All Classical Portland | Arts Blog: Recent Episodes
All Classical Portland
All Classical Radio's Director of Music and Programming, John Pitman, recently spoke with pianist Alice Sara Ott about her latest album: 30 piano works by the Icelandic composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-alice-sara-otts/
All Classical Radio on air host and producer Lisa Lipton chats with flutist Maxx Katz, founder of Portland's Yelling Choir.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/portland-yelling-choir/
All Classical Radio host John Pitman speaks with pianist Jan Lisiecki about his latest album featuring Mozart piano concertos.Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-lisiecki-mozart/
John Pitman's latest conversation is with two artists who knew each other's work, but who had not worked together, before this project. In this bold new work, with a title taken from a poem by Robert Walters, the harp symbolizes the protagonist Earth, both fragile and powerful.Terra Infirma was directly inspired by the experiences of its creative team. Composer Reena Esmail, who resides in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Altadena, was forced to evacuate her home during the catastrophic fires of January 2025. Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, a committed advocate for the environment, is founder and director of the non-profit organization Earth at Heart.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-terra-infirma/
In this interview with countertenor Randall Scotting, All Classical Radio's John Pitman uncovers the fascinating world of the castrati, music which was originally written for the superstars of the Baroque. Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-divine-impresario/
All Classical Radio host Lisa Lipton sat down to chat with Zach Galatis, flute section member, piccolo soloist with the Oregon Symphony, and Assistant Professor of Flute at Portland State University (PSU) to hear more about his role as music director behind PSU’s first ever full-scale musical production, Spring Awakening.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/psu-spring-awakening26/
such as climbing the French Alps near where he grew up.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-capucon-gaia/
Host John Pitman speaks with pianist Marc-André Hamelin about his 92nd (!) album, 'Found Objects / Sound Objects.'Learn more on the All Classical Radio Arts Blog:
All Classical Radio host John Pitman recently spoke with Portland violinist and Portland State University Professor of Violin, Tomás Cotik, about his unique approach to performing some of the most challenging works for solo violin around: the Caprices of Nicolo Paganini.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-cotiks-paganini-capriccio/
John Pitman's latest conversation is with harpist Emily Levin, and a new group named Ember. They specialize in works for harp, violin and cello. Ember's new album (on Azica, to be released in September 2025) is titled "Birds of Paradise," which echoes one of the pieces on their album.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-ember-birds-of-paradise/
All Classical Radio’s Director of Programming John Pitman's latest interview is a timely one, in conjunction with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Memorial Day.Composer, pianist and vocalist Huang Ruo's latest recording 'An American Soldier' is a powerful and moving opera based on the true story of a young Chinese American Army named Pvt. Danny Chen, who was found dead at his base in Afghanistan in 2011, and the ensuing courts-martial of Chen’s fellow soldiers.In this interview, John Pitman speaks with Huang. Ruo and his longtime creative partner, the librettist David Hwang ("M. Butterfly", "Yellow Face", and the Broadway production of "Tarzan" among others). Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-ruo-american-soldier/
Renowned for his interpretations of the music of Russian composer and mystic, Alexander Scriabin, celebrated pianist Yevgeny Sudbin is host John Pitman’s latest guest for this Arts Blog interview.Keep reading on the All Classical Radio Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-sudbins-flamme/
Imagine if we could hear, decades after a composer has passed, a note-for-note set of instructions of what how they intended their music to be heard? It’s rarer than you might think. Recently, All Classical Radio's program director John Pitman had a conversation with the grandson of the Austrian born composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Leslie or “Les” Korngold – and John Mauceri, a conductor who has devoted his career to elevating the importance of music by Korngold. Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-les-korngold/
All Classical Radio's John Pitman speaks with American pianist Simone Dinnerstein about her latest album, 'The Eye is the First Circle,' featuring iconic American composer Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata.Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-dinnerstein-eye/
In this interview with All Classical Program Director John Pitman, Roman shares his encounters with this serious, long-term illness, how it changed his approach to music and performing, and how it strengthened his connections with friends and fellow musicians, and the people who come to hear him play.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog:
All Classical Radio’s Director of Music and Programming John Pitman recently spoke with John-Henry Crawford. Since the Louisiana-based cellist's 2021 debut, Dialogo, Crawford has always had "dialogues" with the composers whose music he performs, and his album featuring Dvořák's Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, is no exception. Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-jhc/
All Classical Radio's Director of Music and Programming John Pitman recently spoke with violinist Augustin Hadelich about American Road Trip, and more. Hear their conversation below on the Arts Blog:
For this edition of John Pitman’s Reviews, John has invited All Classical host and producer Lisa Lipton to sit down with Larry Schoenberg, son of composer Arnold Schoenberg.Lisa, along with microtonal composer Ritchie Green, and 45th Parallel Universe musicians Ron Blessinger and James Shields, asked Larry what it was like having one of the 20th century's greatest, and most controversial composers as a dad.Listen and learn more on the All Classical Radio Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-reviews-schoenberg/
All Classical Radio's Program Director John Pitman recently caught up with Hollywood actor and classical musician John Malkovich. Hear their hilarious chat about Malkovich's The Music Critic, a new recording from a recent Oregon Symphony concert in June 2024.Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-malkovich/
In May 2024, pianist Christopher O'Riley was in Portland for a concert with his good friend, cellist Matt Haimovitz. All Classical Radio’s Program Director, John Pitman, invited Christopher for an interview in the Roger O. Doyle Performance Studio, the day before their concert.Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-christopher-oriley/
For this edition of John Pitman's Reviews, John has invited All Classical Radio host Warren Black to speak with the Quartet about the premiere and get a preview of their upcoming new album, Wood Works. The album features arrangements of folk music and more. Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-wood-works/
ICAN’s Audio Book Tour featuring Dame Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton! In this episode, All Classical’s 2024 Young Artist in Residence, Elaina Stuppler, sits down with mother-daughter duo Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton to talk about their book, The Enchanted Symphony, and their upcoming book, Waiting in the Wings.
