Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Classical Revolution Portland fires up P-town's Classical Underground.

There's been a movement building for quite some time now in various cities around the world, a movement that seeks to bring live classical music out of the concert halls and play it where different types of audiences might hear it: clubs, lounges, pubs etc. Since Portland is often on the cutting edge when it comes to music, it's no surprise that Classical Revolution Portland is fast becoming a staple for P-town music lovers who are in the know as far as our city's burgeoning 'underground' classical music scene. Another example of Portland's place in the forefront of this movement was a pair of concerts by the highly-regarded Wordless Music project from NYC here last April, with more to come later this summer.

I attended CRPDX's Chamber Jam last week at the Someday Lounge, and was very impressed with both the level of musicianship displayed by the performers as well as with the enthusiastic reception by a younger and radically different crowd of classical music fans. I've written at length (see the WM article linked above) about my support for this type of endeavor, and CRPDX makes it happen month after month, over and over.

I believe this movement will play a big part in ensuring a healthy future for classical music. If you want to get in on the ground floor and years from now say 'oh yes, I went to underground classical music shows back in the day,' attending a CRPDX performance is a great way to do that, as well as provide another avenue of support for some of the fantastically talented, entrepreneurial artists here in Portland.

No comments: