MESSIAEN’S TURANGALÎLA SYMPHONY PAIRED WITH VIDEO ANIMATION; IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE; AND SENSATIONAL MIX OF SEASONAL CONCERTS, INCLUDING GOSPEL CHRISTMAS AND PORTLAND’S FAVORITE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION FEATURING BEETHOVEN’S NINTH, HIGHLIGHT DECEMBER CONCERTS

November 7, 2016

(PORTLAND, Ore.) There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the holidays with the Oregon Symphony’s December concerts, beginning with the second concert in the SoundSights series: an innovative performance of Olivier Messiaen’s groundbreaking Turangalîla Symphony, performed with video animation created by renowned media artist Rose Bond and members of the Pacific Northwest College of Art and projected on the walls of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for an evening of stunning aural and visual creativity. Celebrate the 70^th anniversary of everyone’s favorite holiday film, It’s A Wonderful Life, screened with live symphonic accompaniment, and get your tickets now for the always-popular Gospel Christmas concerts featuring the Northwest Community Gospel Choir’s special high-energy joy.

SATURDAY, DEC. 3
SUNDAY, DEC. 4
MONDAY, DEC. 5

TURANGALÎLA

When and Where: [Editors: please note different starting times] Dec. 3 at 7:30 pm, Dec. 4 at 2 pm and Dec. 5 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Music Director Carlos Kalmar; *Steven Osborne, piano; *Cynthia Millar, ondes Martenot; *Rose Bond and PNCA, video animators

The Program:           

                        Wagner:         “Prelude and Liebestod” from Tristan and Isolde

                        *Messiaen:      Turangalîla-Symphonie

Special Panel Discussion: Illuminating Turangalîla

Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 6-8 pm
Fred and Suzanne Fields Ballroom, Mark Building
Portland Art Museum
1119 SW Park Avenue

The Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, and Pacific Northwest College of Art present a special evening exploring a unique convergence of art forms—symphonic music and video animation. The panel features Oregon Symphony Music Director Carlos Kalmar, Pacific Northwest College of Art media artist Rose Bond, and Portland Art Museum Director and Chief Curator Brian Ferriso for a uniquely Portland panel discussion. After the panel attendees will enjoy light refreshments and cash bar.

Panel tickets for the general public are $10. Tickets are free for Oregon Symphony subscribers and Portland Art Museum members. To order, call the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office at 503-228-1353 or visit: OrSymphony.org/panel

What’s special about this concert:

•  The second concert of our SoundSights series pairs Olivier Messiaen’s 1949 Turangalîla-Symphonie with renowned video artist Rose Bond’s unique animated creations projected on the walls of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
• Bond characterizes Messiaen’s ground-breaking work as “a 70-minute symphonic gumbo that melds a lush and exotic array of sounds and cultural influences, including birdsong, Balinese gamelan music, post-war popular culture, Sanskrit, and the myth of Tristan and Isolde. This iconoclastic work was meant to be experienced both visually and aurally—as a synesthetic experience that jolts audiences into hearing, seeing, and appreciating symphonic music in profound new ways.”
• Messiaen himself described his symphony as “superhuman, overflowing, dazzling, and abandoned.” 
• Bond has been honored by many prestigious organizations and foundations, including the American Film Institute, The Princess Grace Foundation, Bloomberg L.P., and the National Endowment for the Arts.
• Among the diverse palette of orchestral colors and sounds in Turangalîla, Messiaen features the ondes Martenot, a pioneering electronic instrument invented in 1928, which has an eerie, distinctive sound similar to a Theremin.

More Background Info and Photos:

On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

On Steven Osborne: stevenosborne.co.uk

On Cynthia Millar: owenwhitemanagement.com/artist/cynthia-millar/

On Rose Bond: rosebond.com

On PNCA: pnca.edu

Tickets: begin at $23 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.

