Mellon grant to preserve SPCO recordings

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has received a Mellon Foundation grant to preserve archived recordings. The $200,000 initiative aims to digitize 400 live concerts that have been recorded by Minnesota Public Radio going back to 1969.

The recordings feature work by John Adams, Alfred Brendel, Aaron Copland, John Cage, Keith Jarrett, Neville Marriner, Midori, Isaac Stern, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Pinchas Zukerman. Included are world and U.S. premieres of SPCO commissions.

SPCO spokesperson Kelly Belich said the long-term plan is to make the taped recordings accessible to the public.

"That's not in the scope of this grant, however they would never be accessible without this step," Belich said.

In July, the SPCO received a $1 million grant from Mellon for artistic and digital media initiatives.

GRAYDON ROYCE