Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington Harlem Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born in Washington, D. C. on April 29, 1899 and died in New York City on May 24, 1974. His Harlem Suite was written in 1950 and premiered in January, 1951 in its original version for jazz band. The version heard this evening, with orchestrations… Read More

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 Portland Ballet is Portland’s professional ballet company and has shared the Merrill stage with PSO for multiple performances. It is flutist Mimi Stillman’s first appearance with the orchestra, and the first time the PSO has played music by Chinese American composer Zhou Tian. Ballet itself has roots that go back to… Read More

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Suite from Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66a Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia, in 1840 and died in St. Petersburg in 1893. He composed the ballet Sleeping Beauty on a commission from the Director of the Imperial Theaters in St. Petersburg in 1888-1889 and it was first performed at the Mariinsky… Read More

Sunday, April 27, 2025 Tuesday, April 29, 2025 PSO Music Director is joined for this program by the Silver-Garburg Duo in two-piano concertos by J. S. Bach and Mozart. The Silver-Garburgs last played here in February, 2022 with concertos by Bach and Poulenc. After intermission, Carl Orff’s eternally popular Carmina Burana takes the stage, employing… Read More

Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto for Two Pianos and String Orchestra in C Major, BWV 1061 Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on either March 21 or March 31, 1685 and died in Leipzig, Germany on July 28, 1750. This concerto, originally for 2 harpsichords and strings, dates from the 1730s and is scored… Read More

Sunday, March 30, 2025 This concert provides, among other things, a portrait of the brilliant American clarinetist and composer David Krakauer, who moves easily between the worlds of classical music and klezmer. He  appears with the PSO for the first time. Conductor Anna Handler, newly appointed an assistant conductor at the Boston Symphony, also makes… Read More

Wolfgang Amadè Mozart Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major K. 622 Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (he never used “Amadeus” except when making a joke) was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756 and died in Vienna in 1791. He composed this concerto in November of 1791, and it was likely performed soon thereafter with Anton… Read More

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Beloved Maine pianist Diane Walsh makes a long-awaited return to the PSO with Beethoven’s most serene piano concerto, the 4th, in G Major, Opus 58. Pre-pandemic, she performed Clara Schumann’s youthful piano concerto with conductor Ruth Reinhardt in March 2019, and Chopin’s second concerto with Robert Moody in January 2017. Mexican… Read More

Gabriela Ortiz Kauyumari Gabriela Ortiz was born in 1964 in Mexico City, Mexico. She continues to live in Mexico. Kauyumari was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and first performed by that orchestra with its music director Gustavo Dudamel on October 9, 2021 at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles. The work is scored for… Read More