Fall Arts Preview: Classical Music
August 29th, 2011This fall’s classical music season is far more eclectic than in days of old when warhorse symphonies dominated. The concert of the season, for example, might be S? Percussion’s account of Steve Reich and John Cage, and the Oregon Symphony’s fall season features Dawn Upshaw singing great American songs and a Pink Martini collaboration. On the other hand, Portland Baroque Orchestra will settle in for Vivaldi and In Mulieribus will sing a program of women composers, ancient and contemporary. Here are some of the highlights.
Thomas Lauderdale and Storm Large
Oregon Symphony with Pink Martini – Sept. 11-13
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1111 S.W. Broadway
Pink Martini pianist Thomas Lauderdale isn’t just classically trained — he’s a longtime symphony supporter and current board member, so these collaborations between the city’s orchestra (fresh off its Carnegie Hall triumph) and its bubbly retro-Latin big band amount to much more than the usual crossover fare.
Portland Vocal Consort – Sept. 11
The Grotto, 8840 N.E. Skidmore St.
In a free tribute to the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the choral ensemble will sing some of history’s most moving requiems by Spanish Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria and Samuel Barber, as well as patriotic songs.
Uri Caine
Uri Caine – Sept. 20
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E. Burnside St.
The latest in Portland Piano International’s intimate, edgier series brings the jazz-tinged classical pianist and composer to town to explore the delightful possibilities along the boundaries of each genre.
Oregon Symphony with Dawn Upshaw - Oct. 1
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1111 S.W. Broadway
The most adventurous classical singer of our time joins the orchestra for some American tunes (Gershwin, Bernstein, Sondheim); Benjamin Britten’s The Illuminations; and more.
Ebène Quartet – Oct. 3-4
Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland State University, 1620 S.W. Park Ave.
Friends of Chamber Music hosts this French foursome that has electrified the chamber music world with its covers of rock songs and its elegant, energetic performance of the great French repertoire by Debussy, Ravel and others.
In Mulieribus
In Mulieribus – Oct. 8
St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1716 N.W. Davis St.
The sublime women’s choral ensemble begins its fifth season by celebrating female composers from the earliest known (Kassia, Hildegard of Bingen) to today, including Portland’s Joan Szymko and a world premiere from New York composer Kay Rhie.
Inon Barnatan – Oct. 9
Newmark Theatre, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 S.W. Broadway
In this Portland Piano International recital, the Israeli-born pianist brings a program of music ranging from Schubert’s great sonatas to Ravel, Debussy, Britten and renowned contemporary British composer Thomas Ades.
Portland Baroque Orchestra – Oct. 14-16
Oct. 14-15: First Baptist Church, 909 S.W. 11th Ave.
Oct. 16: Kaul Auditorium, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.
Acclaimed Scottish soprano Susan Hamilton joins artistic director and violinist Monica Huggett and the other historically informed instrumentalists in music by Vivaldi, among others.
Oregon Repertory Singers – Oct.15-16
Oct. 15: Lincoln Hall, Portland State University, 1620 S.W. Park Ave.
Oct. 16: First United Methodist Church, 1838 S.W. Jefferson St.
Promising new artistic director Ethan Sperry, a PSU prof, takes over from longtime leader Gil Seeley (who’ll also appear) with a program of Mozart, Mendelsssohn, Samuel Barger and younger composers, as well as a Native American ritual song.
Third Angle with Eve Beglarian – Oct. 21
Alberta Rose Theater, 3000 N.E. Alberta St.
Rescheduled from last year after a death in the composer’s family, Beglarian’s music, stories and images, performed by the Northwest’s pre-eminent new music ensemble, trace her recent journey down the Mississippi from its Minnesota source to its Gulf of Mexico terminus.
Portland Chamber Orchestra – Oct. 22
Kaul Auditorium, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.
The city’s most inventive classical music outfit celebrates Franz Liszt’s bicentennial and Halloween with the Hungarian Romantic composer’s Dance of Death and Piano Concerto No. 1, the world premiere of electronica composer Duncan Neilson’s The Monster (with animated film), and the Northwest premiere of contemporary Austrian composer HK Gruber’s Frankenstein!!
S? Percussion
S? Percussion – Oct. 24
Kaul Auditorium, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.
In the most striking concert of the fall, the dazzling young New York-based trio plays music by America’s greatest living composer, Steve Reich; John Cage; originals; and more.
Resonance Ensemble – Oct. 29
Agnes Flanagan Chapel, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road
The exciting new chorus performs Hugo Distler’s theatrical 1934 Dance of Death, along with music by Brahms and others.
Tags: classical, classical music, concerts
