St. Olaf Orchestra
Kalispell, West Glacier, Whitefish
October 23, 2025
07:00 PM
The St. Olaf Orchestra, conducted by Chung Park, is a full symphony orchestra, rich in international artistry and tradition and known for its enthusiastic and passionate performances. The orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, Valerie Coleman's Seven O'Clock Shout, and more!
Founded in 1906 at St. Olaf College, the 90-member ensemble has been heralded as one of the best collegiate orchestras in the country and received the 2013 and 2018-19 American Prize in Orchestral Performance among colleges and universities. Often compared to professional orchestras, the St. Olaf Orchestra was heralded as one of the best collegiate orchestras by TIME magazine.
The St. Olaf Orchestra first toured in 1949, traveling through Minnesota and Iowa to encourage the development of high school string programs. Over the next several decades, the orchestra program grew and flourished. They have toured most of the United States, internationally throughout Europe, and to China, Argentina, and Uruguay. They have also performed with world-renowned conductors and artist-performers including Robert Shaw, Kyzystof Penderecki, Leon Fleisher and Sarah Chang. The orchestra has regularly appeared on public television as part of the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, and on National Public Radio, including regular features on their popular Performance Today.
About Dr. Chung Park
Dr. Chung Park is a nationally-recognized conductor, music educator and editor. He serves as the conductor of the award-winning St. Olaf Orchestra and began conducting the St. Olaf Philharmonia in the fall of 2023. Park maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor in both the professional and educational realms, with engagements including the Sarasota Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and student honor orchestras throughout the United States. Park comes to St. Olaf College most recently from the University of Central Florida, where he served as conductor of the UCF Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, head of string music education, and instructor of viola. Park earned his doctorate in instrumental conducting from the University of Miami, and holds M.M. degrees in orchestral conducting (University of Illinois) and viola performance (Western Michigan University), and a B.M. in viola performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Deeply engaged in the life of the American music education community, Dr. Park has given hundreds of clinics in schools throughout the United States for all levels and ensemble types. He is an ardent believer in the value of a liberal arts education, the breadth and depth it provides, and the possibilities inherent in its ability to address the whole person.
