This January 2025, join your Oregon Symphony in celebrating one of the great masters of Western Classical music – Ludwig van Beethoven! Whether attending our Beethoven concerts or joining one of the events described below, we want to celebrate that Beethoven is for everyone! Read on to learn about exciting opportunities for student performers and community musicians.
A showstopping ode to the power of dance, Beethoven's Seventh Symphony brims with an unbridled energy certain to make your heart race. The composer's Violin Concerto — which ends with its own rollicking tune — trades in technical fireworks for transcendent lyricism, while Jimmy López Bellido's Fiesta! shakes up Baroque dance forms with elements of pop, techno, and Latin music.
Experience Steve Hackman's thrilling new blend of pop/R&B’s queen and classical music’s king as Beyoncé’s iconic repertoire is seamlessly interwoven with Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.
Who and what: Musicians from community orchestras are invited to a Beethoven reading session conducted by Oregon Symphony Music Director David Danzmayr, joined by musicians from your Oregon Symphony!
Repertoire will be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (1st movement: Allegro con brio) and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 (2nd movement: Allegretto). Selected participants will be sent PDF sheet music by mid-December.
Participation is open to musicians from the community. We are still accepting musicians for Session 2 in these sections: oboe, trumpet, timpani, cello, double bass.
Selection will be on a first-registered, first-assigned basis. You will be notified of your selection status within 7 days of registering.
Participants will be provided with comp tickets for themselves & a guest for one Oregon Symphony Beethoven concert of their choosing (Jan. 11–13 or Jan. 18–20).
Where: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland, OR
When: Saturday, January 11
9:30 am–10:00 am Coffee and donuts with David Danzmayr and Oregon Symphony musicians in the ASCH lobby
10:15 am–11:25 am Reading Session 1 on stage at ASCH
11:50 am–1:00 pm Reading Session 2 on stage at ASCH
Who and what: Young musicians and college students performing Beethoven solo and chamber music (all instruments, including piano), followed by an hour of Beethoven chamber music performed by Oregon Symphony musicians, and ending with a panel discussion about Beethoven and his experience with hearing loss. The event will be free and open to the public, with an RSVP system in place for audience.
Solo performers, solo performers with piano accompanist, and chamber ensembles of up to 10 musicians are invited to join!
Each performer slot will be 15 minutes max. Performers will be scheduled in 1-hour blocks from Noon–3pm.
Audience will not be required to observe the entire event, but performers are strongly encouraged to observe during the hour that they are scheduled.
Performers will be provided with comp tickets to the Oregon Symphony Beethoven concerts on January 18–20. Performers’ family & friends will be provided with a BOGO promo code for discounted tickets.
Where: Irving Levin Performance Hall at All Classical Radio, 222 SW Columbia St. #300, Portland, OR 97201
When: Saturday, January 18
2–2:45 pm Youth performances of Beethoven solo and chamber repertoire
3:05–4:20 pm (updated time) Oregon Symphony musicians perform Beethoven chamber music
4:30–5:30 pm Beethoven panel discussion featuring David Danzmayr, Amanda Grimm, and Dr. Larry Sherman, author of Every Brain Needs Music
To register to join the Day of Beethoven as a solo performer or chamber ensemble, please click the "REGISTER AS A PERFORMER" button below!
We are no longer accepting RSVPs due to reaching event capacity. If you would like to be added to a Waitlist, please email educate@orsymphony.org to make the request, and indicate which hour(s) of the event you are interested in attending.