LAAC Coffee Concerts: 4 concerts featuring top Twin Cities Artists. Audrey Johnson Companies, sponsor
Welcome to Chamber Music Lakeville's 2026 18th Season of Coffee Concerts Sponsored by Audrey Johnson Companies at the Lakeville Area Arts Center (LAAC)! Thanks to all the people who have supported the series from the beginning into this 17th season with their attendance, word-of-mouth advertising, and financial support. We're especially grateful for ongoing Season Sponsorship from the Audrey Johns
on Companies and continuing support from the Cy and Paula DeCosse Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation. We're so happy to return to the LAAC with this exciting season of concerts in 2026! All programs start at 2:00 PM on Sunday afternoons, about once a month, between January and May. Here's the 2026 Lineup:
Sun., Jan. 18, 2026 – MN Opera Resident Artists
Soprano Kylie Kreucher, baritone David Wolfe, and pianist Fumiyasu Kawase in a program of songs, opera arias, and duos. Sun., Feb. 22, 2026 – UWRF Faculty Ensemble
James DeVol, flute, Carrie Vecchione, oboe, Pat O'Keefe, clarinet, Nick Ober, bassoon, and Ivan Konev, piano, present a variety of music for piano and winds, including Mozart 's Quintet for Piano and winds, of which Mozart said, "I myself consider it to be the best thing I have written in my life." March 15 – Artu Duo
Ruth Marshall, cello, and Garret Ross, piano. Program features women composers, and is built around Rebecca Clark's Rhapsody for cello and piano. April 26 – Mill City String Quartet - Between Worlds: Jazz, Romance, & Reverence
Huldah Niles, Erika Hoogeveen, violins, Coca Bochonko, viola, Rebeccah Parker Downs, cello. An eclectic and captivating concert featuring works by Wynton Marsalis, Anton Webern, and Caroline Shaw. From jazz-inspired rhythms to sweeping romanticism and echoes of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, this program offers a rich tapestry of sound and style. With something for every musical taste, it’s the perfect way to welcome the beauty and renewal of spring! Audrey Johnson Companies are celebrating their 60th anniversary in residential and commercial real estate in Lakeville. In honor of this occasion, they are a Season Sponsor for this 18th season of the Coffee Concerts at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Sunday Coffee Concerts LLC is a fiscally sponsored project of Springboard for the Arts. Contributions on behalf of Sunday Coffee Concerts may be made payable to Springboard for the Arts and are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. To give to Springboard: https://givemn.org/organization/Springboard-For-The-Arts
11/15/2025
Early giving is going on in advance of Give to the Max Day on Nov. 20. Please consider our little South-of-the-River gem of a series as you do your year-end charitable giving. Every little bit makes a difference in allowing us to keep brewing up memorable concerts! Click this link or search “ at GiveMN.org.
11/11/2025
Help make our 2026 season a reality at by contributing to us through Give to the Max Day, Nov. 20. Early donations between now and Nov. 20 are eligible to garner us an extra chance for the daily $500 Golden Ticket drawing!
Thanks for all past and future support, attendance, word of mouth, and sharing in making and experiencing beautiful music!
We're gearing up for our 2026 season of Coffee Concerts at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.
Stay posted for updates and concert information. We'll also be active on GiveMN.org to help raise funds to keep your Coffee Concerts percolating!
Our new FB banner is up with the basic concert info, so mark your calendars for a wonderful lineup. More details will be forthcoming as we fill in details on each concert's FB Event Page.
Ticketing is already up and going. Here's info for our kickoff concert of MN Opera Resident Artists, with links to the other concerts. There's also a $5 discount for getting season tickets now.
Join Sunday Coffee Concerts in its 18th season of presenting top-tier Twin Cities artists in engaging, entertaining performances in a casual cabaret setting with complimentary Caribou Coffee and treats.
