From classrooms to concert halls, from correctional facilities to retirement homes, the Oregon Symphony strives to create a stronger and more vibrant community through music.
Through these projects, we use music’s transformative power to inspire our youth, foster life-long learning, and bring healing and joyous music to all parts of our community.
Together with musicians from the Oregon Symphony and local singer-songwriters, parents and parents-to-be experiencing homelessness and other challenging life situations create personal lullabies for their children each year.
The Northwest Community Gospel Chorus (NWCGC) is an audition-based community chorus formed to bring Gospel music to the audiences of the Oregon Symphony. The NWCGC joins the Oregon Symphony every holiday season to present the annual Gospel Christmas concerts.
Oregon Symphony musicians partner with Earthtones Music Therapy Services to present interactive, music therapy-informed sessions of beautiful music, relaxing movement, and joy in memory care facilities, senior residences, and centers with adults with disabilities.
We foster a long-term connection between our performers and our community by bringing a special guest artist to Portland for extended residencies of educational visits, free public performances, and concert appearances over the course of three years.
As part of the Oregon Symphony’s ongoing partnerships with BRAVO Youth Orchestras, Metropolitan Youth Symphony, and Portland Youth Philharmonic, our musicians frequently visit rehearsals as mentors and musical coaches.
In Oregon’s only female prison, Oregon Symphony musicians provide solace and hope for adults in confinement during the holiday season.
A gift to the Oregon Symphony is an investment in both artistic innovation and community wellness.
DonateThe Oregon Symphony is grateful for support of our Education and Community Engagement programs from:
Anonymous
Clark Foundation
Dallas Community Foundation
Heatherington Foundation
Helen J. Chadsey
James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation
John & Ginger Niemeyer
Marion County Cultural Development Corporation
Mr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Miller
Oregon Arts Commission
Oregon Community Foundation
Oregon Cultural Trust
PGE Foundation
Polk County Cultural Coalition
Regional Arts & Culture Council
Reser Family Foundation
Rippey Family Foundation
Robert & Carolyn Gelpke
Robert & Jean Bennett
Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust
Salem Foundation
State of Oregon
The Standard
Thomas W. Holman Jr. Memorial Fund of OCF
Wintz Family Foundation
We also recognize the hundreds of individual community members who generously contribute to these programs. Thank you for making this work possible.