new concert space debuts in KBPS benefit April 30, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : chamber music, fundraising, add a commentThe Museum of Contemporary Craft, at 724 NW Davis (the DeSoto building, on the North Park blocks), will make its debut as one of Portland’s newest concert venues in a benefit for KBPS’ “Permanent Home on Your Dial” campaign to secure its broadcast license in perpetuity.
The concert will feature Portland chamber music fixtures violist Joël Belgique, violinist Inés Voglar, pianist Cary Lewis, and cellist Dorothy Lewis.
They’ll present a very interesting concert of chamber music rarities, including a world premiere by composer and classical radio announcer Robert McBride of a new work for violin and piano. An arrangement of Borodin’s Polovetsian Dances for piano quartet will also be featured, as well as Enoch Arden, a melodrama by Richard Strauss, with KBPS announcer Edmund Stone narrating.
Tickets are $20 and are available in advance at Classical Millennium at 3144 E. Burnside, or at the door the evening of the performance.
To learn more about the Craft museum, take a look at this video:
honolulu symphony in serious trouble April 18, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : fundraising, labor issues, music, the orchestra world, add a commentThe financially troubled Honolulu Symphony has not paid its musicians or staff for the past 7 weeks of work, and needs $1.5-2.0 million to get out of debt to survive. Next season may already be in jeopardy, and the orchestra is seeking an emergency $800,000 grant from the state of Hawaii to help make ends meet.
Read more here.
concert decorum April 12, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : fundraising, miscellaneous, music, the orchestra world, 2commentsTonight was our first Portland performance of the current classical series (we had a run-out concert last night in Newberg). As usual, OSO president Elaine Calder came out to welcome the audience and to give nods to the major sponsors for the evening’s concert, and to reiterate the announcement of Carlos’ four-year contract extension.
As she began, a heckler in the audience yelled “It’s in the program!!”. Very loudly. Very rudely.
I want to take a few moments to address this, as it’s happened once before during this season (as far as I can recollect, during one of the concerts featuring the Adams Chamber Symphony).
I understand that for some the pre-concert announcements are an irritating routine that must be endured before the concert’s music begins. I sympathize. I’d rather just get to the music, too.
However, the major sponsors and/or donors have done a great service to the community by underwriting these concerts, and it’s not too much to expect that, along with appropriate notice in the program, that they are acknowledged from the stage by our chief executive officer.
Such niceties are greatly appreciated by those who give the money, I’m told, and the fact that they are giving to the symphony makes it possible for you to attend a concert that’s reasonably affordable, instead of nearly 60% more expensive.
I’m glad that the “gentleman” in the audience saw fit to indulge his impatience by bellowing his displeasure - because it created the opportunity to explain why these announcements are made and what purpose they serve.
I’m sure that Elaine would rather spend more time right before the concert talking to patrons or relaxing in preparation for the concert, but she puts herself front and center for nearly every major concert to acknowledge the generosity of both corporations and individuals, instead of having a recorded announcement by some faceless radio announcer as is done by other orchestras.
She’s doing her utmost to turn around the financial situation here in Portland, and deserves to be treated with dignity and decorum.
mendelssohn April 5, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : chamber music, fundraising, music, add a commentLast night was the benefit concert at the Community Music Center for the Naomi Blumberg Fund for Chamber Music Education at the Community Music Center.
The first half was a wonderful performance of the Mendelssohn Trio for violin, cello and piano in c minor, Op. 66. It was given a wonderfully polished and emotional performance by CMC students Brandon Garbot, violin, Boris Popadiuk, cello, and Eloise Kim, piano. It was so nice to hear such young performers give such a poised and flexible performance of a great work from the piano trio literature.
Next came the Mendelssohn Octet, Op. 20, which was written when the composer was just 16 years old (just a year or two older than the young performers who played his piano trio on the first half!).
It was a delight to play this great piece with such a fine group of colleagues. Jun Iwasaki, our new concertmaster, led easily and clearly from the first violin chair, and handled its many hurdles quite nicely.
It was my first time to perform in a chamber group with Jun, as well as with cellist Adam Esbensen, who leaves after this season for the Boston Symphony, cellist Trevor Fitztpatrick and violinists Inés Voglar and Becky Anderson.
In spite of rehearsing from three different editions of the parts (I was constantly asking where we were in rehearsals) we were able to put together a convincing performance of the piece, and show the rewards of being good collaborators (which reaps many dividends in the orchestral ensemble as well).
It was great fun for everyone involved, and I learned (unofficially) that it was a very successful fundraiser for the endowment fund as well. I hope that it’s the first of many such collaborations.
jun iwasaki & friends concert tonight April 4, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : News, chamber music, fundraising, music, 1 comment so far
An exciting concert will be presented this evening to endow the Naomi Blumberg Endowment Fund for Chamber Music Education at the Community Music Center. The concert features OSO concertmaster Jun Iwasaki, OSO musicians, and CMC students and alumni in a full evening of chamber music.
The concert will feature the Mendelssohn Trio in c minor, Op. 66, and the Octet for strings, Op. 20.
Here’s a listing of the performers:
From the Oregon Symphony: Jun Iwasaki, Greg Ewer, Inés Voglar, Joël Belgique, Charles Noble, Trevor Fitzpatrick, and Adam Esbensen.
CMC Students and Alumni: Becky Anderson, Brandon Garbot, Boris Papadiuk and Eloise Kim.
Tickets are on sale at the door, come early as seating is limited.
more good oso news February 8, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : fundraising, music, the orchestra world, add a commentWell, I’m feeling a bit better after getting this tidbit of news today - the OSO has met its single-ticket sales goal of nearly $1.9 million! They’re also within striking distance of meeting their total ticket sales goal (single-ticket and subscriptions combined) of just over $5.3 million, and we’re only at the end of the first week of February!
Congratulations to the hard working, dedicated management staff who are doing such a fabulous job of making these goals a reality. It makes the hard work we do on stage a bit more rewarding than it already is when we see good news like this!
symphony ticket sales top $5 million January 30, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : fundraising, music, the orchestra world, add a comment
The good news is in - the Oregon Symphony has significantly improved its earned income over the previous season. Why is this news so good? Let me ask this question: if you were a major prospective donor, would you rather give to an organization improving its earnings on its own, or to one that is not? (more…)
