Celebrating What an Orchestra Can Be for Its Community
We were founded as the first orchestra on the West Coast, and we’ve pushed boundaries ever since: one person, one performance, one note at a time. And we aren’t stopping now. Every day, we work to boldly reimagine the symphony as locally distinctive, musically adventurous, and deeply impactful on the stage and beyond. We hope you'll join us in celebrating our rich history and dreaming big for the next 130 years.
October 1896
The Oregon Symphony is first established as the Portland Symphony Society, an informal group that includes notable Portlanders such as Edward Failing and Sigmund Frank. On October 30, 1896, The Portland Symphony plays its first concert, making it the ninth-oldest orchestra in the country and the oldest orchestra on the west coast. A local musician named W.H. Kinross conducts the 33-member orchestra at the 1,750-seat Marquam Grand Opera House.
1911
The Portland Symphony becomes a permanent institution with season tickets, fund drives, tours, a board of directors, and its first manager: a woman named Bertha Tait. The musicians of the orchestra share in the ticket sales, and five rotating conductors are chosen from their ranks. The orchestra begins holding its concerts at the newly opened Civic (Keller) Auditorium, which will be its home for nearly 60 years.
1918
After seven years of growth, the Symphony selects Englishman Carl Denton, one of its five rotating conductors, as its first permanent music director. Under Denton's leadership, the orchestra grew from 33 to 60 members and ticket sales skyrocketed, growing from $1,500 to more than $13,000 annually.
1925
The Symphony hires well-known Dutch conductor Willem van Hoogstraten as its second music director. Van Hoogstraten, a demanding musician with an elegant demeanor, would lead the Symphony for 13 years, bringing newfound fame and renown to Portland's orchestra.
1929
Considered one of the top orchestras in the United States, the Oregon Symphony begins national radio broadcasts.
1936
The Great Depression strains the budgets of the Symphony and its audience alike. Symphony musicians respond by creating an ultra-affordable "Stadium Philharmonic" series. As many as 12,000 people would crowd into Multnomah Stadium for these programs at a cost of just $1 for all six concerts.
1938
Beset by financial struggles caused by the Great Depression, the Symphony suspends operations. A final concert under Willem van Hoogstraten features Brahms' A German Requiem; The Oregonian writes, "There is a hunger that will be left in many hearts for the sustenance of better music."
1947
The Symphony resumes operations after a nine-year hiatus, bringing orchestral music back to the people of Portland. At the helm of this resurrection was Werner Janssen, a flashy Hollywood conductor with show business connections.
1955
A committee of music lovers in Salem asks the Portland Symphony to bring a special concert with guest conductor Igor Stravinsky to the state's capital. The concert is so successful that three more concerts are requested the following year.
1962
Jacques Singer, a Polish-American violinist and conductor, begins his tenure as music director. The Symphony also launches its famous "Music for Youth" concerts, which would bring music to thousands of students across Oregon each year. By the 1980s, the Symphony was reaching more children than the major orchestras of Boston, Los Angeles, or New York.
1967
The orchestra changes its name to Oregon Symphony to reflect a commitment to serve Oregonians statewide. In the 1970s, the Symphony would visit regional communities including Pendleton, Klamath Falls, Bend, Redmond, Coos Bay, The Dalles, and many more.
November 13, 1970
Conductor Norman Leyden leads his first Pops concert with the Symphony, a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein. A clarinetist, Leyden would become a beloved fixture over his 40+ years in Portland, dazzling audiences with his creative arrangements, fresh Pops programming, and infectious charisma.
1973
Lawrence Leighton Smith, a graduate of Franklin High School and Portland State University, is appointed music director. Larry sometimes conducted from the piano, and he later earned a reputation as an expert in contemporary programming.
1980
James DePreist is appointed as the ninth Music Director of the Oregon Symphony, becoming one of the first Black conductors of a major orchestra. DePreist would devote 23 years to the Symphony, producing a highly regarded series of recordings, embarking on many local and national tours, and developing an extraordinary connection with the Portland community. In 2005, after his Oregon Symphony tenure, DePreist was awarded The National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given to artists by the United States government.
September 5, 1984
The Symphony moves into the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in the heart of downtown Portland, and christens the space with its first-ever concert. Originally built in 1928 for vaudeville, the 2,776-seat concert hall offered improved acoustics and, crucially, the ability to practice and perform on the same stage. This allowed the Symphony to expand its season and become a full-time orchestra.