All Classical Radio’s Program Director John Pitman shares his recent conversation with two members of the Neave Trio. They speak about their latest recording titled "A Room of Her Own."Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog:
Miloš, the superstar guitarist who has recorded the standard guitar repertoire, explored the Beatles, as well as the experience of isolation, returns with a carefully-curated collection of music of the 18th century.Learn more on the All Classical Radio Arts Blog:
For this edition of John Pitman's Reviews, John has invited All Classical Radio's host of our syndicated film music program, The Score, to review a beautiful new recording reimagining original film scores. "Night After Night" celebrates one of the richest collaborations between a contemporary film director and a composer – an all-new recording of music for M. Night Shyamalan’s most acclaimed films by the Emmy®- and Grammy®-winning composer and nine-time Oscar® nominee James Newton Howard.Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog:
All Classical Radio's Program Director John Pitman shares his first-ever interview with Thibaut Garcia, discussing the guitarist's latest release, El Bohemio (Erato/Warner Classics).Keep reading on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-garcia-el-bohemio/
All Classical Radio's program director, John Pitman, chats with American violinist Randall Goosby about his second album with Decca Classics. The dynamic young soloist brings freshness to a concerto he first encountered as a teenager: Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, and shimmering performances of Florence Price's two Violin Concertos, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. There's also a wonderful arrangement of Price's piece, Adoration, arranged especially for the Philadelphia's string section.Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-goosby-concertos/
Plínio Fernandes is a London-based Brazilian guitarist who has just released his second album. Bacheando explores the long-established influence of Bach's music on Brazilian composers.He recently spoke to All Classical Radio host John Pitman about his latest album 'Bacheando.'Hear their conversation, and learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-fernandes-bacheando/
Composer Carlos Simon has received numerous awards and nominations for works such as 2021's Requiem for the Enslaved. He recently spoke to All Classical Radio host John Pitman about his latest album Together, a 10-track project that came about from the desire to simply make music with friends and colleagues, after the long period of separation during the pandemic.Hear John's full interview with Carlos Simon, woven with music excerpts from 'Together,' and more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-simons-together/
Andrew Brownell is a pianist and former Portlander who, recently stopped by for a chat with John Pitman about his latest album, "Shades of Night," available now on Divine Art.
Enjoy their conversation and discover more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-brownell-night/
All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman recently spoke with American choral composer Eric Whitacre, who has a career now spanning over three decades, is one of the world's most popular composers among audiences and choirs alike.
Learn more on the All Classical Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-whitacre-home/
All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman talks to British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, whose new album touches on the relationships of Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann.Learn more on the Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-grosvenor-brahms/
Henry wants to be a Podcaster when he grows up, so the ICAN team set up an interview with his favorite podcaster, Mr. Eric, from What If World. Hear their conversation about what it takes to become a podcaster.
Noteworthy host Lynnsay Maynard speaks with American-Canadian author, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki. Ozeki's novel 'A Tale for the Time Being' is the 2023 Everybody Reads pick by Multnomah County Library and The Library Foundation, presented in partnership with Literary Arts. Ruth Ozeki’s award-winning novel A Tale for the Time Being tells the story of two strangers whose lives become connected across time and an ocean.Hear new episodes of Noteworthy Sundays at 1:00 PM PT at 89.9 FM in Portland, OR or worldwide at allclassical.org. Learn more about Noteworthy and host Lynnsay Maynard: https://www.allclassical.org/programs/noteworthy/
All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman talks to pianist Mao Fujita about his new album, Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas, available now from Sony.Learn more on the Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/mao-fujita-mozart/
Arctic is a new release by Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing that asks questions, through music, about the effects of climate change on the Arctic region, and on the life that exists there. Ms. Hemsing, who grew up near the Arctic Circle, says “the Arctic is often misrepresented as stark and uninhabitable wasteland.” Yet Hemsing explains that “it’s a region of matchless beauty abounding in life, one that magically illustrates how all things cohere in fragile cycles."With new pieces by composers including Jacob Shea, Frode Fjellheim, and James Newton Howard, as well as Norwegian heroes of the past such as Ole Bull and Edvard Grieg, Arctic is a compelling compendium of musical ideas about a region that plays a vital role in the health of the entire planet. Enjoy All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman's conversation with Eldbjørg Hemsing and learn more on the Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/john-pitman-review-eldbjorg-hemsings-arctic/
All Classical Portland's Program Director John Pitman has long admired the artistry of Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, having featured his recordings regularly over the past 30-plus years. His newest release is especially exciting because it includes rare recordings of the complete Poetic Tone Pictures by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák. Keep reading on the All Classical Portland Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/pitman-review-andsness-poetic-tone-pictures/
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new album by violinist Hilary Hahn, which includes Dvořák's Violin Concerto, the Violin Concerto by Alberto Ginastera, and Pablo de Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy for violin and orchestra. The album, Eclipse, is available now on Deutsche Grammophon.Keep reading on the All Classical Portland Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/john-pitman-review-hilary-hahns-eclipse/
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new album by British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. The album is called “Song,” and is available now on Decca Records.Find the interview on the All Classical Portland Arts Blog:
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new collection of works by William Grant Still.
Pianist, María García narrates and performs composer Dr. Gwyneth Walker’s The Race, a fun new take on the beloved story of the Tortoise and the Hare. María loved reading stories with her daughter. This story, which teaches us slow and steady wins the race, uses sound effects using the piano and tempo to show how fast or slow the characters move. María narrates the story in Spanish and Sarah narrates the story in English.
Pianist, María García narrates and performs composer Dr. Gwyneth Walker’s The Race, a fun new take on the beloved story of the Tortoise and the Hare. María loved reading stories with her daughter. This story, which teaches us slow and steady wins the race, uses sound effects using the piano and tempo to show how fast or slow the characters move. María narrates the story in Spanish and Sarah narrates the story in English.
Corazón is the second release by American cellist John-Henry Crawford (his first, titled Dialogo, was covered by John Pitman in 2021), and reflects the cellist's own experiences in performing in Mexico and Central America, as well as visiting family members there, such as his brother who is a member of the Peace Corps.
Read more on the All Classical Portland Arts Blog: https://www.allclassical.org/arts-blog/
Where We Live host Adam Eccleston introduces us to beloved children’s entertainer Nikki Brown Clown. She is Portland’s first Black woman clown, and the Grand Marshall of the 2022 Good in the Hood Multicultural Music, Arts & Food Festival! Nikki uses dance, humor, and a love for her community to promote youth literacy.
Learn more at nikkibrownclown.com.
Where We Live host Adam Eccleston explores Earthtones NW, an organization providing music, art, and horticultural therapies for those with autism, dementia, and developmental disabilities in Portland, Oregon.
In May 2022, they partnered with the Portland Columbia Symphony to present a series of “Sensory-Friendly” concerts for individuals with sensory sensitivies, and those on the autism spectrum.
Learn more at earthtonesnw.com.
Where we Live host Adam Eccleston speaks with Gregory Dubay, the Director of Portland's Community Music Center. CMC is a Portland Parks & Recreation program in partnership with the nonprofit Community Music Center, Inc. It has been a popular place for music lessons and concerts in Portland since 1955 and is now one of over 20 PP&R sites offering music instruction.
Learn more at portland.gov/parks/community-music-center.
Where We Live host Adam Eccleston speaks to Alonzo Chadwick, Executive Director of BRAVO Youth Orchestras. BRAVO is inspired by El Sistema model founded in Venezuela in 1975 to improve the lives of underserved children through intensive orchestral instruction. The organization balances the goals of social improvement and musical rigor. Learn more at oregonbravo.org.
Portland musician and educator Aaron Nigel Smith talks about his collaborative album 'All One Tribe,' which celebrates the rich culture and diversity of Black voices. It was released in 2021 and has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Children's Music category.
Where We Live, celebrating the arts and community leaders.
Host Raúl Gómez-Rojas revisits the Recording Inclusivity Initiative (RII), on the heels of its recent Local that Works contest win, presented by Current.org.
