COPLAND’S LINCOLN PORTRAIT WITH GEORGE TAKEI, LA LA LANDIN CONCERT, BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO, MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN, ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO, AND DONALD FAGEN OPEN OREGON SYMPHONY’S SEASON

 August 15, 2017

(PORTLAND, OR) – The word “eclectic” seems an insufficient description of the Oregon Symphony’s offerings this September, as the organization enters its 121st season with its first-ever concert at the Oregon Zoo, followed one week later by a screening of the Oscar-winning film La La Land accompanied by full orchestra and chorus. Kicking off the Symphony’s Classical Season, Star Trek’s George Takei beams down to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall to both emcee the Opening Night concert and narrate Aaron Copland’s stirring Lincoln Portrait. Later in the month, violinist Augustin Hadelich returns with his gorgeous tone and flawless technique in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, while world music fans will thrill to the voice of singer Angélique Kidjo, who makes her Portland debut with the Symphony in lush arrangements of her infectious hits. Classic rock aficionados will rock out to the Music of Led Zeppelin, while Donald Fagen – one half of the pop/jazz chart-topping Steely Dan – performs both familiar and all-new hits with his latest combo, The Nightflyers.

SATURDAY, SEP. 2

OREGON SYMPHONY AT THE ZOO

When and Where: Sep. 2 at 7 pm at the Oregon Zoo.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Music Director Carlos Kalmar, and Associate Conductor Norman Huynh.

The Program:

Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture
Bizet, Suite No. 1 from L’Arlésienne
Sibelius, Valse Triste
Chabrier, España
John Adams, Short Ride in a Fast Machine
John Williams, Nimbus 2000 from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Theme from Jurassic Park
Debussy, Clair de Lune
Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• This concert marks the first-ever Oregon Symphony performance at the Oregon Zoo.
• Concert tickets include admission to the Oregon Zoo.

More Background Info and Photos:
On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

Tickets: Begin at $30 (includes admission to the Oregon Zoo) and can be purchased online exclusively at zooconcerts.com.

SATURDAY, SEP. 9
SUNDAY, SEP. 10

LA LA LAND IN CONCERT

When and Where: Sep. 9 at 7:30 pm and Sep. 10 at 2 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Associate Conductor Norman Huynh; Oregon Repertory Singers, chorus

The Program: Experience this Academy Award-winning musical film like never before with a live symphony orchestra and chorus!

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• This screening of La La Land is the latest offering in the Oregon Symphony’s hottest subscription series, the Popcorn Package.
• Winner of multiple Oscars at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Original Score, La La Land tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts.
• Set in modern day Los Angeles, this record-breaking musical explores the joy and pain of pursuing artistic dreams.
• In addition to Best Original Score, La La Land won five more Academy Awards for Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Actress (Stone), Best Cinematography, Best Original Song (“City of Stars”), and Best Production Design.
• La La Land received numerous rave reviews, including from The New York Times film critic A. O. Scott, who said La La Land “succeeds both as a fizzy fantasy and a hard-headed fable, a romantic comedy and a showbiz melodrama, a work of sublime artifice and touching authenticity.”

More Background Info and Photos:
On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org
On the Oregon Repertory Singers: orsingers.org
On La La Land: lalaland.movie

Tickets: Begin at $30 and can be purchased online at orsymphony.org; in person at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office located at 909 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland (M–Sat, 10 am – 6 pm); by phone at 503-228-1353 (M–Fri, 10 am – 9 pm, Sat 10 am – 6pm); and at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting two hours before every performance.

TUESDAY, SEP. 12
DONALD FAGEN & THE NIGHTFLYERS

When and Where: Sep. 12 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: Donald Fagen, vocals, keyboard; Connor Kennedy, guitar, vocals; Lee Falco, drums, vocals; Brandon Morrison, bass, vocals; and Will Bryant, keyboards, vocals.

Note: The Oregon Symphony does not perform.

The Program: A night with the co-founder and ringleader of the legendary Steely Dan. Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Donald Fagen and his new band promise songs from his celebrated solo albums, Steely Dan hits, plus “some swell surprises.”

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen has recruited a quartet of young musicians to form a new band called The Nightflyers.
• Donald Fagen & The Nightflyers will embark on a debut tour this summer that will visit more than 20 U.S. cities.
• The five-piece Nightflyers, named after Fagen’s 1982 debut solo LP, The Nightfly, also features guitarist Connor Kennedy, drummer Lee Falco, bassist Brandon Morrison, and keyboardist Will Bryant. 
• Fagen has released four solo LPs, including his most recent, 2012’s Sunken Condos.
• During the 1970s, Fagen and Walter Becker, the other half of Steely Dan, made a name for themselves with their sardonic, clever allusions to Los Angeles’ high-flying, star-studded nightlife, their jazz-inflected sophisticated pop sound, and their obsessive attention to detail.

