Pinchas Zukerman has spent more than 40 years on the world’s great concert stages, but as the Miami Herald says, “He keeps getting better.” He’ll have both his violin and his baton along when he makes a rare appearance with the Oregon Symphony.

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin
Amanda Forsyth, cello

Forsyth: Jubilee Overture
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1
Brahms: Concerto for Violin and Cello

[POPS CONCERT] Some of the greatest American popular music is now over sixty years old – but who’s counting? This is music that endures, captivating new generations of music lovers. From Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy to the music of Casablanca and Oklahoma! – by composers like Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein – this is a program that goes On The Town with style and grace.

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Dee Daniels, vocals
Daniel Narducci, vocals

The one-time child prodigy known the world over by her first name alone – Midori – is now a mature musician at the absolute peak of her powers. What’s her take on one of the most demanding works ever written – the Sibelius Violin Concerto, a masterpiece that’s been called “purely virtuosic”?

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Midori, violin

Sibelius: Canzonetta
Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

You’ve seen him with our orchestra, and you’ve asked to hear more of this legendary violinist in the solo repertoire. Perlman is with us this year for one night only. Don’t miss this great artist during our month of stellar violinists. Please note: The Oregon Symphony does not perform.

Rohan De Silva, piano

Antonin Dvorák’s Cello Concerto is one for the record books: most loved, most performed, most recorded. Expect plenty of sizzle when it is performed by one of Europe’s hottest young cellists in her American orchestra debut.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Quirine Viersen, cello

Barber: Music for a Scene from Shelley
Dvorák: Cello Concerto
Kernis: Newly Drawn Sky
Bernstein: On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite

Three consecutive nights, one spectacular weekend. Our festival begins with Piano Concerto No. 2 – the one Beethoven himself performed at his public concert debut in 1795.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Arnaldo Cohen, piano
Jun Iwasaki, violin
Quirine Viersen, cello

Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2
Beethoven: Triple Concerto for violin, cello and piano

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The brilliant Brazilian-born pianist Arnaldo Cohen continues his marathon exploration of Ludwig van Beethoven’s complete music for piano and orchestra by presenting two more piano concertos, No. 1 and No. 4, in a single – and singular – concert.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Arnaldo Cohen, piano

Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 1
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4

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The three-night Beethoven Festival comes to a close with the most famous piano concerto of them all – No. 5, the “Emperor.” Only you can decide: Did we save the best for last?

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Arnaldo Cohen, piano

Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 2
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”

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Carlos Kalmar brings down the curtain on our spectacular 2009/10 concert season in his own memorable way: with the Oregon Symphony premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto and one more of Gustav Mahler’s monumental symphonies – “The Titan.”

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Elina Vahala, violin

Lindberg: Purcell Variation
Britten: Violin Concerto
Mahler: Symphony No. 1, “The Titan”

[SPECIAL CONCERT] One singular sensation: The reigning superstar of the violin, Joshua Bell, is back for one night only to help us kick off the spectacular 2010/11 concert season in a way Portland music-lovers won't soon forget. 

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Carl Nielsen: Overture to Maskarade
Aaron Copland: The Tender Land Suite
• Édouard Lalo: Symphonie espagnole
George Enescu: Rumanian Rhapsody No.  1

[SPECIAL CONCERT] One of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's grandest and best-known choral masterworks is all its glory, performed by the Portland Symphonic Choir.

Stephen Zopfi, conductor
• Portland Symphonic Choir

Richard Wagner: Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin
• Richard Wagner: Wedding March from Lohengrin
Richard Wagner: Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Mass in C minor

Time Magazine has called her "America's best young classical musician." Gramophone named her "artist of the year." Is there a better way for the Oregon Symphony classical series to open than with the long-awaited Portland debut of Hilary Hahn? 

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Hilary Hahn, violin

Narong Prangcharoen: Phenomenon
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5

What's likely to rank as the highlight on this program of greats: The symphony Mendelssohn created from the majestic church hymn A Mighty Fortress? The concerto many people say is Mozart's finest? You decide.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Jeffrey Kahane, piano

Richard Wagner: Prelude to Parsifal
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, "Reformation"
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24
Franz Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1

[POPS] Last time Byron Stripling came to town, Portland audiences raved and urged us to bring him back. This time he'll transport you back to the famed Harlem Cotton Club of the 1920s as we perform the intoxicating compositions of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Chick Webb. 

