December 16, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Oregon Public Broadcasting will air the opening concert of the Oregon Symphony’s 2005-06 Classical season with Music Director Carlos Kalmar leading the orchestra in Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 on Friday, Jan. 6, from 9 to 11 p.m. This broadcast marks the second year of OPB broadcasts of classical Oregon Symphony concerts, which will air on OPB Radio the first Friday of each month through September 2006.
Brahms’ first symphony took him over 20 years to write. Its four movements move from a powerful, intense opening to its triumphant conclusion, a direct homage to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” that led critics to dub this symphony “Beethoven’s Tenth.” The broadcast also features Rossini’s ever-popular “Overture to William Tell,” with its well-known trumpet fanfare and march made famous by the television show “The Lone Ranger.” Kalmar and the Symphony will also present “Variaciones concertantes” by Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera. Based on the rhythms of an Argentinean dance, each of the 11 variations unfolds like a series of mini-concertos, and features a solo instrument or small group of solo instruments.
In addition to the concerts, OPB and KBPS are collaborating to bring listeners interviews with musicians and conductors during the performance intermission. The Jan. 6 interview features Kalmar discussing the music featured in the concert. All broadcasts will repeat on KBPS later in the year. KBPS programs classical music all day, every day at 89.9 FM in the Portland region and 90.1 in the Columbia Gorge.
Oregon Public Broadcasting is a statewide network of community-supported learning resources, including OPB Television, an affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and OPB Radio, presenting local news coverage and the programs of National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International (PRI). For a list of OPB Radio frequencies, log on to www.opb.org.
For more information, please contact Carol Howard at (503) 977-7751 or carol_howard@opb.org, or visit the Symphony's website at www.orsymphony.org.