More Background Info and Photos:
On Donald Fagen: facebook.com/DonaldFagenMusic 

Tickets: Begin at $50 and can be purchased online at orsymphony.org; in person at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office located at 909 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland (M–Sat, 10 am – 6 pm); by phone at 503-228-1353 (M–Fri, 10 am – 9 pm, Sat 10 am – 6pm); and at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting two hours before every performance.

SATURDAY, SEP. 16

GEORGE TAKEI

When and Where: Sep. 16 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Music Director Carlos Kalmar; *George Takei, emcee and narrator

The Program:            

Beethoven, Egmont Overture
Takemitsu, Twill by Twilight
R. Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Liszt, Les préludes
Gould, American Salute
*Copland, Lincoln Portrait

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• Best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in Star Trek, and now renowned as a social justice/media mega-star, Takei makes his Oregon Symphony debut as emcee of the 2017/18 Opening Night concert.
• Takei’s social media status can be measured by his many awards: in 2012, Mashable.com named George a “social media superstar” on Facebook, where he currently has over 8.9 million “likes.” In 2013, Takei won the Shorty Award for Distinguished Achievement in Internet Culture. He has 1.7 million followers on Twitter, and in 2015 Cosmopolitan named Takei “One of the Internet’s 50 Most Fascinating People.”
• During WWII, Takei and his family were forced into internment camps, along with 120,000 other Japanese American citizens. Inspired by this difficult chapter of American history, Takei developed the Broadway musical Allegiance, an epic story of love, family, and heroism, in which he stared alongside Tony Award winner Lea Salonga. Allegiance’s record-breaking world premiere, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 2012, won multiple awards, and was followed by a Broadway run in 2015–2016.
• Takei joins a legendary list of narrators, including Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, James Earl Jones, Katharine Hepburn, and Coretta Scott King, who have narrated Abraham Lincoln’s immortal words in Aaron Copland’s powerful musical setting.
• This concert also features several other favorites from the orchestral repertoire, including Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel, and Franz Liszt’s Les préludes.

More Background Info and Photos:
On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org
On George Takei: georgetakei.com

Tickets: Begin at $40 and can be purchased online at orsymphony.org; in person at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office located at 909 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland (M–Sat, 10 am – 6 pm); by phone at 503-228-1353 (M–Fri, 10 am – 9 pm, Sat 10 am – 6pm); and at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting two hours before every performance.
 

SATURDAY, SEP. 23
SUNDAY, SEP. 24
MONDAY, SEP. 25

BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

When and Where: Sep. 23 at 7:30 pm, Sep. 24 at 2 pm, and Sep. 25 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Music Director Carlos Kalmar; *Augustin Hadelich, violin

The Program:            

*Beethoven, Violin Concerto
Gould, Stringmusic
Balakirev/Casella, Islamey

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• Beethoven’s iconic violin concerto, full of delicate and demanding virtuosity, is a perfect vehicle for Augustin Hadelich, of whom The Washington Post declares, “The essence of Hadelich’s playing is beauty … and thereby revealing something from a plane beyond ours.”
• “Hadelich embodied the music, whether he happened to be playing at the time or waiting during an orchestral interlude. His presence and immersion in the music kept it in the here and now — the essence of live performance.” Review of Hadelich performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Edo de Waart – The Violinist.com, January 2014
• “Mr. Hadelich (pronounced HOD-eh-lick) … plays with dazzling technique, a gorgeous tone and penetrating, spontaneous musicality.” – The New York Times, 2010
• Hadelich won the 2016 Grammy Award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” for his recording of Dutilleux’s Violin Concerto, “L’arbre des songes,” with the Seattle Symphony under Ludovic Morlot.
• Hadelich has appeared with the Oregon Symphony on several past occasions, most recently in the spring of 2016, when he performed Thomas Adès’ Violin Concerto, “Concentric Circles.”
• Hadelich plays a 1723 Stradivarius violin, the “Ex-Kiesewetter.” 

More Background Info and Photos:
On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org
On Augustin Hadelich: augustinhadelich.com

Tickets: Begin at $24 and can be purchased online at orsymphony.org; in person at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office located at 909 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland (M–Sat, 10 am – 6 pm); by phone at 503-228-1353 (M–Fri, 10 am – 9 pm, Sat 10 am – 6pm); and at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting two hours before every performance.

TUESDAY, SEP. 26

ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO WITH THE OREGON SYMPHONY

When and Where: Sep. 26 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony with guest conductor Gast Waltzing; *Angélique Kidjo, vocals

The Program: Grammy-winning superstar Angélique Kidjo is “Africa’s premier diva” (Time), and she’s bringing her powerful voice to the Oregon Symphony for her all-time favorites, filled with joyous rhythms and irresistible groove.

