Oregon Symphony Kicks Off 2024-2025 Season With ‘An Alpine Symphony’ Celebrating Music’s Deep Connection to the Natural World

The Oregon Symphony is launching the highly anticipated 2024-2025 season with a profound exploration of the symbiotic relationship between music and the natural world. On September 21, the Oregon Symphony will perform Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony. The perfect embodiment of the year’s theme, “The Nature of Music,” An Alpine Symphony features a massive orchestra of more than 100 musicians, complete with wind and thunder machines, creating an auditory experience that evokes the sonic sounds of crashing waterfalls and a furious thunderstorm. Music Director David Danzmayr will take the audience on a journey of wonder and discovery to the awe-inspiring majesty of the Alps.

Peak Moments

Peak moments throughout the season delve into how music reflects, interprets, and is inspired by the natural world. On April 11-14, 2025, the Oregon Symphony will perform Beethoven's “Pastoral” Symphony, one in a series of Beethoven concerts, in which sounds of bird calls and babbling brooks are brought to life. This concert includes Creative Chair Gabriel Kahane’s world premiere composition Talent & Phoenix, which is a reflection on the 2020 Alameda fire and how our local communities can unite in the face of crisis. Then, June 6-9, 2025, Principal Cello and composer Nancy Ives explores humankind's relationship with nature and how music can inspire people to serve as better stewards of our environment. Ives merges music, poetry, and photography to tell the story of the majestic falls of Celilo, Oregon. The 2024-25 season culminates on June 14-16, 2025 with a final nod to the season’s theme. Mahler's Third Symphony is a powerful expression of the primal life force that animates every flower in the meadow, animal in the forest, and the divine love that forever unites nature and humankind.

“Our exploration of The Nature of Music is both about the music and how these works can inspire joy, awe, and a deeper connection to the world around us,” says Oregon Symphony President and CEO Isaac Thompson. “This season, we will explore Oregon’s majestic beauty and help people connect and reflect on their experiences with nature by bringing harmony, rhythm, and the power of nature to center stage.”

Community Collaboration: A Commitment to Preservation
In a unique partnership that extends the theme into the community, the Oregon Symphony is teaming up with Mazamas, a nonprofit mountaineering education organization, to explore the intersection of climbing, nature, and music. Inspired by Strauss’ epic tone poem, An Alpine Symphony, the Mazamas will host a panel discussion at the Mazama Mountaineering Center on September 11 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Panelists include Oregon Symphony Music Director David Danzmayr, Bass Trombonist Charlie Reneau, and Principal Clarinetist James Shields alongside Mazamas Board President Greg Scott, and Executive Director Rebekah Phillips. Limited seating is available for this first come, first served event.

The Mazamas will showcase stunning images captured by their members of Mt. Hood climbs in the concert hall lobby at each An Alpine Symphony performance. Additionally, BARK, an organization dedicated to defending and restoring Mt. Hood National Forest and surrounding public lands, will be onsite with information for concert attendees interested in learning more about Mt. Hood preservation efforts.

World-Class Portland Talent Takes the Stage
This season, the Oregon Symphony is proud to showcase an array of world-renowned guest artists and local talent. Among the highlights is the premiere of Andy Akiho’s Nisei, October 5-7, 2024. Co-commissioned by the Oregon Symphony, this new concerto showcases cellist Jeffrey Zeigler and is composed by Portland’s own Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist, Andy Akiho. The Oregon Symphony will be performing an original piece, Gia Đình (“Family”), February 1-3, 2025 by Vietnamese American composer Oswald Huynh, also a Portland-based artist. Additional world-renowned guest artists joining the Oregon Symphony this year include pianists Garrick Ohlsson, Yefim Bronfman, and Joyce Yang.

Diverse Musical Offerings
The Oregon Symphony’s 2024-25 season is as diverse as it is exciting, offering something for everyone. Whether you’re drawn to the timeless beauty of Brahms’ Second Symphony or the raw energy of Killer Mike performing with the Oregon Symphony, this season promises a wealth of experiences. Audiences will also enjoy blockbuster movie scores performed live to movies projected on the big screen, concerts for young music lovers, and festive holiday performances including the 25th anniversary of Gospel Christmas, all crafted to connect and bring the community together through music.

Ticket information and pricing are available at www.orsymphony.org or by calling 503-228-1353.

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About 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, and education and community engagement programs. Through innovative initiatives such as the Creative Alliance, the Oregon Symphony engages cultural thought-leaders to bring a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and inspiring musical experiences to our community that go beyond the concert hall and support the Symphony’s mission to move music forward. Online programming and syndicated broadcasts extend the Oregon Symphony’s reach to tens of millions more children and adults around the world. The Oregon Symphony has delighted audiences for more than 125 years and is the oldest orchestra in the Western United States. For more information, visit www.orsymphony.org. Follow Oregon Symphony on Instagram and Facebook.