07/08/2025
More about our friend Ken from YourClassical MPR
Freed, who died unexpectedly on June 29, joined the Minnesota Orchestra as a violist in 1998.
07/04/2025
A tribute from The Isles Ensemble for their violist Ken Freed. Condolence to all who worked closely with Ken on the loss of this bright, shining person.
The Isles Ensemble is devastated to share the news of violist Kenneth Freed's sudden and unexpected passing. Our thoughts and hearts are with his wife, Gwen, and their children, Zachary, Eleanor, and Jonah.
Ken came to the Twin Cities in 1998, when he joined the viola section of the Minnesota Orchestra after serving as second violinist of the Manhattan String Quartet for five years. His mark on the musical community of Minnesota is indelible; alongside his instrumental career he enjoyed a 12-year tenure as music director and conductor of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, as well as a season as an assistant conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra. He was a founder of the Learning Through Music Consulting Group, a music education nonprofit that used music as a teaching tool to improve children’s learning outcomes and featured partnerships with the Minneapolis Public Schools, the University of Minnesota, the MacPhail Center for Music and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies. The musicians of The Isles Ensemble are so lucky to have enjoyed his beautiful playing and innovative programming in recent years.
Words fail to fully express the warmth, energy, open-heartedness, and humor with which Ken lived his life. Though his musical and professional achievements were many, it is the depth and steadfastness of his friendship, his zest for life, and the love and esteem he showed for his family, friends, and colleagues, that set him apart. He will be immeasurably missed.
07/02/2025
More on the passing of our dear friend Ken.
07/01/2025
We’re sad to relay the sad news of the sudden passing of Minnesota Orchestra violist Ken Freed. Ken was a bright, shining light of the MN music firmament. He performed at the LAAC this past season on the Isles Ensemble - Exploring Passion - The Fire Within Us program. He also had many other levels of involvement with the MN musical scene including a dozen years as conductor of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. He frequently appeared as chamber musician and soloist with regional orchestras, always joyfully involved with making music happen. A host of organizations and performers who had the privilege of working with him have been sharing their warm memories and deep sense of loss across social media.
Ken was also a born mentor and enthusiastic supporter of other musicians. He and the Isles Ensemble were a joy to work with last season and performed an unforgettable concert. Ken also advised us in our recent move to having Springboard for the Arts as fiscal sponsor for these Coffee Concerts at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.
Ken was a brilliant musician, both as performer and scholar. He combined his keen intellect and encyclopedic knowledge with a wicked wit and contagious, conspiratorial smile and chuckle. He took his art very seriously, but never sanctimoniously. He knew how to both plumb the depths and have fun with music, and shared his joy generously.
He was a blessing during his too-short life, and his memory is a blessing to everyone whose life was touched by his spirit, music, and humor.
We wish peace and comfort to his family, friends, and very lucky colleagues.
Thanks for everything, Ken!
With great sadness, we share the news that our former Music Director, Kenneth Freed, passed away unexpectedly yesterday. Ken led the MSO for 12 remarkable seasons and was a gifted violist with the Minnesota Orchestra. His passion for music, his great sense of humor, and his friendship will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege to know him.
A memorial service for Ken will be held Sunday, July 6 at 3pm at Temple Israel in Minneapolis.
06/26/2025
The Summit Ave. OboeBass! Backyard Concert scheduled for this evening has been cancelled due to rain and cold. Stay posted! They hope to reschedule sometime in August.
06/25/2025
SORRY! Today’s scheduled Oboebass! Backyard Concert Canceled due to incessant rain today!
We still hope to perform the program tomorrow evening at the 1106 Summit Ave., St Paul location, weather permitting. Keep posted — if possible, we’d still love to perform for you in our backyard later this summer and we’ll let you know when we can make it happen.
06/19/2025
Congrats to Jeremiah Sanders for his Competition win!
The hall may still be reverberating from his 1/14/24 recital with pianist Erica Guo at the LAAC!