Learn more about RII at ecordinginclusivity.allclassical.org.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein chose the title "Undersong," an archaic term meaning "refrain", which can be found both in the individual pieces (Schumann's Arabesque, and Kreisleriana; Couperin's Les Barricade Mysterieuses), and throughout the entire album.
"All of the music on this album consists of musical forms that have a refrain. Glass, Schumann, Couperin and Satie constantly revisit the same material in these pieces, worrying at it, shifting it to different harmonies and into different rhythmic shapes. Working with this music in the fall of 2020 was a constant reminder that in my afternoon walk in Green-wood Cemetery, I was quite literally treading a familiar path every day, a path that nonetheless had changed almost imperceptibly every time I left the house." - Dinnerstein
In his newest recording for Deutsche Grammophon (released September, 2021), Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson explores Mozart’s music in the context of composers who came before him and who helped Mozart shape his distinctive and immediately recognizable style. Ólafsson speaks with program director John Pitman about how he made connections between Mozart and C.P.E. Bach, as well as important composers of Mozart’s time who aren’t so well known today, such as Baldassare Galuppi, whom Ólafsson regards as a very important and forward-thinking composer of the 18th century.
"Muse" is the name of the debut recording by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. The siblings have recorded together before, in the 2020 release, "Carnival of the Animals", and have performed live many times. "Muse" includes two major 20th century cello sonatas, by Samuel Barber (1932); and Sergei Rachmaninov (1901), as well as shorter pieces by both composers. Sheku and Isata share the joys of performing as siblings (there is no rivalry, both say), and the challenges that have become all too familiar in these times. Hear the rest of the story in their conversation with All Classical Portland's Program Director John Pitman.
John Pitman, All Classical Portland’s Director of Music and Programming, interviews pianist Seong-Jin Cho about the sixth and latest album. Returning to the music of Frédéric Chopin with Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, Cho’s CD was recorded in April of 2021, in Hamburg and London. Seong-Jin shares with John the process, and the special challenges, of recording in a studio with an orchestra during the pandemic and offers his insight into the young Chopin’s approach to the concerto form, as well as to the four Scherzi, which were written at various stages in the composer’s life.
To mark a milestone birthday and celebrate a new chapter in his relationship with the label, French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet was given “carte blanche” by the Decca classical label to choose personal music that he has never recorded before—a selection that reflects on the people and pieces that have impacted his life as an artist while expanding his already diverse repertoire in new directions.
Mr. Thibaudet’s choices on his disc each have a unique story, and he shares the best with host John Pitman in the recorded conversation, which includes brief musical samples. Some pieces were specially arranged for the pianist, such as “Pride and Prejudice” by Dario Marianelli; others arranged by Thibaudet’s teachers (Elgar’s Salut d’amour one example); and still others were arranged by the pianist himself, including an astounding piano version of Barber’s Adagio. Thibaudet’s recording is as much a gift to us as it is to himself and will enhance playlists for years to come.
John’s guest is Jerod Impichchaachaaha' (Im-pih-CHAH-chah-ha) Tate, whose 2009 composition, Lowak Shoppala’ (LO-wak SHO-pah-la), an epic retelling of Chickasaw stories, received its world premiere recording this year. Jerod shares his own stories of growing up in a household of Western classical music, and strong ties to his indigenous roots as well.
John interviews Randall Goosby, whose debut on the Decca label, "Roots," was released this summer (and is being played on All Classical Portland regularly). The disc is an exploration of music written by Black composers and of composers inspired by Black American culture. Randall tells John Pitman about the importance and responsibility of bringing underrepresented composers into the repertoire, finding balance between violin study and sports; and the mentorship of the great violinist Itzhak Perlman, whose summer camp in New York is on, naturally, Shelter Island.
John Pitman, director of Music and Programming at All Classical Portland interviews Portland composer Kenji Bunch about an important world premiere happening a few states away, at the Moab Music Festival in Utah, on September 4.
Inspired by the autobiographical accounts of the incarceration of United States citizens – Japanese-Americans, in World War II – “Lost Freedom: A Memory” is a chamber music piece that is woven with words spoken by a man who, as a boy, was one of those citizens forced from their homes and made to live in desolate camps thousands of miles away from where they had lived: Actor George Takei (Star Trek) will take part in the premiere at Moab Music Festival, reading his own words to Kenji’s newly-composed score. Both Kenji Bunch and George Takei join John for this special Arts Blog conversation about the premiere:
The Austin, Texas-based choir, Conspirare, give voice to poets and writers from across the spectrum of nationality and gender in their latest recording, The Singing Guitar. Founder and director, Craig Hella Johnson, commissioned new works from composers such as Reena Esmail, Nico Muhly, and Kile Smith that highlight the words of the Sufi poet Hafiz, pioneer and indigenous women in the 1880s; and of the Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore.
Giving “The Singing Guitar” an added literal and figurative quality are no fewer than three guitar quartets: the Los Angeles, Texas and Austin quartets are heard most fully in How Little You Are, by Nico Muhly. Cellist Douglas Harvey joins Conspirare for The Dawn’s Early Light, and Craig Hella Johnson’s The Song that I Came to Sing. Listen to John Pitman’s conversation with Johnson to learn more.
ICAN Host, Producer, and Program Manager Sarah Zwinklis chats with Suzanne about the International Children’s Arts Network – All Classical Portland’s second station for children, their families, caregivers, and educators. She reflects on the growth of ICAN, which just celebrated its second birthday.
Founded in 2017 at Portland State University, Queer Opera is dedicated to providing a safe stage for LGBTQIA singers and allies to tell queer stories through the traditional genre of opera. Using unconventional casting methods, roles are matched with individuals based on how they identify, rather than the gender of the role or their voice type.
Oregon ArtsWatch Executive Director Laura Grimes and Senior Editor Bob Hicks talk about exciting projects headed our way this summer, as well as the state of the arts here in Portland and beyond.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, cellist John Henry Crawford has already made strides in the field of classical music, in one case as First Prize winner of the 2019 International Carlos Prieto Competition; and more recently with this debut release, Dialogo. Crawford chose the title after the unaccompanied cello work by Hungarian composer, György Ligeti. In it, the cello portrays both voices, of the composer and the woman he’d fallen for, hence the “dialogue” depicted in the music.
Mr. Crawford also shares the fascinating history of the cello he plays, which has been in his family for over a century. His grandfather, Dr. Robert Popper, saw “the writing on the wall” as Nazism was on the rise in Austria, made a decision that saved both his life and kept the instrument safe. Crawford shares the full story, as well as insight into the cello sonatas of Brahms and Shostakovich, in his conversation with John Pitman. Love seems to flow through each of the pieces that this American cellist plays and makes the voice of the cello a true treasure, rescued from almost certain
Jaren Hillard, Artistic Operations Manager of Chamber Music Northwest, joins Suzanne Nance to talk about their upcoming Reflect & Rejoice Summer Festival! With both live and at-home performance, this festival will feature a thrilling and moving repertoire.
