August 20, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Dance under the stars in Portland’s living room at the Oregon Symphony’s black tie gala celebrating the opening of the 2004-05 season on Oct. 2 in Pioneer Courthouse Square. “Symphony Under the Stars” begins at 6:30 p.m. with a pre-concert reception, followed by the opening performance of the Symphony’s Classical B series, featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 conducted by Music Director Carlos Kalmar with pianist Louis Lortie. At 9:30 p.m., dine under the stars and dance to Pepe and the Bottle Blondes in Pioneer Courthouse Square, transformed for the evening into the city’s most spectacular ballroom. All proceeds will benefit the Oregon Symphony.
“Symphony Under the Stars” is sponsored by Synopsys, U.S. Bank and Pioneer Courthouse Square with support from Rex Hill Vineyards.
This unique event promises a combination of fine food, music and dancing all wrapped up in one unforgettable evening. Gold Patron ticket holders will begin the evening at 6 p.m. with an elegant champagne reception at the Arlington Club, where generous hors d’oeuvres will be served. At 7:30 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Kalmar and the Symphony present Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Lortie at the piano, along with Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 5 and the Symphony premiere of Bohuslav Martinů’s “Memorial to Lidice.” Following the concert, patrons can stroll down Broadway to Pioneer Courthouse Square to wind up the evening with dancing and live music by Pepe & the Bottle Blondes.
Front man Pepe Raphael is an unparalleled showman and entertainer backed with a three-piece horn section, a powerful rhythm section and a sprinkling of class from featured vocalists Nadine Stanton (soprano) and Jessica Hollyfield (alto), a.k.a. The Bottle Blondes.
All gala tickets include admittance to the dinner, dance and complimentary parking. Gold Patron tickets also include a pre-concert reception at the Arlington Club at 6 p.m. Tickets range in price from $275-$500 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Development Office (921 S.W. Washington, Ste. 200), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., charged by phone at (503) 416-6339 or purchased via the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org.
A substantial portion of each
ticket is tax deductible.
