The Mississippi Valley Chamber Orchestra was started in 1975 by Edward Schlueter, former conductor for eighteen years of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies. The players, all volunteers  from the community, have been meeting at the Henry Sibley High School for the past 27 years, rehearsing weekly from September through June to prepare their regular five-concert season.

As the number of players grew to more than 60, Mr. Schlueter dropped the word Chamber and began performing larger works. MVO  has been the orchestra for Ballet Minnesota's Nutcracker Ballet for more than six years, and Mr. Schlueter has included the Henry Sibley High School orchestra  in several MVO musical projects. MVO is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this coming season.

Though still a civic-based orchestra, MVO has evolved into a polished symphony orchestra performing a broad repertoire ranging from baroque  Bach orchestral suites to romantic Mahler symphonies of gargantuan proportions. The orchestra has also performed new works, many by local composers, and has a long tradition of performing modern works from the twentieth century.