The Cedar Cultural Center

The World’s Music. Here in Minnesota.

We believe that music makes a difference. 

The Cedar Cultural Center is an anchor institution of the West Bank neighborhood that is internationally recognized for bringing artists from across the globe and bringing people together to celebrate their cultural heritage and connect with international and emerging artists. It is a place of joy and the celebration of music. A place where intercultural appreciation and understanding are enhanced through the presentation of global music. 

This year's Give to the Max will allow The Cedar to continue to:

• Maintain mission-driven programming

• Host international artists who may not otherwise visit the region

• Work with schools to facilitate arts education

• Foster connections among and between cultural groups

• Develop partnerships to engage underserved and at-risk communities

• Support local artists with performance and commission opportunities

• Launch initiatives that further accessibility and outreach, allowing us to serve a large and diverse audience. 

In addition to our regular programming, we are proud to host these special events:

Global Roots Festival

Free and family-friendly, we have been hosting the annual Global Roots Festival for 13 years. Our 2023 festival featured Romanian, South-Asian, Japanese, Argentinian, Malawi, Ethiopian, Colombian, and Haitian-Canadian artists - we were elated to see audience attendance return back to pre-pandemic numbers. In 2022, the festival showcased Estonian, Mexican, French-Venezuelan, Ethiopian, and Afghani artists. During the day, The Cedar’s staff curates opportunities for deeper community engagement with off-site special performances, Q&A sessions, conversations, instructional workshops, or educational activities. We develop three such offerings during the festival with three of the visiting artists/groups to illuminate the cultural, educational, and artistic context of their work and to foster intercultural connections. For example, in 2023, we brought Waahli to Alliance Française for a special event with a smaller Francophone audience, discussing Haitian culture, his trilingual rapping, and sharing a few acoustic songs.

Cedar Commissions

The Cedar Commissions is a flagship program that began in 2011. The program supports six emerging Minnesota-based artists as they participate in a fellowship to compose new work to perform at The Cedar and build momentum for next steps in their burgeoning careers. 

Our 12th cohort included Fawzi, Cydi Yang, Emily Boyajian, Theo Langason, Aram Kavoossi, and Sophia Deutsch. These artists performed their creations on The Cedar's stage in February 2023. Our 13th cohort features McKain Lakey, Lady Xøk, RZ Shahid, Sarah Larsson, Tri Vo, and Yev Rosso. They will debut their new works in February 2024.

Indigenous Music Series

Our Indigenous Music Series funded in part by the Rosemary and David Good Family Foundation, presents Indigenous artists from around the world performing traditional music styles from their respective countries. 

We've presented Joe Rainey, Keith Secola, The Wake Singers, and Corey Medina along with several collaborating artists. 

In 2023 we presented Australian Indigenous performer Emma Donovan and The Putbacks.  

Banner photo courtesy to Pallav Kumar.