Join us for the final concert of the season on May 16, 2026 at 7:00pm! We welcome Andrea Stern and Laura Sewell to the PPUMC stage for an evening of harp and cello music. The concert is FREE to attend, with a freewill offering benefiting Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Andrea Stern is a harpist whose first inspiration to play the harp was Harpo Marx of the Marx Brothers. She studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and New England Conservatory and has won several solo competitions, including a concerto competition in Venezuela where she was principal Harpist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Maracaibo. Andrea has played with the Hartford, Phoenix, Fargo, Duluth, and Hong Kong Symphonies. She has traveled the world while performing as a harpist aboard cruise ships. She was appointed Principal Harp for Minnesota Opera, and held that position for five years. Andrea’s musical tastes are eclectic, as you will hear tonight as she plays Celtic harp. She currently serves as adjunct faculty at Augsburg University and is a harp instructor at MacPhail Center for Music.
Laura Sewell has performed as a cellist in Europe, Asia, Canada, and throughout the United States. Locally she has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Guthrie Theatre, Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Dale Warland Singers, Cantus, and numerous chamber ensembles. Radio appearances have included “A Prairie Home Companion” and “Saint Paul Sunday.” For the past twenty years she has been a member of the Minneapolis-based Isles Ensemble, and she recently recorded a CD on the Innova label of works by Minnesota composers for cello and piano. Earlier in her career, Laura was the founder of the award-winning Lark Quartet, which was the bronze medal winner in the Banff International String Quartet Competition. She has performance degrees from the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
ABOUT THE BENEFICIARY
“Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light works in partnership with multifaith communities and all Minnesotans to co-create a just and sustainable world. Together, we build transformative power and bring the lights of people’s unique gifts to addressing the climate crisis.
Since our founding in 2004, we have helped grow the climate movement in Minnesota and across the United States. How? By empowering communities to take action that is authentic, effective, and energizing in their context.”
Learn more: https://www.mnipl.org/
ABOUT THE CONCERT SERIES
Over the past 15 years, the Community Concert Series has contributed over $90,000 to a variety of community service programs and organizations across the Twin Cities. It’s a perfect combination – enjoying great music and raising money for a worthwhile cause! A delicious snack buffet follows each concert, with free parking available on-street and at Pratt Community School.
PPUMC is located at 22 Orlin Ave SE in Minneapolis, at the foot of the historic Prospect Park Water Tower, one block south of University Ave on Malcolm Ave and the Metro Transit E Line – Malcolm Ave station. For more information, please call (612) 378-2380 or email office@prospectparkchurch.org. We hope to see you there!
