadway companies. The choir has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Prague Philharmonic, and a long list of local and national performers. The Boychoir has traveled to five continents with recent tours that included performances at Sydney’s Opera House, Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Montserrat Abbey in Barcelona, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Minnesota Boychoir trains young men to be outstanding musicians and strives to help them develop a sense of poise and self-confidence through education and performance.

Thank you for supporting Northrop! You make legendary performances possible!

At Northrop, we believe in connecting great artists and ideas with our community and to a new generation of audiences. Your gift helps make memorable arts experiences possible by supporting extraordinary performances and new arts commissions, and helping ensure accessibility to everyone through live-streamed programming, outreach to diverse communities and subsidized student tickets. Our Friends are at the center of Northrop’s biggest ideas and brightest moments on stage.

Become a Friend of Northrop today! 

Learn More and Donate Online

Ways to Give:

• Annual Giving, a yearly gift amount of your choice.
• Monthly Giving, choose a recurring gift amount that works for you.
• Stock Gifts, Northrop accepts charitable gifts of stock.
• Planned Giving, consider a legacy gift by including Northrop in your will or trust, or by designating Northrop as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy.
• Matching Gifts, double your gift through your company’s matching gift program.

To learn more about supporting Northrop please contact:
Cynthia Betz
betzx011@umn.edu or 612-626-7554 

With the restoration and reinstallation of Northrop’s Aeolian-Skinner Opus 892 organ, a group of dedicated volunteers now partner with Northrop for the awareness, success, and growth of organ programming and education. The Northrop Organ Committee features volunteers who are help with advocacy, network building, relationship development, and fundraising to help sustain and build Northrop’s Pipe Organ Music Series and other community events.

The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.

The Northrop Campus & Community Council acts as a resource for Northrop’s future success and growth, ensuring that Northrop builds relationships with and engages the communities where we live, learn, and work. This group of committed volunteers helps Northrop connect with new audiences and advises on programming that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

Northrop's Aeolian-Skinner Organ

Thank you to the generous donors who continue to support programming for Northrop’s beloved Aeolian-Skinner Organ. It is because of you that this magnificent instrument’s voice will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

 Friends of Northrop

A special thank you to our patrons whose generous support makes Northrop's transformative arts experiences possible. Make your mark on Northrop's future by becoming a Friend today, learn more by visiting Northrop's Give page.

We gratefully acknowledge the support from the Anna M Heilmaier Charitable Foundation, Americans for the Arts/National Relief Fund, Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation, City of Minneapolis, Minnesota State Arts Board, New England Foundation for the Arts, United States Artists, hospitality partner the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, and event sponsors PNC Bank and RBC Wealth Management.

The Heritage Society Members

The Heritage Society honors and celebrates donors who have made estate and other planned gifts for Northrop at the University of Minnesota. 

• Nancy Allen*
• Jerry Artz
• John Follows*
• Stephen Gordon and Pat Gavan-Gordon
• Gail and Stuart Hanson
• Charlie Johnson
• Peter Lund
• Darlene M. Sholtis

*Deceased

This season’s listing is current as of 12/12/25

Please contact Matthew Keefe at keefe175@umn.edu if you have any corrections or questions.