1987
The Symphony releases its first commercial recording, Bravura, featuring music by Respighi, Strauss, and Lutoslawski. The orchestra will go on to release another 15 albums with DePreist over the next two decades.
September 1, 1992
The Symphony makes its debut at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles by invitation of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. More than 20,000 people attended these two concerts, which featured DePreist's signature piece, Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2.
June 1995
The Symphony begins its Centennial Celebration by hosting the 50th Annual Conference of the American Symphony Orchestra League (now the League of American Orchestras).
May 2002
Carlos Kalmar is selected to succeed James DePreist as the tenth music director of the Oregon Symphony. He leads the orchestra for 18 years.
May 12, 2011
The Symphony makes its Carnegie Hall debut (and its first-ever appearance on the East Coast) at the inaugural Spring for Music Festival. Carlos Kalmar's innovative program, Music for a Time of War, receives superb reviews in both The New Yorker and The New York Times.
2012
Sarah Kwak joins the orchestra as Janet & Richard Geary Concertmaster Chair, bringing “lyrical depth, thoughtful phrasing, myriad shadings of tone and easy technical prowess,” to the ensemble (The Oregonian).
2012
The Oregon Symphony establishes its Artist-in-Residence program to deepen the relationship between Portlanders and visiting musicians through educational visits, free public performances, and concert appearances. Residents have included percussionist Colin Currie, cellist Johannes Moser, violinist Simone Lamsma, and violinist Simone Porter.
December 2013
Music for a Time of War, the album based on the Symphony's Carnegie Hall program, is nominated for two GRAMMY® Awards: Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical. Two years later, the Symphony would go on to receive another GRAMMY® nomination for Spirit of the American Range, a CD with works by Aaron Copland, George Antheil, and Walter Piston.
2018
The Symphony brings The Lullaby Project to Portland. In this project, conceived by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, parents experiencing challenging life situations are paired with Oregon Symphony musicians and local singer-songwriters to compose and perform lullabies for their children.
2021
Austrian composer David Danzmayr is appointed Jean Vollum Music Director of the Oregon Symphony, ushering in the orchestra's 125th anniversary season and bringing a fresh perspective to the stage.
Fall 2025
The Symphony launches Sounds Like Portland, a series that showcases exciting local creatives and celebrates Portland's delightfully eclectic artistic culture. In this first year, the orchestra was joined by incredible artists including The Decemberists and esperanza spalding.
June 5, 2026
The Symphony releases Andy Akiho: Beneath Lighted Coffers; Concerto for Steel Pans & Orchestra, its first album under the baton of Maestro David Danzmayr, featuring the music of Composer-in-Residence Andy Akiho.
Gregory Alan Isakov brings his signature rooted, earthy folk to the Oregon Symphony for two performances that lay bare the depth and complexity of his warm baritone and sentimental lyricism.
Celebrate opening night with reimaginations of beloved classics, from The Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter to Prokofiev and Bernstein’s Shakespeare-inspired orchestral favorites.
Piazzolla’s nuevo tango style meets mariachi flair in this exploration of Latin American folk traditions, featuring Héctor Del Curto on bandoneón and the rich vocals of Portland’s own Edna Vazquez.
Join Maestro Mouse as he introduces us to his ensemble of friendly critters, each with a lesson to share. The orchestra will play the author’s soundtrack to the story as it’s narrated live on stage, creating a safari of sound!
Genre-bending cellist, singer, and improviser Abel Selaocoe plays Montgomery’s new cello concerto, joined by the many moods of Tchaikovsky’s much-loved Symphony No. 5 and the effervescence of Glinka’s Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla.
Holst’s popular The Planets joins two astronomical fantasies—Saariaho’s Asteroid 4179: Toutatis, inspired by an asteroid, and Frank’s Picaflor: A future myth, from the sky kingdom of Andean legend.
For 30 years, Hollywood A-lister Jeff Goldblum and his band have delighted audiences around the world with contemporary arrangements of classic jazz and American Songbook standards. Now, the iconic ensemble joins the Oregon Symphony for dazzling orchestral arrangements of their classic tunes.
Now for its 40th anniversary, experience Mark Knopfler’s unforgettable score enhanced by the power of a full symphony orchestra. Missing this live-to-picture cinematic concert would be inconceivable!
© The Princess Bride Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Explore the American spirit with Still’s Fourth Symphony, storytelling from Portland resident Gabriel Kahane, and the fusion of music and literature in Copland’s eloquent portrait of Abraham Lincoln.