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• Kidjo, a Beninese-born, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and activist, is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. The BBC has included Kidjo in its list of the African continent’s 50 most iconic figures, while The Guardian has listed her as one of its Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World. Kidjo is also the first woman included among Forbes Magazine’s “The 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa.” 
• In 2012, Kidjo performed at the Olympic Games River of Music Festival in London; The Daily Telegraph described her as “The undisputed queen of African music.”
• “Village traditions, cosmopolitan transformations, female solidarity, African pride and perpetual energy have been constants in Ms. Kidjo’s recording career.” – The New York Times
• “The power of Kidjo’s unflappable voice, the range of her emotional expression, the stellar, genre-bending musicians who back her and the infectious, activist energy that courses through her songs all transcend any native tongue.” – NPR Music
• Kidjo draws on an eclectic array of musical influences, including Afropop, Caribbean zouk, Congolese rumba, jazz, gospel, and Latin styles, and she has collaborated with musicians from every style and genre, including the Dave Matthews Band, Kelly Price, Alicia Keys, Branford Marsalis, Ziggy Marley, Philip Glass, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Carlos Santana, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Cassandra Wilson, Josh Groban, Dr. John, the Kronos Quartet, and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg.
• In 2015, Kidjo released a CD featuring her collaboration with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, led by Gast Waltzing, who arranged her songs for orchestra. “Kidjo opens what’s arguably her most ambitious album by paying homage to her heroine, Miriam Makeba,” writes The Australian. “None of her three previously released versions of ‘Malaika’ can match the majesty and grandeur of this latest spine-tingling rendition, which features the singer in superlative voice (in Swahili) backed by the strings and wind instruments of the 110-piece Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg.”

More Background Info and Photos:
On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org
On Angélique Kidjo: kidjo.com

Tickets: Begin at $35 and can be purchased online at orsymphony.org; in person at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office located at 909 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland (M–Sat, 10 am – 6 pm); by phone at 503-228-1353 (M–Fri, 10 am – 9 pm, Sat 10 am – 6pm); and at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting two hours before every performance.

SATURDAY, SEP. 30

THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN

When and Where: Sep. 30 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony with guest conductor Brent Havens; Randy Jackson, vocals; Dan Clemens, bass; Powell Randolph, drums; George Cintron, guitar; Renee Izzi, electric violin

The Program: A spectacular Oregon Symphony tribute to powerhouse Led Zeppelin, with the help of a blazing hot rock band and vocalist Randy Jackson. Rock out to classic hits like “Heartbreaker,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Stairway to Heaven.”

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• The Music of Led Zeppelin is the first Classic Rock/Symphony pairing from Windborne Productions, which put the show together in 1995 under the direction of conductor/arranger Brent Havens.
• Led Zeppelin’s music is a natural fit with the symphonic sound, as many of the band’s original songs feature orchestrations. Havens writes, “The concept was to keep the band as close to the original recordings as possible and to wrap the orchestra around the band as one big entity. Rather than the orchestra being a separate part of the music, it becomes another instrument within the band.”
• The show features a massive array of songs from the Zeppelin catalog, incorporating the wide array of orchestral timbres into the music; Havens has also added an electric violin as a bridge between the electric and acoustic sounds of the band and orchestra.
• Songs from the show include Kashmir, Black Dog, All of My Love, and many other Zeppelin classics.
• Randy Jackson’s soaring vocals and raw edginess perfectly capture the range and spirit of Zeppelin’s lead singer, Robert Plant.

More Background Info and Photos:
On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org
On the Music of Led Zeppelin: windbornemusic.com/show_lz.php

Tickets: Begin at $35 and can be purchased online at orsymphony.org; in person at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office located at 909 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland (M–Sat, 10 am – 6 pm); by phone at 503-228-1353 (M–Fri, 10 am – 9 pm, Sat 10 am – 6pm); and at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting two hours before every performance.

ABOUT THE OREGON SYMPHONY
The Grammy-nominated Oregon Symphony ranks as one of America’s major orchestras. Led by Music Director Carlos Kalmar, it serves over 235,000 people annually through more than 90 concerts and award-winning education and community engagement program. Now in its 121st season, the Oregon Symphony is the oldest orchestra west of the Mississippi.

An unprecedented 2016/17 Season broke records in virtually every category, drawing historic attendance and revenue. These numbers were propelled by a 20% increase in the number of classical concerts, three groundbreaking SoundSights concerts, and the broadest-ever range of repertoire. Its 2017/18 Season builds on this success in a trailblazing new series, The Sounds of Home, which combines music and art to reflect on three critical issues in our community – immigration, the environment, and homelessness.

Season subscriptions, including Choose Your Own packages and Gift Cards, are available through the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office at 503-228-1353. 

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