Minnesota Beethoven Festival returns to Winona for its 19th season

The Minnesota Beethoven Festival is back in Winona for its 19th season, bringing three weeks of classical music performances and events to southeastern Minnesota.The festival, which opened Sunday and runs through July 19, celebrates the music of Ludwig van Beethoven while featuring works by many other composers and performances by musicians from around the world.Ned Kirk, the festival's artistic and managing director, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about how the festival got its start and what keeps audiences coming back year after year.