Experience Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic thriller live in concert as Bernard Herrmann’s string-only score brings a palpable tension to the film that takes the already unsettling story to a new level of terror.
Michael Gordon’s cross-cultural Natural History, Beethoven’s vivacious first symphony, Stravinsky’s experimental wind-and-brass ‘symphonies’, and a premiere by Oregonian Grace Miedziak comprise this celebration of the Pacific Northwest.
Powaqqatsi is an artful cinematic experience that speaks to the impact of modernization and industrialization on traditional ways of living. Enjoyed alone or as the second in The Qatsi Trilogy, you won’t want to miss this thought-provoking performance from The Philip Glass Ensemble with the Oregon Symphony and conductor Michael Riesman.
Singer, rapper, and author Dessa joins the Oregon Symphony for an evening of soaring song ballads, writerly pop songs, and rap anthems. Don’t miss this landmark performance, presented in collaboration with Literary Arts as an extension of the Portland Book Festival.
Experience Portugal. The Man’s unstoppable alt-rock energy in two electric performances, amplified by the power of their hometown orchestra.
When a mountain meets a visiting bird named Joy, its life changes forever. Witness this heartwarming story of friendship and love as the Oregon Symphony performs Caroline Shaw’s musical interpretation of the book, live with narration!
Mahler’s Sixth Symphony surely “embraces the whole.” Darkness and light join forces in a gigantic musical canvas that culminates in titanic “hammer blows of fate.”
The Oregon Symphony presents highlights from Hans Zimmer’s catalogue of award-winning film scores! With music from Dune, The Lion King, Interstellar, and more, this concert transports you to the worlds of your favorite films for an unforgettable sonic experience.
Portland’s folk troubadour John Craigie joins the Oregon Symphony for a night of Americana with an orchestral kick, teeming with the sincerity and lyricism that have made Craigie’s music resonate with audiences across the country.
Experience the joy and uplift of gospel music with this beloved concert, featuring the region’s premier gospel singers alongside the Oregon Symphony.
Eight-time GRAMMY-nominated Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández brings holiday cheer with its “Merry-achi Christmas” tour, celebrating the Christmas season with a dazzling blend of mariachi and holiday classics.
With upbeat holiday music, exciting guest performers, sing-alongs, and a visit from Santa himself, this concert is the perfect way to get the whole family into the holiday spirit!
Join members of the Oregon Symphony brass and percussion sections for a heartwarming, joyful, and intimate concert featuring a mix of classical and popular holiday favorites.
A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Oregon Symphony. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!
© 1990 Twentieth Century Fox
Ring in the new year with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, a classical masterwork that celebrates the unity of all mankind. The symphony ends with the ever-hopeful “Ode to Joy” theme, performed by the orchestra and a full choir.
The surrealism of Shin’s Kafka’s Dream and the virtuosity of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, with pianist Marc-André Hamelin, join the strife of revolution in Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905.”
In honor of its 50th anniversary, experience this iconic film like never before as the Oregon Symphony performs John Williams’ Oscar®-winning score live-to-picture!
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with Lucasfilm and Warner/Chappell Music. © All rights reserved.
Unfinished Tenths—symphonies by Beethoven and Schubert—join a (finished) Symphonic Sketch by former Portlander Salvador Brotons, together with famed pianist Emanuel Ax playing Beethoven’s lyrical Piano Concerto No. 4.
Discover the “man behind the music” in this multimedia program, curated by Tony Award-winning director Dan Sullivan. This archival and celebratory experience combines storytelling, photography, film, and live performances from Perlman and his longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva.
Paul Rissmann’s multimedia and interactive presentation on the “Enigma” Variations takes us inside Elgar’s portrayal of his circle of family and friends, followed by a full performance of the work.
Elgar’s landmark “Enigma” Variations and his protégé Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade in A minor join Oregon Symphony concertmaster Sarah Kwak playing The Butterfly Lovers concerto, one of the most famous orchestral pieces by any Chinese composer.
Travel to the magical worlds of Studio Ghibli as the Oregon Symphony performs selections from Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Spirited Away. (This performance does not include on-screen visuals. Joe Hisaishi will not be in attendance.)
Experience the music of iconic folk-pop troubadour Paul Simon enhanced by the Oregon Symphony and incredible guest vocalists. You won’t want to miss this tribute to one of the legendary songwriters of our time.
