In 1974, Dr. Roger Satrang Hoel was searching for a way to bring music to Minnetonka. Hoel played the French horn and trumpet in college and hoped to find an association that would allow him to keep playing at a non-professional level. “There should be a place for people who want to play and perform, just because they love it,” Hoel says.
This goal was the inspiration behind the founding of the Music Association of Minnetonka (MAM). Now with 11 choir and orchestra components, the musicians play nearly 100 performances each year. Oboe player Stuart Mitchell joined the association shortly after its creation. He says he most enjoys the quality of the group’s music, as well as the performers he plays with on a regular basis.
Hoel is pleased that the association has become a vibrant part of the community over the past 40 years. He says 2014 commemorates and celebrates the Minnetonka community’s encouragement.
“It is strictly a time of thanking the community, because they are the ones that have made MAM survive for 40 years,” Hoel says. —Kelly Butorac
The Music Association of Minnetonka’s first performance in 2014 is the Young People’s Concert and features the Minnetonka Symphony and Young Artists on February 16. More details about the concert are at musicassociation.org.
