October 22, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Cocktails with President Bill Ryberg and a post-concert party with Music Director Carlos Kalmar will highlight the debut gathering for Soirée, the Oregon Symphony’s new young professionals group, on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Front Row Center “Tales from the Vienna Ballroom” concert.
Membership in Soirée, designed for professionals ages 21 to 39, includes exclusive parties, discounted concert tickets and the opportunity to meet others interested in arts and culture with a dose of fun, said the Symphony’s Director of Corporate Development Jennifer Schlobohm. The Soirée debut event is free to all Front Row Center ticketholders who are 21-39 years old.
“We have spent a lot of time talking to young professionals about the type of events they find most interesting,” said Schlobohm. “They are definitely interested in attending concerts, but for them it’s an overall experience they’re after. Especially important is the opportunity to socialize and to gain behind-the-scenes insight into the Symphony and its artists. “
The “Tales from the Vienna Ballroom” concert, part of the Symphony’s innovative Front Row Center series, was a careful selection for Soirée’s debut, she said. Designed as a “closer look at classical music,” the series features a more casual atmosphere and dramatic elements to enhance the musical experience. “Tales from the Vienna Ballroom,” the Front Row Center season-opener, is a collaboration with Oregon Ballet Theatre exploring the scandalous beginnings of the waltz.
Soirée members will meet at 6 p.m. at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts “Art Bar,” across Main street from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, for pre-concert cocktails with Symphony President Bill Ryberg. They will then attend the 7:30 p.m. concert, for which they will have discounted reserved seats and enjoy an exclusive intermission party on the mezzanine with hors d’oeuvres. After the concert, Music Director Carlos Kalmar, OBT Artistic Director Christopher Stowell and the OBT dancers will join Soirée members at a post-concert reception back at the Art Bar, which will also include door prizes.
Soirée events will continue throughout the 2004-05 season on Feb. 26, 2005, with the Brahms Requiem and April 16, 2005, for a classical series concert titled “Celebrate!” that features music of Mendelssohn, Mozart and Peter Maxwell Davies. All will feature pre- and post-concert parties and intermission receptions. Members receive a 15% discount on concert tickets for Soirée event nights and a 10% discount on all other Oregon Symphony series concerts. Soirée membership is $40 for individuals, or $30 each when friends or couples join together.
For more information, call (503) 228-1353 or visit the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org/soiree.