Valentine’s Day passion: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and Berlioz’s Overture to Shakespeare’s ever-witty lovers Béatrice et Bénédict. Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande and Dvořák’s Violin Concerto round out this symphonic lovefest.
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 1996 film with Romeo & Juliet Live, a live cinematic concert experience featuring a big-screen presentation of the film, elevated with live music, atmospheric lighting, and immersive stage production.
The world’s premier big band is coming to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, led by Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Wynton Marsalis. Don’t miss the chance to see a legend at work as you experience the dazzling energy of big band jazz!
Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski joins the Symphony in Ginastera’s Concierto argentino and Albéniz’s Rapsodia española, together with Bizet’s sparkling and melodic Symphony in C Major and a fascinating essay in hypnotic repetition, Ravel’s Boléro.
When Hiccup and Toothless discover a secret ice cave with wild dragons and a mysterious Dragon Rider, they find themselves in an epic battle to save the future of man and dragons! Experience the spectacular sequel presented in HD, with its thrilling score performed live to picture!
© 2014 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Experience hit songs like “Somebody to Love,” “We Will Rock You,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and more, performed by the Oregon Symphony with guest conductor and arranger Brent Havens, vocalist MiG Ayesa, and a full band.
On this 60-minute expedition, music from the Star Wars series meets celestial classical music in a supernova of sound that is out of this world!
Mendelssohn’s effervescent “Italian” Symphony is joined by Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, featuring soloists from Chamber Music Northwest. Portlander Kenji Bunch’s 2022 fanfare, inspired by Oregon’s state motto, celebrates independence and individual strength.
Rachmaninoff’s final symphony, written in America, joins Bernstein’s touching Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium) and Sophia Jani’s joy in new motherhood in this program of modern masters.
Step into Black Violin’s Full Circle Tour, where GRAMMY®-nominated duo Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus redefine the possibilities of music by merging classical depth with hip-hop’s pulse.
Experience a new performance version of the seminal film Metropolis, a virtual “music video for film and orchestra” featuring collaboration by Fritz Lang with Schoenberg, Berg, and Grieg.
Two musical portrayals of literary heroes, Lord Byron’s Manfred and Cervantes’ Don Quixote, are joined by an orchestral version of Berg’s darkly expressionist Piano Sonata.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 captivates with its golden glow, while Beethoven’s grandiose “Emperor” piano concerto reflects the Napoleonic era. CPE Bach, deeply admired by both Mozart and Beethoven, rounds out the program with an energetic symphony.
In this special 30th anniversary performance, hear music from throughout the RESIDENT EVIL franchise as terrifying in-game visuals are projected above the orchestra.
Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with a musical tribute to Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon, three women who defined the sonic landscape of the 1970s.
Harrison’s Heart Sūtra (Lo Koro Sutro in Esperanto) provides a special introduction to Mozart’s beloved but incomplete Mass in C Minor, filled with exquisite arias and stirring choruses.
Bruckner’s monumental and incomplete final symphony, with its extremes of expression and majestic orchestral sonics, joins Mozart’s most ambitious (and rambunctious) violin concerto, the “Turkish.”
Experience brand-new orchestral arrangements of Quincy Jones’ most celebrated songs that, according to Quincy himself, retain the “bounce, the bite, and the euphoria” of the original recordings.
Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok, and magic mirrors in high definition while a live orchestra performs John Williams’ iconic score. It’s the film that started it all!
All characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR.
Noted Gershwin interpreter Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays the Concerto in F, joined by Stravinsky’s sad-sack, lovesick puppet Petrushka and Poulenc’s whimsical Les Biches for a light-hearted romp of a concert.
Tchaikovsky’s resplendent Violin Concerto, with 2019 Queen Elisabeth Competition winner Stella Chen, joins Scriabin’s joyful and transcendent Poem of Ecstasy, complemented by a sunrise and a swarm of witches from Mussorgsky.
For 130 years, the Oregon Symphony has brought people together through the extraordinary power of music. Generations of musicians, audiences, donors, and community partners have built this remarkable legacy—and you can be part of what comes next.
Your gift in honor of the Oregon Symphony’s 130th anniversary sustains exceptional performances, supports the artists who bring music to life, inspires young people through education programs, and creates meaningful musical experiences for communities across Oregon.
An anniversary is a moment to celebrate how far we’ve come—and to invest in where we’re going. With your support, the Oregon Symphony can continue to create, collaborate, innovate, and connect with audiences for generations to come.
Celebrate 130 years of music by making a gift today.