My most recent reviews of the Oregon Symphony concert (Haydn's Creation) and the Cascadia Composers concert (Bang on a Can) are posted in Oregon Music News - just scroll down the main page.

While attending Seattle Opera last weekend, I talked with fellow critic Mark Mandel, who writes for Opera News. Mark told me about the ongoing opera series in which the public is invited to come to his home to watch opera DVDs on his large screen TV. You are also invited to bring a vegetarian dish to the days in which a pot

It has come to my attention that James R. Smith, former principal trumpet of the Oregon Symphony, died last night (January 3rd). Smith played during the Bloomfield, Belugi, and Singer eras and sat next to John Trudeau, former principal trombonist. He also toured with Robert Shaw.

CRPDX, one of the mainstays in P-town's vibrant alternative classical music scene, has incorporated as a non-profit after much hard work. They are currently seeking Founding Revolutionaries---the first 50 people to join as a sustainer at $10/month or donate $100 outright get to be CRPDX's bff and listed as such on the webs

The great sound-effects man for Prairie Home Companion, Tom Keith, died on Sunday, October 30th died of a heart attack on Sunday at his home in Woodbury, Minnesota. He was 64 years old.Here are some obituaries about Keith:- Minnesota Public Radio News- Minneapolis Star Tribune- St. Paul Pioneer Press- Garrison Keillor on P

Tenor needed for quartet performing Italian Christmas repertoire, about 15 minutes worth, accompanied by strings and keyboard, at a large house party on Dec. 10, beginning at 5 p.m. There will be three rehearsals (10/19, 11/16, and 12/2).There is lots of food, drinks, and music music music (mostly strings) at these events.

If you are looking for a lighthearted story that is punctuated by the music of ABBA, then Mamma Mia is your ticket. It’s a cheesy, spandex-driven musical that will make you want to get out of your seat and start dancing. That was the scene at Keller Auditorium, when I attended Mamma Mia on Tuesday evening, which was the f

Since Erwin Schrott and Oregon Symphony conductor Carlos Kalmar are natives of Montevideo Uruguay, it might be possible for Kalmar to appeal to his fellow countryman for an appearance with the Oregon Symphony. Of course, that would mean a duet opportunity for Schrott and his wife Anna Netrebko. Well, it's a long, long sho

Just a quick link to a couple of new articles up at Oregon Music News: An interview with Bobby Ray of The Electric Opera Company proved most enlightening! I'll be at their show with CRPDX at the Alberta Rose Theatre tomorrow night. I guarantee you won't have more of a blast anywhere in the 503 for 8 bucks on Friday. I r

Electric Opera Company and Classical Revolution PDX Present: Sympathy for the Devil A classically inspired rock concert at the Alberta Rose Theater Portland’s favorite Electric Guitar Orchestra collides with the city’s most accessible Chamber Ensemble to show you a side of classical music you’ve never even dreamed of

Filmusik, Portland's homegrown musical idea whose name expresses exactly what it does, delivered another bang-up performance with the live-soundtrack rendition of 'The Grand Duel,' a spaghetti western of the best (worst?) kind Thursday night at the Hollywood Theater.Federale, a local band who specializes in the dramatic mus

I've just received word that John Richards, former principal tuba of the Oregon Symphony for 53 years, died earlier today. Richards was a phenomenal musician and a real Mensch. He had a doctorate in psychology and taught a Lewis & Clark College while playing in the orchestra. He also had a huge collection of instruments

Filmusik, the unique brainchild of Portland composer Galen Huckins that combines classic cinema with all manner of live performance elements, including live original soundtracks, voice dubbing and sound effects, is at it again this upcoming week with their new project The Grand Duel.A spaghetti western starring the inimitab

Because I'm a member of the Music Critics Association of North America (see mcana.org), I got the opportunity to write and/or update a number of entries to the new edition of the Grove Dictionary of American Music. What started out as three or four pieces last summer ended up encompassing entries on 41 subjects. I finished

A big welcome to Oregon Arts Watch, which debuted this week. Under music, you'll see that Brett Campbell has posted stories about the Oregon Symphony, Cappella Romana and other local music organizations.

