Oregon Symphony Announces 2025/2026 Season

FESTIVALS CELEBRATING PORTLAND'S MUSICAL LANDSCAPE BOOKEND BOLD NEW SEASON

Sounds Like Portland (Fall 2025)

• A three-week showcase of Portland’s finest musicians, featuring The Decemberists, Storm Large, esperanza spalding, Darrell Grant, Caroline Shaw, and more
• Community-driven performances, interactive workshops, and artist panels
• Bang It! (Spring 2026)
• A thrilling percussion festival featuring Colin Currie, Portland Taiko, and works by Andy Akiho, Danny Elfman, and Steve Reich
• A mix of incredible works, rhythmic innovations, and audience engagement events

MUSIC DIRECTOR DAVID DANZMAYR RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON

• Visionary programming celebrating Portland's dynamic artistic culture
• Guest appearances by world-renowned artists, including Joshua Bell, Andrew Bird, and esperanza spalding

ARTISTIC INNOVATION & DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING

• Symphony-in-60: A new, condensed format for a fast-paced, immersive classical experience
• Naked Classics: Engaging deep dives into masterpieces, kicking off with Pictures at an Exhibition
• Films in Concert: Live symphonic performances of Pirates of the Caribbean, How to Train Your Dragon, The Goonies, and Chicago

GUEST ARTISTS & WORLD PREMIERES

• Featuring performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Daniil Trifonov, Gil Shaham, Jimmie Herrod, Ben Rector, Mariachi Sol de México, and Pink Martini
• World and Oregon premieres, including works by David Schiff, Caleb Palka, Anna Clyne, Billy Childs, and Brittany Green

A BOLD NEW BRAND & WEBSITE LAUNCH

• A fresh visual identity, deeply rooted in Portland's culture and creativity
• Enhanced digital experience for seamless ticketing and media excellence

The Oregon Symphony is thrilled to unveil its dynamic 2025/2026 season, anchored by a deep commitment to celebrating Portland's vibrant artistic culture, reinvigorating the downtown arts scene, and creating transformative musical experiences for all. This season centers around two groundbreaking festivals: Sounds Like Portland and Bang It! These festivals spotlight the rich diversity of Portland's local talent and innovative global collaborations. With an inspiring mix of performances, festivals, and new initiatives, the Symphony invites audiences to rediscover the cultural heartbeat of Portland.

Beyond these signature festivals, the 2025/2026 season offers an expansive lineup that blends beloved classical masterpieces with cutting-edge contemporary works. The Symphony welcomes some of the most renowned musicians of our time, including violinist Joshua Bell, singer-songwriter Andrew Bird, and jazz icon esperanza spalding.

A Season That Honors Portland's Artists and Downtown

"This season is a love letter to Portland," says Oregon Symphony President and CEO Isaac Thompson. "We want to bring people together through music, celebrate our city's talent, and continue to make downtown Portland a vibrant cultural hub. These festivals and programs reflect our deep belief in the power of music to unify and uplift our community."

Festivals That Celebrate Portland's Identity

At the core of the 2025/2026 season are two extraordinary festivals designed to highlight Portland's local culture and global connections:

Sounds Like Portland (Fall 2025): is a vibrant celebration of world-class music and musicians from your very own Rose City. From Portland's renowned indie bands like The Decemberists to acclaimed artists like esperanza spalding, and Storm Large, this extraordinary festival promises three weeks of locally rooted musical experiences.

• Headliners: Beloved indie icons The Decemberists and Grammy-winning jazz artist esperanza spalding will take the stage alongside Storm Large, Darrell Grant, and other Portland-based stars.
• Collaborative Spirit: With performances ranging from indie to classical, this festival embraces Portland's musical diversity, making it a true reflection of the city's identity.
• Community Connection: Sounds Like Portland offers interactive events, from artist panels to exploring new venues and partnerships. The hope is to create opportunities for audiences to engage with local talent and deepen their connection to the music.

Bang It! (Spring 2026): Featuring percussionist extraordinaire Colin Currie, the Oregon Symphony's incomparable percussion section, and local musicians from diverse world traditions (led by Portland Taiko), this festival will highlight the heartbeat of Portland like never before. Hear works for percussion by Oregon Symphony's composer-in-residence Andy Akiho, Danny Elfman, Steve Reich, and many more.

• Percussion Powerhouses: From the Oregon Symphony's percussionists to globally renowned artists like Colin Currie and Portland Taiko, this festival brings diverse traditions to life.
• Exciting Premieres: A highlight includes works by composer Brittany Green whose piece is a west coast premier.
• Interactive Experiences: The festival also features drumming circles, masterclasses, and performances that invite the community to get hands-on with rhythm.

Opening Week: A Stellar Start

The 2025/26 season begins with two unforgettable performances:

• Joshua Bell: The internationally renowned violinist joins Music Director David Danzmayr for Saint-Saëns' Violin Concerto No. 3, setting a breathtaking tone for the year.
• Andrew Bird: The iconic singer-songwriter brings his signature style to a genre-defying collaboration with the Oregon Symphony.

Innovation in Programming

New Friday Format: The Symphony is expanding its offerings with new and engaging ways to experience music:

• Symphony-in-60: Short on time, but need a classical music fix? The Oregon Symphony has the perfect answer for the end of your work week: a brand-new musical experience called "Symphony-in-60." The concert is shorter, and there's no intermission, but there's no shortage of dazzling music. Our first entry is Rachmaninoff's ultra-Romantic Symphony No. 2 that enfolds you with sweeping melodies, lush orchestrations, and inspired lyrical passages. The composer himself said: "Music is born only of the heart, and it appeals to the heart. It is love." You'll need no further proof than this gorgeous work.
• Naked Classics: This new series will do our first deep dive into one of the most popular, most requested pieces in the repertoire: Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Join us for a 60-minute exploration with Paul Rissmann, a presenter with impressive creds. He'll reveal the secrets of the music, the orchestra will play excerpts as he breaks down the composition into component parts, and then he'll put it all back together again. The icing on this musical cake: a complete performance of Pictures that you'll now hear with "brand-new ears." Getting the inside scoop on classical music has never been so much fun. (Not to worry—everyone involved will be fully clothed!)

New Artist in Residence: Simone Porter

Violinist Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, interpretive integrity, and vibrant communication. In the past few years, she has debuted with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and with a number of renowned conductors, including Stéphane Denève, Gustavo Dudamel, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, and Donald Runnicles. Born in 1996, Simone made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London at age 13. In March 2015, Simone was named a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

With the cessation of live concerts Simone continued to record streamed events with Seattle, Pittsburgh, Charlotte and Greater Bridgeport Symphonies. 21/22 season included extensive US touring with debuts and return visits to orchestras such as Colorado, North Carolina, St. Louis, Grand Rapids, Omaha, Quebec, Princeton, Monterey, Bakersfield, Marin, Ridgefield, and Wyoming symphonies, Erie Philharmonic and Florida Orchestra, as well as a Celebrity Series (Boston) recital debut which featured the world premiere of a commission from composer Reena Esmail. In the 22/23 season, Simone performed at La Jolla and Peninsula Music Festivals, followed by orchestral performances in Winston-Salem, Virginia, Marin, Lexington, Modesto, New Haven, Bozeman, Portsmouth and Jacksonville. In recital, Simone can be heard in California, Florida, and Spain as well as her debut at 92nd Street Y in New York City.

At the invitation of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simone performed his work Lachen verlernt (Laughing Unlearnt), at the New York Philharmonic's "Foreign Bodies," a multi-sensory celebration of the work of the composer and conductor. In recent seasons, she has also appeared at the Edinburgh Festival performing Barber under the direction of Stéphane Denève, and at the Mostly Mozart Festival performing Mozart under Louis Langrée. She has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl with both Nicholas McGegan and Ludovic Morlot, and at Walt Disney Concert Hall with Gustavo Dudamel.

Internationally, Simone has performed with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel; the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro; the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica; the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong; the Royal Northern Sinfonia; the Milton Keynes City Orchestra in the United Kingdom; and the Opera de Marseilles.

Simone made her Carnegie Zankel Hall debut on the Emmy Award-winning TV show From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall followed in November 2016 by her debut in Stern Auditorium. In June 2016, her featured performance of music from Schindler's List with Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and members of the American Youth Symphony was broadcast nationally on the TNT Network as part of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Williams.

