June 17, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Northeast Portland’s Woodlawn Park will host the opening event in this summer’s Oregon Symphony in the Neighborhoods series on Saturday, Aug. 27, a concert that welcome new Symphony Resident Conductor Gregory Vajda. The series concludes Thursday, Sept. 1, when Music Director Carlos Kalmar and Vajda lead the orchestra for an annual free public concert at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Oregon Symphony in the Neighborhoods is presented by the City of Portland through the Regional Arts and Culture Council. The Waterfront concert is sponsored by Synopsys. The Woodlawn Park concert is sponsored by HealthNet. Media support for the series is provided by KGW, KINKfm102 and the Portland Tribune.
The Waterfront Concert will feature selections from the 2005-06 season, including excerpts from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Rossini’s “William Tell” Overture and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, as well as music of Sibelius, Schumann and Gruber. Vajda will lead the orchestra in a medley of popular soul hits including “Reach Out,” “I'll Be There” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Kalmar and the Symphony will wind up the evening with the annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” complete with fireworks and National Guard canons. Select members of the Portland Youth Philharmonic will join the Symphony for this special performance.
The 7 p.m. Symphony concert will be preceded at 5 p.m. by a performance by the Portland Youth Philharmonic, under the direction of Music Director Mei-Ann Chen. They will perform selections from their upcoming concert season.
Oregon Symphony in the Neighborhoods is designed by local neighborhood leaders, community organizations and neighborhood arts groups who collaborate with the Symphony to provide performances by local community groups, arts activities, opportunities for children and their parents to become acquainted with orchestral instruments at “instrument petting zoos,” food booths and local service information booths prior to the Symphony concert. Booth space is available for neighborhood non-profits, children’s programs, arts organizations and community development groups. Food will be available for purchase throughout the afternoon.
All the performing artists and activities reflect the diversity of the neighborhoods surrounding Woodlawn Park, located on the corner of NE 13 th and Dekum, and have been planned by a committee of representatives from the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Woodlawn Elementary School and local cultural and arts organizations.
Oregon Symphony in the Neighborhoods is a city-funded neighborhood revitalization project established in collaboration with the City of Portland, Portland Parks and Recreation and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC).
