THIRD ANGLE TO PERFORM INNOVATIVE, CONTEMPORARY WORKS
AT CHAMBER MUSIC ON TAP CONCERT
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Portland, Ore. … The Northwest's premier contemporary chamber ensemble, Third Angle, will perform a program of "classic" 20th-century works in a Chamber Music on Tap concert Wednesday, March 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at BridgePort BrewPub (1313 N.W. Marshall St., Portland). Chamber Music on Tap, sponsored by BridgePort Brewing Company, is presented by Fortissimo, the Oregon Symphony's young professional volunteer organization.

Known for its bold and innovative programming, Third Angle will perform Bartók's energetic "Contrasts," Messiaen's deeply probing Quartet for the End of Time and "Birds in Warped Time II" by experimental Japanese composer Somei Satoh. "This is a rather serious program, but I think the audience will enjoy it," said Third Angle's Artistic Director and Oregon Symphony violinist Ron Blessinger.

Founded in 1985, the ensemble is comprised of nine artists including cellist Hamilton Chiefetz, pianist Susan DeWitt Smith, percussionist Mark Goodenberger, flutist GeorgeAnn Ries and Oregon Symphony members Todd Kuhns (clarinet), Jeffrey Johnson (contrabass), Anna Schaum (violin), Ron Blessinger (violin) and Denise Huizenga (violin).

According to James McQuillen of the Oregonian, "Nobody seems to know exactly what 'Third Angle' means, but for me, it will always have something to do with that angle from which I and many others had the privilege to witness the work of genius in an unforgettable performance."

Chamber Music on Tap is held upstairs in the BridgePort BrewPub's Heritage Room every third Wednesday of each month until May. The concerts provide audience members the opportunity to interact with musicians and socialize while sampling the brewery's homemade pizza and handcrafted, award-winning ales in the pub's unique building, a 100-year-old former rope factory. A tour of the brewery will be offered immediately following the performance.

Tickets are $6 for Fortissimo members, $10 for the general public and may be purchased in advance at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at the door, if available. All proceeds from the evening benefit the Oregon Symphony.

Third Angle

Founded in 1985, Third Angle is the premier contemporary chamber ensemble in the Pacific Northwest, and is committed to the creation and presentation of musical events, works and collaborations that reflect the highest artistic expressions of our time. Over the past fourteen seasons, this vibrant and innovative ensemble has presented eighty programs of contemporary music and has commissioned over twenty new works, firmly establishing its place as one of the nation's foremost presenters of contemporary American music.

Third Angle has received enthusiastic critical acclaim for its bold and innovative programming, high artistic standards and tireless efforts to bring American music of this century to a wider audience. The ensemble actively pursues collaborations and residencies throughout the state of Oregon and the Northwest, with recent appearances at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Cascade Festival of Music, the University of Oregon Vanguard Concert Series, the New Music at Willamette Concert Series, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), the Festival of the Millennium (Eugene, OR), the Oregon Festival of American Music, Reed College, Portland State University, and Pacific University. Upcoming collaborations include performances with the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and choreographer Greg Bielmeier.

The ensemble has presented groundbreaking collaborative performance events with such diverse artists as performance artist Rinde Eckert, the Showers of Beauty Gamelan, the Jefferson Dancers, the Pacific Rim Gamelan, the Oregon Repertory Singers, Choral CrossTies, nationally known African-American performers Leroy Jenkins, Obo Addy, Andrew Hill and Mel Brown, and Native American performers Ed Edmo and Arlie Neskahi, among others. Third Angle actively commissions new works by American composers, with current commissions by award--winning composers John Luther Adams, Robert Kyr, Bryan Johanson, Anthony White, John Peel, Obo Addy and Arlie Neskahi.

The ensemble has produced five recordings of American music on the KOCH International Classics and Gagliano Recordings labels. Third Angle concert performances have been heard throughout the Northwest on Oregon Public Broadcasting and KBPS Radio and across the nation on NPR's Performance Today.

Through its ambitious programs of subscription concerts, recordings, commissioning programs, education/outreach projects and collaborations, Third Angle is rapidly emerging as one of the Northwest's most visible and active small arts organizations.