Young German baritone Samuel Hasselhorn won first prize in the 2017 Das Lied International Song Competition in Heidelberg, Germany and in doing so established himself as an outstanding interpreter of art song in the tradition of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Thomas Quasthoff. Recognized for his charismatic stage presence and stunning vocal ability, his performances have been praised for offering “moments of emotion and pure musicality that will not soon be forgotten” (Crescendo Magazine). Having recently made his U.S. debut and still a relative newcomer to American concert halls, the Schubert Club is pleased to be among the first U.S. presenters to welcome this fast rising vocal talent. For his Twin Cities debut performance in the Ordway Concert Hall, Hasselhorn will be joined by the pianist he collaborates with regularly, Renate Rohlfing.

The Schubert Club is honored to announce Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti as its first "Featured Artist", giving us an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with an artist or ensemble over the course of a season. Nicola’s residency includes a recital on the International Artist Series. She is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation and performs on the Gariel Stradivarius (1717). Her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and dynamic presence, coupled with her wide appeal as a high-profile advocate for classical music, has made her one of the most influential classical artists of today. Born in Scotland of Italian heritage, Nicola began violin lessons at the age of five. She has since gone on to collect many awards and titles including “Best Female Artist” at both the 2012 and 2013 Classical BRIT Awards and the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2017, the youngest ever recipient. In addition to her busy orchestra and recital schedule, Benedetti is fiercely committed to music education and has her own education initiative called “The Benedetti Sessions” that give young string players the opportunity to rehearse, undertake and observe masterclasses culminating in a performance alongside Nicola. For her International Artist Series debut in the Ordway Concert Hall, she will give the U.S. premiere of a new work for solo violin written for her by Wynton Marsalis and will be joined for the rest of the program by her regular duo partner, pianist Alexei Grynyuk.