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Byron Stripling, vocalist and trumpeter
Carmen Bradford, vocalist
Ted Levy, dancer

[KIDS CONCERT] Ahoy, mates!  Join the Oregon Symphony's merry band of pirates on an unforgettable swashbuckling voyage.  The musical booty includes Handel's Water Music, tunes from Pirates of the Caribbean, Mendelssohn's Fingal's Cave and Korngold's music to Captain Blood.  Yo Ho Ho!

Gregory Vajda, conductor
Pamela Mahon, narrator

Rarities old and new – from the operatic Rossini to the young Tchaikovsky. And, in between, contemporary composer William Bolcom's unmistakably American Violin Concerto gets its first Oregon Symphony performance ever.

James Gaffigan, conductor
Benjamin Schmid, violin

Gioachino Rossini: Overture to Semiramide
• William Bolcom: Violin Concerto
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1, "Winter Dreams"

It's a genuine marriage of the arts as an ensemble of talented actors join the orchestra on stage to perform Falstaff, composer Edward Elgar's astonishingly creative impressions of Shakespeare's most captivating comic character.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
TBA, three actors

Maurice Ravel: Minuet antique
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 38, "Prague"
• Edward Elgar: Falstaff (with actors)
William Walton: Charge and Battle from Suite from Henry V

Count on plenty of fireworks when British pianist Stephen Hough returns to tackle the flamboyant First Piano Concerto of Franz Liszt. Then the heat turns up even higher as Carlos Kalmar and the orchestra take on Mahler's monumental final symphony for the first time in two decades.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano

Giacomo Meyerbeer: Coronation March from Le Prophète
• Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 10 (Cooke version)

[SPECIAL CONCERT] The gravity-defying movements and choreography of these aerialists, acrobats, dancers and jugglers captivated us last season – so we invited them back to present their spectacular Holiday show 

Gregory Vajda, conductor
Cirque de la Symphonie, performing artists

[SPECIAL CONCERT] One unforgettable night with the world's favorite cellist: Yo-Yo Ma is back with the Oregon Symphony for the first time since 2001 to perform one of the 20th century's true masterworks, the grand and glorious First Cello Concerto of Dmitri Shostakovich.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello

John Adams: Slonimsky's Earbox
Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1, E-flat major
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov:  Capriccio espagnol

[SPECIAL CONCERT] Our annual celebration of the season comes back for a rousing, uplifting and joyous 12th year, with an afternoon performance on Sunday.

Charles Floyd, conductor
Northwest Community Gospel Choir

No matter how many times you've heard Handel's Messiah, you've never heard it like this before! The Portland Symphonic Choir and a stellar cast of soloists join our own Oregon Symphony for one of the most enduring holiday musical traditions.

Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Portland Symphonic Chamber Choir 

Nathalie Paulin, soprano; Matthew White, countertenor;
Frédéric Antoun, tenor; Joshua Hopkins, baritone

George Frederic Handel:  Messiah

[KIDS CONCERT] Join our musical scouting party as we explore the music of the great American West.  You'll feel at home on the range with selections that include music from Copland's Rodeo and Old American Songs, the thunderstorm from Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony and Rossini's William Tell Overture.

David Hattner, conductor
Pamela Mahon, narrator and vocalist
Pacific Youth Choir

He's a seven-time Grammy winner and a genuine A-list pianist praised by The New York Times for his "luminous intensity." When Manny Ax makes a rare Portland appearance, it's certain to be among the season's major highlights. We guarantee it.

Emmanuel Villaume, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano

Carl Maria von Weber: Overture to Der Freischütz
Marc-André Dalbavie: Color
• Johannes Brahms:  Piano Concerto No. 2

[SPECIAL CONCERT] Brighten up a Portland winter with this great group of dancers and musicians from Argentina. Please note:  The Oregon Symphony does not perform.

Tango Buenos Aires – The Fire and Passion of Tango

[SPECIAL CONCERT] He's baaaack! When Lang Lang performed with the Oregon Symphony two seasons ago, the Portland crowd was blown away by his talent and élan. This time he's going solo. (And we have every reason to expect the audience will be blown away once more.)

Lang Lang, piano

The program will be announced at a later date – but you can reserve your seats today!
Please note:  The Oregon Symphony does not perform.

[POPS] Classic meets contemporary as the Great White Way returns to Portland's Schnitzer stage.  Three of Broadway's leading ladies sing showstoppers from Evita, Gypsy, A Chorus Line, Wicked and more.  Is there drama in that?  A little "anything you can do, I can do better"?  You bet!

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Debbie Gravitte, vocalist
Jan Horvath, vocalist
Christiane Noll, vocalist

He just might be the single most unforgettable soloist you see in this or any other season: Colin Currie – the one-of-a-kind percussion wizard – drops into town to perform the Grammy-winning the modern musical masterwork composer Jennifer Higdon wrote especially for him. 

