Jean Sibelius Finlandia, Op. 26 Jean Sibelius was born in Tavestehus, Finland in 1865 and died in Järvenpää in 1957. He composed Finlandia in 1899 and led the first performance at a benefit concert for the Press Pension Fund at the Swedish Theater in Helsinki the same year. Finlandia is scored for 2 flutes, 2… Read More
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Beethoven Violin Concerto Program Notes
Sep 20 2019
Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61 Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and died in Vienna in 1827. He composed this concerto in 1806, and it was performed the same year in Vienna with Franz Clement as soloist. The score calls for solo violin,… Read More
What is a concerto and how is knowing the definition going to increase your enjoyment of the PSO’s spectacular season finale: Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, May 12 & 13 at Merrill Auditorium. Join host Charlotte Gill (MA in Music Theory, Yale University and PSO’s own Corporate and Foundations Relations Manager) as she shares her wildly appropriate… Read More
Join PSO’s new Music Director Eckart Preu and PSO Graphic Designer Sarah McCullough as she interviews (and meets) Eckart on Skype. She poses the question that may be on the minds of many this 4th of July on the Eastern Prom. While fireworks are blasting, Portland’s very own BRAND NEW Music Director will be conducting…. Read More
Beethoven & Rachmaninoff Program Notes
Mar 8 2019
Purchase Tickets Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and died in Vienna in 1827. Though we can’t be sure, he seems to have composed this concerto in 1795; it also seems likely that the first performance was… Read More
Dvořák’s “New World” Program Notes
Mar 8 2019
Jean Sibelius Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47 Jean Sibelius was born in Tavestehus, Finland in 1865 and died in Järvenpää in 1957. He composed his Violin Concerto between 1902 and 1904, and conducted the first performance with violinist Victor Nováček and the Helsingfors Philharmonic the same year. The concerto is… Read More
The Schumann Circle Program Notes
Feb 27 2019
Johannes Brahms Tragic Overture in D minor, Op. 81 Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg in 1833 and died in Vienna in 1897. He composed this overture in 1880, though some of the materials had been previously composed in 1869. Brahms revised the work in 1881. The work was given its first performance in 1880… Read More
2019-20 Season Announcement
Feb 4 2019
Music Director designate Eckart Preu announced his inaugural season as Music Director at the Portland Symphony Orchestra on January 26 in Merrill Auditorium. PSO Executive Director Carolyn Nishon welcomes Eckart with a brief summary of the director search project and PSO Director of Education and Community Engagement John Elliott introduces the PSO’s 2019-20 Family Discovery… Read More
Michael-Thomas Foumai’s “The Telling Rooms”
Jan 10 2019
The Portland Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of a piece commissioned by the orchestra and titled The Telling Rooms, written by Michael-Thomas Foumai, on Sunday, January 27 at 2 p.m. The concert will be repeated on Tuesday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m. Foumai is a leading contemporary composer known for composing works inspired by film, art, literature, poetry… Read More