 

FRIDAY, DEC. 9
SATURDAY, DEC. 10
SUNDAY DEC. 11

GOSPEL CHRISTMAS

When and Where: [Editors: please note different starting times] Dec. 9 and 10 at 7:30 pm; Dec. 11 at 4 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Guest Conductors Charles Floyd and Gary Hemenway, and the Northwest Community Gospel Choir    

The Program: A high-energy performance that includes “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” “Joy to the World,” “It’s Time,” “Anthem of Praise,” and other Gospel holiday favorites.      

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• For the past 18 seasons, Gospel Christmas concerts have been our most popular holiday performances; this inspiring, up-tempo music consistently sells out the hall.
• Some of this year’s selections include “Sacrifice of Praise,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Celebrate the King,” “Carol of the Bells,” and a rousing medley of Christmas worship songs. 
• The Northwest Community Gospel Choir features the very best of the local gospel talent from local and regional churches and music ministries.
• In addition to their first-rate choral work, the Northwest Community Gospel Choir features a number of talented soloists who take turns leading the group with stellar vocal interpretations of classic holiday songs.
• Conductor, pianist, and composer Charles Floyd has been heard in concert with more than 500 orchestras since 1991—including every Oregon Symphony Gospel Christmas concert since our annual performances began in 1999. He is a regular conductor of the Boston Pops.

More Background Info and Photos:

On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

On the Northwest Community Gospel Choir: orsymphony.org/bios/guestartists/ncgc.aspx

On Charles Floyd: charlesfloyd.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, DEC. 17

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

When and Where: Dec. 17 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Associate Conductor Norman Huynh and the Oregon Repertory Singers

The Program: Everyone’s favorite feel-good holiday classic, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• See Frank Capra’s great American holiday classic as you’ve never seen it before. The Oregon Symphony will accompany the extraordinary journey of George Bailey (James Stewart) and his guardian angel with a live performance of Dimitri Tiomkin’s newly-restored score.
• This screening is the latest in the Oregon Symphony’s series of blockbuster Hollywood films presented with live orchestra performances of their memorable scores. Last season, the Symphony featured sold-out screenings of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone and Star Trek: Into Darkness.
• It’s A Wonderful Life did not do well at the box office when it came out in 1946, but over time it has become an American classic, and is now ranked #1 on the American Film Institute’s list of the most inspirational American films of all time.
• Director Frank Capra, who said It’s A Wonderful Life was his favorite film, screened it for his family every Christmas.
• Composer Dimitri Tiomkin wrote scores for other classic films, including High Noon and Dial M for Murder; he also composed the iconic themes for TV westerns Rawhide and Gunslinger.

More Background Info and Photos:

On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

On It’s A Wonderful Life: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life

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.

 

SUNDAY, DEC. 18

COMFORT AND JOY: A CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS

When and Where: Dec. 18 at 3 pm and repeating at 7 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Associate Conductor Norman Huynh; *Sydney Outlaw, baritone

The Program: This concert features Christmas favorites, including “White Christmas,” “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and “What Child is This?,” along with timeless classical music celebrating the season, such as “Waltz of the Flowers” and “Mother Ginger” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Benjamin Britten’s Men of Goodwill, and “The Trumpet Shall Sound,” from Handel’s Messiah.  

What’s So Special About This Concert:

• The ideal outing for families—and one that is priced accordingly—this matinee concert presents a delightful variety of classical and holiday favorites.
• This year’s concert features Grammy-nominated baritone Sydney Outlaw, lauded by The New York Times as a “terrific singer” with a “deep, rich timbre,” and hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle for his “weighty and forthright sound.“ Mr. Outlaw will perform “”Twas the Night Before Christmas,”  “White Christmas” and “The Trumpet Shall Sound” from Handel’s Messiah.
• Outlaw, who won the Grand Prize in the 2010 Concurso Internacional de Canto Montserrat Caballe, has delighted audiences across America and internationally with his rich, versatile baritone and his engaging stage presence.
• “Sidney Outlaw’s first notes proclaimed – and all the followed confirmed – a singer in quite a different category. This is a sumptuous, closely textured voice of moderate power but distinctive character . . . . He held the audience as nothing in the evening’s programs had done, and his applause was overwhelming.” –Opera Now, 2009
• The audience is invited to sing along with the orchestra in the Christmas Medley finale.