Raised in Seattle, Washington, Simone studied with Margaret Pressley as a recipient of the Dorothy Richard Starling Scholarship and was then admitted into the studio of the renowned pedagogue Robert Lipsett, with whom she studied at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Summer studies have included many years at the Aspen Music Festival, Indiana University's Summer String Academy, and the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy.

Simone Porter performs on a 1740 Carlo Bergonzi violin made in Cremona Italy on generous loan from The Master's University, Santa Clarita, California.

Additional Guest Artists

Alexander Malofeev, Joshua Bell, Andrew Bird, Christine Goerke, Yeol-Eum Son, Gil Shaham, Avi Avital, Marina Piccinini, Conrad Tao, Ingrid Fliter, Daniil Trifonov, Steven Banks, Hayoung Choi, Ben Rector, The Decembrists, esperanza spalding, Darrell Grant, Jimmie Herrod, Pink Martini, and Mariachi Sol de México®

Premieres

World Premieres

David Schiff "Uptown/Downtown" Piano Concerto

Celebrated Portland-based composer David Schiff joins forces with jazz pianist and Portland State University professor Darrell Grant to create a new jazz piano concerto inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes, the two artists' long friendship and their shared artistic interests. This world premiere is part of "Sounds Like Portland."

Caleb Palka

Caleb Palka (age 24) is a composer from Portland, Oregon, student at University of Southern California, and the inaugural recipient of Oregon Symphony's new Emerging Composers Fellowship. The recipient is selected among the recent alumni of FearNoMusic's Young Composer's Project, who are now on the cusp of a professional career. The fellowship offers a commission and world premiere of a new composition for orchestra, as well as mentorship and professional development from Music Director David Danzmayr, symphony musicians and staff.

This world premiere is part of "Sounds Like Portland"

Oregon Symphony Premieres

Giancarlo Castro D'Addona: Encuentro obertura festiva

Philip Glass: Violin Concerto No. 1

Esperanza spalding songs with orchestra

Wayne Shorter Gaia

Wayne Shorter Causeways

Stenhammar Symphony No. 2

Anna Clyne Color Field

Boulogne, Chevalier de St-Georges: Symphony No.2

Saint-Saens The Spinning Wheel of Omphale

Billy Childs Diaspora, Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra

Brittany Green Testify!

Steve Reich Music for Pieces of Wood

Danny Elfman Percussion Concerto

Oregon Symphony Musicians

For our full 2025/2026 Musician Roster please visit:

A Bold New Brand and Vision

This season also marks the debut of the Oregon Symphony's revitalized brand and website, designed to create a more inclusive and accessible experience for all. With vibrant visuals inspired by Portland's local culture and a user-friendly online experience, the rebrand reflects the Symphony's mission to be a welcoming space where everyone feels at home.

"Our goal is to make music for all," says Thompson. "This new brand is a reflection of our community and a bold step toward making the Symphony a place where everyone feels they belong."

Commitment to Community

The Oregon Symphony's 2025/2026 season is a testament to its dedication to community connection and cultural enrichment. With initiatives like Sounds Like Portland and Bang It!, the Symphony is not only showcasing exceptional music but also fostering a sense of belonging and pride in Portland. By bringing audiences downtown and creating spaces for connection, the Symphony is helping to shape the future of Portland's cultural landscape.

Subscribe Today Season subscriptions are now available. Individual tickets go on sale April 22, 2025. For more information, visit www.orsymphony.org or call 503-228-1353.

Special Offers and Arts for All To learn more about our special rates and offers please visit https://www.orsymphony.org/concerts-tickets/special-offers-deals/

About the Oregon Symphony The multi-Grammy Award-nominated Oregon Symphony, led by Music Director David Danzmayr, serves more than 250,000 people annually through live concerts, education, and community engagement programs. With innovative initiatives like the Creative Alliance and bold programming, the Symphony continues to inspire audiences locally and globally. For more than 125 years, the Oregon Symphony has been a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest's cultural life.

Contact:

Tanner Hanley | Vice President of Marketing and Communications | thanley@orsymphony.org