Congratulations to “vocally powerful” (KDHX) baritone Jeremiah Sanders for winning the Baritone Prize in the 2025 George Shirley Vocal Competition!
We’re terribly saddened to share this news. Arek and his wife Claudia performed on this series in several very memorable performances, including during our first season of married couples “Making Beautiful Music Together,” with violinist Peter McGuire as the Ouchard Trio, and with Sahar Hasan in the Ladyslipper Ensemble. Series founder Rolf Erdahl has known Arek and Claudia since student days at the Peabody Conservatory, work as Principals in the Winnipeg Symphony, and during Arek’s illustrious Minnesota Orchestra career. We mourn his passing and are grateful our lives have been illumined by his brilliance. Rest in peace, dear friend.
This week's performances are dedicated to our wonderful colleague, Arek Tesarczyk. Arek passed away last month after a long illness he faced with great dignity. Originally from Poland, Arek spent 11 years as Principal Cello of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra before joining us in 2004. He was humble, kind, "devastatingly funny," (according to Principal Cello Tony Ross) and was a rock in our cello section.
Our thoughts and condolences go to Arek's wife Claudia Chen and his children Viktor and Katia.
05/18/2025
Warmed up and ready to go for Baroque! See you at the LAAC today at 2:00!
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Welcome to Chamber Music Lakeville's 13th Season of Coffee Concerts Sponsored by Audrey Johnson Companies at the Lakeville Area Arts Center (LAAC)!
We're proud to present another varied season in 2020, with these four concerts featuring some of the top musical talent in the Twin Cities area:
Jan. 12 - Quince vocal quartet
Angelic and energetic, comforting and inciting,
Virtuosically disciplined, and noisy!
March 1 - OboeBass! American Vein
Delightful, award-winning Duo
Carrie Vecchione, oboe, Rolf Erdahl, bass
April 5 - Maithree -The Music of Friendship
Pat O'Keefe, clarinet and Nirmala Rajasekar, veena
Fusing worlds of musical wonder and virtuosity
June 7 - Chamber Music Society of Minnesota
"A jewel in the state's cultural crown."
Dvorak and Mozart Quintets
All concerts take place 2:00 pm Sunday afternoons at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville, MN. Ticket prices are $18 general admission, $15 for students and seniors. Concerts last approximately 90 minutes with intermission and reception. Like us and follow us on this page to keep updated. https://www.facebook.com/coffeeconcerts
We are Twin Cities performers who love to share our love for performing our intimate groups and music with our audiences. Our mission is to bring top area performers together to present a wide variety of types of ensembles and repertoire to the people served by the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Come join us in our very varied Coffee Concert series in the casual, conversational, cabaret concerts at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. All recitals are inviting, informal concerts with cabaret seating and complimentary Caribou Coffee and other refreshments. Articulate performers tell the stories of their music and ensembles from the stage, and meet and mingle with the audience.
As in past seasons, what really makes the music happen is the attendance, enthusiastic word-of-mouth, and financial and in-kind contributions from area businesses, our audience, and the LAAC's incredible staff support and facilities.
Come join the fun through your support and attendance! Share links to our events and invite your friends to come. Please consider what tax-deductible amount you can contribute so this series can continue as one of the gems in Lakeville’s cultural life. Visit this link for various donor levels: http://www.lakevilleartscenterfriends.org/donate/
The Friends of the Lakeville Area Arts Center is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as fiscal agent for Chamber Music Lakeville's Coffee Concerts at the LAAC. Thanks for any support you can provide! All levels of contribution are welcome, and acknowledged in our recital programs.
Thanks to Caribou Coffee on Cedar and Dodd for providing our coffee, and to Cornerstone Copy of Lakeville for printing our posters and programs.
Audrey Johnson Companies is celebrating its 54th anniversary in residential and commercial real estate in Lakeville. In honor of this occasion, they are a Season Sponsor for this 13th season of the Coffee Concerts at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.