John Pitman Review: Balkan guitarist Miloš debuts new guitar concertos by All Classical Portland
John's latest conversation with American pianist Simone Dinnerstein on her second recording made at home during the pandemic: An American Mosaic. The title is for the multi-movement piece written for her by Richard Danielpour who, finding himself isolated during lockdown, found solace in Ms. Dinnerstein's recordings. Each movement is a portrait of groups of people who responded to the pandemic, both in helpful and obstructive ways. An American Mosaic was commissioned by the Oregon Bach Festival and debuted (online, understandably), by Dinnerstein, and is now available on disc. John's recorded chat with Simone sheds more light on this timely, moving and very personal
Chris Ayzoukian Executive Director of The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, The Reser, and Lani Faith of the Beaverton Arts Foundation discuss the their 100k in 100 days campaign, and look ahead to The Reser opening to the public, hopefully in early 2022.
Program Director John Pitman talks with violinist Karla Donehew Perez, of Catalyst Quartet, about the exciting new project they launched in January called “Uncovered”, focusing on underrepresented composers in classical music. Volume 1 sheds light on three beautiful works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), a British composer who was greatly admired by contemporary audiences, as well as composers such as Edward Elgar. Ms. Donehew Perez shares the story of bringing this music to life – through the challenges of neglected manuscript scores, to educating audiences about composers such as Coleridge-Taylor – and give an indication of an important new series that will go a long way toward restoring these composers to radio playlists and concert programs.
Portland Columbia Symphony’s Executive Director Rebekah Phillips and Music Director & Conductor Steven Byess
Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association’s Artistic Director, Mark Steighner will talk to Suzanne about their upcoming online auction event, The Show Must Go On! and discuss impacts of the pandemic on the Gorge area artists.
Program director John Pitman discusses the second release by the Calidore String Quartet, which contemplates the intersection of music and language. Violinist Estelle Choi, one of the four founding members of Calidore, share how “the desire to explore the innate human drive for communication”, became the focus of their new recording. Choi describes the inspiration for Three Essays by Caroline Shaw, Robert Schumann’s String Quartet No. 3, and String Quartet No. 9 by Dmitri Shostakovich.
Scott Showalter of Oregon Symphony and Lorin Dunlop, Program Director of Murdock Trust, discuss The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s recent grant (of $1 million) to help the Oregon Symphony invest in new, state-of-the-art acoustics and the ability to livestream concerts at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
Host John Pitman talks to Marin Alsop about her passion for mentorship in her work with the Taki Concordia Fellowship. The Taki Fellowship is currently a two-year award that primarily includes intensive coaching and mentoring with Marin Alsop and other music industry professionals.
Host and Producer Raúl Gómez-Rojas dives into the Recording Inclusivity Initiative. The Recording Inclusivity Initiative (RII) was created by All Classical Portland, a public radio station based in the Pacific Northwest, in collaboration with N M Bodecker Foundation and Naxos Records. RII seeks to address the gap of classical music composers and musicians from underrepresented communities that make it into the concert hall and onto the airwaves. With your nominations, we will work together to change America’s playlist by producing new high-quality recordings of classical music by underrepresented composers. Learn more at allclassical.org/recordinginclusivity
John interviews composer Osvaldo Golijov about the new album that features the Silkroad Ensemble. Falling Out of Time, which was written for the ensemble by longtime collaborator/composer Osvaldo Golijov, is an 80-minute tone poem based on David Grossman’s novel about parental grief and loss. In John’s interview with the composer, Mr. Golijov likened it to the dark, late works of Goya and Rembrandt. Falling Out of Time includes 13 tracks featuring 13 members of the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble, and is a Silkroad Ensemble commissioned work.
All Classical Portland's annual Lovefest Concert! Featuring performances recorded live at prior years' Lovefest Concerts, with music by Claude Debussy, James Taylor, Franz Liszt, Kenji Bunch, Cole Porter, and many more.
Join us as we share messages of thanks and love from our community, and express our appreciation for YOU, our listeners!
This program features All Classical Portland’s: Professional Artist in Residence Adam Eccleston, flute Young Artist in Residence Natalie Tan, piano Selected as Young Artist in Residence in partnership with Cognizart by Metro Arts Inc., and the 2020 Young Artists Debut!
This recital was a joy to prepare, and from everyone at All Classical Portland, including Recording Engineer Daniel Hornbeck, Host Christa Wessel, and our Artists in Residents flutist Adam Eccleston and pianist Natalie Tan, we hope you enjoyed this beautiful program.
Recital Program - Hungarian Dance No.1 by Johannes Brahms, Natalie Tan, piano - Ballade by Claude Debussy, Natalie Tan, piano
- Summer, The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, Adam Eccleston, flute; Maria Garcia, piano
- The Butterfly by Ernesto Kohler, Adam Eccleston, flute; Maria Garcia, piano
- Bati I’gani (I have come into my garden) by Meira Warshauer, Adam Eccleston, flute
- Serenata e Tango by Francesco Santucci, Adam Eccleston, flute; Maria Garcia, piano
- Panamanian Impressions by Andrés Carrizo, Adam Eccleston, flute; Maria Garcia, piano
- Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy, Adam Eccleston, flute; Maria Garcia, piano
Artists in Residence is part of JOY (Joyous Outreach to You/th), All Classical Portland’s program dedicated to increasing equity and inclusivity in the arts. Learn more at allclassical.org/joy
The pandemic has disrupted the lives and professional routines of artists all over the world. In the realm of classical music, it has been a huge adjustment as musicians wait at home for concert halls to once again fill with audiences who can safely hear them. New York City-based pianist Simone Dinnerstein, having had to cancel her concert season, found herself at home like so many. In June, with encouragement from her audio producer, Simone recorded on her Hamburg Steinway several etudes by Philip Glass, and the final piano sonata of Franz Schubert. They work wonderfully together, conveying "A Character of Quiet" that has become a part of our lives. It's a welcome sound to fill that space.
Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), is arguably the most important female composer of the 20th century, and more and more, becoming established as a major figure in classical music. Yet despite the inherent quality of her works, the great range of genres (her opera, The Wreckers, was the only opera by a female composer performed at the Met, until Saariajo's L'Amour Loin in 2016), there are some works which have never been recorded. Her only symphony, The Prison (1930) has just been released in its world premiere recording (Chandos). You'll learn more about this remarkable woman - a suffragette, by the way, as well as composer and conductor - in my conversation with the recording's conductor, James Blachly. Both the conversation, and the music, are revelatory.
The ninth episode of the Complete Works of Winnie-the-Pooh features A.A. Milne's tales ‘In Which a House is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore’ and 'The Mirror.'
The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation advances equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities and promote positive social change with American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States.
“The Shape of Music” is a five-part series where Mete Bakircioglu takes you through the magic of music—how it works and what makes it sound so good. Music is an art form that we’re all familiar with to a certain degree. It’s the sounds that make us want to move or laugh or cry or try new things.
What do you give to the bear who has everything? A Pooh Party of course! We join Christopher Robin as he celebrates his best friend, plus! More beautiful stories from A. A. Milne.
The residents of the Hundred Acre Wood are back at it again! This episode is a telling of A.A. Milne's 'Solitude,' 'The Doormouse and the Doctor, ' 'Come Out with Me,' and more!
