Summer Arts Preview – Music
June 9th, 2011Travel Portland is working with Oregon Arts Watch, a new, nonprofit journalism enterprise, to cover upcoming art exhibits, performances and events in the city.
Here are some of this summer’s music highlights (see visual arts and theater highlights):
Emerson String Quartet (photo credit: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco)
Chamber Music Northwest
Various venues
June 20-July 24
The summer center of Portland’s vital chamber music scene, the 30 concerts in the 41st annual edition of this festival include the world premiere of a new clarinet quintet commissioned from composer Marc Neikrug (July 1); classic unfinished works by Bach, Mozart, Schubert and others completed by leading contemporary composers and performed by the Brentano String Quartet (July 9); and perhaps the world’s most accomplished classical foursome, the Emerson Quartet (July 16).
CMNW’s fascinating Protégé Club Concerts, including programs dedicated to French impressionists (July 10) and percussion music (July 17), bring promising 20-something musicians to venues usually associated with indie rock bands. The festival’s closing concert on July 24 honors recently deceased CMNW founder Sergiu Luca with the Miro Quartet, artistic director David Shifrin and others playing music of Mahler, Shostakovich and Ravel.
Schola Cantorum de Venezuela (image courtesy of Oregon Bach Festival)
Oregon Bach Festival
Various venues
July 6 and July 9
Most of the action takes place in Eugene, but the venerable summer festival is making increasing inroads in Portland, including Beethoven’s majestic Symphony No. 9 at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (July 9) and the great Schola Cantorum of Venezuela at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (July 6).
Portland Piano International Summer Festival
World Forestry Center, Miller Hall
July 12-17
The annual summer series for pianophiles features preeminent keyboard artists in master classes, lectures and recitals. Standout performances include Anthony de Mare playing music by contemporary composers (July 12), Lara Downes playing an all-American program (July 14), Sarah Cahill and Portland’s Tomas Svoboda covering early experimental American tunes, Stephanie and Saar performing more 20th century Americana and the music of Stravinsky (July 16), and the renowned era-sampler Christopher O’Riley tackling everything from J.S. Bach to Radiohead (July 17).
William Byrd Festival
Various venues
Aug. 12-28
The annual series dedicated to England’s greatest Renaissance composer features the terrific Cantores in Ecclesia choir directed by English conductor Richard Marlow.
Tags: classical, classical music, oregon arts watch, Summer
