Directed by Dr. Emerson Eads, director of Choral Activities at Minot State University, the concert is free to the public. A freewill offering to support the arts in Minot will be accepted.

The Scandinavian Heritage Association is this season’s sponsor for the concert, which marks the 200th anniversary of the first Norwegian immigrants arriving in the United States in search of new opportunities and a place to call home. “Requiem for Solace” is a tribute to the legacy of immigrants who, despite tremendous hardships, helped shape the nation and contribute to its flourishing.

Declan, a fifth grader at Edison Elementary, keeps a busy schedule with sports, his school choir and the Western Plains Children’s Choir.

“He’s a busy kid juggling school, sports and music. But he’s doing a great job at them all and it’s fun watching him try new things,” said Declan’s mom, Courtney Bourquin.

Hannah Penn

Penn, operatic singer and professor at Portland State University who is making her North Dakota debut, has sung more than 200 operatic roles.

“I fell in love with opera. It’s a beautiful combination of music, literature, history, acting and imagery. Opera has everything,” Penn said.

The concert will feature musicians from both the Minot Symphony Orchestra and the Bismarck Symphony Orchestra, including a percussion ensemble led by MSU professor Mariah Taller and a solo trumpet performance by Kennedy Cowart, trumpeter with the Bismarck Symphony.