More Background Info and Photos:

On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

On Sydney Outlaw: sidneyoutlaw.com

Tickets: Begin as low as $20 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.

 

FRIDAY, DEC. 30
SATURDAY, DEC. 31

ODE TO JOY: NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION

When and Where: Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Performers: The Oregon Symphony, with Music Director Carlos Kalmar and the Portland Symphonic Choir; *Amber Wagner, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone; Portland Symphonic Choir.                                                                                                                  

The Program:

            Leyden                        Big Band orchestral works

            *Beethoven:               Symphony No. 9, “Choral”

What’s special about this concert:

• In what has become Portland’s most popular New Year’s tradition, audiences have thrilled to the annual performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and a quirkily Portland first half that, this year, features a celebratory potpourri of Norman Leyden’s big band orchestral works.
• American soprano Amber Wagner was recently featured in Opera News as one of twenty-five artists poised to break out and become a major force in classical music in the coming decade. The Chicago Tribune has praised Ms. Wagner for her “gleaming, ample and effortless sound,” and “[a] gorgeous, creamy tone … This is one remarkable voice.”
• Grammy® Award-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor has emerged as one of the most compelling performers of her generation. The New York Times hails O’Connor’s “coffee-colored voice — elegantly focused, with a touch of earth [which] is both direct and insinuating,”
• Four-time Grammy®-winning tenor Anthony Dean Griffey’s extensive DVD and compact disc recordings include the Metropolitan Opera’s Peter Grimes (EMI Classics). Griffey’s performance in the title role has earned him rave reviews around the world. “Anthony Dean Griffey produced large and gleaming tone and displayed subtle musical and verbal intelligence. He is an altogether exceptional artist.” —Boston Globe
• Praised for his “nobility and rich tone” (The New York Times), and his “enormous, thrilling voice seemingly capable ... [of] raising the dead” (Wall Street Journal), baritone Dashon Burton is quickly making an international name for himself in the world of oratorio, sacred vocal music, opera and new music.

More Background Info and Photos:

On the Oregon Symphony: orsymphony.org

On Amber Wagner: imgartists.com/artist/amber_wagner

On Kelley O’Connor: kelleyoconnor.com

On Anthony Dean Griffey: anthonydeangriffey.com

On Dashon Burton: dashonburton.com

On Portland Symphonic Choir: pschoir.org

Tickets: Begin at $45 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.

 

Beyond the Schnitz

Oregon Symphony Community Engagement Programs

The Oregon Symphony and its musicians are deeply involved in the community in places that stretch far beyond the confines of our concert hall. Here are a few of the things happening in that arena during the month of December.

Dec. 5-7 String Kinderkonzerts—“Opposites”

The Oregon Symphony String Kinderkonzert Ensemble will put on nine performances for 3,000 K-2 graders at three host schools in the area. These interactive chamber concerts are geared toward an introduction to each of the sections of the orchestra. Pam Mahon narrates this second in the series of four, entitled “Opposites”. A sunny day after weeks of rain, making noise after being quiet, or a restful night after an action-packed day… opposites are what make life interesting and fun. Details for time, dates, and locations can be found at: http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/kinder.aspx

Tuesday, Dec. 13

Oregon Symphony Brass Quintet partners with the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility’s Choir to present the 3rd Annual Holiday Concert. This is the third year that the Oregon Symphony musicians have brought their music and made connections with the CCCF. This year, musicians are taking the music further by working together with the very enthusiastic and active CCCF Women’s Choir.

Photos for media uses can be accessed at: www.orsymphony.org/newsroom/artists.aspx

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

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