"Strings for Peace" is a beautiful expression of hope for peace by Isbin and a family of musicians in India, headed by sarod player, Amjad Ali Khan and his two sons.
A showcase of works written for Isbin by composers from all around the world. "Affinity" is the name of a new concerto written by Chris Brubeck (son of jazz great Dave).
A. A. Milne's 'In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition to the North Pole,' 'Little Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue,' 'The Three Foxes' and more!
In this episode you'll hear the classic tale from A. A. Milne, 'In Which Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest, and Piglet Has a Bath' as well as Happiness,' 'The Invaders,' 'In the Dark' and more!
Over the course of this free, six-part series created by Oregon Symphony Creative Chair Gabriel Kahane and director Holcombe Waller, you will experience dozens of heartfelt musical performances, each accompanied by stirring imagery inspired by the stories of essential workers in a particular sector. You will hear stories like that of an Oregon Symphony percussionist, whose cousin went from frontline healthcare worker to COVID patient – and his musical dedication to her.
Directed by Emmanuel Henreid (also known as Onry) and produced by Portland nonprofit creative studio Future Prairie, Livin’ in the Light documents Onry’s experience as a Black, male, professional opera and crossover singer in Portland, OR. The documentary aims to shed light on the effects of the 2020 global health crisis and racial inequity and injustice.
The State of the Arts featuring Meagan Iverson, Operations Director of Sunriver Music Festival
The fourth program in the Winnie-the-Pooh series continues with 'In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents.' You'll also hear, Buttercup Days,' 'The Morning Walk,' 'Journey's End,' and more!
Special Edition of The State of the Arts with Scott Showalter following two big announcements over the last week: The Oregon Symphony issued a press release about the cancellation of all concerts and events for the remainder of 2020. Also, the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board voted more than $200 million on Tuesday for Covid-19 relief, including a $50 million package for arts and cultural organizations and venues throughout the state.
The Complete Works of Winnie-the-Pooh continues as we listen to In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump.
All Classical Portland is committed to giving our arts leaders and performers a platform throughout the year, and during this unique and difficult time, it is especially important to understand what’s happening in our local arts ecosystem. Through a series of written articles and on-air interviews, we will share the mic with our arts partners and friends and ask them to tell their story highlighting current joys, challenges, and innovations. In this episode, Suzanne Nance interviews flutist Adam Eccleston, All Classical Portland’s 2020 Artist-in-Residence and Program Director at Bravo Youth Orchestras.
The second episode in The Complete Works of Winnie-the-Pooh. This program features 'In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Stuck in a Tight Place.'
The first story in the Complete Works of Winnie-the-Pooh series. We are introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh from the classic A. A. Milne books. This episode features excerpts 'In Which We are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh', 'Us Two', 'In Which Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting and Nearly Catch a Woozle', and 'Vespers.'
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, at 25, has already made a strong impression in the world of Baroque opera and beyond, with his powerful yet supple voice. The American countertenor, who has made several recordings (including contemporary music, such as by Kenneth Fuchs), specializes in 18th century music, when the male singer known as the Castrato reigned supreme. Nowadays a specially-developed voice technique, countertenors are prominent parts of productions such as in Handel's Saul, recorded recently by Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan. Mr. Cohen shares some great stories about his experiences singing onstage, the history of countertenors, and his almost-Portland debut in "Bazajet" before the pandemic brought that opportunity to a standstill. Host John Pitman shares his interview, along with selections featuring this prominent young singer.
All Classical Portland is committed to giving our arts leaders and performers a platform throughout the year, and during this unique and difficult time, it is especially important to understand what’s happening in our local arts ecosystem. Through a series of written articles and on-air interviews, we will share the mic with our arts partners and friends and ask them to tell their story highlighting current joys, challenges, and innovations. This week, Suzanne Nance interviews poet, healing artist, & creative revolutionist S. Renee Mitchell.
Host John Pitman chats with the great Swedish mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie Von Otter about her performance of a new work by American composer, Caroline Shaw. Title "Is a Rose", the three-movement song cycle is sung by Von Otter with San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, as Shaw has written the work with Baroque ensembles - and Ms. Von Otter - in mind. Next, John talks with the composer herself, touching on the song cycle and her first oratorio, The Listeners, which was inspired by the gold record created for the Voyager spacecraft. Music from Shaw's new works are interwoven with the conversation.
All Classical Portland is committed to giving our arts leaders and performers a platform throughout the year, and during this unique and difficult time, it is especially important to understand what’s happening in our local arts ecosystem. Through a series of written articles and on-air interviews, we will share the mic with our arts partners and friends and ask them to tell their story highlighting current joys, challenges, and innovations. This week, Suzanne Nance interviews the President & CEO of Britt Music and Arts Festival Donna Briggs, and the Music Director of Britt Festival Orchestra Teddy Abrams.
Violinist Niv Ashkenazi plays one of a handful of restored violins that survived the Holocaust, and his debut recording, "Violins of Hope" (Albany Records) is a document of the perseverance of the instruments' original owners. Mr. Ashkenazi, along with pianist and fellow Juillard student, pianist Matthew Graybil, breathe life into music that, in some cases, was written and played in the camps on these very violins. The styles and moods of the music is of wonderful variety: heartfelt, melodious, modern, and sometimes humorous. The recording ensures that the story, the very lives of these human beings, will never be forgotten.
Suzanne Nance interviews Dr. Ethan Sperry; Artistic Director, Oregon Repertory Singers.
All Classical Portland is committed to giving our arts leaders and performers a platform throughout the year, and during this unique and difficult time, it is especially important to understand what’s happening in our local arts ecosystem. Through a series of written articles and on-air interviews, we will share the mic with our arts partners and friends and ask them to tell their story highlighting current joys, challenges, and innovations. This week, Suzanne Nance interviews Abigail McKee, Executive Director of Portland Baroque Orchestra.
Donald Nally is the artistic director of one of this country's most adventurous and creative choirs, The Crossing. John Pitman talks to the conductor about Michael Gordon's Anonymous Man, a 65-minute choral work in 7 movements, which is a memoir of Gordon's life with his family on Desbrosses Street in lower Manhattan in the 1980s. New York, especially Tribeca, was very different then: the legendary lofts that artists could afford to live in were in that area, since replaced through gentrification. But one constant has been the presence of houseless people, and Gordon's work shares his personal interactions with two men who lived on the street in his neighborhood then. A compelling document of a specific time and place, but which could really be anyplace, including here.
The Miró Quartet, who visited Portland in February hosted by Chamber Music NW, are celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth with the release of the complete string quartets. They began around 2005 with the Opus 18 (Beethoven’s first published set), recording them at the same age the composer was when he wrote them, in other words their late twenties.
While they realized it might not be practical to wait until they were in their 50s and 60s to finish the Opus 135, violinist Daniel Ching and violist John Largess do share the story of how they went about recording the complete set, as well as shedding light on America’s early encounters with the string quartet repertoire through several trailblazing groups of the early 20th century.
