Allegro Orchestral Association

The mission of Allegro is Awakening Lives: Leading Everyone to Growth and Renewal through Orchestras.

Allegro Con Brio is a professional orchestra that brings together the Twin Cities' top orchestra musicians who perform concert events in a multi dimensional format and in a historically informed style, on period instruments. Allegro Con Brio performs free concert events that focus on the impact that music has on people’s physical & emotional health. In 2003, Allegro sponsored its first Allegro Con Brio concert called “Human Character” featuring three Minnesotan sopranos, including Maria Jette.  The second event, held in 2004, was titled "Musical Comedy . . . orchestra music with a sense of humor", a concert event featuring national comedian Stevie Ray.  Since then the concert events have featured a magician, cabaret jazz singer, yoga instructor and sound healer.  

Allegro Con Brio serves as orchestra-in-residence at the Allegro Orchestra Camp, which is now sponsored by MacPhail Center for Music.  In 1999, Allegro began to sponsor the Allegro Orchestra Camp.  Allegro presented the Allegro Orchestra Camp for 11 years and in 2010 invited MacPhail to administer the camp, leaving Allegro to focus solely on Allegro Con Brio.

Allegro Con Brio is sponsored by the Allegro Orchestral Association (Allegro), which began in 1995 with the formation of Allegro Sinfonia, a community orchestra that performed over 80 free community orchestra concerts in the western suburbs during its 14-year tenure.  With an underlying commitment to educating youth about orchestral music, the organization offered string classes in the Wayzata School District for five years providing lessons during after-school hours for more than 300 students.