Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter was born in Hamelin, West Germany on March 22, 1966. He now lives in England. On the Nature of Daylight was released in February, 2004 as part of the album The Blue Notebooks. It is scored for string orchestra: first and second violins, violas, cellos and… Read More
Sunday, January 25, 2026 Monday, January 26, 2026 These concerts continue the PSO’s exploration of music inspired by nature. Guest conductor David Amado’s October program evoked the heavens and the Greek and Roman Gods whoinhabit them. This weekend PSO Music Director Eckart Preu leads the orchestra in music about inner and outer worlds and how… Read More
Takashi Yoshimatsu Ode to Birds and Rainbow Takashi Yoshimatsu was both in Tokyo, Japan on March 18, 1953 and lives there now. Ode to Birds and Rainbow was written in 1994 and has been performed widely since. At least two commercial recordings are available. It is scored for 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes, 2… Read More
Sunday, March 1, 2026 Today’s concert continues an exploration of music and nature that began with guest conductor David Amado’s program last October and continued with Eckart’s powerful program in late January. This time, guest conductor Morihiko Nakahara brings music from his native Japan, along with a lesser-known work by the great American composer… Read More
Jacqueline Selby, from Duluth, Georgia, leads an active life performing and teaching in the New England area. She began her musical studies with piano lessons at age three and performed on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” at age sixteen. That same year she decided to solely pursue cello and since then she has performed… Read More
Alessandro Cirafici is the second oboist of the Portland Symphony Orchestra and artist faculty for oboe at the University of Southern Maine. An active Boston-based freelancer, Alessandro has both performed and recorded with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the Deutsche Grammophon label, and was previously a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. He has also… Read More
Over the summer, campers from The Telling Room’s program Ekphrastic Excursions, came to Merrill Auditorium and listened to “Coincident Dances” by Jessie Montgomery and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” two work on the PSO’s Classical concert, Scheherazade, on November 16. The campers explored how different soundscapes, themes, and instrumentations inspired their writing, and two of the poems… Read More
Jessie Montgomery Coincident Dances Jessie Montgomery was born in New York City in 1981. Coincident Dances was first performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta, Mei-Ann Chen conducting, on September 16, 2017. It is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, Timpani, percussion and strings. It lasts… Read More
Sunday, November 16, 2025 PSO Music Director Eckart Preu returns to our podium with a program about color, light and atmosphere, but also about the desire of cultures to mix and evolve. American composer Jessie Montgomery explains that her exuberant work was inspired byunexpected musical pairings she experienced walking down the street in her New… Read More
Missy Mazzoli Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) Missy Mazzoli was born on October 27, 1980 in Lansdale, PA. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) was first heard on April 8, 2014 performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of John Adams. The version for expanded orchestra heard tonight was first played… Read More
85 Exchange Street 4th Floor, Portland, ME 04101 | Phone: (207) 773-6128 | Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 01-6006058
This fall enter a new century of connection, community, and exceptional music with your PSO.
Find the answers to all the questions about the orchestra you may be too afraid to ask!
Coming in 2026…The Portland Symphony Orchestra partners with Carnegie Hall to present Link Up: The Orchestra Moves! Link Up is a fully participatory, school-day concert program. Students will fill Merrill Auditorium to sing, play recorders, move, and listen along with the symphony from their seats. This program is designed for students in grades 3-6 but all are welcome and encouraged to participate!
Forte, our must-attend annual fundraiser, is just around the corner! Save the date Thursday, June 12th for an unforgettable evening of live performances, cocktails, gourmet treats, and an exciting live auction. Tickets, tables, and sponsorship opportunities are on sale now!