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Colin Currie, percussion

Ludwig van Beethoven: Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens
Rodion Shchedrin: Carmen Suite (after Georges Bizet)
• Jennifer Higdon:  Percussion Concerto

She's still only 22, and already she's being hailed worldwide as China's next superstar of the piano! What more thrilling way could there be for Yuja Wang to make her Oregon Symphony debut than with the fiendishly difficult Rach Third?

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano

Johannes Brahms:  Tragic Overture
Carl Nielsen:  Symphony No. 6, "Sinfonia semplice"
• Sergei Rachmaninoff :  Piano Concerto No. 3

The brilliant violinist Jennifer Koh returns to present not one but two dazzling solos – the famous Barber concerto you probably already know and love … plus a small gem by Bartok you're going to love to discover.

Gregory Vajda, conductor
Jennifer Koh, violin

Gregory Vajda: Duevoe
• Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto
• Bela Bartok: Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 7

Sure, you've heard the famous Grieg Piano Concerto before. But you won't hear it quite like this anywhere but Portland, as Favorite Son pianist Thomas Lauderdale – yes, that Thomas Lauderdale – puts his own spin on one of music's most popular masterpieces. 

Alondra de la Parra, conductor
Thomas Lauderdale, piano

Igor Stravinsky: Four Norwegian Moods
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 5
• Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto
Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2

[KIDS CONCERT] From tutus to the can-can and Hungarian dances to square dances, the Oregon Symphony – assisted by Dance West –  will make it hard to stay in your seats.  Selections include the Russian Sailor's Dance, Weber's Invitation to the Dance and Tchaikovsky's Waltz from Swan Lake. 

Gregory Vajda, conductor
Pamela Mahon, narrator
Dance West

Expect a night of contrasts as Carlos Kalmar pairs two of the 20th century's most imaginative musical creations: the boldly expressive Violin Concerto of Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian alongside Claude Debussy's sublime, impressionist La Mer.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Baiba Skride, violin

Jean Sibelius: The Oceanides
• Aram Khachaturian: Violin Concerto
Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 39
Claude Debussy: La Mer

[POPS] It's hard to believe, but the Beatles gave their last concert in 1966.  More than 40 years will slip away as the Oregon Symphony, Jeff Tyzik and Classical Mystery Tour bring you the music of the Fab Four at their best.  Yes, we have John, Paul, George and Ringo look-alikes, and yes, the '60s will live again.

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Classical Mystery Tour

Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony is the great composer's ode to nature, stormy weather and the great outdoors. Hmm, sound familiar? Maybe we should think of it as the official orchestral soundtrack for life in the Pacific Northwest.

Gunther Herbig, conductor
Natasha Paremski, piano

Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony 6, "Symphonic Fantasias"
• Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral"

Toronto's Globe & Mail calls the terrific Canadian violinist James Ehnes "the Jascha Heifetz of our day." High praise, indeed. Imagine what he'll be able to do with the profound and searching First Violin Concerto of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
James Ehnes, violin

Franz Joseph Haydn: Overture to Orfeo and Euridice
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No.1
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"

[POPS] You've seen them on Dancing With the Stars. You've enjoyed their electric energy and the sizzling music of their native Cuba. Now imagine them backed by the lush string sounds and blazing brass of the Oregon Symphony. By the end of the performance, you'll be on your feet dancing and cheering.  What a great way to end the Pops season!

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Tiempo Libre

Just before Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony head off to New York and their long-awaited Carnegie Hall debut, they've got one very special themed program planned for their home audience in Portland: "Music for a Time of War."

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Sanford Sylvan, baritone

Charles Ives: Unanswered Question
*John Adams: The Wound-Dresser
Benjamin Britten:  Sinfonia da requiem
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4

Oh, what a year it's been! We bring our spectacular 2010/11 concert season to a close in the best way we know how: With a program planned specifically to highlight the exceptional talent of the Oregon Symphony's own musicians.  

Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Orchestra soloists

Featured players include:  Joël Belgique, viola; David Buck, flute; JáTtik Clark, tuba;
Yoshinori Nakao, clarinet; Nancy Ives, cello; Jun Iwasaki, violin

Paul Dukas: La péri Fanfare (all brass)
Paul Hindemith: Trauermusik (Belgique)
Camille Saint-Saëns:  Tarantelle (Buck, Nakao)  
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Pezzo capriccioso
Jeff Tyzik: Jig from Four Dances for Tuba (Clark) 
Maurice Ravel: Tzigane (Iwasaki)
Bela Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra