Oregon Symphony announces 2016-2017 season

From the press release:

Record growth marks the 120th Anniversary Season with a 20 percent increase in the number of classical concerts, a new multimedia series in collaboration with artistic luminaries, two commissioned world premieres, and 16 Oregon Symphony premieres.

Music Director Carlos Kalmar and President Scott Showalter have announced the details of the Company’s 2016/17 season. Titled “Like Never Before,” the season, which celebrates the Company’s 120^th Anniversary and builds on the records-shattering success of the past two seasons, marks a new era of artistic growth and community collaboration.

 

Armed with another Grammy Award nomination, its third in four years, the Symphony creates new artistic experiences in a signature series titled SoundSights, in which visual art is merged with orchestral sound. In each of the three installments in this series, the Symphony collaborates with some of the Northwest region’s most prominent artists. Renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s works of art provide the setting for the production of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle; Pacific Northwest College of Art’s acclaimed animator Rose Bond and her team project dramatic video around the interior walls of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphony; and production design wizard Michael Curry transforms the stage for Stravinsky’s Perséphone.

 

Music Director Carlos Kalmar, commenting on the season—which marks his 14^th at the artistic helm—said: “This is the most exciting season in my tenure. It is exactly what we should be doing—providing new musical experiences for our audiences.”

 

SoundSights concerts headline a Classical subscription series that grows from 40 performances to 48 performances, a 20% increase over previous seasons. That growth allows all classical programs to have three performances—on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays—providing patrons with more choices and opportunities.

 

In addition to that classical performance growth, all subscription packages expand to include eight classical performances, half of the season’s classical offerings.

 

Monday classical concert start times move from 8:00 pm to 7:30 pm, aligning the start times of all evening concerts.

 

Noting the Company’s changes, President Scott Showalter, for whom the 2016/17 season marks his third, said: “Our growth reflects the support of our subscribers, donors, ticket-buyers, and artistic partners. The Oregon Symphony is responding to what we’ve heard from our community and preparing for further growth. It’s an exciting time to make music and art.”

 

The 2016/17 120^th Anniversary Season, which opens on September 10, 2016 and closes on May 22, 2017, includes 48 performances of 16 Classical subscription concerts, 8 performances of 4 Pops subscription concerts and 3 performances of 3 Kids subscription concerts, for a total of 59 performances of 23 different subscription concerts.

 

In addition to the subscription concerts, the season includes three renowned classical performers in Special Concerts: Soprano Renée Fleming kicks off the season on September 10; violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg performs and conducts Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on January 7, 2017; and violinist Gil Shaham joins the orchestra on April 2, 2017.

 

Every season, the Oregon Symphony performs between 20 and 30 concerts beyond its subscription series. These Special Concerts—under the Oregon Symphony Presents banner—span a wide range of genres. Patrons can expect the full slate of these Special Concerts to be announced in May.