Adam Eccleston shares personal reflections on his favorite music by Black and Brown composers.
Warren Black interviews Portland composer and pianist Darrell Grant, about his chamber opera in progress, Sanctuaries. It tells the story of a community experiencing gentrification in Portland’s Albina district.
Gentrification in Portland and the city’s redlining past go under the microscope in Darrell Grant’s jazz opera, Sanctuaries, a new work commissioned and produced by Third Angle New Music. This world premiere, site-specific opera is composed by critically acclaimed jazz pianist Darrell Grant (who ‘Gramophone’ has called “a composer of substance”), with libretto by two-time National Poetry Slam Individual Champion Anis Mojgani and stage direction by LA-based opera director Alexander Gedeon. Blending elements of jazz, spoken word, and devised theater, Sanctuaries speaks to the experience of displaced residents of color in Portland's historically black Albina district.
The Portland Winter Light Festival (PDXWLF) is an annual event of the Willamette Light Brigade, a non-profit arts organization. PDXWLF is presented to guests for free and builds community by bringing art and technology to inclusive audiences while invigorating Portland in the winter.
American pianist Jonathan Biss has just completed a 9-year journey exploring the piano sonatas of Ludwig Van Beethoven. In his conversation, Mr. Biss shares how each sonata revealed a different side of the composer's character, which was definitely much more than the scowling face we often see on CD covers and books. The journey was also one of discovery for the pianist himself: Mr. Biss certainly doesn't feel like he's in the same place as when he started nearly a decade ago.
Black History Festival NW is a Celebration of Culture and Heritage Showcasing African American artists, businesses, organizations and leaders. Through arts, education and advocacy 365 days a year, utilizing Black History Month to celebrate Black excellence, bridge gaps, amplify truth, unity, and hope in the Pacific NW.
2020 (specifically, January 27) marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the WWII concentration camp that is symbolic of the persecution and murder of millions of Jews and other groups by the Nazi regime. In addition to the handful of people who survived the camps, a small body of art, including music, has emerged over time. Music written by prisoners of the Nazis who persevered in their art despite the conditions. The string trio Black Oak Ensemble (violinist Desirée Ruhrstrat, violist Aurélian Fort Pederzoli and cellist David Cunliffe) first encounter of much of this music was in a shop in Budapest, and at first, they didn’t know the circumstances of the composers of these works. This debut disc is the result of several years of research and performance, including at the Czech camp at Terezín.
The music is at times filled with a sense of foreboding, at other times sadness, but also great energy and even humor. They were written between the late 1920s (when the first signs of fascism were appearing in parts of Europe) to the 1930s era of persecution, and finally to the last years of the war (most of the composers went from places like Terezín, where artists were kept, to the death camps such as Auschwitz. Only one composer on the disc, Géza Frid, survived the war and lived in the Netherlands to 1989).
The interview is with Cunliffe and Pederzoli, who share their unique connection and admiration for this music which, finally, is “silenced” no more.
The Montenegro-born guitarist Miloš has just released his fifth album, and the first in about 3 years. Sound of Silence (Decca) is, in a way, autobiographical: in 2016, just after the release of his Beatles-inspired disc, Blackbird, Miloš began experiencing a tightness in his hand that affected his ability to play. He eventually stepped away from his busy schedule of successful international concerts, and too the time to heal. He used this time to reacquaint himself with the simple joy of listening. Miloš heard old favorites in new ways (such as Simon and Garfunkel’s melancholy “The Sound of Silence”), and new songs by artists such as Portishead, Skylar Grey and The Magnetic Fields. He eventually regained his full playing ability, and now, with this new album, shares his own playing with listeners around the world once again. Only this time, he’s taking time to enjoy the silence between the notes.
Taking their name from the Gaelic word for kinship, “The Gaelic Super Group” Dàimh (pronounced dive) are based entirely in the West Highlands of Scotland. From pyrotechnic jigs and reels to achingly poignant ballads, they run the full expressive gamut of folk music at its best and are renowned for their thrilling live shows.
Violinist Margaret Batjer has been associated with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a number of years. In their first CD for the Swedish BIS label, Batjer and the LACO begin with a new violin concerto by Quebec-born composer, Pierre Jalbert. With movements titled “Soulful, mysterious”, and “With great energy”, Jalbert’s concerto is in good hands with Ms. Batjer, no stranger to contemporary music. She ties this newest work to established, mystical pieces by Estonian Arvo Pärt (one of his Fratres pieces), and Latvian Peteris Vasks (Lonely Angel). Completing the circle among these spiritualistic composers, J. S. Bach’s Concerto in A Minor reminds us that whether sacred or secular, Bach approached composition with equal seriousness.
Guitarist Sharon Isbin has recorded nearly everything in her instrument's repertoire. Still, it's refreshing to hear that, when an artist such as Ms. Isbin revisits a work (such as the Vivaldi D Major concerto), she gives us an interpretation with subtle differences from what came before. On "Souvenirs of Spain and Italy", Isbin partners with Pacifica Quartet, so the Vivaldi has an especially intimate feel to it. The disc also sheds light on works that have stayed in the shadows somewhat. The Quintet by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco is such a work. Turina's "Bullfighter's Prayer" and Boccherini's Quintet with the Fandango finale (complete with castanets and tambourine) give us a well-rounded tour of the Iberian and Italian peninsulas.
John Pitman Review: Craig Phillips NY Polyphony Chat With Music by All Classical Portland
John Pitman Review - Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis: American Rapture by All Classical Portland
John Pitman Review: A Korean cellist in Paris (Hee-Young Lim plays French cello concertos) by All Classical Portland
Polish-Canadian pianist Katarzyna Musiał loves to play Chopin. She also loves Gershwin. However, the music that truly stirs her heart? The music of Spain. With good reason, too. In her conversation with program director John Pitman, Musiał shares how Spanish music and culture became her passion: it was a part of her upbringing, thanks to her parents who took her there many times.
“Spanish Heart” is Musiał’s second CD, and celebrates the diverse styles, rhythms and cultures of the Iberian Peninsula, in music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The familiar (Sevillanas, Ritual Fire Dance), and refreshing (Danza de la rosa is exquisite) populate a CD program that is as colorful as Spain itself. Katarzyna Musiał performed in Portland when she was here to record the interview; here’s hoping that her “Spanish Heart” will lead her back so that Portland audiences can experience her passion for this music sometime again.
Verselandia! is a city-wide event features students from Parkrose, Roosevelt, Metropolitan Learning Center, Benson, Lincoln, Gresham, Franklin, Madison, Wilson, Jefferson, Grant, and Cleveland high schools competing for poetic glory. Verselandia! is the Grand Slam for the winners from individual school slams hosted by public high school library media specialists.
Following the same rules as national poetry slams, students must perform original work without props, costumes, or music in front of a panel of judges and a live audience. Using a scale of one to ten, Verselandia judges will rate both the performance and the writing of each student. Five students with the top scores will walk away with great prizes, but only one will be a champion.
Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki continues his exploration of, an interest in the different facets of Romanticism, following his Chopin CD with this new one of Mendelssohn's piano concertos. The concertos anchor the CD, but are not the only highlight: Lisiecki tells me (in our conversation), that from the beginning he wanted to incorporate the "Serious Variations", and the "Rondo Capriccioso", which capture your attention with their virtuosity and melodic content. Jan's parents are Polish, and was able to record these works in his adopted country (he has dual citizenship), with New York's Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Lisiecki collaborates with the OCO in such as way that the concertos have the intimacy of chamber music, which lets their various facets shine.
Matthew Lipman is a 2015 Avery Fisher Grant winner, has recorded with Rachel Barton Pine and Sir Neville Marriner. Since graduating from Juilliard Lipman is now on the viola faculty at Sony Brook University and concertizes around the world. His debut CD, Ascent, is in tribute in part to his mother (d. 2014), and commissioned “Metamorfose” from Clarice Assad in her memory. In his conversation with program director John Pitman, Lipman shares stories of how he transitioned from trumpet to viola in grade school; his somewhat awkward first session with his longtime piano partner Henry Kramer; and makes the case that there are enough quality works for his instrument to deflate the inevitable viola jokes. Lipman’s recording is a regular feature of All Classical’s playlist.
Soprano Joyce DiDonato's recording projects are seldom conventional. Her last, "Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project" featured original songs to texts by new mothers, some of whom were experiencing financial insecurity. Her newest, Songplay, goes back to her roots as a budding singer. She rediscovered the arias that all young singers are taught, and then set aside. What makes these new are the jazz greats who join her, including pianist and collaborator Craig Terry. Joining them are Charlie Porter (trumpet), Chuck Israels (bass), and Jimmy Madison (drums). The result proves that the music, and the lyrics, lend themselves well to other styles.
Bridging Voices (The Portland GSA Youth Chorus) is a youth chorus for gay, straight and questioning youth, ages 13-21, and strives to be a safe, accessible place for youth to experience empowerment and unity through music. It is Portland’s first Queer/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus and is one of the largest choruses of its kind, in the nation.
British-born Nicholas McGegan has been directing San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra since the 1980s (about the time that this interviewer started in radio), and has had many sweet successes during that time in bringing great Baroque works to audiences around the world. One of the sweetest for McGegan happened just a few years ago, when he mounted a production of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera, Le Temple de la Gloire (The Temple of Glory). What made this production remarkable, besides the exquisite performance, is that the original manuscript had been in UC Berkeley’s archives during the time that McGegan was busy with the Philharmonia. The music is dazzling, and full of life, humor and emotion. Maestro McGegan shares the story with program director John Pitman.
Any time that a pianist undertakes to record a complete set of anything in classical music, it’s bound to be an endeavor taking considerable time and effort. Take on the 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven, plus all the other solo piano pieces by one of music’s giants, and I imagine that it must be daunting. Enter Llŷr Williams, who has been lauded for his interpretations of the great man’s music, who took a different approach than the many who have come before: rather than arrange them in published order, the Welsh-born pianist paired pieces together by their relative character, and how well they sound together. As a programmer of a radio station, this is something I can relate to (although for me, the work of performing has already been done!). Williams shares his experiences recording late into the night with a live audience in London’s Wigmore Hall, and insight into the composer, who as his deafness increased, retreated into his own world. As a result, we received the gift of some of the most sublime music for piano ever written
The great 20th century cellist, Pablo Casals, was the first in the world to record all six of Bach’s suites for unaccompanied cello. This was in 1939. Before this, people only considered the suites as study pieces. Casals proved them wrong, and now the suites are among the most beloved works for the instrument of all time.
Amit Peled, an Israeli-born former basketball player (he’s 6’ 5”), now a Peabody professor who happened upon an opportunity only granted a handful of cellists: Casals’ widow (Marta Casals Istomin) entrusted Peled with this instrument, for six years. Peled’s recording is the first, since Casals, performing all six suites on the very instrument that brought this music to the world.
Early in her career, violinist Hilary Hahn took on music that many before her wouldn't approach until they were a little older. She chose three of the six unaccompanied violin works of J.S. Bach, a set regarded as the pinnacle of solo violin repertoire. Now, 21 years later, Hahn returns to complete the set. Naturally, her interpretation may sound different, but one constant remains: Hilary Hahn is very much at home with these 6 pieces. She shares more about it with All Classical Portland's program director John Pitman.
Youth Roving Reporter Connor Barrow: Adam LaMotte, Portland Baroque Orchestra by All Classical Portland
A Life, Portland Center Stage - A wickedly irreverent play about the meaning of life. Nate Martin is hopelessly single. When his most recent breakup casts him into a funk, he turns to the only source of wisdom he trusts: the stars. Poring over astrological charts, he obsessively questions his past and his place in the cosmos. The answer he gets is shockingly obvious — and totally unpredictable.
Nina's work as a soloist is now sometimes found in a concert hall, but more likely in bars and cafes around Portland. Though she has trained classically for most of her life and currently plays full time with the Oregon Symphony, her solo repertoire is heavily influenced by bassists whose approach and compositions straddle the worlds of classical, bluegrass, Latin, and Middle Eastern music, including François Rabbath, Edgar Meyer, and Renaud Garcia-Fons. Her choice of venue is inspired by the renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz, who began playing in a variety of nightclubs and restaurants amidst a successful solo career, hoping to bring classical music to more unconventional audiences. Nina's sets combine a variety of styles and pieces, incorporating jazz standards and fiddle tunes amidst the more traditional Bach cello suites.
Oregon Food Bank collects food from farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, individuals and government sources. OFB distributes that food through a Statewide Network of 21 Regional Food Banks and approximately 1,200 food assistance sites serving all of Oregon and Clark County, Washington.
Cellist and composer Zoë Keating is a one-woman orchestra. She uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, creating intricate, haunting and compelling music. Zoë is known for both her use of technology - which she uses to sample her cello onstage - and for her DIY approach, releasing her music online without the help of a record label.
MAGELLANICA by E.M. Lewis. Directed by Dámaso Rodríguez. In 1986, scientists and engineers from around the world converge at the South Pole Research Station to figure out, among other things, if there really is a hole in the sky. In the darkest, coldest, most dangerous place on Earth, eight imperfect souls are trapped together. Utterly isolated from the outside world for eight and a half months, this research team must face life or death challenges, their own inner demons and depend upon each other for survival.
Blending their classical training with an eclectic taste in musical styles, PROJECT Trio offers concerts that combine the virtuosity of world-class artists with the energy of rock stars. Using social media to broaden their reach beyond the concert stage and classroom, the Trio has its own YouTube channel, which has over 80 million views and 96,000 subscribers, making PROJECT Trio one of the most watched instrumental ensembles on the internet. Young musicians from Metropolitan Youth Symphony joined Project Trio on stage for this not-to-be-missed concert.
Youth Roving Reporter Emma Clark interviewed Salvador Brotons, conductor of The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Renowned conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane joins forces with Austin's Miró Quartet to perform Dvořák’s "Piano Quintet in A Major" after the Quartet tackles Dvořák’s "Cypresses and Schumann’s Quartet in A Minor" on their own.