One of the things that I realized after hearing the Ring Cycle in San Francisco was how good the Seattle Opera orchestra is. Even though the orchestra of the San Francisco Opera is one of the best in the land, it stumbled and fumbled here and there during each opera in the Cycle. I have heard the Seattle Opera Orchestra pla

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)Wilfred Pelletier (1896-1982)Chet Atkins (1924-2001)Ingrid Haebler (1926)Eric Dolphy (1928-1964)Arne Nordheim (1931)Mickie Most (1938-2003)Brian Wilson (1942)Anne Murray (1945)André Watts (1946)Lionel Richie (1949)andKurt Schwitters (1887-1948)Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)Vikram Seth (1952)

François Rebel (1701-1775)Johann Wenzel Stamitz (1717-1757)Carl Zeller (1842-1898)Alfredo Catalani (1854-1893)Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915)Guy Lombardo (1902-1977)Edwin Gerschefski (1909-1988)Anneliese Rothenberger (1926)Elmar Oliveira (1950)Philippe Manoury 1952)andBlaise Pascal (1623-1662)Tobias Wolff (1945)Salman Rushdie (

Antonio Maria Bononcini (1677-1726)Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831)Sir George Thalben-Ball (1896-1987)Edward Steuermann (1892-1964)Manuel Rosenthal (1904-2003)Paul McCartney (1942)Hans Vonk (1942-2004)Anthony Halstead (1945)Diana Ambache (1948)Eva Marton (1948)Peter Donohoe (1953)andGeoffrey Hill (1932)Richard Powers (1957)

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)Hermann Reutter (1900-1985)Einar Englund (1916-1999)Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006)Sir Edward Downes (1924)Christian Ferras (1933-1982)Gérard Grisey (1946-1998)Derek Lee Ragin (1958)andM. C. Escher (1898-1972)John Hersey (1914–1993)Ron Padgett (1942)

Niccolò Vito Piccinni (1728-1800)Helen Traubel (1899-1972)Willi Boskovsky (1909-1990)Sergiu Comissiona (1928-2005)Lucia Dlugoszewski (1931-2000)Jerry Hadley (1952-2007)David Owen Norris (1953)andJoyce Carol Oates (1938)

Franz Danzi (1763-1826)Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)Ernestine Schumann‑Heink (1861-1936)Guy Ropartz (1864-1955)Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981)Sir Thomas Armstrong (1898-1994)Otto Luening (1900-1996)Geoffrey Parsons (1929-1995)Waylon Jennings(1937-2002)Harry Nilsson (1941-1994)Paul Patterson (1947)Rafael Wallfisch (1953)Robe

Simon Mayr (1763-1845)John McCormack (1884-1945)Heddle Nash (1894-1961)Rudolf Kempe (1910-1976)Stanley Black (1913-2002)Natalia Gutman (1942)Lang Lang (1982)andHarriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)John Bartlett (1820-1905) Ernesto (Che) Guevara de la Serna (1928-1967)

Elisabeth Schumann (1888-1952)Carlos Chavez (1899-1978)Alan Civil (1929-1989)Gwynne Howell (1938)Sarah Connolly (1963)Alain Trudel (1966)andWilliam Butler Yeats (1865-1939)William S. Burroughs (1914-1997)

Vanni Marcoux (1877-1962)Leon Goossens (1897-1988)Maurice Ohana (1913-1992)Ian Partridge (1938)Chick Corea (1941)Oliver Knussen (1952)andEgon Schiele (1890-1918)Anne Frank (1929-1945)

Francesco Antonio Bonporti (1672-1749)Richard Strauss (1864-1949)Shelly Manne (1920-1984)Carlisle Floyd (1926)Antony Rooley (1944)Douglas Bostock (1955)Conrad Tao (1994)andBen Jonson (1572-1637)William Styron (1925-2006)Athol Fugard (1932)

Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843-1900)Frederick Loewe (1904-1988)Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911-1984)Bruno Bartoletti (1925)Mark-Anthony Turnage (1960)andGustave Courbet (1819-1877)Saul Bellow (1915-2005)Maurice Sendak (1928)

Otto Nicolai (1810-1849)Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)Cole Porter (1891-1964)Dame Gracie Fields (1898-1979)Ingolf Dahl (1912-1970)Les Paul (1915-2009)Franco Donatoni (1927-2000)Charles Wuorinen (1938)Ileana Cotrubas (1939) andGeorge Axelrod (1922-2003)and from the New Music Box:On June 9, 1836, the Styrian Musik-Verein sponsored

Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1750)Nicolas Dalayrac (1753-1809)Robert Schumann (1810-1856)Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942)Reginald Kell (1906-1981)Emanuel Ax (1949)andFrank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) and from the New Music Box:On June 8, 2002, Meet The Composer presented The Works, a 12-hour hour marathon concert of MTC commissioned music

Leopold Auer (1845-1930)George Szell (1897-1970)Ilse Wolf (1921-1999)Philippe Entremont (1934)Neeme Järvi 1937)Sir Tom Jones (1940)Jaime Laredo (1941)Prince (1958)Roberto Alagna (1963)Olli Mustonen (1967)andPaul Gaugin (1848-1903)Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)Nikki Giovanni (1943)Orham Pamuk (1952)Louise Erdrich (1954) and f