Here are all of the important dates on the Music Listening Contest calendar, including:
Registration and Contest Dates
“Make It Live!” Concert Schedule
American Swedish Institute/MLC Concert Schedule
2025-26 Season Calendar
REGISTRATION
Registration Opens - Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025
Registration Closes - Friday, October 31st, 2025
CONTESTS
Regional Contest - Friday, January 23rd, 2026
Inclement Weather Date - Friday, January 30th, 2026
Championship Contest - Thursday, February 12th, 2026
Rochester Area Homeschool
2025 Back-to-back MLC Champions!
Make It Live!
Throughout your 2026 MLC Study Guide, pieces with a “Make It Live!” tag will be performed by a professional orchestra or ensemble near you during the 2026 season! Here are all of those pieces and performances in one place.
November 1, 6, 8, & 9 / Cosi fan tutte / Mozart / Minnesota Opera
November 7-8 / Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique” / Tchaikovsky / Utah Symphony
November 8-9 / Lyric for Strings / Walker / Orchestra Iowa
November 21-23 / Pictures at an Exhibition / Mussorgsky / Madison Symphony Orchestra
November 23 / Danish String Quartet / Sorensen / Schubert Club
January 8-9 / Symphony No. 1 / Nielsen / Minnesota Orchestra
January 8-10 / Piano Concerto No. 23 / Mozart / Utah Symphony
January 30-31 / The Sorcerer’s Apprentice / Dukas / Minnesota Orchestra
January 31-February 1 / Symphony No. 38 “Prague” / Mozart / Milwaukee Symphony
February 20-22 / Selections from Water Music / Handel / St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
March 3 / Cello Concerto / Elgar / Minnesota Orchestra
March 3 / Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes / Britten / Minnesota Orchestra
March 14-15 / Symphony No. 38 “Prague” / Mozart / Des Moines Symphony
April 10-11 / Lyric Pieces arr. for Chamber Orchestra / Grieg / St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
April 18-19 / Appalachian Spring / Copland / Des Moines Symphony
In celebration of the Nordic Composers Spotlight Area in this season’s MLC Study Guide, American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis has been incredibly generous to offer MLC participants FREE admission to a number of events on their music calendar!
If you wish to attend one of the concerts listed here, send an email to musiclisteningcontestinfo@gmail.com or write in the CONTACT form the concert date and number of tickets you’d like to reserve (limit to MLC participants and coaches only). Please inform us at least a week before the event.
Thank you ASI for your support of Music Listening Contest!
American Swedish Institute select MLC Dates
Every 1st Thursday of the Month, 6-8pm / Open Nordic Jam
January 5 / 12th Day of Christmas Jul Ball
February 20-22 / Midwinter Folk Festival (Free to youth 0-18)
February 27 / Johannes Skoog Pipe Organ Concert (W. St. Paul)
April 11 / Oda Voltervisk, Pianist
June 20 / Midsommar Celebration - folk music and dance!