Portland Youth Philharmonic presented the title oratorio by Richard Einhorn in conjunction with Carl Dreyer’s iconic 1928 silent film, The Passion of Joan of Arc. The event takes place in collaboration with Northwest Film Center, as part of their 34th Reel Music Festival. Voices of Light includes live performances by Camerata PYP, In Mulieribus, three Portland State University choirs, as well as celebrated vocal soloists Catherine van der Salm, Hannah Penn, Brian Tierney, and Anton Belov.
Portland’s Inaugural South Asian American Arts Festival is an all-ages, multi-cultural celebration that showcases and highlights South Asian arts and artists living and working in America. Poets, musicians, storytellers, dancers, and multimedia artists present performances, demonstrations, and workshops. The Festival also hosts community conversations and panel discussions on topics of social justice, the immigrant life, cross-cultural community and friendship, and youth initiatives.
Tesla: Light, Sound, Color brings lightning to the stage with live physics demonstrations, digital animation, an original string and electronic musical score, and contemporary choreography.
Project Prelude is a student-run nonprofit organization that aims to expand the accessibility of music education by connecting high school musicians with students from economically disadvantaged schools through free music lessons. Currently, we run after-school group lesson programs at three different schools in the Portland area, teaching flute and violin to more than 140 fourth and fifth students. Our classes are completely free, and we provide instruments and supplies for our students. We also run a private lesson program, in which our students have the opportunity to take free private lessons from experienced musicians.
PHAME is a fine and performing arts academy serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We offer three ten-week terms of arts-based classes each year, as well as many performance opportunities. Taught by talented arts education professionals, our classes include visual art, acting, choir, dance, musical theatre and many more.
The mission of The Children’s Book Bank is to fill children’s homes and lives with beautiful, engaging books. Through our flagship Building Home Libraries program, The Children’s Book Bank provides children from birth through kindergarten with home libraries containing a collection of age-appropriate books. We serve every Head Start child in Multnomah County in addition to local preschool programs that help children develop pre-reading skills such as recognizing the look and sounds of letters; reading from top to bottom and left to right; and understanding how letters make words, words make sentences, and sentences make stories.
Inspired by the Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) Federal Music Project during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild is a summer concert series that celebrates both classical music and the Oregon outdoors in experiences that are accessible to all Oregonians, regardless of economic status, political affiliation, education, or age. With a 9’ Steinway grand piano on a trailer, pianist Hunter Noack replaces the traditional concert hall with forests, fields, and deserts. The live classical music is transmitted to the audience through wireless headphones, which gives them freedom to wander through each landscape.
WOMEN SINGING WOMEN, a concert of audacious new music by female composers celebrating the experiences, questions, autonomy, and generally kick-ass nature of women. Resonance Ensemble embarks on an exploration of music by women about their experiences as women, including the world premiere of a new commission by award winning composer, Melissa Dunphy. Dedicated to music made by women, spotlighting works by female composers and poets. Featured composers include Suzanne Vega, Carol Barnett, Lori Laitman, Ysaye Barnwell, Joan Szymko, and more.
The mission of Lan Su Chinese Garden is to cultivate an oasis of tranquil beauty and harmony to inspire, engage and educate our global community in the appreciation of a richly authentic Chinese culture. Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of Portland's greatest treasures and most interesting sites to see while visiting Portland. Lan Su was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou, China and is one the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China. Much more than just a beautiful botanical garden, Lan Su is a creative wonder — a powerfully inspiring experience based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition that melds art, architecture, design and nature in perfect harmony.
p:ear builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.
The Piano Santa Foundation is dedicated to promoting and enhancing music education for children in the Portland Metropolitan area. PSF offers a unique program including piano scholarships for students, piano placement grants for community organizations, group performance events, after school group keyboard classes and a music lending library.
Each season your Oregon Symphony produces renowned classical programming that’s a feast for the ears and the eyes. In 2018, award-winning storytellers bring standards of the repertoire to life in three unexpected, vividly imagined collaborations. Sound Stories is a collection of stories from our audience, about how music has impacted your life. We want to know about the first time you heard the Oregon Symphony, about your favorite musical memories from your childhood, and more.
Started by Harold and Arlene Schnitzer in 1997, the CommuniCare program channels The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation’s commitment to small, community giving through a school-based youth philanthropy program. In its 21-year history, students have granted over $1,250,000 to 296 nonprofit organizations and many additional school programs. Stewardship and education are of primary importance to Harold and Arlene’s son, Jordan Schnitzer, who is honoring his parents’ legacy and commitment by expanding the CommuniCare program.
The Lullaby Project – conceived by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute – uses the creative process of songwriting to improve maternal health and child bonds with pregnant women and new mothers experiencing housing insecurity and other challenging life situations. Together with musicians from the Oregon Symphony and local singer-songwriters, mothers and mothers-to-be are creating personal lullabies for their children, expressing their hopes and dreams for the future.
The Inclusive Arts Vibe Dance Company provides integrated dance classes, and is inclusive of youth with and without disabilities. Dancers aged 12-22+ have the opportunity to learn structured improvisation through DanceAbility Methodology, how to choreograph movement including creating their own solos or small ensembles, and expand their movement vocabulary through learning contemporary dance. IAVDC emphasizes individual expression of movement and building an equitable community through dance. All choreography builds on the dancers unique minds and bodies, and each dancer contributes to the choreography in their own way. Participating in Inclusive Arts Vibe is a way for young dancers to develop artistic expressions, positive identities, leadership skills, and experience a working model of social justice in the arts.
We Oregonians claim Morten Lauridsen as "one of our own", as the world-renowned choral composer was born in this state. Lauridsen was in the first graduating class of Beaverton High School. While Lauridsen has spent much of his time teaching at USC, he maintains a connection to the Pacific Northwest by composing on an island in Puget Sound, and visiting his home town from time to time to collaborate with local choral groups. Two recordings were released very close to one another: "Shadows on the Stars" with Oregon Repertory Singers and Ethan Sperry; and "Eternal Light", with the Chamber Choir of Europe, directed by Nicol Matt. Mr. Lauridsen has high praise for both in his conversation with program director John Pitman, who interjects the chat with Lauridsen's transformative music.
Baritone Benjamin Appl, who was born in Bavaria and now performs in recitals and concerts around the world, was introduced to the music of Bach as a chorister at the age of 6. His new CD, titled simply “Bach”, does what Mr. Appl did here in Portland in January: Taking us, the audience, on a journey. His Portland “Heimat” recital was a journey of feelings for home and family; “Bach” is a journey through the Lutheran church calendar, which Bach followed through his life in his weekly cantatas. Appl describes Bach as containing “a huge ocean of emotions”, everything from pain in one’s heart during Holy Week; to light-hearted cheer in Bach’s secular cantatas written for Zimmermann’s Kaffeehaus in Leipzig! Hear more in program director John Pitman’s chat with Benjamin